Sustain Your Yoga Workshop (with the YogAlign Method)
Learn how to sustain a healthy yoga practice as you age. Informed by the science of biomechanics and studies of how to prevent yoga injuries, Jenny Feick of Nature Wise Yoga will guide you in applying principles from the YogAlign Method: a mindful, alignment-conscious, breath-focused approach that allows you to practice yoga safely and improve your overall wellbeing, strength, and flexibility. This relatively new approach to Yoga combines special breathing techniques with self-massage, neuro-muscular retraining exercises, dynamic stretching and a focus on natural functional postural alignment. YogAlign builds core strength, releases muscle tension, and facilitates healthy posture and movement habits.
Sitting or exercising with poor alignment leads to poor posture, shallow breathing and chronic pain. The YogAlign Method uses poses that support natural posture with anatomically correct spine alignment such as this Spine Aligner with a Twist.
Whether you have just begun to practice yoga, have practiced for many years or are a yoga teacher, you can benefit from learning YogAlign. Bring an open mind to fully benefit from this revolutionary approach to Yoga.
Besides the two hours, 15 minutes of instruction and practice, participants receive an electronic version of the course manual as well as a depiction of YogAlign Method postures. Your investment is just $35.00.
Register with the Vic West Community Centre by phoning 250-590-8922, emailing coordinator@victoriawest.ca or dropping by 521 Craigflower Road. Be sure to register by October 30 to ensure that this workshop proceeds. One year when this workshop was offered in the spring, five individuals showed up on the day of the event but it had been canceled as no one had registered by the day prior to the workshop. You must register in advance but you can pay as late as the day of the workshop.
More Information About YogAlign and Its Founder, Michaelle Edwards
In this YogAlign workshop, you will learn Structurally Informed Postural (S.I.P.) breathing techniques, a method of resistance breathing to inhale, as well as three to four exhalation techniques that tone the core and release tension in the jaws, neck, shoulders, upper back, and hips. You will also experience ways to massage tissues to further release muscle tension, keep connective tissues supple, and increase blood circulation. You will learn different approaches to doing standard Yoga poses and flow sequences. You will pair breathing and movement with Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) exercises (concentric/eccentric muscle contractions) to use reflexes to assist muscles to relax, to help strengthen and stabilize muscles, to improve neuromuscular control, and enhance flexibility, mobility, and coordination. You will practice healthy posture habits and how to maintain natural spinal alignment in stillness and movement. You will pandiculate, i.e., stretch in a natural dynamic way that does not reduce the elasticity of your tendons, ligaments and other connective tissues. You will feel like you are getting your “kid body” back as you play with these new techniques to move with ease and comfort. You will enjoy a deep relaxation at the end of each class to help rejuvenate your entire nervous system and to integrate the benefits gained from the physical exercise.
The YogAlign Beach Twist is a variation of a Wide-Legged Forward Fold or Giraffe Pose (Prasarita Padottanasana) that energizes the muscles and connective tissues all along the side body. Doing this also strengthens and tones your body so you can make powerful, deep movements requiring twisting and bending. It is thus ideal for climbers, golfers, gardeners, surfers, dancers, skiers, people who play volleyball, and anyone who wants to continue to drive a car until their 90s.
Michaelle Edwards developed the YogAlign Method based on the current research on yoga injuries and the science of biomechanics and kinesiology. She has written extensively on how to do Yoga safely and her YogAlign Method has contributed to the evolution of the field of Yoga. Michaelle, an experienced yogini, yoga teacher, and massage therapist teaches YogAlign and conducts teacher training sessions at her Mana Yoga Studio in Kauai, in the Hawaiian Islands, and around the world. Michaelle certified Jenny Feick to teach YogAlign following her teacher training at the Shanti Yoga Studio in Nelson, British Columbia in July 2014. Jenny Feick of Nature Wise Yoga is currently the only yoga teacher on Vancouver Island certified to teach YogAlign.
Date: Saturday, November 2, 2019
Time: 1:30pm - 3:45pm
Location:
Victoria West Community Centre
