I teach Hatha Yoga for beginners and continuing students, first time yogis, on-and-off yogis and longtime yogis, younger folks and older folks. Right now I have students ranging from age 16 to 80, some have done yoga for ten years, others just started, some have to hold back a little bit because of an injury, others can go full blast. ...it's not a problem to transcend such differences, because for everyone, no matter what their age or level of expertise, the most important issue in hatha yoga is not flexibility and the ability to do difficult postures, but awareness - awareness of the body and the breath... (H. David Coulter, author of Anatomy of Hatha Yoga) Relaxation, meditation, the practice of yoga postures and yogic breathing are part of each class. In all my classes the postures are approached in a gentle way. Often I will offer gradual steps and variations to make them accessible to everyone. The focus is on how the postures feel (this is different for everyone) rather than look, to experience them from inside instead of outside. In the extra gentle class on Tuesday mornings we often use chairs or the wall for support and we don't move up and down as much. We spend extra time on creating stability, building strength slowly, and experiencing the body new, to learn to trust it (again). This is a class where seniors can feel comfortable and safe and could also be a good class for somebody dealing with an injury or recovering from surgery. The class sizes are pretty small (6 students max.), which allows me to give personal attention to each student, answer questions and pick up on my students ideas. I encourage my students to practice at home and take classes regularly. Regularity means noticeable changes for the individual student in a short time which helps to keep the motivation up. For the class regularity means supportive feedback and community. You get to know your class mates after a while, and you get to witness each others progress, which is really cool. I often prepare my classes for the students that I know are coming to the class, so that regulars can build on previous classes and also learn something new. I repeat a lot, since practice means repeating (that's how you get good at something). This works quite well with new people joining in at any time. The classes are held weekly and are ongoing. Most of my students come once a week, some twice a week, some whenever it works out, some just come once and never come back. All of that is fine. For some people the idea that the studio is in somebodies home is intimidating, for others it is exactly the opposite. A lot of people feel intimidated to go to a public yoga studio or a gym. I'm always happy to see how quickly my new students feel at home here. However, if you belong to the first group, come check me out at the Yoga Connection (a public yoga studio). I teach there Thursdays 12-1pm. The studio is on 4893 E Speedway. If that sounds good to you, give it a try. I'm looking forward to meeting you. Let me know if you have any questions. Birgit Jung-Schmitt, certified Hatha Yoga Teacher, (520) 318-4130, birgit@easyposeyoga.com |