YOGA CLASS STYLE DESCRIPTIONS
Yang Practices
Movement-Based Yoga Styles that you’ll see taught around here…
STRETCH & MOBILIZE
Our non-traditional custom practice geared towards improving flexibility and range of motion within the body through stretches & range strength building.
This class is beginner friendly but can still offer good opportunity to explore intensity within postures. Most poses are done seated, on hands & knees or on back or belly but can come up to standing occasionally. Not a flow.
Most of these classes do not have a Savasana at the end due to the shorter & more condensed nature of the class structure. Feel free to take them on your own!
Want more intensity? Try out a Vinyasa class! Want to just stretch & relax? Check out the Yin Practices below.
HATHA
Hatha is an established yoga practice and is known to have a more gentle approach to a movement-based style. Less flowing and more slowed down transitions, postural explanation and detail. No chaturangas - nothing too difficult or complicated.
This class is beginner friendly and a great practice to feel out more movement in the practice without too much intensity.
Want more intensity? Try out a Vinyasa class! Want to just stretch & relax? Check out the Yin Practices below.
VINYASA
Vinyasa is an energetic and creative flow-based practice inspired by Hatha yoga. Expect more energy building, new opportunities for challenge, and yet still a nice blend of stretching and releasing to feel balanced and centered when we’re done. Think stretching to warm up, flowing one breath, one motion while leading up towards a peak or edge and then winding it all back down again.
This class is beginner friendly and if you like movement, this is a great choice! Don’t be intimidated! All classes are geared towards all levels and there is plenty of opportunity for rest or modifications.
If this class is just a little too fast but you still want some good movement, try out a Hatha or Stretch & Mobilize class. If you’re just looking to relax, check out the “Yin” practices below.
YIN-YASA
Yin-Yasa? Yes, you heard this right. This is a non-traditional custom practice that blends the warming of the body that a Vinyasa practice provides with the deep releasing side of yin. Warming up an area of the body through flow-like movements followed by releasing deep into that area - often with props. This is a great way of feeling into our bodies more deeply without too much or little effort.
This class is beginner friendly and offers the best of both worlds! All classes are geared towards all levels and most of the flow will be geared towards the deep stretching.
If this class is just a little too fast but you still want some good movement, try out a Hatha or Stretch & Mobilize class. If you’re just looking to relax, check out the “Yin” practices below.
Yin Practices
Stillness-Based Yoga Styles that you’ll see taught around here
STRETCHING
Our non-traditional custom practice focused on building more flexibility in the body. These classes offer an array of different variations and focuses to improve the bodies overall movement. Expect each class to start with establishing breath and using it to guide throughout the movements.
This class is very much beginner friendly - a great practice to get familiar with the movements and cues. Postures can be done from many different positions, but will offer accessible variations and slow transitions between.
Most of these classes do not have a Savasana at the end due to the shorter & more condensed nature of the class structure. Feel free to take them on your own!
Want more intensity? Try out our Yan practices. Start with Hatha and work from there. Want less intensity? Check out Breathing or Meditation classes.
THERAPY BALL ROLL OUT
Rolling out helps with the opening and releasing of tension within the body. Think about getting deep into the tissues and releasing knots, blockages and areas of discomfort that may be hiding throughout. We usually use 1 or 2 therapy balls for our sessions and can come in small or large sizes. If you only have 1 size or quantity, make it work! Use tennis balls, Lacrosse balls or put 2 side by side in a sock and it will create the same idea. I get mine from Tune Up Fitness.
This class is beginner friendly and a highly recommended practice. It is much different that a foam roller as it is more of a spot release and when paired, work perfectly to run along the sides of the spine. If it gets a little intense, back off or come out.
Want more intensity in a class? Try out a Yang practice! Want to just stretch & relax? Check out any of the Yin practices.
YIN
Yin is a still practice that focuses on releasing deep into the connective tissues within the body. In these classes, you’ll be guided through the setup of each pose with the use of props to support you in the edge of your stretch. This allows the body to relax into the support and release through that exterior tension. The gist: relax the muscles, hold the poses for longer periods of time, go past the muscles and get into the fascia.
This style is beginner friendly and most identified as a “deep stretching” class. Most poses will be done from the floor either seated or lying down. If you have joint issues, please skip the postures that put tension on it or offer more support if that is enough.
If this class is too slow, try out a Yang-based practice. If it’s still too much movement, try a Meditation or Breathing class. Want to stretch but Yin is too long in a pose? Try stretching.
BREATHING
Breathing is often overlooked in the practice, but once you recognize the power of the breath not just in yoga, but in life, you will see that it is a whole practice in itself. Breathing is usually used to either ignite energy within the body and mind or to calm & relax the body and mind. Both have benefits and different intentions - used as standalone practices or within other practices to aid those intentions.
These classes are beginner friendly. You might find that it is more challenging than expected to fully and mindfully breathe. Find which techniques you enjoy and use them with intention.
If this class is too slow, try a little more movement like Yin or Stretching. Want more energy than that? Try the Yang practices.
MEDITATION
Meditation can have many different approaches, lineages, techniques or even “rules” based on your background or teacher. It is an umbrella for all the different ways one can connect deeper to ones self through stillness and self observation. Guided meditations can be helpful to distract the mind from chatter. Different techniques can be more helpful than others - try them all out.
These classes are all beginner friendly. It can be challenging to meditate or to get the mind to relax - this is normal. Allow the discomfort. Allow the turbulence. Enjoy the meditations by just being present with them and what bubbles up for you. That’s it.
Class is too hard? Keep trying. Really, meditation is worth it. Otherwise, try any of the other practices to see what you like!