SAM Sather
The Sacrum: A Key to Spinal Health and Mobility

The sacrum, often overlooked, plays a vital role in both spinal health and overall movement. It's not just a single bone but a fusion of five vertebrae that occurs as we age, usually completing the process in our 20s. Despite this fusion, the sacrum is part of a dynamic system that requires awareness and movement to stay healthy.

The Sacrum: A Key to Spinal Health and Mobility
SAM Sather
The Convergence of Yoga and Creativity

Yoga and creativity share a special connection. Both require us to move beyond the confines of the familiar, to explore the unknown, and to embrace the perspective of a beginner—a fresh lens through which we see the world. This convergence of yoga and creativity is a catalyst for inspiration, opening doors to new ideas, perspectives, and ways of being.

The Convergence of Yoga and Creativity
Amanda Dzengeleski
Why we are a Yoga Therapy Studio. Plus, ...

Yoga therapy is fundamentally about empowering you to take an active approach to self-care through the tailored application of yoga. Unlike general group classes, which aim to benefit a wide range of participants, yoga therapy offers a personalized and evolving practice that addresses specific health challenges and promotes overall well-being.

Why we are a Yoga Therapy Studio. Plus, Nourishing Opportunities to Practice.
SAM Sather
NEW Studio Announcements: Introducing our ...

We have made new updates to our class schedule and an exciting addition to our team!

SAM Sather
iRest: Active Resting That Heals

iRest Yoga Nidra can be perceived as resting, especially since rest is in the name, and we all are not people who rest. Resting can even be a bit scary. It is easy to wonder: Will everything be OK if I slow down and rest? What if I told you that iRest Yoga Nidra is active resting? You are doing something. You are actively listening to a voice, following the prompts, re-wiring your brain, and improving your health.

Mindful Movement: A Key Component of Resiliency

Mindful Movement: A Key Component of Resiliency

Resiliency includes mindful movement, stretching, humor, service and pranayama!

What exactly is mindful movement? And why does Dogwood Studio have a class called Mindful Movement and Yoga? We see the word mindfulness thrown around when referring to meditation, yoga, tai chi and qi gong. It has been part of popular culture for meditation, but the nuances of what a mindful practice entails is often overlooked. Mindfulness is the English translation of the Pali (ancient language from the Indian subcontinent used to write some of the oldest Buddhist scriptures) word sati.

5 Practices to Cultivate Resilience

5 Practices to Cultivate Resilience

Resilience is the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity. It is a term used to gauge a person’s capacity to recover, to cope, from stressful and traumatic experiences. Resiliency is not a static state of being nor is it a personality trait that only some people possess. The development of resilience is a process to be cultivated and practiced.

Tom Myers, of Anatomy Trains and a beloved teacher of the Dogwood team, approaches resilience in a straightforward and practical manner that resonates deeply with us. According to Tom Myers, the key to building resilience is a 5 pronged full body approach. Resiliency includes mindful movement, stretching, humor, service and pranayama.

Invest in healthy bones. Learn how to move safely with Dogwood’s Osteoporosis and Yoga Workshop

Invest in healthy bones. Learn how to move safely with Dogwood’s Osteoporosis and Yoga Workshop

In every yoga class that we teach at Dogwood Studios, we mention the importance of keeping our spine healthy. Osteoporosis is a silent disease. You can not feel when your bones get weaker. So much so that people often don’t realize they have low bone mineral density (BMD) until a bone breaks. The National Osteoporosis Foundation reports that the disease is responsible for an estimated two million broken bones per year. One in two women and up to one in four men over age 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis.

Coming Soon: Osteoporosis and Yoga Workshop!

Coming Soon: Osteoporosis and Yoga Workshop!

Not all yoga practices are equal. There are special considerations to take into account when dealing with osteoporosis. SAM Sather, a certified yoga therapist and RN, is teaching an osteoporosis and yoga workshop for you to learn how to practice or teach yoga for those at risk for fractures from osteoporosis. Having osteoporosis does not mean you should not do yoga, but empowering a student about how to keep theirself safe is essential.

Yoga May Benefit Respiratory Function

Yoga May Benefit Respiratory Function

I remember the first time I recognized how much yoga changed my breathing. I was teaching a biology unit on respiration and wanted to demonstrate how much carbon dioxide was in our exhale. I started to exhale into a beaker of water with a universal indicator and made bubbles for about a minute until the water turned green (I had exhaled enough water to make the water acidic). The students were amazed - not about the color change but that I was blowing bubbles for an entire minute! Many students asked to try it themselves. None of the students could exhale long enough to make the water change color. Although it appeared like I had magical lungs, in reality yoga helped me strengthen my diaphragm and intercostal muscles so I could access my full lung capacity.

Yoga Supports A Healthy Circulation System

Yoga Supports A Healthy Circulation System

Before yoga as exercise was mainstream, Dr. Dean Ornish began researching how lifestyle changes can impact one's health. In the 1983 Pilot study Dr. Dean Ornish showed that even severe heart disease could be reversed by the Ornish Program, as demonstrated by improved blood flow to the heart after only 30 days. With 37 years of scientific evidence, the Ornish program shows that changes in diet and lifestyle can make a powerful difference in your heart function and overall well-being. The Ornish program is not a yoga program, but it mirrors the themes of yoga and offers participants opportunities to practice yoga. The rigorous program has you look at four important areas of your life: how you manage stress, how much love and support you have, how much you move and what you eat.

Dogwood Studio’s first Service Class supports Healing Pines Respite

Dogwood Studio’s first Service Class supports Healing Pines Respite

Dogwood Studio is proud to start our pay what you can Karma Classes by supporting Healing Pines Respite. Healing Pines Respite is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that provides respites for women throughout North Carolina currently in cancer treatment and up to two years post-treatment. They grant space to tune into their healing journey with rest, connection and nature. They promote shifting the priority from merely surviving to living well so women with cancer can heal mind, body, and spirit. When women thrive, it has a ripple effect on their families and communities.