Yoga & Pilates - Spring Session (2008)

(37 Available Classes)

Beginning: April 2, 2008

Ending: June 26, 2008

Holidays: May 26, 2008 - Memorial Day - There will be no class on this day.

The Spring Yoga / Pilates Session starts on April 2, 2008.

Spring Class Schedule:

Monday: 6 PM - 7:15 PM Beginner / Gentle Yoga
Tuesday: Private Sessions by Appointment Only
Wednesday: 6 PM - 7 PM Pilates / Body Sculpt
Thursday: 6 PM - 7:15 PM Beginner / Gentle Yoga
Friday: Private Sessions by Appointment Only

30 Classes = $240
20 Classes = $180
10 Classes = $ 97

Walk-in Rate: $15

Private Sessions in downtown Attleboro for Yoga, Stress Management, Holistic Weight Control, Chair Yoga, Yoga Therapy, Pilates, Life Coaching, Personal Fitness Training, and Yoga Teacher CEC's for Yoga Alliance, must be scheduled by appointment.

There is a $20 non-refundable deposit to reserve a private session.
This deposit will be deducted from your private session fee.

Classes at 21 Park Street, Suite 202, Attleboro, MA 02703

Monday: 6:00 to 7:15 pm - Beginner's / Restorative Yoga with Marie or Paul

Restorative Yoga is a gentle form of Yoga, where you learn to develop a safe routine. Yoga props are made available for better alignment and for less strain on the body. Although Restorative Yoga is gentle, don't be deceived; you will build strength, muscle tone, and flexibility. Meditation, relaxation, and proper breathing are also part of the curriculum.

Tuesday: Private Sessions by appointment only

There is a $20 non-refundable deposit to reserve a private session.
This deposit will be deducted from your private session fee.

Wednesday: 6:00 to 7:00 pm - Pilates Body Sculpt with Marie

Pilates is a very popular health maintenance system. Marie teaches traditional, as well as "offshoots," of Pilates mat exercises; modifications are shown to help firm your abs, glutes, and inner thighs. Pilates conditions the entire body through stretching and strengthening of muscles. It creates balance by improving posture and aligning the body.

Thursday: 6:00 to 7:15 pm - Beginner's Restorative Flow Yoga with Paul

Restorative Flow Yoga is a gentle form of Yoga, and there is gentle movement involved. Yoga props are available for better alignment and for less strain on the body. Although Restorative Flow Yoga is gentle, don't be deceived; it is mildly aerobic. You will also build strength, muscle tone, and flexibility. Meditation, relaxation, and proper breathing are also part of the curriculum.

Friday: Private Sessions by appointment only

There is a $20 non-refundable deposit to reserve a private session.
This deposit will be deducted from your private session fee.

General Safety Guidelines for Yoga Classes

Wear comfortable clothing in which you can move freely; It's best to practice barefoot.
Ideally, practice on an empty stomach: try not to eat 2-3 hours before Yoga class.
Practice in a well-ventilated room that is neither too hot nor too cold.
Always do a few warm-up movements, combined with deep breathing, before doing Hatha Yoga poses (Asanas).
If time is short, remember that it is better to do a few Yoga postures slowly--and deeply-- than to do many of them hastily.
Never strain or struggle to get into a Yoga pose. Move into and out of the postures gently, smoothly, and with awareness. Do not push through tightness; it's much more effective--and much safer--to relax it away with awareness and with the breath, thus facilitating a deeper opening.
Use common sense: Honor contraindications suggested for the poses and breathing exercises, even if you "feel up to it." ("Contraindication" comes from "contra," which means against, and "indication." It refers to a condition, usually physical, that indicates one should not do a particular asana or pranayama).
Never compete: Don't expose yourself to injury by competing with others--or with yourself. Pride of body or of superior flexibility have no place in Yoga. Progress in Yoga is not absolute, but directional--it's a matter of taking your own next steps.
To the best of your ability, breathe diaphragmatically while holding an Asana, unless the asana calls for a different, specific type of breathing.
In all poses, avoid swayback (over-arching the lower back) by tucking the tailbone when necessary to lengthen the lower spine. In some cases, contracting the lower abdomen seems a more natural movement and will accomplish much the same thing.
Remember that your neck is part of your spine. Keep it in line with the rest of the spine to avoid compressing the cervical vertebrae or discs.
Avoid twisting your knees; they're hinge joints, made to fold with little or no rotation.
Avoid tensing the shoulders; keep the back of the neck extended and the shoulder blades released down the back.

Precautions for Yoga Asanas

Standing poses: Do not hyperextend the knees (i.e., don't push back on the kneecaps, "locking" the knee). If you have this tendency, either pull the kneecaps up by engaging the quadriceps muscles, or keep the knees slightly bent.
Standing poses with knee bent: When one leg is supporting most of your weight, never allow the knee to go beyond the ankle. Keep it over the ankle (lower leg vertical), or for extra protection, slightly behind the ankle (i.e., don't come down so far into the pose).
Forward bends: Keep the spine long and fold at the hip joints. It's okay to let a healthy spine round slightly, but only through relaxation and with complete awareness, a long spine, and no discomfort. Avoid entering or exiting the pose with a rounded spine and straight knees, as this can compress the inter-vertebral discs and pinch the spinal nerves. For the greatest degree of safety, keep the knees slightly bent throughout the pose.
Backward bends: Protect the lower back (lumbar spine) by tucking the pelvis (i.e., lengthening the tailbone downward), releasing the shoulder blades away from the ears, and lifting through the sternum/heart area. Let the curvature in the neck match (or be less than, if your neck needs support) the curvature in the rest of the spine.
Side bends: Keep the underside of your rib cage open so as not to close off your breathing or overstretch the lateral flexor muscles of the spine.
Twisting poses: Keep the spine lengthened as you exhale into your twist. If the spine begins to round, back off a little from the twist. This helps prevent compression of the spinal discs and nerves, and keeps the life force flowing freely.
Inverted poses: Never put undue weight or stress on the neck, and do not remove the natural curvature of the cervical spine. If your arms and shoulders are not strong enough to bear the weight of the body, then it's best to practice simpler variations of the inverted poses until you're able to do the classical versions.
Sitting poses: When entering the cross-legged positions, be sure that all rotation occurs in the hip joint, not in the knee. The lotus pose, or even the half lotus pose, is not for beginners unless their hips are already very flexible.

Faculty (All Yoga Teachers Are Certified)

Paul Hoover: Beginners Yoga

Marie Jerard: Beginners Yoga & Pilates

Paul Jerard: Program Director (Beginners, Kids, Yoga Fusion, Restorative Yoga, and Vinyasa Yoga)

Terri Richards: Reiki