December 23-25

There will be no classes on December 23rd, 24th or 25th.  There will be class on the 26th.

Happy holidays!

no class tonight

There will be no class tonight (11/27) from 5:30-6:45pm with C.G.

Sorry for any inconvenience

Thanksgiving

There will be no Thursday 6:15pm-7:30pm class this Thursday because of Thanksgiving.

Enjoy your holiday!

NEW TEACHER, NEW CLASSES!

We are very happy to introduce James Gardella! 

James will be teaching 

Open Level yoga on

Mondays from 9:30am - 11am and on

Tuesdays 5:15pm - 6:45pm (starting 11/19)

About Open Level yoga:

James Gardella’s Open Level yoga class is taught in the style of Sri Dharma Mittra. Mind, body, and spirit integration will be found through practice, patience, and perseverance. In order to embody this connection, we will unite breath and movement and approach each pose non-judgmentally, with acceptance and presence. Creative exploration of the poses, as opposed to rote repetition, will be encouraged.  Students will balance, stretch, bend, and twist their way through this calming yet invigorating class. James aims to help each student cultivate an open heart and mind, to respect the wisdom of the body, and to tap into one’s inner power. He hopes each student will leave feeling happy, peaceful, and free.

 A bit about James:

James began practicing yoga in high school and immediately felt its potential to provide healing and transformation. After experiencing a variety of different yoga styles and meditation practices, he studied with Lisa Brodrick who introduced him to Dharma Yoga and inspired him to become a yoga teacher. In 2010, James completed a “Life of a Yogi” teacher training with Sri Dharma Mittra at the Dharma Yoga Center in New York City and began teaching soon after. Doubling as a choreographer and performer, James has incorporated yoga into his movement studies and vice versa. In 2011-2012, he produced a written thesis and two choreographic works investigating The Yoga Sutras, a piece of ancient Indian scripture. Last year, James lived in the multidisciplinary artist collective CAVE in Brooklyn, New York and was introduced to new ways of thinking about the body, which influenced his yoga practice. James is excited and grateful to teach at Yoga Above Northampton and wants to share all of the blessings and gifts he has received.

                                                 Photo: adho mukha vrksasana in padmasana

Please Take Note

There will be no Tuesday evening class with Grace (7:15-8:15pm) on the following dates:

11/26

11/24

11/31

11/12 will be covered by Anna.

Tuesday class cancellation

There will be no 7:15-8:15pm class with Grace this evening (10/15).

Sorry for any inconvenience.

See you soon!

Thursday class cancelation

6:15-7:30pm THURSDAY (9/26) CLASS WILL BE CANCELLED THIS WEEK.

Sorry for any inconvenience

Fall Schedule

Now that it is September, it's time to get back into the swing of things.  Although all of our classes are drop-in, pay-what-you-wish classes, we always encourage students to come to class frequently.  It is the best way to develop your practice and build your strength, flexibility and awareness.  Try committing to one class per week!

2013 Fall Schedule:

Tuesdays 7:15-8:15pm with Grace

Wednesdays 5:30-6:45pm with C.G.

Thursdays 6:15-7:30pm with Anna

If you are interested in purchasing a class card (6 classes/minimum of $30) please email us at yogabovenorthampton@gmail.com or just stop into a class and ask your instructor.

End of Summer Update

Summer is going strong and so is Yoga Above Northampton!

Here is the updated class schedule for the next month or so:

Tuesdays 7:15-8:15pm with Grace

Wednesdays 5:30-6:45pm with C.G.

Fridays 9:00-10:00am with Grace (July 26th-August 16th)

Thursday 6:15-7:30pm class with Anna is cancelled for the month of August but will start up in September.

Please email yogabovenorthampton@gmail.com with any questions

New Class With Grace!!!

Get ready!  

Grace will be starting a new Vinyasa style class on July 19th.

This class will initially run for 1 month every Friday from

 9-10am. 

Come try it out!

No class 7/4

There will be no 6:15-7:30pm class on the 4th of July.

Have a great holiday!

NEW CLASS!

Starting this week (6/26), CG will be teaching her "Soulflow" yoga class with us on Wednesdays from 5:30-6:30pm. 

Soulflow is a fun, challenging, sweaty, creative flow class set to music that will stir you, excited you, inspire you and make you want to move.  Rooted in the Kripalu tradition, this playful class includes a focus on alignment while nurturing the students' personal experience of their yoga practice.  This class includes  both free flow and structured flow.  Music can include hip hop, reggae, rock, dance, and pretty much anything that will get you moving. Students should have a basic knowledge of vinyasa and a willingness to challenge and surprise themselves

Drop in and try something new!

Introducing CG!

C.G. Began practicing yoga 7 years ago with the intention of exploring meditation and as a way to manage anxiety and prevent injury.  The practice has been a gradual unfolding for leading to her 200 hour Yoga Teaching certification from Kripalu Center Yoga Teaching;  a program requiring her to be immersed in a living yoga community throughout the duration of her training, in 2010.

C.G Believes that we can practice yoga in all the activities in our daily lives and that our yoga practice can be a gateway to a more authentic relationship with ourselves and those around us.  It has been said that Kripalu Yoga is the gateway to your personal practice, and C.G. has experienced this to be true.  In classes, she encourages students to be mindful in their practice so that they may find their own balance of will and surrender.  She emphasizes breath awareness and provides inquiries so that students may begin to notice recognize their habitual patterns. She allows students to find their own personal expression of postures and begin to trust their own body to communicate what it needs. She encourages students to seek a playful approach, curious about what they are capable of and undeterred by fear.  She does so with wit, humility and humor, recognizing that everyone enters their mat each day from a different perspective.  She believes that how we do anything is how we do everything and that our yoga practice can provide pathways to explore our approach to life.  C.G. has seen her yoga practice transform her life into a more joyful, vibrant, easeful experience and wishes to share what she has and continues to learn with all everyone she encounters.

Sorry for the late notice, but Deborah will NOT be holding class at 5:30pm tonight.  

We apologize for any inconvenience.

New summer class schedule is in the making! 

Stay tuned for new times, 

new teachers, 

new yoga!

Goodbye to Deborah

Deborah will be teaching her last class at Y.A.N. tomorrow, Wednesday the 15th at 5:30-6:30pm.
We have loved having Deborah's powerful and unique teaching style be a part of our program.  Please make sure to attend her class if you have enjoyed coming on Wednesdays.

For future contact, find Deborah at http://www.embodyogadeb.com/about.php

Class Cancellation

As of tomorrow (5/6) the Monday 10:00-11:00am class will be cancelled indefinitely.  We will keep you posted for upcoming schedule changes.

Sorry for any inconvenience

Downward Dog

I have had a few students ask how to properly come into downward facing dog pose in the past few weeks.  Downward facing dog (ahdo mukha svanasana) is a very important pose that acts as a building block in one's yoga practice.

Downward facing dog pose clarified by Yoga Journal:

(AH-doh MOO-kah shvah-NAHS-anna)
adho = downward
mukha = face
svana = dog 

Step by Step

Come onto the floor on your hands and knees. Set your knees directly below your hips and your hands slightly forward of your shoulders. Spread your palms, index fingers parallel or slightly turned out, and turn your toes under.

Exhale and lift your knees away from the floor. At first keep the knees slightly bent and the heels lifted away from the floor. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis and press it lightly toward the pubis. Against this resistance, lift the sitting bones toward the ceiling, and from your inner ankles draw the inner legs up into the groins.

Then with an exhalation, push your top thighs back and stretch your heels onto or down toward the floor. Straighten your knees but be sure not to lock them. Firm the outer thighs and roll the upper thighs inward slightly. Narrow the front of the pelvis.

Firm the outer arms and press the bases of the index fingers actively into the floor. From these two points lift along your inner arms from the wrists to the tops of the shoulders. Firm your shoulder blades against your back, then widen them and draw them toward the tailbone. Keep the head between the upper arms; don't let it hang.

Adho Mukha Svanasana is one of the poses in the traditional Sun Salutation sequence. It's also an excellent yoga asana all on its own. Stay in this pose anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes. Then bend your knees to the floor with an exhalation and rest in Child's Pose.

THERE WILL BE A THURSDAY 6:15-7:30PM CLASS THIS WEEK. 

Cancellations

Please take note:

There will be no Monday 10am-11am class, April 15 or Wednesday 5:30-6:30pm class on April 17.

Classes will resume both on Monday, 4/22 and Wed. 4/24.

Finding Yoga Above Northampton

Our lovely "Yoga Above Northampton" directional signs in the Fitzwilly's building have been taken down due to a new regulation set by the building management.  For this, it will be even harder to find the Upstairs Studio space for new students.

If you are new to Y.A.N. please follow the yellow signs marked for the "Upstairs Studio," they will guide you all the way to the 4th floor.

This is an unfortunate development, but we will persevere!  If you get lost, just ask someone in the building!

cancellation

Today's Monday morning class from 10am-11am is cancelled.

Sorry for any inconvenience. 

SPRING SCHEDULE

There are a few changes to the Spring 2013 schedule.  Please note that the Tuesday 10:30-11:30am class with Anna will be cancelled for the time being and the Monday, 10:00am-11:00am class will now be taught by Deborah.

Current Yoga Above Northampton Spring schedule:

Mondays 10:00-11:00am with Deborah

Tuesdays 7:15-8:15pm with Grace

Wednesday 5:30-6:30pm with Deborah

Thursday 6:15-7:30pm with Anna

cancellation

Today's 10:30-11:30am and 7:15pm classes are cancelled due to the snow storm.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

See you soon!

Buy a class card!

Yoga Above Northampton class cards are still available!

6 classes for a minimum of $30

Take this incentive to keep your practice consistent

Purchase one in class or contact yogabovenorthampton@gmail.com 

NEXT WEEK

Next week there will be some changes:

MONDAY(2/18) - Donna Edgarton will be covering Anna's 10:00-11:00am class

TUESDAY(2/19) - There will be NO 10:30-11:30am class, but there WILL be class with Grace at 7:15-8:30pm

WEDNESDAY(2/20) - Deborah Evans will be starting her new 5:30-6:30 moderate level Vinyasa class

THURSDAY(2/21) - Deborah Evans will be covering for Anna's normal 6:15-7:30pm class

Drop in and try a class with a new teacher!

Meet Deborah!

Deborah Evans will now be teaching the Wednesday 5:30-6:30pm starting February 20th.  







She is a very experienced instructor who has been teaching in the area for quite some time. As aRYT 500/Certified Embodyoga Teacher Deborah will be teaching a moderate level Vinyasa class on Wednesdays.


In her own words:
I've been practicing yoga for a long time. I think I was born to move, inquire, reach beyond what we take for granted (as we all are!).  My journey as a teacher began in a public middle school in Brooklyn, NY; a marriage and two babies later, I landed in Amherst. In 2002, I received my 200 hour yoga teacher training from Patty Townshend @ Yoga Center Amherst. In 2010, I completed the Embodyoga®  training at the 500 hour level.  I continue to study with Patty and other wonderful teachers in the area, as well as assist in the Embodyoga® teacher training.  I am currently teaching at Yoga Center Amherst, Yoga Above Northampton, the Hampshire Regional YMCA, and out of my yoga space at home. I love the give and take of teaching and I am grateful to those who engage in this process with me.  I look forward to sharing this wonderful experience with you!

To learn more about Deborah and her teaching style you can visit her website:
www.embodyogadeb.com

Class cancellation

Tonight's Wednesday class is cancelled.

2/6/13

Sorry for any inconvenience

Call us!

Yoga Above Northampton now has a phone number!

Call (413) 570-3108 for

• information on classes
• class cancellations
• studio news

Meet Amanda

Starting this week on Wednesday the 16th, Amanda Lyndsay will be teaching the 5:30-6:30pm class.

Amanda has been a long time friend and student of Yoga Above Northampton.  In her own words she sees "Yoga as a practice well suited to the practice of life'. Ten plus years of transformative yoga practice brought Amanda to complete the 200-hour yoga teacher training with Beyond Asana in 2012. Amanda sees yoga as a space for deep inquiry, creativity, and exploration. Her practice is informed by a love of movement and a commitment to the cultivation of compassionate action. 

Drop in and check out this new class!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

The winter class schedule has resumed!

Come start your 2013 off right with balance, strength and compassion.

Mondays 10:00-11:00am with Anna

Tuesdays 10:30-11:30am with Anna

Tuesdays 7:15-8:15pm with Grace

Wednesdays 5:30-6:30pm with Donna

Thursdays 6:15-7:30 with Anna

Have a New Year's resolution?

Class cards are still available! Keep your practice consistent.

6 classes for $30

Contact yogabovenorthampton@gmail.com for details