Yin Yoga

Hello my name is Elena, I am a passionate certified Yoga and Meditation instructor. I have been practicing for over seventeen years and have had the pleasure of teaching for the last five years. I have experienced a wide range of health benefits from my practice and am inspired to share this healing art with others.

What are the benefits of Yin Yoga?

Yin Yoga is a restorative practice, usually poses are held for a longer period of time and the body is often supported by props allowing the muscles to fully melt.

Overtime injury, habitual motion and poor posture can bind our connective tissues, causing restrictions to movement. Adhesion's block the flow of blood causing stiffness. Holding Yin poses gently opens muscle tissue allowing fascia to release and unbind adhesions. This increases circulation to activate healing. Yin Yoga can restore range of motion throughout the body while calming the nervous system.

 Ultimately a Yin Yoga practice should leave you feeling like you’ve had a massage. 

Kundalini Yoga

What are the benefits of Kundalini Yoga?

Kundalini Yoga is a practice that incorporates movement, pranayama, meditation and mantra through a set of kriyas or postures. The movements build vitality and flexibility while balancing the hormonal system and reducing cortisol.

Pranayama or breath practice has numerous benefits including stress reduction, increased lung function, enhanced circulation and improved sleep. 

Mantra which is the repetition of a word or sound during meditation offers a point of focus for the mind to follow. The word Mantra in Sanskrit means, Man‘ ~mind, and tra‘ ~release. In essence a mantra is intended to free the mind.

Research has shown mantra meditation helps to synchronize the left and right hemispheres of the brain and promotes relaxing alpha brain waves.

When the body is at ease and the mind is calm, hearing the heart comes naturally. When we listen to our hearts, we tap into the infinite wisdom that exists within.

Meditation

What are the benefits of Meditation?

Like a bird flying through a valley to a mountain top, meditation enhances awareness and perspective.

Meditation has a wide range benefits, some of the immediate effects include a sense of calm and clarity, improved cognitive function and a reduction of reactivity and anxiety.

Stress is the body’s natural response to sudden changes or perceived threats. To survive when we encounter immediate threats there is an increase in stress hormones, including cortisol activating the fight or flight response. But so do non immediate threats, like being in traffic, or an overload of work emails. When the stress response is consistently activated it reduces mental functioning, increases the heart rate, creates tension and shortness of breath and can disturb sleep.

Healing…

Brain studies of regular meditators show lower cortisol levels, higher levels of melatonin and endorphins ~ the feel good hormones that act as pain killers and improve mood. Even meditating two times a week activates an overall sense of calm and resilience. 

Strengthening and Toning with Yoga

What are the benefits of Strengthening and Toning with Yoga?

The practice of Yoga utilizes your own body weight, a weekly practice can increase energy, balance and mobility as we age. I always offer modifications, and encourage students to listen their bodies first and foremost.

I offer personal and group classes of Strengthening and Toning with Yoga, this is a short and sweet flow that will leave you feeling refreshed, grounded and ready to start your day!