Frequently Asked Questions:
1) I haven't worked out in a long time is yoga a good way to get back into shape?
Yoga is one of the best ways to start getting back into a more regular fitness routine. When done appropriately, it is very gentle on the body and most poses that are typically done in class can be modified to accommodate whatever your personal level of fitness happens to be. Yoga is also highly-individualized and adaptable - although the class proceeds together through the various poses, the extent to which you perform a pose is entirely up to you. We provide a welcoming and judgement-free environment, everyone in our classes is at a different level and we encourage you to focus not on what your neighbor is doing, but to focus on yourself, on your needs and your abilities and limitations. Yoga will help you to strengthen and properly align your body and spine, focus your mind, and improve your breathe capacity.
2) I'm pregnant, can I do yoga and if so, what classes do you have that are appropriate?
Yoga is great for pregnant women because of it's adaptability and gentle nature. It's also a great way to relieve many of the discomforts associated with pregnancy, such as low back pain, constipation, sleeplessness, leg cramps, water retention, etc. Yoga also helps to prepare the body for the rigors of labor and delivery but training you to focus your mind and control your breath. During the first trimester, most women in relatively good shape with no complications can perform the majority of the poses in a typical class with minimal, if any modification. During the second and third trimesters, modification will be required to avoid poses that put any pressure on the abdomen (anything in a prone position) and it may be necessary to avoid any poses in which you are lying completely on your back as the weight of the uterus may compress the vena cava, the main vessel that carries blood back to your heart. Additionally, during pregnancy your body produces additional levels of a hormone called relaxin that helps your whole body physically become a bit looser. Because of this you will be much more flexible than you normally would be so you will need to be mindful not to push your body too hard as you could be at risk for over-streching. Our instructors are all trained in the limitations and challenges associated with pregnancy and are able to modify to accommodate. We also have a Prenatal series available (returning Fall 2012) which delves more into the specific poses that are beneficial for pregnancy. Our gentle classes are appropriate for pregnant women as well as it contains a mix of gentle poses, stretching and restorative postures in which the body is completely supported by bolsters, blocks, straps, blankets to allow you to passively reap the benefits of the pose.
3) Do I need to register/pay online or can I just come to class?
You do not need to register online, however we do highly recommend that you do register online. We will sometimes cancel some of our specialty classes and those classes that are less popular if no one is signed up at all. To ensure that your class does not get cancelled it's a good idea to register online or call/email the studio so that we know to expect you. And although this isn't often necessary, it also gives us a way to contact you in the event of inclement weather or emergency situations if a teacher is going to be late for class. You can also call the studio and leave a message if you can't get online to register. We also offer some perks for registering online - if you sign up for our rewards program (offered when you sign up for an online account in our calendar), you earn points every time you book a class. Points can be used to pay for classes and products at the studio. You do not need to pay for classes online or have a membership/class pass, you can register as 'unpaid' in the system and then pay when you come to class.
4) I have a <Insert Injury Here> injury, can I still do yoga?
Depending on the type and extent of the injury, most classes can be modified to avoid aggravation of the injury. Yoga is highly modifiable and gentle and most injuries can either be effectively worked around but in many cases, improved. It's important to get clearance from your doctor prior to returning to any physical activity, however and you may find that you'll need to attend one of the gentle classes depending on your limitations. Also, it's important to speak with your instructor before class to let them know of any injuries you might have so that they can make the appropriate modifications/recommendations.
5) Do you have 'Hot' yoga?
We do not offer 'Hot' yoga. While we believe that all styles of yoga are beneficial, we do not believe that it is necessary for one to practice in extreme heat in order to reap enormous benefits. We strive to provide a welcoming and open environment to all shapes, sizes, ages and abilities and feel that the extreme temperatures of 'Hot' yoga exclude many who would otherwise benefit from a regular yoga practice - pregnant women, children, the elderly to name a few . We do have some classes in which the temperature is slightly elevated to encourage openness of the body and allow for deeper, more therapeutic stretching, but the ambient temperature for any of our classes will never exceed 85 F degrees and most classes are kept between 70-75 F degrees.
Yoga is one of the best ways to start getting back into a more regular fitness routine. When done appropriately, it is very gentle on the body and most poses that are typically done in class can be modified to accommodate whatever your personal level of fitness happens to be. Yoga is also highly-individualized and adaptable - although the class proceeds together through the various poses, the extent to which you perform a pose is entirely up to you. We provide a welcoming and judgement-free environment, everyone in our classes is at a different level and we encourage you to focus not on what your neighbor is doing, but to focus on yourself, on your needs and your abilities and limitations. Yoga will help you to strengthen and properly align your body and spine, focus your mind, and improve your breathe capacity.
2) I'm pregnant, can I do yoga and if so, what classes do you have that are appropriate?
Yoga is great for pregnant women because of it's adaptability and gentle nature. It's also a great way to relieve many of the discomforts associated with pregnancy, such as low back pain, constipation, sleeplessness, leg cramps, water retention, etc. Yoga also helps to prepare the body for the rigors of labor and delivery but training you to focus your mind and control your breath. During the first trimester, most women in relatively good shape with no complications can perform the majority of the poses in a typical class with minimal, if any modification. During the second and third trimesters, modification will be required to avoid poses that put any pressure on the abdomen (anything in a prone position) and it may be necessary to avoid any poses in which you are lying completely on your back as the weight of the uterus may compress the vena cava, the main vessel that carries blood back to your heart. Additionally, during pregnancy your body produces additional levels of a hormone called relaxin that helps your whole body physically become a bit looser. Because of this you will be much more flexible than you normally would be so you will need to be mindful not to push your body too hard as you could be at risk for over-streching. Our instructors are all trained in the limitations and challenges associated with pregnancy and are able to modify to accommodate. We also have a Prenatal series available (returning Fall 2012) which delves more into the specific poses that are beneficial for pregnancy. Our gentle classes are appropriate for pregnant women as well as it contains a mix of gentle poses, stretching and restorative postures in which the body is completely supported by bolsters, blocks, straps, blankets to allow you to passively reap the benefits of the pose.
3) Do I need to register/pay online or can I just come to class?
You do not need to register online, however we do highly recommend that you do register online. We will sometimes cancel some of our specialty classes and those classes that are less popular if no one is signed up at all. To ensure that your class does not get cancelled it's a good idea to register online or call/email the studio so that we know to expect you. And although this isn't often necessary, it also gives us a way to contact you in the event of inclement weather or emergency situations if a teacher is going to be late for class. You can also call the studio and leave a message if you can't get online to register. We also offer some perks for registering online - if you sign up for our rewards program (offered when you sign up for an online account in our calendar), you earn points every time you book a class. Points can be used to pay for classes and products at the studio. You do not need to pay for classes online or have a membership/class pass, you can register as 'unpaid' in the system and then pay when you come to class.
4) I have a <Insert Injury Here> injury, can I still do yoga?
Depending on the type and extent of the injury, most classes can be modified to avoid aggravation of the injury. Yoga is highly modifiable and gentle and most injuries can either be effectively worked around but in many cases, improved. It's important to get clearance from your doctor prior to returning to any physical activity, however and you may find that you'll need to attend one of the gentle classes depending on your limitations. Also, it's important to speak with your instructor before class to let them know of any injuries you might have so that they can make the appropriate modifications/recommendations.
5) Do you have 'Hot' yoga?
We do not offer 'Hot' yoga. While we believe that all styles of yoga are beneficial, we do not believe that it is necessary for one to practice in extreme heat in order to reap enormous benefits. We strive to provide a welcoming and open environment to all shapes, sizes, ages and abilities and feel that the extreme temperatures of 'Hot' yoga exclude many who would otherwise benefit from a regular yoga practice - pregnant women, children, the elderly to name a few . We do have some classes in which the temperature is slightly elevated to encourage openness of the body and allow for deeper, more therapeutic stretching, but the ambient temperature for any of our classes will never exceed 85 F degrees and most classes are kept between 70-75 F degrees.