summer at Body Mind Circle

Missing the quieter life of Covid Times? Return to Yoga!

Greetings!  We have been welcoming back many clients who have come to Hiyala for massage  and many students who have taken yoga in the past, and had to take a break due to covid and other reasons.  It is soo good to see everyone's face back in our healing open space at Peace church in Shoreview. (5050 Hodgeson Rd).  For info on massage with Hiyala please scroll down. 

What style of yoga do I teach ?  Somebody asked me recently what the yoga that I teach is called.   Often , the style of yoga is determined by the lineage. I do not follow any one lineage. In my teacher training, I studied for 14 intensive days with Joseph LePage who calls his business, "Integrative Yoga Therapy". I did that training waayy back in 1994.  Since then  I have studied with many "master teachers" and what I teach is a combination of what I found most useful.  Because I am 66 and many of my students are over 55, I tend to cater to people who have joint problems.  So I have defined my yoga as "gently challenging yoga".  

It is a more traditional yoga style in that we do short periods of meditation and breath practices in most every class.  And we end with hands at heart, voicing "Namaste".  I use the sanskrit names of the poses quite frequently because I was taught, and believe that words hold a vibration. 

Last week a student in Tues pm yoga asked if we were doing  "yin yoga" .  I stumbled in my reply because these things are not always easy to define. I know that it is very complex and I gave a reduced sort of explanation so that I wouldn't fill people 's head space with me talking for a  long time about these concepts. (I like to not talk so much in my classes so that people can really relax into their own being)   Anyway, I will tackle it a bit here , if you're interested,.... read on for a bit more.  Or , come to class. 

 Yin and yang are terms that we hear more and more in the western world.  They are general terms to describe large concepts that are central to medicine and health practices that originated in Asian countries. In my yoga classes, there is always the student's choice to do each pose in a yin way, or in a yang way.  If you had a relaxing day, and now want to expend a bit more energy in your yoga practice then you might make the choice to do each pose in a  way that requires more assertiveness and strength.  If you had a hard stressful day, you might choose to do your yoga poses in a more yin way, to conserve and replenish your energy. 

There is a fairly new kind of yoga called Yin yoga.  That is a style that is sometimes taught for the entire length of the class.   By holding the poses in  a supported way for a longer time, the goal is to stretch the fascia (connective tissue).  For a more thorough explanation, you could google it and /or come to a class.  

In the summer, I usually lead yoga class that is more "yin in nature" ..  more gentle, more cooling, to offset the Yang of the summer season. To balance out the Fire.  We will also talk about how to balance out the "pitta" (fire) dosha by what we choose to eat. 

These classes are currently in session:  Tues am 9:30-10:45. We are soon going to finish a "meridian" yoga sequence that we've been practicing.  We will ease from that into a Yin yoga practice.  

                                                          Tues pm 6:15- 7:30pm .  This is usually a Yin yoga practice.  However, since many people have been gone for quite a while, we did a review of most of the standing poses last week.  So, it always depends on who shows up and if they have certain requests/needs.  

Massage:  I am available for massage!!!.  I love to do Thai yoga therapy, a form of bodywork that is very complimentary to yoga. This is a clothes on style of bodywork that can be done easily on a blanket or mat in a park near you .  I can also do that form at Peace church in Shoreview.  If swedish massage is what you are craving, (oil on bare skin with kneading massage of the muscles), then that can be done in your home or at Revitalife clinic in Spring Lake Park..  

book your massage by sending me a few days/ times that work for you .  

I have attached two photos of my new cat, Boots.  Hope to see you soon!  namaste, hiyala