Fall Schedule & news

This week as I was sitting in my office watching the tourists on Sparks Street I had to ask myself -where has the summer gone? I felt as if I blinked and suddenly June & July had blurred into a series of memories (rain seemed to be a predominant theme).

It has been awe-inspiring to see so many faces at classes this summer. Your support, laughter and enthusiasm creates such great and positive energy in the studio. Everyone has commented on the pure sense of bliss that exists in the studio after pre-natal yoga class. Teaching the pre-natal goddesses and watching them become centred, relaxed and confident as they prepare to give birth really becomes quite emotional.

The classes continue to grow as more students find a little oasis for the mind, body and spirit at the Courtyard.

The fall schedule is now online, showcasing the newest class and the enhanced Fall schedule for yoga and the speciality classes. Your feedback is crucial respecting the schedule and classes as this is your studio. I've been asked to increase the number of Hot Yoga, Body Bar and Kickboxing classes, which I will evaluate for the winter schedule.

This summer I have been fortunate to have taken some wonderful professional development courses and training in both yoga and fitness. Of note:

• Phoenix Rising, Bristol, Vermont in yoga therapy, added a new dimension to my approach of teaching yoga. I chose Phoenix Rising due to their holistic rather than linear approach-they focus on the individuals needs rather then the philosophical approach to assisting students. Rather than developing a series of asanas focusing on assisting with healing the physical condition, they treat the whole individual. After alot of reflection, I have decided to continue with the certification process as a Phoenix Rising yoga therapy practitioner and really appreciate your feedback regarding observations in the approach to teaching classes.
  


• Aryuvedic Studies-During my yoga teacher training, I was fortunate to have 2 of the most amazing instructors-Roxanne, who understands and explains the technical aspect of each asana better than anyone I have encountered in years of yoga & Lorne, who was deeply integrated into the philosophical basis of yoga. It was through Lorne that my interested in aryuvedia developed and I started taking courses last year and decided this summer to complete training in aryuvedia healing. My interests are through the use of the science in eating for balance. Ottawa's only aryuvedic doctor, Vaidya Gupta has a wellness centre located on Carling Avenue and information on the courses and treatments offered there: http://www.divineayurveda.org/. For more information on aryuvedia, there are numerous websites that provide more information on the science.
  
• Fitness Kickboxing-Ok, so after 20 years of practicing judo cause of it's appeal to me, I was shocked to find myself taking this course and loving it! I was also shocked at how much I sweated during this training-my arms ached and my glutes felt like this were on fire (just joking, but wow, you really notice you have them after a session!!). I have been using this with my personal training clients and they love it and how fast the time flies. In introducing it into the studio, because my speciality is on the personal training side aspects, the classes will be limited to 10 participants. as i gain my next level of certification and comfort with instructing it, the class size will expand-but for the fall session, 10 is the maximum.
• What's next? For the fall, more professional development. I am completing my YMCA group fitness instructor certification; more distance education courses from Memorial from the their kinesiology program, (enhancing athletic performance and program design for weight loss); pre-exercise health screening; Baron Baptiste Power master training (yoga). For the class design, more Yin introduced into the restorative yoga poses due to the benefits to the student.

Workshops: Speciality workshops throughout the fall & winter on:

• runners and cyclists to minimize injuries & lenghten functional muscle fibre & increase performance through yoga designed specifically for these athletic groups
• nutrition for performance
• meditation for stress
• yoga 101-breaking down the mysteries & myths of yoga; principles of movement
• muscle function & strenght building to prevent osetroposis in women
• more to come!!

Schedule August 24-September 4th

- Monday, August 24th: I'm leaving for vacation (a true one!!) noon August 24th. There will be body bar at 0800 on August 24th-there will be no other classes on August 24th-September 4. The studio will open for the Fall schedule on September 5th.