Hello Simply Move Community, Fall 2023

Happy fall everyone! I hope you had a great summer and are ready for cooler weather. I wanted to share some exciting news with you. I recently started a new yoga training centered around accessible yoga. I have been wanting to do it for quite a few years now and decided to jump in. I love learning new ways to make yoga more accessible to every body (not a typo). Why is this exciting news you might ask? Well, anytime I do a training you get first hand experience learning it too. I am hoping to share everything I learn with you during the Fall Term and in future courses and workshops. You can look forward to some new ways of experiencing yoga poses, different ways to explore the breath, and more relatable yoga philosophy. I hope that sounds exciting to you! 

THE SURVEY SAYS!

I asked a handful of students to give me some feedback on what they want to work on for upcoming yoga courses. Thank you to those who filled out the survey! It was very helpful and appears a lot of us are on the same page. These will definitely be explored throughout the Fall term. Here are the results:

• Improve Balance
• Increase Strength
• Reduce Stress
• Continue With Yoga Flows:
• Warrior Poses
• Down Dog

FALL TERM:

We are moving back to an 8 week course for the Fall Term. Your feedback from the survey really got me thinking and pondering a question for Fall Term:  How can we improve balance, feel stronger in our bodies and relieve stress at the same time through yoga?

I came to the conclusion that building core strength might be the answer.  In my own practice I have been working on building core strength and stability. I have noticed there are a lot of different opinions on what “the core” actually means. Some believe it is solely the abdominal muscles (the front of the body), while others believe it is any muscle from the chest to the thighs. I recently learned a new definition for “the core” that I found very interesting from Jenni Rawlings of Strength for Yoga; “The core consists of all the muscles that attach to and move or stabilize the spine. This means that the 360 musculature around the front, sides, and back of the spine is all ‘the core’. And because our spinal column spans from our tailbone all the way up to the base of our skull, our cervical spine - a.k.a. our neck - is as much a part of “the core” as our lumbar and thoracic spines are.” There are a lot of parts involved in making up “the core”. 

According to the Merrium-Webster definition; “the core refers to the central or most important part of something.” The core is what supports us and stabilizes all other body parts. That sounds pretty important to me. If the muscles around our spine can’t support us we can lose range of motion, and possibly have increased pain in the back and other joints. Just like how a foundation supports the house it sits on, the core supports our entire body.

So, that said, we will definitely be focusing on the neck, back, shoulders, abdominals, hips, and glutes.

Why is the core so important? What does the core have to do with balance or stress relief?

My belief is that having a strong and stable core helps with posture (which builds confidence) and helps us feel grounded (which improves balance). When we feel grounded, strong, and more confident some of that stress could possibly subside. For me, I know when my body is up for the challenges of the day I feel more empowered. When I feel empowered and strong I can go into the world content and happy. I can brush off things that may have bothered me when I felt tired and fatigued. Maybe it will feel the same for you too. Yoga, I believe, lends itself perfectly to creating a more content, peaceful mindset. Keeping that mindset when we step out into the world can be the biggest challenge. Yoga is a practice after all. We just keep practicing and little by little we feel better in our mind, body, and spirit.

Just a gentle side note: I wanted to mention that this class is intended to bring awareness to the core, build some tone to the core muscles, and create a better sense of balance and peace in the body, not create six pack abs. You may see many yoga articles and videos claiming you will lose weight or get a six pack from their workouts, but this is a false statement. ;)

As always, this course is rated E for everyone.  Multiple options will be offered including floor, chair and standing poses so you can personalize your practice to fit your needs on any given day.

Fall Term classes will begin the week of Oct 2nd.

Recommended props: a yoga mat, 2 blocks, a sturdy chair, multiple blankets, and pillows or cushions.

Fall Term Schedule:

Mondays: 5:00 -6:00 pm

Thursdays: 5:00 - 6:00 pm

*Please register by Sept. 30th.

To Register Click Link! 

https://www.simplymoveyoga.org/schedule

Register for both days and receive a discount. Click Here!

https://www.simplymoveyoga.org/offering_packages

NEW OFFERING COMING SOON!

2 Week Mini Course: Ball Rolls & Yoga Flows

Starting in December, I will be offering a mini course to finish out the year. 

Each class will consist of 3 parts; The first part of class will be a warm-up and self massage using tennis balls, blocks and your hands. The next portion will be simple yoga flows to get the body moving and will conclude with a relaxation.

Stay tuned, registration will open soon!

I appreciate every one of you and I hope you will join me for some yoga this fall.

Thank you so much for being part of the Simply Move Yoga Community!

See you on the mat,

Kelly

Simply Move