Awesome Yoga Announcements!

There are always cool things happening at Healium with our Yoga and Movement program.

New Teachers! As you already know, we have a whole bunch of *new* teachers joining us at the studio! We've had bios from Alanna, Sylvia, Val, Neva and Jenifer (that's me), and we have more little five-question interviews coming from Trudi, Elissa, Oli and two other new teachers who are joining us - Elaine and Maggie! Be on the lookout for these fun blogs, and swing by to meet the new teachers in the evening yoga classes, Sylvia in Pilates at 11.15 am on Mondays and Thursdays, and Oli in Feldenkrais at 12.15 on Thursdays.

Congratulations to Val! Val got an awesome new job! Of course, this job has a meeting every day at 11.30, which means that Val won't be able to teach the Tuesday/Friday 11.15 am Gentle Yoga classes. Why didn't the job check with us first before settling their standing meeting?!

So, starting in October, Jenifer (that's me), will be taking on the Gentle classes! These classes will change a bit in flavor. It's a gentle class, but we'll focus on long, supported holds of floor postures using our props. This will stimulate connective tissues, releasing tension in the muscles and joints, and developing safe, stable flexibility.

Saturday Classes Start in October! On the first and third Saturdays of the month, Elissa and Jenifer (me again!) will be teaching the Saturday class: Yoga Explorations. This 75-minute class will be tons of fun, exploring more postures than in our shorter sequences! It's an $18 drop-in only and starts at 9.30 am!

FREE Power Yoga Theory Class! Our next free Power Yoga Theory class - for students who have been coming six months or longer - is on Saturday, 13 October at 9.30 am. We'll be going through the whole sun salutation sequence, providing clear instruction on the vinyasa (flowing sequence of postures) as well as modifications to make the sequence work for your body! This class is also 75 minutes. We need as least eight of you to hold the class, so let me know if you want on the list!

First-ever Healium Yoga Workshop: Feel-Good Hamstrings! Due to popular demand, we will have our first-ever yoga workshop on Saturday, 27 October from 9.30 am to 12 noon! We'll study the basic structure of the hamstrings, discuss what makes the hamstrings tight, and learn the proper alignment of the body that helps both strengthen and stretch the hamstrings effectively. We'll finish up this discussion with a great, 75-minute class that emphasizes the hamstrings, and also have a another 20 minutes for Q&A! Cost for this 2.5-hour workshop is $40 if you register by 1 October; $45 if you register later.

Space is limited to 15 participants, and several people have already signed up - so register early to get your spot!

See you in class!

Meet the Teacher: Valerie Love

You may already know Valerie Love from her Gentle Yoga classes at Healium. She's now also teaching Power Yoga Dynamics on Tuesdays at 5.30 pm. Here are Val's thoughts on the magic of yoga - and food!

1. What is your favorite thing about yoga?

How good I feel after practicing. My body feels stronger, and the day-to-day aches that creep in after too much sitting in front of computers always disappear after a practice. I also find in those final moments of savanasa I'm able to really connect with my true self, and find a sense of clarity that at other times can feel quite elusive!

2. What is your favorite yoga pose?

Supported fish. I love back extensions and heart openers generally, and supported fish in particular feels so lovely and nurturing in my body. It's such a beautiful release.

3. What is your favorite thing to teach?

I tend to focus on the connection to the breath. My dynamic classes emphasize movement and breath, and my gentle classes focus on relaxation and breath. I find that focused breathing helps to balance the energy in the body - it raises the spirit when you're feeling exhausted, and helps to calm the body and mind to release overactive energies.

4. What is your favorite posture to teach?

It's actually savasana. Most people barely even think of it as a posture - you're just lying on the floor, right? But there's so much depth and nuance in the pose, and I love the sense of peace and relaxation at the end of the practice, and the sharing of energy with others in the room. Where else in our lives do we get to share a space of rest and rejuvenation with others?

5. What is your favorite thing to do other than practice and teach yoga?

Eat good food and travel! I love cooking and eating fresh seasonal fruits and veges from the Sunday morning market. I enjoy experimenting with flavors and spices, and unusual combinations of foods. My chocolate beetroot cake is to die for. And I have a minor obsession with soup. A good soup really does make me ridiculously happy!

Be sure to check out Val's column, "Yoga on a Plate," on The Yoga Lunchbox. For her full teaching schedule, visit her website, Kiwi and Kumara.

Why I Love Gentle Yoga

One of my former teachers in the States had a saying: "Some of us are made of elastic, and some of us are made of steel." I am solidly in the steel category. I studied gymnastics for years as a little kid and never even came close to a split. In my early 20s, I did things like running and playing ice hockey without ever stopping to stretch my muscles. I'm about the least bendy person ever. I know, I know - yoga teachers always say that sort of thing, and then the next minute they pull their foot behind their head. Well, not me.  When I say my body isn't very bendy, trust me, it really isn't.

For years I avoided yoga because I fell into the trap of thinking that yoga is about flexibility, and I didn't want to embarrass myself by going to a class and not even being able to touch my toes. When I finally did get to my first class, I was shocked to discover that there were quite a few people in that room who couldn't touch their toes - it wasn't just me! And what's more, it didn't matter in the slightest. The teacher told us to bend our knees and breathe. And so I did.

At first I practiced intense, fast-paced styles of yoga, and found numerous benefits from those practices. But as I moved deeper into yoga philosophy and began to study the yamas and nimayas (yogic restraints and observances), I realized that they weren't quite right for my body. I found myself drawn to the first of the yamas, ahimsa, the practice of non-harming. Ahimsa involves living with kindess towards others and towards oneself. Practicing ahimsa means not pushing one's physical body beyond its limits. But also, and just as importantly, ahimsa means offering self-compassion and kindness in thought.

When I truly listened to my body, I realized that I didn't need to push myself so hard in my physical practice. I'd spent most of my life running around, doing seven things at once, trying to achieve as much as I could. Practicing gentle yoga taught me how to finally slow down.

Gentle yoga is a softer, refreshing practice which includes breathwork (pranayama), and slower postures and movement (asana) to promote healing and renewal in the body. For those of us made of steel, over time it allows tight muscles to begin to soften and release. Gentle yoga can also help to calm the mind, and promote relaxation. It's my favorite style of yoga, both to practice and to teach, and it is suitable for both beginners and advanced students - no previous yoga experience necessary!

I hope you'll join me on Tuesdays and Friday mornings at Healium to try gentle yoga for yourselves. And together we'll bend our knees and maybe get that one millimeter closer to touching our toes.


About Valerie Love:

Valerie holds a 200-hour Yoga Alliance Yoga Teacher Training in Hath Yoga from Samadhi Yoga Studio in Manchester, Connecticut in the United States. Her specific area of interest is yoga's connection to physical and emotional well-being. Valerie followed her heart to Wellington in August 2011, and is a featured columnist on the Yoga Lunchbox, New Zealand's online yoga magazine: http://theyogalunchbox.co.nz/category/columnists/yoga-on-a-plate/. She also writes about her three favorite things - food, travel and yoga - on her blog at http://kiwiandkumara.com.

New Yoga and Movement Classes at Healium!

This week we've been sharing the results of our yoga survey and all the exciting new developments happening at Healium. Today we have a first look at our newly expanded class schedule, which goes into effect Monday, 2 April.

And now - apart from the Group Private Classes - you can use your concession (4 classes for for $40, etc.) for any class on the schedule! Mix and match your classes, times and teachers - have fun and go crazy! Just be sure to book your classes through our Ezybook page.

Over the next week or so we'll be going into more detail on our new classes - stay tuned! For now, here's a quick summary of all our class offerings:

Chi Power. A blend of conditioning exercises, martial arts including tai chi, qi gong and karate, and moving meditation that strengthens your body, enhances your mobility and develops your internal energy for greater health and vitality. With Algernon Williams.

Elemental Yoga. Explore the energetic elements of Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Ether through yoga postures that release, invigorate and rejuvenate the whole person - you! With Elissa Jordan.

Feldenkrais - Awareness Through Movement. A mindful practice that creates new connections between body and brain, facilitating ways to move with greater freedom. With Oli Wiles.

Fertility Yoga. Explore yoga postures and breathwork that support fertility. Postures focus on the endocrine system, and you'll have time to discuss your unique situation and gain insight from other students into the process of supporting fertility naturally. All women welcome! With Jenifer Parker.

Gentle Yoga. Using props and a gentle sequence of yoga postures, this class is designed to release tension and develop deep relaxation. With Valerie Love and Jenifer Parker.

Group Private Class. A private yoga (other other movement) class designed specifically for the needs of your organization. (If you'd like one of these for your group, let us know and we'll work something out!) With Jenifer Parker.

Postnatal Yoga. Bring your babies and enjoy a fun yoga class where we work on realigning and strengthening the hips and pelvic floor, reducing the "mummy tummy" (including healing the diastasis recti) and relieving tension in the neck, shoulders and upper back! Mothers and babies up to one year old are welcome; breastfeeding and laughter encouraged! With Jenifer Parker.

Pregnancy Yoga. While all of our classes are prenatal appropriate, we now offer this special women's-only pregnancy yoga class to facilitate your body's comfort and balance during pregnancy, as well as prepare for labor and birth. With Jenifer Parker.

Power Yoga. A flowing sequence of postures and breathwork to develop physical and mental integrity and agility. With Jenifer Parker.

Power Yoga Basics. This class offers the benefits of power yoga but goes into greater depth on the alignment of postures, breathwork and philosophy. Great for everyone, perfect for beginners! With Jenifer Parker.

And finally our special free "off-the-grid" class, held the second Saturday of every month, starting 14 April:

Power Yoga Exploration. Deepen your practice! A 75-minute class for exploring how yoga works, having fun with your postures and relaxing. Held the second Saturday of every month; available free of charge to any student who has been coming to the studio for six months or more and is on a current concession or is a regular drop-in. With Jenifer Parker.

55 Monkeys!

A great big Thank You to everyone who participated in our yoga survey! The information you provided and your unique insights have given us a wealth of information on how to move forward. Today's post is the first in a series of blogs that we'll publish over this week and next to let you know how we are implementing your suggestions.

For me, the most exciting development is how we are expanding the class schedule. It's not simply expanding into new times, but really responding to a common sentiment: more diversity!

Foremost, everyone wanted more lunchtime offerings. So we are expanding from the current 5 lunchtime sessions up to 12.

I know, right? From 5 to 12? How can that be?

We're adding four classes at 11:15 am and opening two former classes to the pubic. And, our Feldenkrais - Awareness Through Movement class will now be open to you under the current concessions, rather than being a separate course.

Two of those 11:15 classes will be Gentle Yoga, and the two other 11:15 classes will introduce Chi Power - a blend of conditioning techniques and movement exercises from karate, qi gong and tai chi that provide a powerful energetic boost!

To diversify the Power Yoga classes, three of the lunchtime sessions will be Power Yoga Basics. These classes will take our normal all-levels Power Yoga and provide more detail on the practice. It's perfect for beginners, but those of you who have been doing yoga with us for awhile will benefit too!

The remaining four lunchtime yoga classes will be our all-levels Power Yoga classes - adding in more postures, trying new directions and sequences, and essentially providing a more diverse, fun practice!

In addition, we'll be starting our family-focused classes. Monday mornings at 10:15 am, we'll be starting our Antenatal Yoga class for new mothers to come and practice with their babies. Wednesday mornings at 10:15 am we'll hold our Prenatal Yoga class for those mums to be! And finally, on Friday mornings at 10:15 am, we'll hold Fertility Yoga - a class designed to support fertility and a place for those women trying to conceive to come together and share their experiences.

The diversity doesn't end there! We are bringing in new teachers as well! Al, one of our amazing massage therapists and energy workers - as well as a karate sensei - will be teaching Chi Power. Valerie Love will be taking on Gentle Yoga - but because of her extensive travel schedule I will be sharing the class with her until July, when she takes on the class full time. Elissa will continue to teach on Mondays at 5:30, now leading Elemental Yoga, an exploration of the energetic elements of Air, Water, Fire, Earth and Ether through yoga postures that release, invigorate and rejuvenate the whole person!

But, wait! There is one more class we are adding to the schedule!

With a great deal of gratitude, I want to give something back to those of you who have been here and supporting us over the past year. I feel very grateful to have each of you in my life - those new to us and those who have been with us from the beginning.

As a further opportunity for you to explore the yoga practice in more (and intermediate!) ways, I am offering a FREE once-a-month yoga class for students who have been with us for more than six months (if you started coming to us with the the last Groupy deal from October of last year or before) and who are currently on an active class card (or a regular drop-in). It also includes those of you who are corporate clients!

These free classes will be held the second Saturday of each month from 9:00 to 10:15 am. Classes are one hour and 15 minutes so that we have enough time and space to really explore and have some fun with our postures. We'll also get a longer relaxation time and a bit of time to go deeper into the practice - how yoga works and why we practice!

If the 9:00 class fills (you'll need to let me know that you're coming - we won't be using ezybook since we pay per booking), then we'll hold a second class from 10:30 to 11:45 am on the same day. If the first class doesn't fill, then there's no second class. Just let me know as soon as you know that you want to come!

So when are all of these things starting?

The new schedule begins the first week of April, with the first FREE class on 14 April. Look out for our new printed schedules - as well as the updated timetable on our blog and website (coming soon!), as well as on ezybook so you can make your bookings!

I hope you are as thrilled as I am - and look out for more blogs about our new developments right here . . . based on your suggestions!