I've helped many students heal their sciatica (inflammation of the sciatic nerve, which originates in the low back and runs down the back of your upper leg bones, the femur) using the Four Essentials of Ashaya Yoga®: Open, Engage, Align, and Expand.
Most sciatic pain arises from standing, sitting, or walking with poor alignment; the feet are turned out and the thighbones are forward and externally rotated. When the femurs are forward of their optimal placement, the muscles of the lower back contract and can pull the lumbar spine into a flattened position. Tight hamstrings further exacerbate the flat back condition. When the natural curve of the lower back is lost, the spinal discs squeeze posteriorly (the back of your body) and can press on nerve roots.
The First Essential, Open, is the act of softening and remembering your connection to the healing power of the universe. You open to a bigger energy and let go of self-limiting beliefs. In so doing,...
Gentle yoga
There is a general misconception that “gentle yoga” is not as beneficial as the more active styles. However, the gentle styles of yoga, such as Restorative Yoga, Somatic Yoga, Therapeutic Yoga, can stimulate the immune system and improve one’s overall health.
Gentle yoga styles help to get the body out of stress-mode, release tension, calm the nervous system, gain clearer thinking, and even restore an overall sense of balance to the body, the mind and the soul. While stress is essential in certain moments where we need to achieve a goal and the stakes are high, the body's stress aparatus (the brain, heart, lungs, blood vessels, and muscles) become chronically over or under-activated when even low-levels of stress are persistent. Chronic stress can produce mental and physical illness over time, and the list of potential effects is too long and sad to list to here.
People often think that gentle yoga classes are easy, but these may be students who...
According to its founder and North American yoga pioneer, Ana Forrest, Forrest Yoga is “an intensely physical and internally focused practice that emphasizes how to carry a transformative experience off the mat and into daily life.” This style of yoga is more about healing the body and mind than trying to achieve fancy poses. If practiced regularly, however, Forrest Yoga will guide you to a safe, beautiful and strong practice – enhancing beauty inside and out.
Forrest Yoga addresses current stresses in our contemporary lives, focusing on cultivating a practice that responds to the stresses and injuries common in the world we live in today. For example, it is so common these days to carry stress in our gut, leading to various eating disorders and digestive problems. Our necks and backs also become places of undue stress when we spend so much of your time seated either working at desks, driving, or watching TV. Forrest Yoga’s poses and principles offer...
Beat the Winter Blues with the PranaShanti 40 Day Yoga Challenge!
About the Challenge
The PranaShanti 40 Day Challenge is a commitment to attend yoga classes for 40 consecutive days. The Challenge runs Monday, February 9th, 2015 to Friday, March 20th, 2015.
Yogic science confirms that it takes 40 days to fully develop a new life-promoting habit or to drop a current destructive habit. The PranaShanti 40 Day Challenge is a great way to strengthen the body, unburden the mind, and begin a daily commitment to yourself. In 40 days, you can create a whole new way of being.
Start with any class on Monday, February 9th!
Optional Gatherings
There are 3 optional team gatherings!
1. Monday, February 9th, 5:45 PM - 7:15 PM ~ Kick Off Class
Join us for our Kick Off class, Hatha Yoga with Mike. We’ll follow the class with healthy snacks. This is a great opportunity to get to know your fellow participants so that you can encourage each other along the way....
Boost your immune system with
the PranaShanti 40 Day Yoga Challenge!
The Challenge runs from Wednesday, October 1st to Sunday, November 9th, 2014.
The PranaShanti 40 Day Challenge is a commitment to attend yoga classes for 40 consecutive days.
Yogic science confirms that it takes 40 days to fully develop a new life-promoting habit or to drop a current destructive habit. The PranaShanti 40 Day Challenge is a great way to strengthen the body, unburden the mind, and begin a daily commitment to yourself. In 40 days, you can create a whole new way of being.
Start with any class on Wednesday, October 1st! There will be 3 optional team gatherings!
1. Wednesday, October 1st, 5:45 PM - 7:15 PM ~ Kick Off Class and Open House
Join us for our Kick Off class, Yin Yoga with Gitanjali. We’ll follow the class with healthy snacks. This is a great opportunity to get to know your fellow participants so that you can encourage each other along the way....
Those who love hot yoga know there are many benefits, including muscle toning; stress reduction and increased vitality; weight loss; reduction of muscle and joint pain; flexibility and mobility, and strength. In particular, hot yoga helps you to detox by sweating out toxins from your skin. Thus the amazing inner and outer glow of the students coming out after a hot yoga class.
If you’ve never tried hot yoga. If you’re not sure how to start. If you’ve tried it but were not prepared and intimidated. The Hot Yoga 101 workshop on Sunday, January 26 at PranaShanti is for you! Or, if you love hot yoga and want to share your passion, here’s a safe and fun way for your friends and family members to start.
To encourage you to try the hot side, the Hot 101 workshop includes a mat rental, 2 free class passes with 2 mat rentals, a PranaShanti tote bag, plus a handout on Hot Yoga for you...
"Kundalini Yoga teaches you the techniques and awareness to say healthy. You gain strong immune, glandular and nervous systems. This foundation gives you energy and lets you deal with the mental and spiritual facets of your life.’ —Yogi Bhajan
Kundalini Yoga, also called the ‘Yoga of Awareness’, consists of simple yogic techniques that can be practiced by everyone. Positive effects can often be noticed right away. It keeps the body in shape and trains the mind to be strong and flexible in the face of stress and change. Oxygen capacity is increased along with blood flow to the glands, resulting in heightened awareness and vitality. Through breathing techniques and meditation, peace of mind can be obtained.
In the Beginning
As a beginning student, participate at a pace that suits your flexibility and endurance. Wear loose, comfortable clothing. It is best to have bare feet to help stimulate the approximately 72,000 nerve endings in your feet.
"Tuning In"
Each Kundalini Yoga class begins with "tuning in"...
