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.
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.
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.
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.
Yin yoga incorporates the opportunity to spend more time in lying, kneeling and seated yoga poses. This practice provides an environment where we can spend time nourishing the deeper layers of the body and energy meridians, while incorporating mindfulness practices to support calming of the mind and nervous system.
Aviva had the pleasure of sitting down with her friend Melissa Russell for an interview about the upcoming iRest Lunchtime Learning on May 17th 11:45 am - 1:00 pm. iRest is a yoga nidra meditation that takes you on a journey through the koshas (the feeling, breath, mind, wisdom, and joy bodies) to facilitate deep rest and healing.
Meditation is an invitation to mindfully switch from thinking to observing. A regular meditation practice has the power to open your heart and mind to the present and keep you focused and grounded in the face of adversity. The best part is, it can be done anywhere, anytime!
Dogwood Studios is excited to be hosting many opportunities to commit or recommit to your meditation practice. Keep track you commitment to enter into drawing to win a prize. Sign up for a lunchtime learning, group yoga class with 15 minutes of meditation, Friday Evening or morning mediation using the calendar on our Class Sign Up Page.
This May, Dogwood Studios will be hosting many opportunities to develop a steadfast and determined commitment towards mediation. Natasha Rizopoulos explains in Yoga Journal Article, “If you can be resolute in your efforts and, in equal measure, not be fixated on the outcome of those efforts, your consciousness will become less hectic, and your vrittis (mental modifications or habitual thought patterns) will still or settle.”
When we experience joy in our yoga practice - the whole body benefits. The mind, body, and heart are aligned. When we connect with joy, we are reminded of why we show up to practice yoga. There’s less need to put pressure on ourselves, and instead we find space to live more intentionally and in harmony on and off the mat.
You don't always need to roll out your mat to do your yoga practice. The tools and techniques of yoga can be practiced in your everyday life and they can help you find good posture in your daily activities. Practicing sitting well in everyday life such as driving, working, eating or relaxing on the couch can help reduce stiffness and pain in the lower back and hips.
I have been volunteering to bring yoga to children while at school. In the middle school classes, there typically is a child who gets to a mat and immediately starts doing backbends. The other kids watch with a sense of disappointment because they fear that they won’t ever be good at yoga. However, yoga isn’t about folding the body into shapes. Yoga is an integration of the body, mind and spirit. Yoga allows you to have a flexible spirit, mind and body. This flexibility isn’t bending the body into various shapes, it is embracing the ability to adapt and change.
