Stress is ever-present in our lives, and during the pandemic, many of us are feeling greater stress, anxiety, and even a feeling of loss. A great way to cope with stress and manage negative feelings is mindfulness and yoga. Being mindful is a great way to reconnect with the body and become present in the moment, thus reducing focusing on negative emotions. This article in The New York Times suggests some poses and breathing exercises to help mindfulness and thus reducing stress. (Remember to be safe and adjust poses to your health and body.)

So, what if you feel that you are too busy to take time for yoga or mindfulness? Another article in The New York Times reminds us that you do not need to stop for a full yoga session to see improvements in your stress. Take a few seconds to reconnect your mind and body with a sense of calm, reminding yourself that you are OK, whenever you need to. The article is a powerful reminder that we all express our feelings differently and have different needs for our minds and bodies.

Here is an example of a short session that can be very helpful:

Set a timer on your phone with a pleasant sound for when the timer goes off. Set the timer for 5 minutes.
Sit or lie comfortably.
Start to notice your inhale and exhale. Notice the natural depth, speed. No need to change it or judge it. Just be with it.
When the inhale starts mentally think “I am.”
When the exhale starts mentally think “here” (this can be other words, like “free”, “calm”, “happy”). Here is neutral and may be more supportive of what is here right at the present moment.
Maybe journal after.

Dogwood Studio offers Mindful Movement online live classes taught by SAM Sather, a certified yoga therapist. This mindful practice promotes great insights as to how we hold tension, move (or do not move) our bodies, and how we relate to the sensations in the body. This class includes mind-body activities to increase awareness of habits that impact our health and provides techniques that can be applied in daily life to create opportunities to re-pattern our movements and support improved health.

Weekly Online Mindful Movement Class

When:

Mondays at 2:00 p.m.
Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m.
Fridays at 11:00 a.m.

Sign-up in Mindbody under the ‘Classes’ tab. You will need to log-in or create a new account.

We also offer On Demand classes!

On Demand sessions are pre-recorded, and you will have access to view the video for a certain amount of time at your convenience. On Demand classes will be offered two ways:

Weekly with availability for 7 days after the "start time." Each week starts on Sundays at 9 a.m. The first week starts May 31st, and
For special times when SAM is on vacation or for special recorded events like workshops or master classes. The timeframe for the video availability for these On Demand sessions is set specifically for that event.

For more information, click here.

Updated Schedule

The June schedule is now posted with new times! Click here for more information.