New to Yoga?

Before coming to class

• It is best to eat a light snack within a few hours of class.
• Wear comfortable stretchy clothing.

What to Bring

• Bring your yoga mat and water bottle.
• Students taking Yin Yoga classes, on Wednesday evenings, are asked to also bring a rolled-up beach towel.
• Leave any personal belongings at home or locked in your car.
• We provide a safe and relaxing environment. Should you bring in your mobile device or wear your mobile watch, please turn these off prior to entering the studio.

When you get to the studio

• We are located at 9113 Leesville Road, suite 104, within Triangles Best Karate, in the small brick building between the dry cleaners and Just Tires.
• The doors open 10 minutes before class. 
• You will gain the most from your yoga class when you arrive with time to spare, to get settled and relaxed.
• Leave your shoes and personal items on the side benches, off the practice area.
• Yoga props including blocks, straps and foam rollers are available for your use.
• Each class is 60 minutes.

After Class

• We finish class with “Namaste”, a sanskrit greeting that translates to “The light within me recognizes and honors the light within you”.
• We always have a time for our students should you have any questions.

Inclement Weather

We try very hard not to cancel classes. However, when the weather can make it difficult for both teachers and students to get to the studio safely, please check your email for an announcement on cancelation before leaving your house for class.

1. Alignment Matters.

Alignment definitely matters to maintain proper form and to keep your body safe. It’s never about doing everything. It’s about doing what you can.

2. Breath is Key

The focal point of the practice in any school of yoga is always the breath.

Your breath is connection from your mind to your body and vice versa. When you’ve lost control over your breath, you’ve also lost control over your body. Without breath, you aren’t gaining the benefits from your yoga practice.

Should your breath becomes short and labored, or you start to hold your breath during challenging poses, simply slow down and do less.

Connecting your poses with your breath is what creates the magic.

3. There Are Always Options

Our classes are “all levels” practice. This means that yogis of all shapes and sizes, ages and abilities are welcome to join in the practice.

As such, there are always options. We will offer posture modifications - different ways of doing a pose - during class. It’s up to you to choose what works best for you. With time, you’ll get to know the version of the pose that is most beneficial to you that day.

You also have the option to slow things down or speed things up, or to simply take a break.

4. Faster Isn’t Necessarily Better

It’s important in all styles of yoga to take the time and mindfulness to properly align your posture with your own personal physical body. 

Sometimes the practice of slowing down is exactly what we need. When we feel we are becoming overwhelmed - whether physically, mentally or emotionally - moving with care and attention can be very helpful and more beneficial.

For those looking to add more to their practice, making every movement slower and more deliberate can be more challenging than moving with speed.

5. Resting Is Always An Option

Resting postures like Child’s pose are always welcome and completely acceptable. Whether you are taking our Flow to Slow or our Yin Yoga class, it’s all about honoring and respecting your body.

There is no shame in honoring your body and your breath. Resting is always a welcome choice.

6. Never Push Through Pain

Yoga is not about “pushing through pain.” It’s all about finding balance between strength and ease. Your calm breathe is a great indication of having that sense of ease.

7. When In Doubt, Go Slow

Whenever you find yourself unsure about a posture or a transition, move slowly. You’ll not only gain benefits, but you’ll also learn much more going slow and steady than by moving quickly and mindlessly.

8. It Gets Easier

Doing something new can be challenging and yoga is no exception. Every time you practice yoga you build more connection with your breath and more body awareness. Every time you practice yoga, you build the muscle strength and add flexibility.

The more you practice, the easier it becomes to find that sense of ease in every movement.

9. Props Are Your Best Friends

As in all forms of yoga, props are always your friends. They keep you safe, can help make postures more accessible, can offer challenges in your practice and will help you gain more benefits from your poses. Props are for everyone, beginners to advanced yogis!

10. It’s More Than “Just Exercise”

Yoga is always more than physical fitness. The real practice is in the mind. Moving with breath, quieting the “monkey mind”, being deliberate and mindful are the real benefits and challenges of the practice.

Whenever we practice, we not only gain the physical benefits of yoga -  increasing flexibility, releasing tension, building strength, improving stamina, etc. - but we also are training our mind to stay calm when things get difficult off our mat. Some call this building resilience. We like to think of it as connecting with your inner self.

The benefits of yoga are many and include:

• Decreases and eliminates lower back, hip, and knee problems.
• Increases your flexibility and range of motion.
• Decreases stress.
• Relieves anxiety.
• Increases your mental focus.
• Increases your breathing capacity.
• Increases lubrication of your joints, ligaments, and tendons.
• Improves your posture.
• Calms your mind.
• Increases your energy levels.
• Boosts your immune system.
• Increases muscle strength and tone.
• Decreases your blood pressure.
• Improves your sleep.
• Improves your digestion.
• Harmonizes your mind with your body.
• Improves your circulation.
• Massages all your body organs.
• Detoxifes your body.
• Helps you loose weight.

Yoga helps you physically, emotionally and mentally. Once you start practicing yoga, you soon realize that you are gaining more benefits than you initially sought.