Anatomy of my Gentle Yoga class.

Anatomy of my Gentle Yoga class:

Centering:  Starting in a comfortable seated or reclined position, we start class by tuning into our breath, focusing on our inhales and exhales.  We let go of our to-do lists and become present on our mats.  A breathing technique/pattern may be introduced.  Focusing on the breath helps to quiet down our chattering minds. 

Warm-up:  We start to move our bodies and continue to focus on our breathing.  We’ll practice some poses seated and some poses on our hands and knees. 

Standing:  We move onto some standing poses to strengthen our feet, ankles, legs, hips, and spine.

Cool down: We start to wind down the practice back on the floor.

Final Relaxation:  Savasana or Corpse Pose.   This pose is often called the most difficult pose to master.  We lie on the floor in stillness and move from doing to being.   

Meditation:  We end our practice with a few minutes of mindful meditation.  Our bodies are prepared to sit, and our minds are settled. 

Closing:  We close the practice saying with the word “Namaste” to each other.  It translates to “My soul honors your soul”.  At the end of practice, we honor one another.  Namaste is a gesture of thankfulness and appreciation at the end of a class.  As an instructor, Namaste is used as a symbol of gratitude and respect towards you, my students, and my own teachers.   The teacher will say the word Namaste first and then the students reply with the word Namaste.  There is no obligation that the student reply back.  That’s a choice for each student.