Start your weekend with time for gentle movement, long held stretches, supported postures and a guided meditation designed to give you space to reflect, restore and just be. Learn how to prepare the body for meditation and how to quiet the mind to become more receptive and to increase the quality of your sleep.

 

Yin is a physical practice of letting go of tension in the body through grounding poses that are held for longer periods of time to allow access to layers deeper than muscle such as fascia, connective tissues and joints. It is a true challenge for the mind to sit in stillness so the body can open.

 

 

Yoga Nidra is an ancient practice that utilizes the five energetic layers (koshas) to access the hypnagogic state, the state we're in between wakefulness and sleep. Through awareness of the physical, energetic and mental layers, we can become most receptive to intuition and learning. We do this through a body scan, a focus on breath and visualizations. Delve into 90 minutes of bliss to prepare yourself for the week ahead.

 

 

In this winter edition, we will focus on nourishment and nurturing of the self. We'll use lots of props for extra support in each shape to help us open up and allow for greater flow of energy. We will focus on ways we can care for ourselves deeply and purposefully to give us the rest we all need in order to thrive in our everyday lives. There will be plenty of time for breathwork, contemplation and true rest as we work to calm the nervous system and mind. Leave with a sense of how to foster and maintain nourishment and nurture in your everyday life this winter season and beyond.

Chakra Pairs: Root Chakra and Third Eye Chakra (Muladhara & Ajna)

 

The word 'chakra' in Sanskrit loosely translates to the English word 'wheel'. A chakra point is a concentrated center of energy within the body and we have been focusing on the seven main chakras throughout this year. Our third and final chakra pair of our series focuses on the root chakra (muladhara) and the third eye chakra (ajna). At the base of our spine is our root chakra, which helps us to stay grounded, safe and supported on Earth. Our third eye chakra is located around our forehead at the space between the eyebrows and connects us both to our intuition and a spiritual plane of existence. This chakra pair is fun because we get to explore what is physically present through our root chakra, as well as imagine what could be beyond this reality by opening our minds to our third eye.

 

Expect a general overview of the chakra system, time for discussion and reflection on this chakra pair, a gentle physical practice, and calming meditation. Attendance at prior sessions or previous knowledge is not at all necessary! Everyone is welcome to explore.