Dear

Have you made your New Year's resolution yet?

If it includes becoming healthier, more flexible, loosing weight or finally addressing your stress levels, starting a yoga practice might be exactly the thing you need! Winter yoga session is starting tomorrow and there is a spot in one of the classes just for you.

January, abound with new dreams and opportunities, feels fresh and exciting. Resolutions galore, we promise ourselves to be leaner, healthier and happier in the New Year. We will definitely cut the fat out of our diets, exercise more, will be kinder to our significant others, and lead better lives.  Then February comes along, March rolls in and  the Law of Diminishing Intentions prevails as we slip back to the old, familiar habits, tired of trying to fit this new life in.

We'll start every class with the breath training, or Pranayama.

Have you noticed how intimately your breath is connected to the state of your mind? When you are excited or stressed, your breath is shallow, fast and erratic. Depressed moods bring much sighing. Deep, silent breathing closely reflects calm, quiet mind. In the same way our breath is affected by our mind, so our breath can influence the state of our mind. Gaining control over our breathing will help to focus our mind and pacify the emotions; it'll calm and nourish our nervous system. Pranayama teaches us how to be mindful and fully present during our asana practice, but also when we are cooking supper, washing dishes or driving kids to the hockey practice.

Our posture, just like our breath, offers a unique glimpse into the inner world of our thoughts and feelings. Intuitively we recognize the sadness in the slumped shoulders, surprise in the raised eyebrows, mistrust in the caved-in chest and tense muscles... And just like the slow, rhythmic breathing calms our minds, opening our posture through the yoga practice softens our emotional outlook, creating a positive shift in our world view.

We'll open our physical practice with the strong standing postures to stretch, lengthen and strengthen the major muscle groups, improve circulation and kick start our metabolism. Powerful poses, like Warrior or Triangle, have the potential to reconnect us to the strength of our spirit, while hip openers, when practiced with awareness, teach us patience and acceptance. Balancing poses, such as a Tree Pose, Eagle Pose, or Half Moon pose not only continue to strengthen our muscles, but also impart a sense of balance and equanimity to our minds. Heart  - opening backbend sequences will dislodge the toxic emotions and create space for deeper breathing.

Let us practice today for the life we want to live tomorrow.

New Yoga classes are starting on Monday, January 10th.