Moonglow Yoga Expands Class List This Year

Types of classes at Moonglow Yoga

*The amazing thing about yoga is that your practice will always evolve and change, so it never gets boring. Although the poses themselves do not change, your relationship to them will. Anyone can start a yoga practice, even if you don't feel like you are very flexible or very strong. These things will develop over time. Another great thing about thinking about "your practice" is that it encourages the noncompetitive spirit of yoga. One of the most difficult, but ultimately most liberating things about yoga is letting go of the ego and accepting that no one is better than anyone else. Everyone is just doing their best on any given day.

In addition to practicing the poses, yoga classes also include instruction on breathing, meditation, or an inspirational reading by the teacher.

We offer different types of classes at Moonglow Yoga. Here are the different styles of yoga classes offered:

Spellbound™ Yoga: A compelling, non-heated vinyasa flow (linking movements with breath) class set to hypnotic rhythms and beats. Gentle cues and flowing movements set to a softly lit studio.

Moonglow™ Prenatal Yoga:
Learn to breathe deeply and relax, which will help you face the physical demands of labor, birth, and motherhood. The breathing technique known as ujjayi requires you to take in air slowly through your nose, filling your lungs, diaphragm and belly, then exhale, releasing the breath completely. A regular yoga practice will help you fight the urge to tighten up when you feel pain, and show you how to relax instead. Modified yoga poses will keep you limber, tone your muscles and improve your balance. Please bring a mat and a blanket to class. Blocks, chairs and bolsters are provided.

Gentle Stretch Yoga:
Soft movements and easy flow focuses on elongating muscle groups, relaxation and breathing. Great for people of all ages.

Spellbound™ Meditation: Slow hypnotic music, blended with soft guided cues will guide you through a series of unique meditation practices. Each week will be slightly different. Please bring a blanket and pillow for your comfort during class. Chairs are provided, if you choose to sit in a chair.

Hot Vinyasa Yoga: An all-levels class linking movement and breath. Class begins seated with warm ups, then to standing series poses linked with sun salutations. Class is held in our heated yoga room, with temperatures around 105°

Hot Yoga with Weights: Blocks, light dumbells and straps are used during class. Class is held in our heated yoga room, with temperatures around 105°


For the spring, we will be offering workshops for:
• Yoga for Men
• Pranayama – Breathwork
• Yoga + Chocolate
• Introduction to Yoga
Dates for these will be set soon. Check the website for more information.

Teacher Training : In February, we will be starting our second teacher training session. A nine-month program, to guide students through all of the aspects of yoga. History, philosophy, the poses, sequencing, and special studies for breathing techniques, kids yoga, meditation, prenatal yoga, how to teach yoga, and much more. We bring in invited speakers and guest yoga instructors who bring their experience to the teachers in training. We have more information about our teacher training program online at moonglowyoga.com.

Graduation for our Teachers in Training: In March, we will be graduating our first teachers from our yoga teacher program. We will be adding more classes to the schedule at that time too.



Benefits of Yoga:


Flexibility: Stretching your tight body in new ways will help it to become more flexible, bringing greater range of motion to muscles and joints. Over time, you can expect to gain flexibility in your hamstrings, back, shoulders, and hips.

Strength: Many yoga poses require you to support the weight of your own body in new ways, including balancing on one leg (such as in Tree Pose) or supporting yourself with your arms (such as in Downward Facing Dog). Some exercises require you to move slowly in and out of poses, which also increases strength.

Muscle tone: As a by-product of getting stronger, you can expect to see increased muscle tone. Yoga helps shape long, lean muscles.

Pain Prevention: Increased flexibility and strength can help prevent the causes of some types of back pain. Many people who suffer from back pain spend a lot of time sitting at a computer or driving a car. That can cause tightness and spinal compression, which you can begin to address with yoga. Yoga also improves your alignment, both in and out of class, which helps prevent many other types of pain.

Better Breathing: Most of us breathe very shallowly into the lungs and don't give much thought to how we breathe. Yoga breathing exercises, called Pranayama, focus the attention on the breath and teach us how to better use our lungs, which benefits the entire body. Certain types of breath can also help clear the nasal passages and even calm the central nervous system, which has both physical and mental benefits.


Mental Benefits
Mental Calmness: Yoga asana practice is intensely physical. Concentrating so intently on what your body is doing has the effect of bringing a calmness to the mind. Yoga also introduces you to meditation techniques, such as watching how you breathe and disengagement from your thoughts, which help calm the mind.

Stress Reduction: Physical activity is good for relieving stress, and this is particularly true of yoga. Because of the concentration required, your daily troubles, both large and small, seem to melt away during the time you are doing yoga. This provides a much-needed break from your stressors, as well as helping put things into perspective. The emphasis yoga places on being in the moment can also help relieve stress, as you learn not to dwell on past events or anticipate the future. You will leave a yoga class feeling less stressed than when you started. Read more about yoga for stress management here.

Body Awareness: Doing yoga will give you an increased awareness of your own body. You are often called upon to make small, subtle movements to improve your alignment. Over time, this will increase your level of comfort in your own body. This can lead to improved posture and greater self-confidence.