CLASS UPDATES

WEDNESDAYS

SATURDAYS

Gina Davis will teach 8:30 am Hatha MOMMY & ME, 1st & 3rd Saturdays, 12-12:45 pm, Ages NB-5, w/ Seema Shah

*NEW CLASS* 5:45 pm Kripalu Yoga w/ Ellen Leonard

*NEW CLASS* 9:30 am Ashtanga Yoga w/ Auriel Benker

THURSDAYS

*NEW CLASS* 5:45 pm Ayurvedic Yoga w/ Ellen Leonard

BONES FOR LIFE

w/ Patty Proffitt

Certified Bones for Life Practitioner, Physical Therapist

Thurs., Oct. 28, Nov. 5, 12, 19 | 4 - 5:30 p.m.

$25 Drop-In, $80 for 4-Session Series

WORKSHOP SERIES

200-HOUR YOGA TEACHER TRAINING

w/ Gina Davis

Info Sessions

Wed., October 14 | 6:30 p.m.

and Sat., Nov. 14 | 10 a.m.

Alignment + Freedom: Principles of Practice

AYURVEDA CONSULTATIONS

W/ ELLEN LEONARD

Discover Your Best You

AYURVEDIC PRACTITIONER, 500 RYT, STRESS MANAGEMENT

CONSULTANT, HEALTH AND WELLNESS COACH

AYURVEDA FOR WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

Ancient Wisdom for a Healthier You!

October 24 | 1 - 3 p.m.

w/ Ellen Leonard

WELLNESS COACH

AYURVEDIC PRACTITIONER, 500 RYT, HEALTH &

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Home - All People Yoga CenterAll People Yoga Center | Yoga ...

Youve decided to finally start doing yogabut after Googling classes in your area, your head is spinning. Should you try Ashtanga or Iyengar? And whats the difference between hot yoga and Vinyasa? The array of options can be enough to scare newbies off the mat for good.

But heres why you shouldnt be scared: Like cross training, incorporating a variety of types of yoga into your regular practice can help keep you balanced, says Nikki Vilella, senior teacher at Kula Yoga Project and co-owner of Kula Williamsburg. Try a few different studios, teachers and styles. Then, stick with the one that resonates with you for a good amount of time and be dedicated to the practice, says Vilella. The first day you dont like a class shouldnt be a reason to bolt and try something new.

RELATED: The 11 Best Yoga Apps to Get Fit on the Cheap

Yoga isnt necessarily a one-size-fits-all practice, either. Different types of yoga might be best for different people. A 20-year-old and a 70-year-old probably dont need the same things, Vilella says. Someone who is hyper-mobile and flexible doesnt need the same thing as someone whos muscular and stiff.

So with all the choices out there, where do you start? Dont lose your Ujjayi breath (thats yogi speak for calming inhales and exhales). Weve got your definitive list plus, tips for identifying the style you might like best.

Its all about the basics in these slower moving classes that require you to hold each pose for a few breaths. In many studios, hatha classes are considered a gentler form of yoga. However, the Sanskrit term hatha actually refers to any yoga that teaches physical postures. Its a practice of the body, a physical practice that balances these two energies. So, in reality, it is all hatha yoga, Vilella says.

Best for: Beginners. Because of its slower pace, hatha is a great class if youre just starting your yoga practice.

RELATED: Hatha Yoga: The Best Workout for Your Brain?

All Bikram studios practice the same 90-minute sequence so youll know exactly what to do.

Get your flow on in this dynamic practice that links movement and breath together in a dance-like way. In most classes, you wont linger long in each pose and the pace can be quick, so be prepared for your heart rate to rise. Teachers will often pump music, matching the beats to the sequences of the poses.

Best for: HIIT lovers. Intense exercisers might enjoy Vinyasa because of its faster pace. Runners and endurance athletes are also drawn to Vinyasa class because of the continuous movement.

Here youll get nit-picky about precision and detail, as well as your bodys alignment in each pose. Props, from yoga blocks and blankets to straps or a ropes wall, will become your new best friend, helping you to work within a range of motion that is safe and effective. Unlike in Vinyasa, each posture is held for a period of time. If youre new to Iyengar, even if youve practiced other types of yoga, its good to start with a level one class to familiarize yourself with the technique.

Best for: Detail-oriented yogis. If you like to geek out about anatomy, movement and form, youll love Iyengar teachers share a wealth of information during class. Iyengar can also be practiced at any age and is great for those with injuries (though you should consult with a doctor first), Vilella notes.

RELATED: 5 Surprising Health Benefits of Yoga

If youre looking for a challenging yet orderly approach to yoga, try Ashtanga. Consisting of six series of specifically sequenced yoga poses, youll flow and breathe through each pose to build internal heat. The catch is that youll perform the same poses in the exact same order in each class. Some studios will have a teacher calling out the poses, while Mysore style classes (a subset of Ashtanga) require you to perform the series on your own. (But dont worry there will always be a teacher in the room to offer assistance if you need it.)

Best for: Type-A folks. If youre a perfectionist, youll like Ashtangas routine and strict guidelines.

Celebrity devotees including actor Russell Brand have given Kundalini a cult-like following.

Prepare to sweat: Bikram consists of a specific series of 26 poses and two breathing exercises practiced in a room heated to approximately 105 degrees and 40 percent humidity. All Bikram studios practice the same 90-minute sequence so youll know exactly what to do once you unroll your mat. Remember, the vigorous practice combined with the heat can make the class feel strenuous. If youre new to Bikram, take it easy: Rest when you need to and be sure to hydrate beforehand.

Best for: Amateurs. Those who are newer to yoga might like Bikram because of its predictable sequence.

RELATED: How to Get the Benefits of Hot Yoga Without Passing Out

Hot yoga is similar to Bikram in that its practiced in a heated room. But teachers arent constrained by the 26-pose Bikram sequence. While the heat will make you feel like you can move deeper into some poses compared to a non-heated class, it can be easy to overstretch, so dont push beyond your capacity.

Best for: Hardcore sweat lovers. If you love a tough workout that will leave you drenched, sign up for a beginner-friendly heated class.

Celebrity devotees including actor Russell Brand and author Gabrielle Bernstein have given Kundalini a cult-like following. Yet, this physically and mentally challenging practice looks very different from your typical yoga class. Youll perform kriyas repetitive physical exercises coupled with intense breath work while also chanting, singing and meditating. The goal? To break through your internal barriers, releasing the untapped energy residing within you and bringing you a higher level of self-awareness.

Best for: People looking for a spiritual practice. Those who are seeking something more than a workout may enjoy Kundalini due to its emphasis on the internal aspects of yoga, including breath work, meditation and spiritual energy.

RELATED: 7 Ways to Carve Out Time to Meditate

If you want to calm and balance your body and mind, this is where youll find your zen. The opposite of a faster moving practice like Ashtanga, Yin yoga poses are held for several minutes at a time. This meditative practice is designed to target your deeper connective tissues and fascia, restoring length and elasticity. Youll use props so your body can release into the posture instead of actively flexing or engaging the muscles. Like meditation, it may make you feel antsy at first, but stick with it for a few classes and its restorative powers might have you hooked.

Best for: People who need to stretch and unwind. Keep in mind, Yin yoga is not recommended for people who are super flexible (you might overdo it in some poses) or anyone who has a connective tissue disorder, Vilella says.

RELATED: Yin Yoga for Beginners

While it may feel like youre not doing much in a Restorative yoga classthats the point. The mellow, slow-moving practice with longer holds gives your body a chance tap into your parasympathetic nervous system, allowing you to experience deeper relaxation. Youll also use a variety of props including blankets, bolsters and yoga blocks to fully support your body in each pose.

Best for: Everyone. In particular, Vilella says its a good yoga practice for anyone who has a hard time slowing down, who has experienced insomnia or who struggles with anxiety. Its also great for athletes on recovery days.

Ready to try yoga? Head to DailyBurn.com for a free 30-day trial.

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Yoga for Beginners: 9 Types of Yoga to Try

What is yoga?

Yoga, as currently practiced in the Western world, focuses on a series of postures,(or asanas,) that gently stretch the body, breathing exercises, relaxation, and in some cases, meditation.These things are combined into a 90-minute session (usually,) and they are done in order to improve one's health and sense of well-being.

Why should I start practicing yoga?

If you are a regular practitioner of yoga, you might already know of some of the many benefits of practicing. Maybe it's something as simple as sleeping better at night. Maybe it relieves your tension. Perhaps it has made you stronger. Yogis have known for thousands of years what yoga can do for one's health. Science is now beginning to validate and document these ancient claims, as well as uncover new health benefits.

Below are just a few of yoga's many benefits.

Physical Benefits

Greater flexibility

Increase in muscle strength

Greater bone strength

Lowering of blood pressure

Better balance

Mental Benefits

Lessening of depression

Stress reduction

Peace of mind

Greater happiness

Improvement of memory, reaction time, and coordination

Detoxification

Increased blood flow

Moving more oxygenated blood into internal organs

Drainage of lymph (helping your system fight infection, releasing toxins, and destroying cancerous cells)

Lowering of blood sugar and LDL (the "bad" cholesterol)

Lowering of cortisol levels (High cortisol levels can harm your immune system)

Decreasing respiratory rate (how fast you breathe), and at the same time, increasing volume of air.

Spiritual Benefits

Increased feelings of forgiveness

Feelings of a connection to the Divine

Ability to empathize with others

Contentment

Who can practice yoga?

Anybody and everybody can practice yoga, especially at Yoga Space! Age doesn't matter. Size doesn't matter. Experience doesn't matter. Physical condition doesn't matter.

What do I need when I take a class at Yoga Space?

All you need to do is dress in comfortable, loose-fitting clothing. Please don't wear heavy perfumes or after-shave lotions to class, as some people are sensitive to odors.

If you have your own mat, you may bring it. Otherwise, we have an ample supply of sticky mats, blankets, and props that are sometimes used in yoga such as blocks and belts. We also sell bottled water.

What do others say about Yoga Space?

Yoga Space Testimonial - Ray Weil

For years I passed by the little business district on Hyattsville's Gallatin Street wistfully dreaming of what community oriented business might fill these charming old storefronts. So when Douglas Thompson totally renovated the old Odd Fellows building to bring back its opened punched tin ceiling charm, I was thrilled to see it become a yoga studio. Yoga Space. And then when Doug advertised free trial classes, well I just had to give it a try. I never would have tried Yoga if it had not been right here in Hyattsville, within a short bike ride from our house. That was in 2005. I tried it, liked it and have been doing Yoga at Yoga Space once, twice, sometimes three times a weeks ever since. In short, having Yoga Space in the community has really improved the quality of my life.

Yoga Space is just that ---a really welcoming, calming, pleasant space in which to find ones inner light, and bring physically and mental wellbeing into ones life-and the lives of others. Yoga Space offers classes by a number of teachers at a reasonable cost and with a flexible drop in policy. I have taken classes from at east four Yoga Space teachers, Doug himself, Marika, Kelly and Carol (in no particular order). I have found each to be excellent in his or her own way - each offers something different in Yoga and teaching style and personality. With their help I have brought a new sense of inner peace and wellbeing to my life. I will always be grateful to Doug and his Yoga Space for that.

-- Ray R. Weil Professor of Soil Science Dept. of Environmental Science & Technology University of Maryland College Park, Maryland

Now that you have an idea of what yoga is, and what it can do for you, please browse through Yoga Space's website and find out about where we are located, our teachers, our styles, our prices, and our class schedule.

Thank you for visiting Yoga Space.

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About Yoga Space: A Yoga and Pilates Studio in Hyattsville ...

last but not least

Remember: your body is your best guide. You don't have to stick to one kind of yoga, just do what your body needs!

There are many other styles not mentioned here that we encourage you to discover for yourself. The bottom line is: if it doesn't feel right, don't do it.

Proper alignment of yoga postures is important for many types of yoga. Choose clothes that are not too baggy and that help you and your yoga instructor make sure you're not doing anything harmful to your body. In more physical types of yoga and especially in hot classes, expect to sweat. Wear clothes that dry quickly, wick moisture away, and will keep you as comfortable as possible to get the most out of your yoga class. Fabrics with stretch will help you feel most comfortable as you move from pose to pose. Whatever you choose to wear to class, you should be able to move freely and feel good.

Yoga blocks and straps are great tools for beginner to seasoned yogis. Some styles of yoga, such as Iyengar, require more use of yoga props (such as straps) than others to help you better align yourself in a pose or get into "hard to reach" postures. Try sitting on a yoga block with your legs crossed to help open your hips up.

You're going to be spending a lot of time up close and personal with your mat. Yoga mats come in a variety of colours, sizes and thicknesses. Are you a traveling yogi? Look for thin travel mats that fold up so you can take your downdog on the road. Shop now for lululemon yoga mats and choose a mat that fits your lifestyle.

Every lululemon location offers complimentary yoga lead by local yogis in your community. Learn more about these neighbourhood yoga classes on the gift of yoga page

Our global ambassador Chris Chavez recently stopped by our office to teach a yoga class over lunch. Check out a sneak peek from the video:

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yoga 101| what is yoga | yoga 101 | lululemon athletica

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Convertible Ultrabook Laptop & Tablet | Lenovo Yoga 13 with ...

The Yoga Poses for Beginners library serves as a comprehensive intro guide to the most popular yoga poses and sequences.

Becoming familiar with and learning these poses should get you through a class in any of the types of yoga styles.

Please keep in mind, these are just some of the most common poses to look at (and not necessarily practice). If you'd like to get started with yoga, you should take a look at The Complete Guide To Yoga Video Course here at MindBodyGreen.

Seated Yoga Poses - Grounding and calming, these poses provide some of our deepest muscle opening and twisting.

Standing Yoga Poses - Good for strength, balance and focus. These energetic poses provide a straight line to shaping our best body.

Arm Balances - These yoga poses are good for strength, body awareness and focus, providing some fun challenges for every body.

Backbends - Opening up in the spine and chest feels great and strengthens our connection to intuition.

Inversions - Good for balance and concentration, as well as circulation.

Core Poses - These poses will strengthen your core and get your abs beach ready!

Yoga Poses for Weight Loss - These poses will help you shed unwanted pounds!

Restorative Poses - These yoga poses are great for winding down and connecting to our breath.

Yoga Poses for Back Pain - Whether the origins are some acute injury or long-term stress, there are a few simple poses that can help with back pain.

Yoga Sequences & Moving (Videos) - How we move and breathe is much more important than the exact shape of our poses, for clearing our bodies and minds and creating our own best health.

Yoga Pose Videos - Watch Michael Taylor take you through a number of yoga poses step-by-step.

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Yoga Poses for Beginners: How-to, Tips, Benefits, Images ...

What is yoga?

Hatha yoga includes meditation and exercises to help you improve flexibility and breathing, decrease stress, and maintain health. People have practiced yoga for thousands of years in India. Yoga is based on the idea that the mind and body are one. Practitioners believe that yoga improves health by improving how you see the world, which calms the spirit and decreases stress.

Two basic components of Hatha yoga are proper breathing and exercises, called postures, that stretch the body. You do postures while standing, lying down, sitting in a chair, or in a headstand position. While practicing a posture, you do breathing exercises to help relax your muscles, maintain the posture, and focus your mind.

Hatha is one of many types of yoga. While each type focuses on different aspects of yoga, all share the same goal, which is not only improved physical and mental health, but achievement of "oneness" with a higher being, the self, or some form of higher awareness.

Most people who try yoga for meditation find that it increases their flexibility and reduces stress. If you suffer from a long-term (chronic) medical condition, you can often combine yoga and conventional medical treatment.

Several studies have shown that yoga helps lower blood pressure, improves a person's sense of well-being, reduces fatigue, and can help people who have asthma learn to breathe more easily.

Experts consider yoga to be safe.

Always tell your doctor if you are using an alternative therapy or if you are thinking about combining an alternative therapy with your conventional medical treatment. It may not be safe to forgo your conventional medical treatment and rely only on an alternative therapy.

Like any physical activity, yoga can cause muscle strains or sprains. Gentle stretching before a yoga session can help prevent injuries.

ByHealthwise Staff Primary Medical ReviewerAdam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Specialist Medical ReviewerKathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine

Current as ofNovember 14, 2014

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Yoga - WebMD

The benefits of yoga provide both instant gratification and lasting transformation. In the fitness world, both are extremely important. Too much time with too few results can be incredibly discouraging, and monotonous routines week after week can lead to stagnation. Yoga can change your physical and mental capacity quickly, while preparing the mind and body for long-term health.

Most yoga studios and local gyms offer yoga classes that are open to all generations and fitness levels. Its exciting to enter a room full of young teens, athletes, middle-aged moms, older gentlemen and even fitness buffs and body builders. Everyone can feel accepted and included and, unlike other sports or classes that focus on niche clients, yoga tends to have open arms. Whether you like to say "Om" or you cant stand the word yogi; whether you are 92, 53, or even 12, yoga can help you.

Yoga is not just about working out, its about a healthy lifestyle. The practice of yoga allows students to be still in a world consumed with chaos. Peace and tranquility achieved through focused training appeals to everyone.

Yogas deep breathing and meditation practices help foster an inner shift from to-do lists, kids and spouses needs, financial concerns and relational struggles to something a little bit bigger than the issues you face. Yoga helps relieve stress and unclutter the mind, and helps you get more focused.

One of the benefis of yoga is that you can choose a yoga style that is tailored to your lifestyle, such as hot yoga, power yoga, relaxation yoga, prenatal yoga, etc. Whether you prefer you're at home, in a private session, watching a DVD or at a studio or gym, there are a huge variety of options available to suit your goals and needs.

If you are a yoga beginner, Hatha yoga, which focuses on basic postures at a comfortable pace, would be great for you. If you want to increase strength through using more of your own bodys resistance, power yoga may be right for you. There is a great online yoga program at Gaiam Yoga Studio that focuses on Hatha yoga.

If you are ready for a deeper practice, Advanced Yoga, or Bikram, also called hot yoga, may be just what you are looking for. In Bikram yoga, the room temperature is set to around 100 degrees Fahrenheit, resulting in greater elimination of toxins from the body through the increased production of sweat. No matter your fitness level, fat percentage, or health history, yoga has a place for you.

Yogas focus on strength training and flexibility is an incredible benefit to your body. The postures are meant to strengthen your body from the inside-out, so you dont just look good, you feel good too. Each of the yoga poses is built to reinforce the muscles around the spine, the very center of your body, which is the core from which everything else operates. When the core is working properly, posture is improved, thus alleviating back, shoulder and neck pain.

The digestive system gets back on track when the stretching in yoga is coupled with a healthy, organic diet, which can relieve constipation, irritable bowl syndrome (IBS) and acid reflux. Another one of the benefits of yoga is that stretching and holding of postures also causes muscles to lengthen, which gives the body a longer, leaner look.

A more advanced form of yoga can amplify these effects. Adapted from the basic Ashtanga yoga, power yoga requires increased amounts of energy, focus and strength. Although power yoga is an evolvement of the basics, it certainly is not a basic course.

But how does it help build muscle? Deeper, more focused participation is required, because most poses are held for five full breaths versus the usual one to three breaths. Muscles are challenged as the mind and body have to work together simultaneously to hold a position or continue a succession without giving up. Breathing, posing, moving and increasing flexibility happen all together at one time, which solicits a new level of discipline in your mind and body.

Isometric exercises are one of the best ways to build core strength. Isometric, stemming from the words same and length, simply translates to holding one position without moving. Power yoga uses isometric exercises along with other postures that are designed to make the core and back stronger. Flexibility and balance stem from your core, so it is very important to train this area of the body. In turn, you can increase the strangth and health of your entire body. Generally a higher-temperature room is used in this practice to help keep the muscles warm and release additional toxins from the body.

Here's a list of some of the most beneficial aspects of power yoga:

No matter what ails your aching body, or if you just want to take your fitness to a higher level, power yoga's ability to build muscle has an undeniably effect on the total body.

Discover the benefits of yoga for yourself at GaiamTV.com!

Related Articles:

Can Yoga Replace Strength Training?

How to Choose the Right Yoga Mat

What's the Meaning Behind Your Favorite Yoga Pose?

Off the Couch and Onto the Mat: What to Expect from Your First Yoga Class

Related Products:

Beginning Yoga with Chrissy Carter DVD

"Be Inspired" Yoga Block

Yoga Mats

Yoga for Beginner's Kit

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The Benefits of Yoga | Gaiam Life

-- Posted September 19, 2011

References

aAlvarez, Lizette. Stretch: When Yoga Hurts. The New York Times. July 24, 2010. Accessed: July 15, 2011.

bCastleman, Michael. Want Better Sex? Do Yoga. Psychology Today. July 1, 2010. Accessed: July 15, 2011.

cDeMichelis, Elizabeth. 2005. A History of Yoga: Patanjali and Western Esotericism. London, England: Continuum International Publication Group.

dFeuerstein, Georg. 1997. The Shambhala Guide to Yoga. Boston, MA: Shambhala Publications, Inc.

eInversions and Menstruation. Yoga Journal. 2011. Accessed: July 15, 2011.

fKatz, Neil. Baby Yoga Video Us Real and Real Scary, But Safe? CBSNEWS. January 20, 2011. Accessed: July 15, 2011.

gMalaysian Islamic Body Bans Yoga for Muslims. MSNBC. November 11, 2008. Accessed: July 15, 2011.

hMinhas, Pratibha. Yogic Exercises Lessen Symptoms of Pain from Fibromyalgia. News Tonight. July 29, 2011. Accessed: July 30, 2011.

iRock, Margaret. Girls Like Yoga and Yogurt, Boys Like Girls with Anything. Mobiledia. July 28, 2011. Accessed: July 15, 2011.

jSimpkins, C. Alexander and Annellen Simpkins. 2003. Yoga Basics. Boston, MA: Tuttle Publishing.

kSohm, Amy. Class Action. New York Magazine. March 8, 2004. Accessed: July 15, 2011.

lSyman, Stefanie. 2010. The Subtle Body: The Story of Yoga in America. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

mVitello, Paul. Hindu Group Stirs a Debate over Yogas Soul. The New York Times. November 27, 2010. Accessed: July 15, 2011.

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39 Interesting Facts about Yoga

6 Week Series Would make a great Christmas Gift - Gift Certificates available

We will take the first 5 weeks to break down the postures used during a flow class. We will work with pranayama (breath), asana (postures) and alignment for safety.

Week 1 - Breath, Child's Pose, Table, Cat/Cow Week

2 - Breath, Mountain Pose, Forward Fold

Week 3 - Breath, Downward Dog, Warrior 1,2 & 3

Week 4 - Breath, Balance Postures

Week 5 - Breath, Seated Postures and Twists

Week 6 - One Hour Flow class using breath and postures covered in first five weeks.

Do you want to learn specific posture alignment, safe ways to do postures and how to play your edge?

* Teach safety of alignment

* Break postures down so that you will be able to feel strong and confident in the posture

* Teach breathing techniques and connect breath to movement

* Hold space so that each student feels their practice come alive

Who will benefit from this beginner series?

The person new to yoga and uncomfortable with a flow class

The person with an established practice who wants to break the postures down to understand them better

Any one who is interested in learning about themselves and yoga

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN FOR THE NEXT BEGINNER SERIES

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Yoga from the Heart in Laconia, NH