"Do your practice and all is coming"
Sri K Patthabi Jois
About Good Dog Yoga
I have been practicing yoga since 2000, with a daily practice since 2002, mostly vinyasa and ashtanga, and later yin. I received my certification in Canada, in June of 2008, and began teaching at local studios there, including Breathe Into Motion and Mindful Life, prior to moving to Ann Arbor, where I now teach in Ann Arbor, Saline, and the surrounding areas. My background in dance, has given me a well developed sense of kinesthetic awareness and movement. I am currently a track and road cyclist, with aspirations of competing at Masters level, and have worked with several National & World Masters Champion track cyclists. I am a registered yoga instructor with Yoga Alliance, and CPR/AED certified with American Red Cross.
I believe the teacher is the student and I am continually studying and looking for ways to expand my practice not only for myself but for my clients. I have studied with internationally renowned teachers such as; David Swenson, Doug Swenson, David Williams, Eddie Stern, Nancy Gilgoff, Richard Freeman, Tim Miller, Danny Paradise, Nicky Doane, Paul Grilley and Bryan Kest.My current teacher is Angela Jamison , an R.Sharath certified Ashtanga teacher.
Your safety and well being is my greatest concern. Classes are tailored to the participants level, and I encourage clients NOT to push themselves beyond the limits of where they are. One of the first yamas of the ashtanga is practicing no harm, and that includes the self. But dont be afraid to try something new! Have fun with it, experiment and discover what it means to be you inside your body.
resume.pdf
Classes
Yoga can help you develop better breathing technique whilst improving your balance, flexibility, core strength, and endurance.
If you participate competitively in sport or simply join the occasional fun run on a whim you are aware of the impact breathing can have on performance. Deep, relaxed breathing is the foundation of reducing performance anxiety and improving concentration. Yoga will help you develop a habit of breathing with greater awareness. Yoga practice integrates the mind-body connection and everyone can benefit from this combination of skills training.
Yoga poses are all about building core strength. The slow, focused movements require a strong mid-section and the isometric contractions of many exercises will add a new form of resistance training to your typical machine-based workouts. Frequent yoga training may increase flexibility, and range of motion while relieving muscle tension. No matter your sport, improved range of motion can often help improve performance.
Yoga is a great low-impact way to cross train. Cross training is necessary for people who do the same sport or exercise routine year-round. Adding new exercises can help reduce injury, relieve training boredom, add variety and help recover from hard aerobic or strength workouts. Yoga can be done at a high or low intensity and there are hundreds of postures that can provide a workout for anyone's needs.
Most standing and seated postures in hatha yoga can be modified to accommodate students in chair yoga. The teacher can incorporate most aspects of a hatha yoga class into a chair yoga class; such as the asanas, pranayama, meditation, physiological knowledge and information, nutrition and the expected benefits of taking part in a chair yoga class.
The physical of practice of chair yoga can offer many tangible benefits, from improved health, longevity and quality of life through increases in flexibility, bone density and strength.
Flexibility or range of motion has a direct impact on how healthy our joints are. Moving the body is necessary to provide essential nutrients to joints and circulation to muscles. As anyone with arthritis will tell you, it often hurts to move at all. However, a completely sedentary lifestyle is not the answer to this painful condition. Some arthritis sufferers are now being encouraged by their doctors to perform yoga asanas, to improve movement.
Low impact is particularly important as high impact activities can cause further damage and pain. For this reason yoga is becoming increasingly popular with both doctors and patients. Studies at the Johns Hopkins Center for Arthritis now show how important it is to exercise affected arthritic joints. Doing this has significant long-term effects on pain relief and will increase mobility.
Yoga may improve bone density. In a controlled study, Professor Steven Hawkins from the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education at California State University, Los Angeles found that women who did certain yoga postures in class twice a week and practiced on their own three times a week showed notable increases in the bone density of their spine.
Students practicing chair yoga receive the same benefits as students practicing regular hatha yoga, but from the safety of a chair, where they can increase their confidence, strength and balance. Muscle weakness can contribute to numerous problems, including arthritis, back pain, and falls in the elderly. In fact many of the physical limitations that people associate with aging, including weakness and progressive disability, are due to loss of muscle, also known as sarcopenia. Studies have shown that even people in their eighties and beyond can make rapid gains in function when they adopt a regimen to build muscle.
While strength can help an older person avoid a fall, youre also a lot less likely to trip on the way to the bathroom in the middle of the night if balance is improved by regularly practicing yoga. Chair yoga can aid the student to use their body in an overall more balanced way, on all planes, transverse, sagittal and coronal, which can help minimize the muscle imbalances that so often lead to symptoms and injuries.
Strength and balance are important as we age because falls are not only the leading cause of injury-related deaths, but theyre also a significant cause of morbidity and disability, including head trauma, soft tissue injuries, fractures, and dislocations. When we come to our chair and practice yoga, poses such as eagle, dancer and stick can assist us with our balance and strength and therefore minimize our risk to falling.
Although yoga cannot prevent some conditions or reverse some pre-existing conditions such as arthritis, it can indeed make pain more tolerable. Yoga therapy is less expensive when compared to the cost of medical services, prescriptions and physical therapy. Current studies point to yogas overall effectiveness for preventing and treating disease. As we find more active ingredients in yoga prescriptions, these positive effects will be enhanced. As yoga becomes more effective, it will be more cost-effective since yoga therapists and teachers will take less effort to form the perfect practice for a given client. This, in turn, will help guide future research to show how yoga works, which will then lead more people to practice because they are convinced of its effectiveness.
Yoga is a methodology to change dysfunctional habits and attitudes into ones that serve you better. Patanjali wrote that the key to success in yoga is regular practice over a long period of time 3, and this idea is finding support in recent breakthroughs in neuroscience. We now know that the brain is capable of changing itself of creating new patterns, new connections between neurons and that the more you do something, the stronger those neural pathways become. For this reason, in particular with seniors, its important to repeat the poses several times during each class, to help strengthen those neuromuscular pathways.
Many benefits can be derived by incorporating breathe work or pranayama into the chair yoga class. The simple act of breathing deeply can actually change our ph balance on a cellular level, which can reduce acidity in the blood and therefore inflammation throughout the body. Deep breathing via pranayama can improve blood pressure and aid digestion and elimination via the expansion and contraction of the lungs and the abdominal muscles, which massage the organs.
Please contact me if you are interested in setting up an appointment.
Benefits of Chair Yoga.pdf
For centuries Yoga was not taught in group classes, but as a one-on-one practice. The reason you see so many styles of Yoga classes is that there are so many types of people, all with different proficiency levels. And as our bodies and minds develop and change over time (at different rates!), each person's Yoga practice needs to respond to those changes to remain effective.
One-on-one yoga, much like personal fitness training, is tailored to your specific needs. These 60-minute sessions allow you to work privately with me, to create a practice that makes sense for your body and your level of experience. While all yoga supports you physically, emotionally, and spiritually, one-on-one yoga lets you work on what makes sense for youat your own pace. There are several reasons why you should add private sessions to your weekly practice. Theyre helpful if:
•You're a beginner and you want to get started in yoga without being overwhelmed or intimidated
• You want to go to the next level in your practice or work more in-depth
•Your busy schedule makes it difficult to get to a studio
•You want to work toward a specific physical goal such as increased flexibility, balance, or strength; target problem areas like tight hips or hamstrings or weak knees, or increase your mental focus in a particular sport or activity
•You want to add yoga to your weight-loss or strength-training program
•You want to cross-train for marathons or triathlons
•You want to learn more about yourselfgaining awareness without judgment
You can also sign up for semi-private sessions (for you and a friend) or invite up to 3 others to join you.
One-on-one instruction is an ideal way to further your practice, at a time that works with your schedule. To learn more about this program, or to schedule an appointment, please contact: kickasanaATgmail.com
Where to find Good Dog
Bodies in Balance Fitness Studio Ann St E Ann Arbor
Tuesdays resumes spring 2012 (Yin Yoga)
Great Lakes Cycling & Fitness 2015 W Stadium Blvd, Ann Arbor
Mondays 6.30pm starting 23rd Jan 2012 for 8 weeks (Yoga for Cyclists)
MyUrbanToddler 7025 East Michigan Avenue Saline, MI 48176
Wednesdays 8.45am, Fridays 9.00am starting 7th March
(Yin Yoga)
Glacier Hills Retirement Community Mondays 9.30am
Strength & Conditioning _ Ann Arbor Country Club
Tuesdays and Thursdays 10,00 am
Plan Your Own Yoga Party
WHAT IS A YOGA PARTY?
It's a party with a twist! Hosting a yoga party is a great way to bring four or more friends, family and co-workers together in the comfort of your home, hotel or office for a healthy retreat.
If the weather cooperates, we can even set up in your back yard or a local park. And if you'd rather come to us, we can schedule you in a fun studio space in Ann Arbor or Saline.
Whether you have experience or not, the benefits of yoga can help everyone unwind from life's stresses. Our goal is to create a fun and unique yoga event tailored for you and your guests.
Contact us today to get scheduled.
WHEN TO HAVE A YOGA PARTY:
- Bridal or Baby Showers
- Bachelorette Parties
- Corporate Team Building
- Birthday Parties
- Family or Class Reunions
- Holiday Celebrations
- Bookclub Meetings
- Just for fun!
YOGA PARTY DETAILS:
- 1 1/2 Hour Yoga Session
- You provide the location (or come to us)
- Class customized to meet your needs
- Music provided
- Mood enhancing candles (if desired)
- Hostess/host, or guest of honor, receives a free yoga-inspired gift
YOGA PARTY PRICING:
$175 -- 4 to 10 guests
$250 -- 11 to 20 guests
$325 -- 20 to 25 guests
ADDITIONAL OPTIONS:
Yoga-inspired Invitations - Are you super busy? We'll create yoga-inspired invites for you to send to all of your guests. (quote on request)
New yoga mats - Available as gifts or party favors. (Price on request).
To plan your yoga party, please contact Good Dog Yoga at kickasanaATgmail.com with your preferred event date, time, expected number of yogis, and type of event you would like to host. Be sure to include your telephone number so we can reach you to discuss the details.
We will email a Yoga Event Order, outlining the details of the event. Please review the document, sign, and remit via U.S. mail with a $100 non-refundable security deposit.
Please note: Events are not considered reserved until the signed Yoga Event Order and deposit are received. Final number of guarantees is due 10 business days prior to the Yoga Event date. Based on your guarantee number, we will email a final bill to you. Final payment via cash or check must be received no later than 3 business days prior to the event.
Payments not received in full by the date of the yoga event will result in cancellation of the event and forfeiture of the $100 deposit.
Prior to the practice session, each participant will be asked to complete a confidential health history liability form. This form will be forwarded to the party host prior to event, and can be completed as your guests arrive to the event. All yogis must complete the form prior to beginning the practice, no exceptions.
"Have mat, will travel"
Shelley Boa
