The holiday season is upon us….time to rejoice with family and friends! As you make your holiday plans, remember we are here to support your practice and well being. We have many special class offerings to ensure that you bring your most vital self to the table this season.
And an offering which can help your friends and family bring their most vital selves to the table this month also. Get the details below!
We hope to see you soon! Happy Thanksgiving!
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in this issue
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES
SPECIAL PROMOTION
STUDIO NEWS
PRACTICE
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UPCOMING WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES
KRIPALU YOGA DANCE SERIES – SUNDAYS NOVEMBER 1-22 9-10:30 AM $50 4 classes
Kripalu Yoga Dance (KYD) is an invitation to connect to your free and creative energy through movement and music. KYD originates from Kripalu yoga and, in its ultimate form, is a meditation in motion. Everyone who has participated LOVES this class! We welcome everyone from 9 to 99 years old, male and female. No experience in yoga or in dance is necessary, we always start with beginner’s mind! You will have so much fun discovering your own unique inner dancer while getting a great work-out combining dance and yoga poses. Wear clothing fit for movement.
BABY & ME YOGA SERIES – TUESDAYS NOVEMBER 3-24 10:30-11:30 AM $50 4 weeks or $16 drop-in
Offered monthly this Fall! This class is for moms or dads and babies at least 4 weeks until they are active crawlers. Learn postures and breath that you can practice with your baby. Poses focus on creating and restoring strength and flexibility for mom/dad, parent-child bonds, baby massage and baby yoga postures to aid digestion and development. Time to connect with other parents in our community. Limited to 12 participants.
BASICS YOGA SERIES – TUESDAYS NOVEMBER 3-DECEMBER 22 5:30-7 PM -AND- WEDNESDAYS NOVEMBER 4-DECEMBER 23 2-3:30 PM $90 8 weeks or $16/drop-in
In our Yoga Basics Class you will learn the fundamentals of safe yoga practice: postures, alignment, breathing techniques and relaxation. Our teachers will help you learn to modify postures to suit your individual needs. The pace of the class is slow and steady. We provide you with handouts to illustrate the poses so that you can practice at home and simple, fun homework assignments to help you integrate what you are learning into your daily life. You will have fun in our basics class and leave feeling relaxed and energized.
PRENATAL YOGA SERIES – THURSDAYS NOVEMBER 5-DECEMBER 17 4-5:15 PM $72 6 classes or $16/drop-in
Expectant mothers at any stage of pregnancy will learn and practice yoga poses, breathing and meditation to assist in a healthy pregnancy and an active birth. Drop-ins are welcome provided space is available. No prior yoga experience is necessary. We do recommend that you check with your care provider before attending a yoga class.
LAUGHTER YOGA CLUB! – FRIDAY NOVEMBER 6 5:45-6:30 PM $1 suggested donation
Every first Friday this Fall! Join Katie for an evening of fun and laughter…the yogic way! Laugh to get your heart pumping and the positive energy flowing! This is an excellent way to support the community and yourself in an ongoing way. Come laugh with us! No need to register, just show up!
YOGA NIDRA – SATURDAY NOVEMBER 14 2-4 PM $20
Every second or third Saturday this Fall! Yoga Nidra is a powerful yet simple technique of guided relaxation; the perfect antidote for a busy and fragmented life. As you are guided to move your awareness throughout your body, you will experience deeper and deeper states of relaxation, resulting in a sense of peace, harmony and balance. Deep healing is possible with the practice of “yogic sleep,” a true gift to the body, mind and spirit. No experience is needed.
RESTORATIVE YOGA – SATURDAY NOVEMBER 28 2-4 PM $20
Every last Saturday this Fall! Restorative yoga uses blankets, blocks, cushions, ties and the wall to support the body in a complete letting go. Releases tension, calms the nervous system, removes the toxic leftovers from stress and floods the body with happiness and bliss. A gentle and slow-paced class. Totally relaxing, no experience necessary.
To register, visit www.jaiyogahome.com to try our online registration system, available up to one hour before the start of an event! Or, register by phone at least 24 hours in advance. Just give us a call: 207.725.7874. Leave a message with you NAME, PHONE and which WORKSHOP you want to attend and we’ll return your call ASAP.
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SPECIAL PROMOTION
BRING A FRIEND FOR FREE THIS MONTH AT JAI YOGA!
We would like to invite you to bring a friend or family member to class with you for free! All you need to do is pick up a green “bring a friend free” coupon card at the studio – or look for one around town – and present it to your teacher before class. Offer valid for the month of November only and only with coupon. One coupon per person per class.
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STUDIO NEWS
INTRODUCING MINDBODY YOGANOW FOR iPHONE
MINDBODY yoga is your own personal yoga class finder. With the touch of one button, MINDBODY yoga uses your GPS location and gives you all the yoga classes that are available at Jai Yoga or wherever you happen to be!
CLASS CANCELLATIONS
Due to low attendance the 7 am Yin/Yang Yoga class on Tuesday mornings with Sally and the 8 am Moderate Yoga & Meditation class Wednesday mornings with Angie have been cancelled. Thank you for your understanding.
CLOSED FOR THANKSGIVING
There will be no regular classes November 26-29 for the Thanksgiving Holiday. However, Restorative Yoga will still happen on November 28!
WEEKLY COMMUNITY CLASS
In September we started offering a donation-based community class on Sundays from 3-4 PM. Everyone is welcome to come and pay whatever they are able! All donations go straight to our Jai Yoga Scholarship Fund. Join us in supporting our lovely yoga community!
FALL 2009 OFFICE HOURS
Jai Yoga will hold regular office hours on MONDAYS 1-3 PM; TUESDAYS 1-3 PM; THURSDAYS 1-4; and FRIDAYS 1-4 PM. At those times, messages can be left for specific teachers, questions can be answered and ideas will be heard! These are also excellent times to shop in our retail store! Please get in touch with us if you have any comments, questions, concerns or praise. Stop by the studio or give us a call at 207.725.7874.
NEW EXCHANGE RATES
We have a new exchange rate for weekly class cards and drop-ins. The following rates became effective in September: $16 drop-in, 4 classes $56, 8 classes $96, 20 classes $220 and monthly unlimited $130. For more information on rates, class cards and policies, visit our website. Note: the rate change does not affect unused classes on current cards.
DON’T LET ANYTHING STOP YOU FROM COMING TO YOGA CLASS!!
Jai Yoga offers partial and full scholarships, work-study programs and accepts time dollars (MerryMeeting Community Shares Program) as payment for classes! If you, or someone you know, are experiencing financial hardship, all the more reason to get to a yoga class. Our community is here to support everyone’s well-being! Please call 207.725.7874 today to discuss opportunities to enjoy the practice of yoga. Yoga is good for all of us!!
THE JAI YOGA SCHOLARSHIP FUND NEEDS CONTRIBUTIONS!
We’ve been helping so many people practice yoga that our scholarship fund is running low. Donations are very much appreciated and are welcome at any time for any amount. Please give us a call at 207.725.7874 or email us info@jaiyogahome.com if you are interested in making a contribution!
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PRACTICE
STRESS RELIEF AND IMPROVED DIGESTION – PASCHIMOTTANASANA (SEATED FORWARD FOLD)
We all know Thanksgiving Day kicks off the bustle of the Holidays. For most of us, this means a busier schedule with more items on our “to do” lists. It can also mean more food on our plates and less time to make mindful choices about what and how much we eat.
Luckily, we can get relief from both the stress and indigestion that the holidays sometimes bring with one yoga posture.
To aid digestion and promote relaxation this Thanksgiving, try this seated forward fold:
1 – Come to a seated position on your mat, supporting your sit bones with a stack of folded blankets, and straighten the legs
2 – Use your hands to roll the flesh of the thighs and the buttocks away from the sit bones. Extend out through the heels and activate the inner lines of your legs, widening the hamstrings into the floor
3 – Place your palms or fingertips on the floor on either side of the pelvis and lengthen through the spine, lifting the heart toward the ceiling
4 – Draw the femur bones into the hip sockets, inhale and keep lifting your heart, lengthening the spine
5 – On an exhale, begin to crease at the hips, letting the torso move forward, maintaining length through the lower back
6 – Take your hands to your feet or loop a strap around the feet, holding firmly. Do not pull yourself forward. Keep your chest open as you lengthen the spine
7 – On another exhale, allow your torso to fold over your legs, keeping the length through the spine. Bend your elbows and lift them away from the floor as you fold so that the chest stays open
8 – Breathe here for 5-10 long breaths, softening with each exhale and lengthening with each inhale
9 – To come out, on a inhale, roll one vertebrae at a time, starting at the base of the spine, up to a seated position
Notes: To stay safe in this posture, focus on keeping the spine long rather than grabbing your toes and on folding from the hip crease rather than the waist. Use plenty of support under the sit bones for tighter hamstrings.
For a restorative version of this posture, stack pillows or blankets in your lap and rest your head on the support. Stay in the pose for 5-10 minutes.
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Namaste,
Jen and the Jai Yoga Family
Jai Yoga
Suite 314 Fort Andross
14 Maine Street
Brunswick ME 04011
207.725.7874
info@jaiyogahome.com
www.jaiyogahome.com