Imagine yourself relaxed and open to possibilities. Yoga is a centuries-old tradition – the art & science of wholeness.

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Yoga is a profound ritual of self-care. Yoga tries to find the balance between what you can change and what you cannot. 

The Yoga of Susannah is a gentle, simple experience that focuses on breathing and relaxing fully, so the body and mind can learn when to be active and when to relax and heal. 

 

Health benefits of practicing yoga:

  • Promote deep relaxation, emotional balance and well-being

  • Balance blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels 

  • Improve circulation, digestion, muscle tone, mood and sense of balance

  • Reduce muscle tension, insomnia, mind chatter and generalized fatigue

  • Enhance cognitive functioning and mental clarity

  • Increase bone density and maintain joint function

  • Encourage flexibility - both physical and psychological flexibility

  • Cultivate mindfulness – moment to moment breath, body and sensory awareness

  • Expand capacity to live with chronic pain

  • Gently strengthen self-worth, self-compassion 

  • Boost social intelligence - meet new people, make new friends

 

 

Yoga is like music. 

The rhythm of the body, 

the melody of the mind, 

and the harmony of the soul, 

create the symphony of life. 

~ B.K.S. Iyengar 

 

 

The Yoga of Susannah has three elements:

Pranayama (Breath Awareness)

We take approx 20,000 breaths per day and it is the essence of everything we do in yoga. Breath is the direct line to the nervous system, and has a profound impact on our physiology and our health.  For thousands of years yoga practicioners have used pranayama (the science of working w/ the breath) as a powerful tool for affecting both the mind and the body. Breath balances – it either stimulates or relaxes us. When you can’t control your life, you can control your breath.  

Asana (Poses) – Doing & Being

Using the power of breath with gentle flowing movement helps the body and mind to reconnect. Active (Doing) poses cultivate a direct experience of a strong, stable center. In addition to relieving the effects of chronic stress, the active asanas also stimulate and soothe the organs, and strengthens and balances the energy of the body.
Restorative (Being) poses facilitate deep relaxation and muscular release with the use of restful postures. This is not sleep, but deep rest that provides the body an opportunity to renew and heal.  

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of being present.  It can promote a vibrant and peaceful sense of self, heal emotional wounds and clear a path for forgiveness, acceptance and compassion. There are many ways to practice meditation; through movement or stillness, by sensory exploration, guided imagery or seated in silence.