NO CLASS TONIGHT

No 5:30pm class tonight, Wednesday the 28th.

No class 12/24

There will be no Saturday class this week (12/24)

Classes will resume on Tuesday the 27th.

Happy holidays!

NO 5:30 CLASS THIS WEDNESDAY

There will be NO 5:30pm class this Wednesday (12/14)

There WILL be a class on Saturday (12/17)

Sorry for any inconvenience.

GIVE THE GIFT OF YOGA!

Consider buying a Yoga Above Northampton gift card as a holiday gift certificate for a loved one!

Cards are 6 classes for $30 with an extended expiration date.  

To inquire and/or purchase, contact yogabovenorthampton@gmail.com

or buy one at class time!

CLASS SCHEDULE

CLASS SCHEDULE

TUESDAYS 10:30-11:30am

WEDNESDAYS 5:30-6:30pm

SATURDAYS 10:30-11:30am

HOLIDAY BREAK

TAKE NOTE

There will be no Saturday(11/19), Tuesday(11/22) or Wednesday(11/23) class this coming week

Classes will resume on Saturday the 26th after Thanksgiving

See you then!

Have a great Thanksgiving.

CLASS CARD!

The Yoga Above Northampton CLASS CARD is back!

 The 6 class Yoga Above Northampton stamp 

card for only $30!  This card is meant to work as an incentive 

to maintain a personal yoga practice.  Card classes start as early

 as 11/9 and end on 12/20.  

Build a strong practice, a strong 

body and a strong self for only $5 a class.  What a deal!!!

Drop in anytime and pick up a card!

Or you can reserve a card by emailing yogabovenorthampton@gmail.com  

DETOUR

Because of construction on the back stairwell in the Fitzwilly's building access to the upstairs studio can be found by going up the main stairwell.

DIRECTIONS:
-walk up main stairwell to the 4th floor
-take left into the NEA dance studio
-take off shoes before going into dance studio
-walk through door on the right inside of the dance studio
(if there is a dance class happening you can still walk through, they know about this change)


Sorry for the inconvenience.

NEW CLASS CARD!

Now you can buy a 6 class Yoga Above Northampton stamp 

card!  For only $30, this card is meant to work as an incentive 

to maintain a personal yoga practice.  Card classes start as early

 as 9/13 and end on 10/29.  

Build a strong practice, a strong 

body and a strong self for only $5 a class.  What a deal!!!

Drop in anytime and pick up a card!  

NEW FALL SCHEDULE!

FALL SCHEDULE

starts September 13th

Tuesdays 10:30am - 11:30am

Wednesdays 5:30pm - 6:30pm

Saturdays 10:30am - 11:30am

Drop in anytime!

25 Main St. 

4th floor in the Fitzwilly's building

Follow signs for "Yoga Above Northampton" & yellow Upstairs Studio signs

NO CLASSES FROM AUGUST 21- AUGUST 29

It's vacation time!

Unfortunately that means that there will be no yoga classes from 8/21 - 8/29

Classes will resume on August 30th (10:30am class).

Sorry for the inconvenience.

NO CLASSES FROM 8/6-8/13

THERE WILL BE NO CLASSES THIS COMING WEEK

Classes will resume on Tuesday August 16th

Sorry for any inconvenience

CLASS SCHEDULE

SUMMER CLASS SCHEDULE:

Tuesdays 10:30am -11:30am

Thursdays 6:40pm - 7:40pm (gentle class)

Saturdays 10:30am - 11:30am

All classes are pay what you wish by donation

There are some mats available, but if you have one please bring your own.

25 Main st (in the Fitzwilly's building)

4th floor (follow yellow signs for "upstairs studio")

NO SATURDAY CLASS 5/13/11

Sorry for the late notice, but tomorrow, May 13th there will be no 10:30am class due to building maintenance.  

See you on Tuesday!

NEW THURSDAY CLASS!

NEW Thursday Class!!!

6:30- 7:30pm

Same place

This class will be a gentle class 

For the time being (at least the next 2 weeks) the 5:00pm Wednesday class will be cancelled

TAKE NOTE: From May 9th-13th the Fitzwilly's building will be doing maintenance work on the front stairs.  For Tuesday (5/10) 10:30am class and Thursday's new 6:30pm (5/12) class please enter the building through the side door which can be accessed on the right side of the building (on the parking lot side of the building).  The stair case will take you straight up to the fourth floor where the upstairs studio is located.

BEGINNER'S CLASS IN GREENFIELD!

Anna Meyer will be teaching a new class starting 4/26:

5:15-6:15pm

Beginner's Class!!!

Tuesdays

at 

Green River Yoga

in Studio B

158 Main St. Greenfield, MA

Second Floor

This class is for beginners and others wanting a guided, gentler experience, an introduction to postures, breathing techniques, and yogic philosophy with supportive, clear instruction and individual assistance.

$10/Class or $50/6 classes

***First Class Free***

Visit greenriveryoga.com for more info!

Saturday April 23rd

Saturday April 23rd

There will be no 10:30am class

Sorry for any inconvenience.

Breath of Joy a Pranayama Excercise

An important part of yoga lies with breath work.  Pranayama, or yogic breath techniques, are generally used within and throughout a yogic practice.  The word pranayama literally means to "restrain or master the life force." If we break the word down we learn that prana means life force, while ayama means to lengthen or restrain.  Just the word itself is an interesting lesson.  The breath, something that we exercise at all points of every day can be considered the fuel of life.  In yoga we learn to bring awareness to this source of life and energy and to channel our intentions and actions through simple occurrences such as breathing.  How one concentrates and can learn from the breath resides in how he or she restrains, deepens and alters it.  Through such exercises one will achieve greater awareness and perhaps mastery of the breath.

Throughout our daily lives, we tend to breath shallowly, hardly acknowledging that we have a breath.  This is my first challenge to you: spend a few moments out of your day to check in with your breath.  You could simply notice your natural breath or you could spend a few minutes concentrating on deepening the inhale and lengthening the exhale through the nose.  Simply be aware.  A good time to exercise the breath may be in your idle time; perhaps when you are laying in bed in the morning or at night, while you are driving, while in the shower, etc.  Whatever works for you!

A fun and energizing pranayama to practice is the "breath of joy."  This breath is great to use first thing in the morning to really wake you up or when you are feeling somewhat lethargic.

It goes like this:
Standing in mountain pose inhale the arms up above the head, inhale the arms out to the side, inhale the arms back above the head and then exhale drop the arms towards the floor.  You can add an energized "ha" to the exhale if you wish.

Each inhale is a small sip of air and the exhale can be long and loud.  Don't be afraid to move the arms energetically.
This exercise will get your blood pumping and your heart rate thumping.  If at any point you feel light headed or dizzy or if you know you have uncontrolled high blood pressure please refrain from practicing this breath.

Saturday April 2nd Class

Saturday April 2nd, Malia Werle, a fellow yoga teacher and old friend, will be filling in for the 10:30am class.

She is wonderful! 

Enjoy!

YOGA ABOVE NORTHAMPTON

3 Classes a Week!


            Pay-What-You-Wish Every Class!


                   Multi-Level Classes! Everyone Welcome!
                             
                           Respectful, Educated and Insightful Classes                                                    
                                        Taught by Anna Meyer CYT.


                                         
25 Main st. 4th floor above Fitzwilly's.


Walk upstairs and follow yellow signs for "upstairs studio." 
Or walk to Karuna yoga, take a left and walk upstairs.  Once you are on the 4th floor, walk down the hall a bit, take a left and you are there!


Class Schedule:


Tuesday: 10:30-11:30am


Wednesday: 5:00-6:00pm


Saturday: 10:30-11:30am


                                           See you there!

The Cure For The Scrunched Shoulder

I don't know about you, but I have holding my shoulders pretty tight this winter.  When driving, walking in the cold or just feeling a deep chill the common response is to scrunch the shoulders up to the ears.  While this instinctive action may help produce more body heat, it can create big amounts of tension in the shoulders and neck.

The main muscles that are effected by such tightening are the trapezius (a big muscle that spans across your upper back/shoulders) and the sternocleidomastoid (a big name for the muscle along the side of your neck, it spans from the front of the neck to the back of the skull).

I don't believe that we can stop the instinctive squeezing of the shoulders and neck in the winter, it is an evolutionary habit.  So, in attempts to make myself feel better after actively tightening these muscles I have put together a few stretches that may be helpful in relieving tightness or pain.  Try to practice them in a warm room, where your muscles can be loose and relaxed.

 -Drop the head to the Right side. Gently roll the chin forward toward the chest.  Bring the head over toward the Left side.  Slowly move back and forth here (without bringing the head backward) to develop movement and open muscles.

-Allow the head to drop toward the right side. Place your right hand on your head to add extra weight to stretch the neck muscles.

 

                              Bring the head to the left side. Add the left hand for extra weight.      
                                                      




-In a comfortable seated position, or standing, bring both arms out beside you so that they are parallel with the floor.  Drop your head to the right side.  Continue to hold your right arm out while you slowly lower the left arm down to your side and perhaps even across the front of your body.  Notice all of the different sensations in your neck.

Try the other side!

                                           


-You may also want to experiment with rolling the shoulders up to your ears, back behind you and then down.  Make circles with your shoulders, and then go in the opposite direction. This motion will build mobility in your shoulders and, if you are feeling tight, will stretch your shoulder muscles.

In addition to these stretches, feel free to massage your own shoulders and neck. You know the sweet spots!

 It may not be the escape from winter you were looking for, but when you successfully relieve those tight muscles in your shoulders and neck it may feel like one.

Three Consistent Classes In Northampton

Starting this Wednesday (Feb. 9th)  Hill Top Yoga will be holding classes at the beautiful space in the upstairs studio in the Fitzwilly's building in Northampton!

To Get There: The address is 25 Main St. (Route 9) Northampton, MA, 01060, but finding the room can be a little adventurous, so to be clear, here are some directions:


Go through the glass doors, and up 3 flights of stairs. Don't continue up to the 4th floor, that is the Northeast American School of Dance. Look for the yellow sign on elevator shaft for the Upstairs Studio, and go down the hallway heading north (keep following signs for the Upstairs Studio, and it will be alright!). Take a right and go around the Karuna Yoga Center coat room. You will then exit out the tin/wood door, and continue up the staircase to the 4th floor. Go through the door and into the hallway. Go around the bend, and take a left. You will see a sign for the upstairs studio. Walk up the landing stairs and here you are! Phew, you made it!


Class Schedule:


Tuesdays 10:30am - 11:30am


Wednesdays 5:00pm - 6:00pm


Saturdays 10:30am - 11:30am


Like always classes are pay-what-you-wish (suggested sliding scale of $5-$10)


Please bring your own mat and preferred props.

The Snow Shovelers Dream

Left Leg Extension

After an afternoon of snow raking, shoveling, hauling and salting I sought respite in a few back opening poses.

These poses are great for finding relief in the upper (trapezius muscle) or lower/side (lattisimus dorsi muscle) parts of the back.

Right Leg Extension

-Extend right leg out to as wide of an angle as you can, bring left foot into your groin, twist torso so as to keep it in line with extended leg, raise arms up -pull to lengthen, bend torso laterally over towards right leg.  Breath into opening side body.  Do the other side.

Child Pose (Garbasana)

-Big toes touch, knees are bent and splayed at a comfortable angle, arms extend outward, creep fingers as far away from your body as possible, keep elbows engaged and off of ground, rest forehead on ground.  Breath into entire back.

Seated Eagle Pose (Garudasana)

Seated Eagle Pose (Garudasana)

- Sit rooted through sitz bones, long and tall spine, bring left arm over right arm, twist hands and  bring palms together, raise palms up vertically. Do other side, placing right arm over left.

Your Unique Capabilities in Yoga

Here is a video clip from Paul Grilley's Yin Yoga workshops. Grilley works with the anatomy of yoga and teaches the practice of individual awareness that is imperative for yoga that allows acceptance, nourishment and support.

I have found that his videos are excellent for exemplifying the differences in every human body. Because of these differences, no one yoga practice will be the same. This is important to keep in mind when practicing yoga, especially in a class when you may compare yourself to others.

Enjoy!

Touching Your Toes

As I have been on a road trip for the past two weeks it has been a bit difficult to post.  Although it has been hard to find time/the internet to post while traveling around the U.S., being in new places has been inspiring for my yoga practice.  Seeing different friends along the way and hearing what they seek in yoga, I have been hearing a lot about peoples' quest to touch their toes.  What it means when one can touch their toes is unclear to me, maybe it means you are flexible, perhaps it means you exercise a lot, but most likely it is a cultural goal -- something that might make you cool.

While I have been sitting and driving in the car for hours on end recently I have re-learned the importance of touching one's toes.  At rest stops all I find myself wanting to do is bend over to stretch my lower back and backs of my legs.  

Bending over in a standing forward bend pose (Utanasana) is one of the simplest ways to relieve back pain and is perfect for people who have to drive or sit for much of the day.  It seems almost too simple, but with a intentional daily practice one may feel worlds of difference.  

The muscles that strain in sitting positions are the hamstrings (backs of legs), gluts (butt), erector spinae (muscles alongside the spine) and obliques (sides of torso).  All of these muscles are big, very important to upholding one's structure and are commonly very tight.  By relieving tension in these areas one might feel greater mobility and ease of movement.

Here are some simple poses you can do to find this release and perhaps become that cool guy or girl who can touch his/her toes!

-Lay on your back with feet raised in the air.  Reach up to touch your toes.  Bend your knees if necessary

-Lay on your back with knees bent and up toward your chest.  Hug your legs and sway side to side.  This is a nice massage for the sacrum.

-Standing forward bend (Utanasana). Bend over and touch your toes!  Try to keep as flat of a back as you can and bend your knees if necessary,

You can even do it at the Grand Canyon!!!

-Squat with your elbows inside of your knees, hands in prayer position.  Maintain a long and straight spine.

-Staff pose (Dandasana). Sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you, foot flexed.  With a long and flat spine come forward, bringing your face closer to your knees.  Reach for your toes.  Inhale lengthen, exhale bend. 

Try doing one or all of these poses right after you wake up everyday.  Notice if there is any increase in your flexibility after a week.  And don't be scared to try them at the gas station!

Wednesday the 5th

Tomorrow, Wednesday the 5th of January there will be a multi level yoga class in Conway at 11:00 am.

Tea and hang out session to follow.

Come one, come all!