News from the Studio

Core Pose: Half Chaturanga Dandasana (from yoga journal-sadie's blog)

Begin in Plank Pose, fingers wide, palms and fingertips grounding. Place your knees down on the mat, not under the hips, but farther back. Remain lifted at the navel with a long tailbone and spine. Reach your chest forward between the upper arms without sinking toward the floor and winging the shoulder blades; they stay firmly on your back. Hug your elbows in, not squeezing the ribs but also not leaking energy by opening too wide. Keep the elbows directly over your wrists. On an exhalation, float your heart forward to maintain the vertical line of your forearms, push the floor with your hands, pull up the side waists and lower belly, and begin to lower, by about 2 to 4 inches. Resist the urge to go to as far as full Chaturanga. Staying higher will keep you working from the belly, or center, of your muscles, so you gain tone instead of stressing connective tissue and joints. Try 3-5 repetitions, holding each Half Chaturanga for 1-3 breaths. Press back into Child's Pose and rest for 1 minute after your last pose.

News from the Studio

I was a bit shocked to have witnessed my first leaf that has changed colour-I can only hope it was due to the absence of rain and not with fall approaching!

I'd like to express a sincere thank you for your support for the yoga in the park series in both Smiths Falls & Perth. It has been such an awesome journey watching how the yoga and wellness community has grown. From my perspective, in every class I watch how many of you have changed, whether you are aware of it or not-I certainly see it. The physical strength and conditioning is always easy to gauge, but it is the inner strength and connectivity with yourselves and with each other is also apparent.

The fall schedule is final and will have a variety of offerings balancing yoga classes with the fitness classes-it will be published on the web by the third week of August. Angi is finishing up her certification at the Y and I am so proud of her accomplishments since she first walked into the studio last October. She will be leading some of the conditioning and indoor bootcamp classes-she takes no prisoners.

Have a safe long weekend and see some of you at boot camp August 3 or at the studio August 6th.

Darlene

The next yoga workshop is on August 18 from 6-7:30 "Balancing Acts & Small Inversions".