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Pat's Flow yoga classes are challenging and invigorating while offering encouragement in a safe environment. Her classes always include mantra, meditation, music and ahimsa . Pat's hope is to guide others to find the deeper dimension of yoga for themselves, looking at the asanas as angles that provide opening rather than imposing the pose upon the body - allowing it to unfold from within. This perspective grew out of her 1990 Siddha Yoga Kundalini initiation which has awakened her to a powerful and deep experiential understanding of the essence of yoga, and the belief that this is a path toward spiritual enlightment.

This is a Mixed Level class good for beginners, (including absolute newcomers to yoga) and for more advanced students. Some degree of physical fitness is necessary. If you get out of breath very easily or have little muscular strength, this class is not for you. No problem, though, if you are very stiff – that’s what you are here for.

There is no set series of poses utilized in the class. Each class is different. Headstands and shoulderstands, however -- either supported at the wall or in the center of the room -- are part of every class. Tom will teach beginners easy variations of these, or even easier inversions if needed, safe ways to approach getting the benefits of being somewhat upside down.

Besides yoga poses, each class ends with a yogic breathing session, and (if the individual student wishes) meditation, and savasana, (the very relaxing "corpse pose").

This is an "Iyengar-based" class. Iyengar Yoga emphasizes precise alignment, the use of props to help students with limited range of motion. Tom or his assistants also may physically adjust students into better alignment in the poses. Thus the class is very good for beginners, teaching them basics they can use throughout the coming years.

Although the class is "Iyengar-based" Tom incorporates aspects of other yoga methods into it, because he feels strongly there is value to be found in all the schools of thought.

Our class is a gentle, focused introduction to fundamental Yoga principles, movements and poses. Many students who started in this class have made a comfortable transition to Ashtanga practice at Yoga is Youthfulness. This Hatha
class begins with a short seated time of centering, breathing and meditation. We proceed with core warm ups and body alignment, balance and concentration exercises and postures, then we move our entire body with some slow and quicker variations of Sun Salutations. We incorporate some standing poses in the variations. We maintain an interior focus and pay conscious attention to our breathing. Having thoroughly warming up, class proceeds to seated and/or lying down deep stretching. We conclude with a deep relaxation. The class is gentle yet challenging. It inspires flexibility, builds strength and improves balance in all ways.

On Saturdays the class is for Beginners 1: it focuses primarily on the needs of the new student to yoga. It sets a foundation, physically and philosophically - that can be carried forward into any other style of yoga. Other levels are always welcome.

On Wednesdays the class is for Beginners 2: it focuses on the needs of students with 6 months or more experience in yoga. Students with less experience are welcome to try this class to see if it suits their needs. For students who have no experience in yoga, Hatha Beginner 1 is a good foundation for this class and is strongly recommended as a pre-requisite.

The practice of Restorative Yoga uses props such as bolsters, blankets, straps, blocks and eye pillows. Starting out with gentle movements to stretch and warm the body, we transition into soothing and well-supported poses that offer us the opportunity to quiet the mind and replenish the body. Guided visualizations, poetry readings, or just the soft sounds of music help you relax and settle into a place of stillness.

The Restorative Yoga poses are practiced from 5-30 minutes and create numerous benefits for the body and the mind:

• Reduces stress and anxiety
• Slows down the heart rate and lowers blood pressure
• Encourages healthy patterns of breathing
• Moves the spine in all directions to increase flexibility
• Helps during recovery from illness or injury
• Stretches muscles, fascia and connective tissue to facilitate a full range of movement
• Reverses the effects of gravity with inverted poses, which changes the flow of blood and fluids
• Conserves energy, redirecting it to restore, replenish and rejuvenate the body
• Quiets the mind, increasing a sense of peace and well-being

Congratulations! Our prenatal yoga class is a special class for a special time in your life. Because it is so important to connect with other expectant women (start building your parenting community now!), class begins with brief introductions (name, due date). Our practice includes an opening guided meditation, yoga postures, and ends with a relaxing restorative pose (or modified shivasana). Contrary to popular belief, prenatal yoga is not "gentle," but rather a challenging practice to prepare moms-to-be for the rigorous event of labor (and beyond!). Poses can be modified to meet the individual needs of each student and are appropriate for all stages of pregnancy. Many poses address the common discomforts of pregnancy as well, such as back ache, sore hips, leg cramps, sciatica, and more. After our practice, moms can stick around if they choose for our discussion time (20-30 minutes), covering anything of interest from prenatal testing to baby gear to what labor is "really like" and more...Taught by an experienced yoga teacher, doula, certified childbirth educator, and mom.

Love, Jeanna