Ashtanga

The Ashtanga Practice is commonly done 6 days a week with Saturdays off. This practice is broken down into 6 series so the aspirant can advance intelligently. The sequence is pre-established, moving in a steady direction with each pose preparing for the next. At the studio, 1st and 2nd series classes will be led by the teacher. Mysore classes will be available for the student seeking a more individualized practice. The led classes will include chanting, the use of Sanskrit and the occasional pranayama practice.

Ashtanga Prep*

This class is for the beginner or any student wanting to refresh the basics. It will break down the sun salutation sequence and will only consist of 3 A’s and 3 B’s. The student will move through the more basic postures of a first series practice at a slower speed and it will have greater explanation of postures and alignment. Questions are welcome.

Ashtanga Gentle

This will be a 1st series practice with some of the more difficult poses modified or dropped from the sequence. There will be 3 sun salutation A's and 4 sun salutation B's and only three backbends at the end. This is great for beginners and people looking for a shorter 1st series practice. This will be a flowing practice unlike Ashtanga Prep.

Ashtanga Level 1

Called "yoga chikitsa", meaning yoga therapy, the therapeutic benefits of this practice come from the emphasis on the forward bends to help to breakup digestive stagnation. The seated poses will move the hips through a steady and progressive range of motion to bring back mobility to the joint. This practice is flowing, moving from sun salutations to standing postures, seated postures, backbends and inversions.

Ashtanga Level 2

Called “nadi shodana” which translates as nerve cleansing. It consists of movements that stimulate the spine for a good portion of the sequence. The nerves are referred to as “little rivers of the body”, so we will remove anything preventing the flow through these little rivers. The practice consists of sun salutations, standing postures and several deep backbends, deeper hip openers, twists, arm balances and the same finishing poses as the 1st series. One should be reasonably proficient at 1st series before trying the second. Call to schedule a free consultation with Cathy Morse to determine if you are ready to move into 2nd series.

Ashtanga Improv

This will have the structure of a 1st series practice but will allow the students to make requests or the teacher might modify the sequence. The teacher will then interject the suggested postures where they best fit in the flow of the sequence.

Ashtanga Mysore

This is for those students that have memorized the practice and wish to be able to move to their own internal rhythm. It’s a quiet space with no verbal guidance from the teacher - only physical adjustments. There will be a designated space in the studio to do this practice at any time accommodating the student’s schedule. Please speak with Cathy to make arrangements to enter studio during off hours.

 

Vinyasa

Vinyasa means “flow”. This class will still have the poses connected together by intelligent movement and the breath. However, it allows the teacher more creativity in sequencing than an Ashtanga class. Students can make suggestions, and/or practices can have themes. It’s whimsical, fun, and light. Come with as much curiosity as possible because this is what Cathy calls “Recess for Adults.”

Gentle Vinyasa

Not quite as strenuous as Vinyasa, it is a blend of the slower moving Hatha and Vinyasa. This class is great for the student that likes the movement to support the natural flow of breath.

Hatha*

This is the best class for any beginner to yoga. It moves slowly and gives the student plenty of time to get into the pose and explore its alignment. Hatha means “Ha (the sun) and “tha” (the moon). This practice is designed to bring balance to our opposites and is great for cultivating flexibility and strength, one of our many opposites.

Prenatal

Yoga postures are guided to address and relieve the common discomforts of pregnancy; relaxation techniques to ease anxiety; and abdominal and pelvic floor toning to enhance postnatal recovery. 

Senior

This is a class design to work with an older population looking to keep their bodies strong and supple. We will work on maintaining their joints to their fullest range of motion. This class will be catered to those that have some physical difficulties brought on by the aginig process. We are going to work on staying youthful and energetic by stimulating areas not as commonly worked in day to day activities.  

Community class **

This class is to help our community grow together by not limiting attendance to those who can afford yoga. It will be taught as a gentle vinyasa free to the public.

Meditation**

This class is free to the public, no membership required. This will be a quiet 15 minutes for concentration on our thought patterns. It's a good time for clearing out old thoughts that are not bringing us closer to a positive way of living. Some might say it's like cleaning your windows so that you get a better view. There will also be hot tea provided for the students enjoyment.

Sutras/Chanting**

This class is also free to the public. This will be a 15 minute discussion of one or two of Patanjali's yoga sutras. Sutras used to be taught from student to teacher one at a time and the student was to memorize these in Sanskrit. Patanjali wrote 196 sutras. Each sutra is a small composition of a few powerful words to help people take a more compassionate path in life. Additionally we will work on memorizing Mantras by chanting them out loud.

Classes marked with ** are free
Classes marked with * are great for beginners