Yoga Workshops at
Hemenway Gymnasium
Yoga workshops are offered bi-weekly
during the fall and spring semester at Hemenway Gymnasium. Each
workshop focuses on a particular skill or style of yoga. The next
round of Yoga Workshops will begin on September 11th.
Workshops are complimentary
for facility members who have group exercise class access. Facility
members who have not purchased group exercise class access may
attend by paying the $10.00 drop-in fee at the front desk of
Hemenway Gymnasium. Twenty-five class passes will be available 30
minutes prior to the start time of class on a first-come,
first-serve basis. Please bring a yoga mat, water and wear
loose, comfortable clothing.
Props will be supplied unless otherwise noted.
All workshops will take place in the
Multi-purpose room at Hemenway Gymnasium. Workshop offerings are
subject to change, please check the website for current
information.
Yoga on the Quad, Saturday September 11th
10:00-12:00pm
Yoga for
Beginners
You don't have to be extremely flexible or in great shape to do
yoga. This workshop, designed for complete beginners, is an
excellent, structured way of getting to know the fundamentals of
yoga. Through demonstration, discussion and practice, we will
explore basic postures, breathing and relaxation techniques. You
can immediately start moving and experience for yourself some of
the powerful benefits of practicing yoga. Dress comfortably; bring
your questions…and your friends!
Date: Saturday, September 11th, 2010
Time: 12:00-1:25p.m.
Instructor: Larisa Fernandes
Intro to Arm
Balancing &
Inversions
This workshop will take seasoned yoga practitioners to the next
level by focusing on balancing poses such as Crow, Side Crow,
Tripod & Basket Headstands and Firefly, among others. In
this workshop, we will focus on alignment and the proper techniques
for mastering balancing poses and inversions, while learning safe
ways to work into handstands and other inversions with a
partner.
Date: Saturday, September 25th,
2010
Time:
12:00-1:25p.m.
Instructor: Kaileen Sanner
Yoga for
Runners
During a one-mile run, your foot strikes the ground 1,000 times
with 3 to 4 times the force of your body weight. Pain during
running is caused by asymmetry in the muscular and skeletal systems
and a healthy yoga practice can bring runners of all levels back
into alignment. Runners and yoga practitioners of all levels
will also learn how to strengthen the core and low back and support
joint health. You'll leave this workshop with great pre-and post-
run stretches and a better understanding of your body and breath to
support a lifetime of healthy
running.
Date: Saturday, October 2nd,
2010
Time:
12:00-1:25p.m.
Instructor: Abby Thompson
Fine Tuning the
Chakras--Focus on Solar Plexus Heart and Crown
Chakras
The 7 main chakras are energy centers located along the
spinal column. Their vibration is much more refined than the range
that our normal perceptual capability can apprehend, so we can say
that they exist ‘at a higher frequency' than the physical
level to which they are connected. As these elements condense from
their cosmic level to the earth plane - the physical world
and our bodies manifest. This workshop will focus on the Solar
Plexus chakra ‘manipura’ (fire element, digestion,
assimilation, ‘gut level feelings’ and being in the
world with grounded presence and integrity), the heart chakra
‘anahata’ (the element of air, cardio vascular and
respiratory health as well as love, courage and compassion), the
crown chakra ‘sahasrara’ (the pineal gland and our
connection to the cosmos). In this workshop we'll experience Hatha
yoga asanas, mantra and movement that balance these
chakras.
Balanced chakras help expand our awareness of and connection to
our environment and can help us improve our well-being, physically,
emotionally and mentally. Suitable for all levels of
practice
Date: Saturday, October 30th,
2010
Time:
12:00-1:25p.m.
Instructor: Ray Iasiello
Find Your
BalanceThrough Stressful Times
Exams find you stressed? Holidays have you frazzled?
This all-levels yoga class will reconnect you with your core and
show you how to keep it together and stay calm. A 60-minute
vinyasa flow with a focus on balance poses gets
you warmed up and the final 15 minutes are spent in relaxing
poses, facilitating a deep stretch. You'll leave feeling
refreshed and renewed and able take on any stressful situation.
Date: Saturday, November 6th,
2010
Time:
12:00-1:25p.m.
Instructor: Abby Thompson
Strengthening
The Meridians with Hatha Yoga (focus on the Metal Element: Lungs
and Large Intestines)
This workshop will focus upon the Metal element of traditional
Chinese medicine (TCM) and its corresponding organ meridians of the
Lungs and Large Intestines.
These meridians are channels for the flow of vital energy. Each
meridian in its own unique way controls and significantly
influences our physical, mental and emotional well-being. In
addition to the healthy functioning of the lungs and
large intestines, the metal element is also related to value,
purity and the ‘ability to let go’. The power of Hatha
Yoga asanas and yoga practices that are identified with influencing
these various meridians will be our focus. We will also
integrate movement and sound in our exploration the intention of
expanding our awareness and improving our well-being through the
practice of ‘Meridian Yoga’.
Suitable for all
levels.
Instructor: Ray
Iasiello
Date: Saturday, November 20th,
2010
Time:
12:00-1:25p.m.
Instructor: Ray Iasiello
Restorative
Yoga
Relax, rejuvenate and really settle into the postures in this
one-hour restorative yoga workshop. We will begin with a few
minutes of asana vinyasa flow to warm-up the body before settling
into soothing restorative poses. This gentle practice will allow
you to create space in the body and prepare it for relaxation for
poses using props such as blocks, straps, blankets, balls, towels,
walls, and pillows. We will spend a few minutes in each pose so
that the body can find the full realization of the posture. The
more fully your body is supported, the deeper your sense of
relaxation and surrender will be. Modifications will be provided,
as will step-by-step instruction for getting comfortable and
setting up props in order to let the body relax and find a deeper
sense of the postures—be prepared to "melt" into each of
these poses, finding great comfort and a sense of release. Bring a
pillow or blanket if possible.
Date: Saturday, December 4th, 2010
Time: 12:00-1:25 p.m.
Instructor: Kerry Smith
Yoga and
Meditation for a Stress-Free Life
Living in the 21st century is exciting, but it can also be very
stressful—and so we often walk around with frazzled nervous
systems that create havoc in our daily lives. Therefore, it is
extremely important to take the time to relax the body and
quiet the mind. This workshop will introduce you to various yoga
postures and meditation techniques that can help release muscle
tension, clear the mind and assist you in entering a state of
relaxation and heightened body awareness. We will work on a
routine that can be done daily or weekly to detox your nervous
system and offer cumulative health benefits.
Date: Saturday, December 11th, 2010
Time: 12:00-1:25p.m.
Instructor: Larisa Fernandes
For questions please
contact Fitness Program Manager
Cristina Hoff at hemfit@fas.harvard.edu.