SPRING YOGA SEMESTER | Week 1 - ARRIVING | How to get THE MOST out of your yoga class

Published: Fri, 04/12/19

Hey ,

Welcome to Friday Round-up – a weekly class follow up e-mail that breaks down and explores in a more detail some of the concepts / alignment principles that we employ in class and on the mat.

I've shifted to teaching a 90 minute long classes several years ago - it seemed that we were forever running out of time in 75 minute classes.

Friday Round Ups are a continuation of that process: the idea here is to catch the spill over of concepts, ideas and conversations - things we can't fully cover in the class environment.

I also wanted to create another yoga touch point for you - I find it is so much easier to stick with the practice if we have some well-spaced reminders and encouragers (I just made up a new word!) between on-the-mat classes.

I hope you find them useful, too.

This is also a great place to ask questions and express concerns - please don't ever hesitate to get in touch with me for any and all things yoga.

Now that that's out of the way, let's start with proper introductions:

I see that many of you (THANK YOU!) have already introduced yourself.

If you haven't yet, please fill-out this 1 minute questionnaire to introduce yourself and let me know what your most important goals for this yoga session are. All your feedback and ideas are extremely valuable - they help me to refine how the classes are structured so that they can serve you in the best way possible.

A note to Satori regulars: please, please, please fill out the form - yes, yet again! I am not trying to be a major PITA, I promise!

Health + Body things flow and shift, and as they do, our goals and expectations change - sometimes year to year, but more often month to month, and even week to week. Think of this questionnaire as a way to clarify and set your intentions for the yoga session ahead.

How To Get The Most Out Of Your Yoga Class

If you have attended any type of yoga retreat or training away from home, you know that learning the curriculum is only half the battle.

In the beginning, it is difficult to feel arrived and settled into the routine of retreat - one's head is still spinning from traveling and still occupied with all the home stuff. Just as you are finally starting to feel rooted and comfortable, the whole thing is over, and now you've got to travel back.

Attending your weekly yoga class is a microcosm of that experience: arriving, settling in, rooting down, becoming present. If the mind is preoccupied and busy, it is oh-so-easy to sail through the practice without ever landing in the body. But then, of course, that's not a yoga practice...

Creating a ritual - a container - for your weekly yoga class can help you to get the most of your class. More than that - your weekly ritual can actually help you stick with the practice when the going gets tough (that's of course when most of us tend to drop our self-care - right when we need it the most).

Some Ideas:

~ Arrive few minutes early so there's a buffer zone between your day activities and yoga practice.

~ Roll out with the balls, move, stretch.
Many of arrive to the yoga mat from a few hours of immobility. Often, the most exercise we did the whole day is moving our fingers. Whole body movement can help to discharge accumulated stress static; rolling out before you settle down on your mat can make the beginning of the class so much more comfortable.

~ Once you are ready, settle onto your mat. Give yourself - body and mind - a chance to be still and quiet - take a few mindful breaths before the class begins.

A reminder for everyone: I'd like to keep the studio as scent-free as possible as there's a number of us with scent allergies and sensitivities.

Now you are ready!

Here is a handy check list that can help you dial in on your ritual even further:

How to get the most of your yoga practice

See you on the mat!

Julia + SATORI YOGA TEAM