December, 2017 News!

Click the link above for latest news, including:

Dec. 28 “Restorative Yoga and Holiday Gathering”,

“Winter, 2018 6-Class Saturday Series”,

And more!

See you at the studio…

From Nov. 1, 2017, Wednesday “All Levels Class” at Mindful Yoga Collective will be held from 11:30am-1:00pm each week (previously 9:15-10:45am).

Please revise your calendars, and enjoy your Wednesday morning time before class.

See you soon at the studio!

Dana

**UPDATE: Series Class is a GO! Click here to register!**

NEW! Autumn, 2017 Six-Class Saturday Series with Dana

This class will include a gentle warm-up, invigorating standing poses, and restorative poses to finish off. Start your weekend here!

Held on selected Saturdays in November and December. Thank you to the six students who pre-registered so that this series can happen!

• Series Dates: Nov. 4, 11, 18, Dec. 2, 9, 16
• Time: 8:30-10:00am
• Place: Mindful Yoga Collective
• Series Fee: $90.00
• Single-Class Attendance: $15.00 (+$1.00 Paypal/credit card payment fee=$16.00)

Register for class here.

These are good questions to ask. “Why should I commit to something I have no idea about?”  Or, “I’m nervous about going into this thing, and want to know what it’s like”.

Leslie’s teaching two workshops for women only, focused on the pelvic floor. Then, she’s doing two more workshops, open to both men and women, for the knees and glutes. (Scroll down for that info if you’re not joining the pelvic floor workshops…)

First, regarding the Pelvic Floor workshops:

Major bonus: ALL WOMEN!  Mostly women who have struggled with pelvic floor issues — you know, the things you can only talk about to your best girlfriends, or to your doctor or therapist — and most of us have few knowledgeable resources, even less concrete information, and probably no idea of what’s really “down there”, beyond elementary anatomy. And NO ONE to consult with about this “stuff” who knows much more than we do!

So, Leslie stands at the front of the room, and talks about the STUFF. ALL the stuff . Your stuff. My stuff. Her stuff. Not in personal terms, but she uses words like “incontinence” and “pelvic floor pain” and “hysterectomy” or “caesarean”. Words like “miscarriage” and pregnancy” and “episiotomy”. Words you’ve heard, and likely experienced. At first, it’s a little uncomfortable, like someone’s exposing your bad habits.  Why do we blame ourselves for this discomfort?  Why??

We don’t get into the why. in the workshop. It’s important, but Leslie lets us do that on our own time.

The important thing is that we get to know THE STUFF and DOWN THERE better, so we learn what it is, what it needs, and how to take better care of it.

Then, Leslie pulls out these AWESOME models of the pelvis (like in anatomy class) and describes the STUFF. And THEN she pulls out these amazing handmade soft, fluffy toys that show how our pelvic organs sit inside the bones of the pelvis, how they fit together, and how the muscles and bones and tissue support them, and what those muscles are, and….it’s suddenly FASCINATING and NOT SCARY OR WEIRD!! We all have this stuff inside us, and it all does AMAZING stuff, like carry babies, give birth, pee, and so on! It’s a lot less intimidating when you know what’s down there, how it works, what it looks like, and how one thing influences another.

Then, we move onto practices to bring awareness to our own habits. Again, this sounds scary, but it’s not. We might use a prop, like a blanket or cushion or block to sit on. We might breathe while we’re paying attention to one part. No one’s looking or commenting–each person is focused on their own practice.  Afterwards, we might discuss what we noticed or observed. You share what you’re comfortable with, or ask whatever question came to mind. Or you sit and just learn from and with everybody else.

In the full workshop (the six-hour “Yoga for the Female Pelvic Floor”, Oct. 28-29, 9am-12pm), Leslie gives homework. You’re on your own with that! The second day is a continuation of the first, with more depth and practice, as well as discussion and Q & A.  By that time, we have some idea of what we want to know, the good questions come out, and Leslie’s knowledge really shines. She’s a vault, a treasure trove of stories, anecdotes, information and practices as well as GREAT PRACTICAL ADVICE.  Believe me, you’ll feel empowered, and ready to take your pelvis into your own hands, so to speak!

In the two-hour workshop (Friday, Oct. 27, 6-8pm), we’ll get more of a “taster” of what’s above.  Anatomy, information, practices, practical advice, and a few rich stories to illustrate the points. As they say, a little learning is a dangerous thing, so indulge in this workshop knowing that you may leave wanting more!  It’s a great intro to the material in the full workshop. You can take it independently, just dipping your foot into the river, or you can take it as a precursor to the full workshop, as a kind of an appetizer.

About the “Smart-Ass, Dumb Ass” and “The Bee’s Knees” workshops: We’ll work in more of a formal class setting, with yoga mats and props.  Leslie will introduce the anatomy and function of the specific body part, and then offer practices and practical advice for keeping it healthy and improving its function.  The practices are based in familiar yoga postures, but you don’t have to be a yoga practitioner to benefit from the workshop. If you have any issues with the glutes, hips, buttocks, join “Smart-Ass, Dumb Ass”. If you have any issues with your knees, join ‘The Bee’s Knees”.    And–remember–these two workshops aren’t only for women! Men need this as well — skiers, athletes, runners, hikers, bikers, lawyers, doctors, butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers! Bring your broken butt, your knobby, wonky knees, your pain-in-the-a$$…there’s a place for them here!

So, this is Dana’s version of what happens in Leslie’s workshops. Please take it as you wish–your experience may be different. But I encourage you to take a chance. If you want to speak to me personally about whether this workshop is for you, please feel free to send me an e-mail (from the “Contact” page on this website). I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.*

Leslie and I both look forward to seeing you in the workshops!

With respect and gratitude,

Dana

WORKSHOP DETAILS AND REGISTRATION HERE!

*If you have a history of significant trauma,  or are currently in therapy for trauma in the pelvic area, you’re welcome to consult with Leslie as to whether you are a good candidate for the workshop.  Feel free to reach out to me, and I’ll connect the two of you.

Hello, yogis!

It’s been a wonderful summer of morning classes, and it’s great to have you all back as the weather cools a bit and people settle into life after vacation.  Thank you for your great practice–so many amazing “aha” moments in class!

As you know, there’s a nearly-once-in-a lifetime eclipse happening on Monday, August 21. The eclipse will peak at 11:33 am, and will be a 91% partial eclipse in SLC. Many of you will travel north to view the eclipse in totality, and we can’t wait to hear about that!

In light of these extraordinary circumstances, 9:15 am class on Monday will be cancelled.

However, I will sub for Charlotte’s class at 5:30pm on that same day, and also for her Tuesday class at 7:30am!

So, please take a hike (don’t forget your eclipse glasses) on Monday morning, and join me for class on Monday late afternoon or Tuesday early morning. Regular schedule will resume from Wednesday, August 23.

Thank you for your understanding, and for your ever-deepening, consistent practice.

All my best,

Dana

Leslie Howard returns to SLC in October for another series of workshops on “all things pelvic”, plus one workshop for the knees, called “The Bee’s Knees”, and one for discovering the capacity of your glutes, called “Smart Ass, Dumb Ass”.

This time, Leslie will offer the two-day, six-hour “Yoga for the Female Pelvic Floor” workshops as she did in December, 2016. It’s a great time to review and refamiliarize yourself with the info, concepts, and practices, if you’ve attended previously, or to simply “demystify ‘down there'” (as she says) if you have never attended a pelvic floor workshop previously. The workshop is open to women only, no yoga experience needed.

In addition, she’ll offer a two-hour introductory mini-workshop. This is a way to get introduced to the pelvic floor ‘in a nutshell’, so to speak. Attendance is helpful for those joining the full workshops, or a great stand-alone for those who cannot commit to the full two-day workshop, or those who just want to know what this pelvic floor stuff is all about. Again, this workshop is for women only. Thanks for your understanding.

This pelvic stuff is SO important for the females, I cannot BEGIN to tell you how important it is to share this information. The experiential learning is enlightening and liberating, to use two overused words. So, please, please share this info with your gynecologist, your masseuse, your mom, sister, daughter-in-law, your nurse-practitioner, your lawyer, your mayor (!), your barista, and encourage them to attend. There’s no end to the learning, only a beginning, and knowledge helps make our journey so much better.

The knee and glute workshops are designed for those who currently engage in a yoga practice, but Leslie’s teaching is so very accessible, I recommend it even if you’re not a practicing yogi. Plus, the gents are invited to these workshops! Tell your friends and fellow yogis, especially if they have wonky knees or glutes.

Preregistration/prepayment is required–your payment confirms your place in the workshops. The workshops aren’t available for drop-in attendance, so please contact me if you have any questions.

Workshops are held at Mindful Yoga Collective and Vitalize Yoga Studio.

Workshop Details are here, with a link to the Workshop Payment page here!  

Learn about Leslie here!

Let me know if you have any questions at all, and I sincerely hope to see you and your community at the workshops in October.

Sincerely,

Dana

P.S. There’s talk of hosting Leslie’s Pelvic Floor Yoga Teacher Training in SLC in January, 2018–stay tuned!

Hello, everyone! Dana here.

I’m delighted to let you know that I’ve just received official notice of certification as a yoga therapist from the International Association of Yoga Therapists.

Thank you to the generous teachers, students, clients, family and friends who’ve helped me to this achievement.

I look forward to continuing to teach and practice with each of you, now with “C-IAYT” after my name!

• July 3 (Mon.) 9:15am: Dana’s class held as usual.
• July 5 (Weds.) 9:15am: Dana’s class held as usual.
• July 6 (Thurs.) 7:30 am: Dana subs for Charlotte.
• July 7 (Fri.) 9:15am: Dana’s class is cancelled.
• July 11 (Tues.) 7:30am: Dana subs for Charlotte.
• July 13 (Thurs) 7:30am: Dana subs for Charlotte.
• July 21 (Fri.) 9:15am: Dana’s class is cancelled.

Thanks for your understanding, and I’ll see you in the cool studio in the morning to enjoy the hot summer days!

International Yoga Day is celebrated each year on the solstice, June 21.

This week, we practiced the sequence provided by the Iyengar Institute in Pune, India, in all three morning classes at Mindful Yoga Collective. (By the way, the Institute was recognized in India on June 20, 2017, with the Prime Minister’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to Promotion and Development of Yoga.)

• Monday, we worked on finding the midline of our limbs, and on focusing our efforts.
• Wednesday, we worked in silence as much as possible.
• Friday, we worked on what I call “the Goldilocks Factor”, which means paying attention to the quality of our effort, and finding the effective amount of effort in our practice. ‘Effort’ refers to the body, mind, and breath. Students were also instructed to pay attention to “when they were ready” to change, to move into or out of a pose.  We finished with pranayama (Viloma 1 and 2, and Ujjayi), and there was a sweetness and fullness to everyone’s voices in the final chanting at the end of class.

Below is the sequence; poses were modified according to students’ needs.

Below the sequence, you’ll find a fun video from Yogi Zain, an Iyengar teacher in California, demonstrating the entire sequence (in time-lapse)!

· Tadasana
· Urdhva Hastasana
· Urdhva Baddhaguliyasana
· Uttanasana
· Utthita Trikonasana
· Ardha Chandrasana
· Virabhadrasana I to Virabhadrasana III
· Parsvottanasana
· Parivrita Trikonasana
· Prasaritta Padotanasana
· Sirsasana
· Parsva Sirsasana
· Upavistha Konasana in Sirsasana or Eka Pada Sirsasana
· Adho Mukha Svanasana
· Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
· Chaturanga Dandasana
· Dandasana
· Navasana
· Ardha Navasana
· Urdhva Prasaritta Padasana
· Supta Padangusthasana
· Parsva Supta Padanguhthasana
· Parivritta Supta Padangusthasana
· Upavistha Konasana
· Parsva Upavistha Konasana
· Sarvangasana
· Eka Pada Sarvangasana
· Halasana
· Supta Konasana
· Parsva Halasana
· Paschimottanasana
· Savasana
· Viloma 1 and 2 Pranayama
· Ujjayi Pranayama
· Savasana

Recently, I’ve developed and taught a sequence in private and group lessons designed to address hip and back issues. It’s simple, passive, relaxing (because it’s supine), and lets each practitioner discover for themselves their own range of motion within a specific relationship to gravity.

By not bearing weight on the legs (standing), and by removing the effort of sitting upright, we can really kick back and check out our own legs, and see how they move (or don’t) from the hip joints all the way down to the feet.  For several students, it has helped them heal discomfort in their back and hips; hence the term “therapeutic”.

Please read the notes here before doing the sequence. (It’s 8 minutes long, with no narration.) Maybe watch it once to familiarize yourself with it?

Notes: “Therapeutic Reclining Series for Back and Hips”
-Be sure your entire back and backside/derrière rest on the floor with the legs up the wall during the entire series. You’r body should make an “L” shape, more or less. If your buttocks levitate, scoot further away from the wall. If you’re pretty limited in your range of motion to start with, you’ll have nowhere to go, so start simply at a distance.
-Skip any posture you cannot do without distorting the rest of the body. What’s in touch with the floor when you begin should stay so as you move the legs.
-Practice with discernment and intelligence. Value quality over quantity. It’s not a competition. If you just want to lie on the floor with the legs up the wall, more power to you! That’s a GREAT choice anytime!
-Not a substitute for medical care.
-Let me know how it goes, or if you have questions.
(Created by @danalevyyoga. Give credit if you share!)