Restorative yoga for those who want to relax

SF Chronicle recently published an article on the health benefits of yoga. It's a great read for those interested in restorative and gentle yoga.

Restorative yoga for those who want to relax

The sound of San Francisco rain on the skylight mixes with the music of Tibetan bowls inside the darkened studio.
Six students are lying under blankets in Savasana, "the corpse pose"- on their backs, palms up, with bolsters under their knees and tiny pillows covering their eyes. The instructor silently walks to each student and rubs lavender oil into his or her temples.
Although it looks like nap time for grown-ups, it's actually yoga - restorative yoga.
Also known as "active relaxation," this brand of yoga came to life in San Francisco during one of the most stressful decades on record, and classes like this one at Bernal Yoga are gaining popularity as people look for ways to quiet the body, and ultimately, the mind.
Restorative yoga works best for those who feel fatigued or ill, and is especially beneficial during major life events: breakup, death of a loved one, change of job or residence, marriage or major holiday, according to Yoga Journal founder Judith Lasater of San Francisco, who is credited with popularizing restorative yoga with her 1995 book, "Relax and Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times."

Read The Rest of the Article.....

Art and Yoga:Another Great Reason to Visit Your Local Art Space

The artistic path is very similar to the yogic path. The mind/body connection is developed through the creative process instead of physical exercise. The spirit is again sparked by the connection creating the inspiration for the discovery and expression of your true inner self.

Yoga and Art, each in their own way, seek to unite the individual body, mind and spirit. This connection  is critical to improving your health, enhance your life and finding your true inner self.

Many museums and art spaces across the country realize the connection between the two and now offer yoga classes. A recent article in North San Diego Times considers the combination "an effort to soothe the soul and tone the body in the inspirational setting of an art museum."

As yoga holds strong as a popular form of exercise and relaxation, specialty classes are everywhere. YogaJournal recently reported that "6.9% of U.S. adults, or 15.8 million people, practice yoga. (In the previous study, that number was 16.5 million). Of current non-practitioners, nearly 8%, or 18.3 million Americans, say they are very or extremely interested in yoga, triple the number from the 2004 study. And 4.1% of non-practitioners, or about 9.4 million people, say they will definitely try yoga within the next year." 

Add artsy yoga to the ranks of power yoga, baby yoga, kickboxing yoga, chair yoga, punk rock yoga and plus-size yoga.

Interested in learning more about bringing yoga to your local art space? Please contact Zoraida @ ZORAIDA365@GMAIL.COM

Read more about Museum Yoga here 

A New Year- Resolve to Evolve

We have officially entered a new decade! I read the following excerpt from Yoga Journal and thought it was something all of us could use.

"A new year's resolution is a noteworthy concept—start off the year with a change for the better. So how did it devolve into a subconscious exercise in self-loathing? Lose 10 pounds! (Message to self: You're fat.) Stop drinking caffeine! (You're unhealthy.) Call Mom and Dad once a week! (You're ungrateful.) Why not celebrate this new year by trading in your tired (and probably familiar) resolutions for a sankalpa instead?

POSITIVE POWER A Sanskrit word, sankalpa means "will, purpose, or determination." To make a sankalpa is to set an intention—it's like a New Year's resolution with a yogic twist. A sankalpa explores what's behind the thought or feeling ("I crave chocolate or ice cream when I'm feeling stressed or sad. I will set an intention to become conscious of this craving and allow my feelings to arise and pass, rather than fill up on fats")."

I've set the intention to deepen my meditation practice and be more creative. What intentions have you set? Please post!

I have three really great workshops coming up. Info is to the right.  I hope you can make it to one. If not, please spread the word.