• Ashtanga Yoga
• Beginning and
  Intermediate Yoga
• Foundations of Yoga
• Iyengar Yoga
• Insight Meditation Group
• Kundalini Yoga
• Living Waters
• Nia Technique
• Prenatal Yoga
• Postnatal Yoga
• Shadow Yoga
• Vini Yoga
• Vinyasa Flow
• Yin/Yang Yoga
• Yin and Restorative
  Practice
• Yoga for Basic
  Stress Reduction
• Yoga for Every Body

Class Descriptions

(call instructors for more information)

Ashtanga Yoga is a vigorous flow style of yoga, linking breath with movement. It is designed to strengthen, align and purify the entire body and mind. In the Ashtanga Yoga class all levels of practitioners are welcome to attend. The Led Primary class is for students with prior Ashtanga experience. It will include all poses in the primary series and will be taught in a continuous manner without stopping. Both classes will encourage greater focus, endurance and flexibility.

Beginning, Beginning/Intermediate and Intermediate Yoga classes are informed by various yoga traditions, including Iyengar-style yoga, as well as a broad range of body-mind disciplines. Emphasizing an internal understanding of the yoga postures, these classes offer a fluid practice to develop flexibility, strength, body awareness, and relaxation. Meditation may be included.

Foundations of Yoga will take place for four consecutive Saturday mornings, January 7-28.
Welcome to 2012! Did your New Year's resolutions include well-being and presence? Have you always wanted to try yoga, but are intimidated or concerned about walking into a studio where everyone knows the "rules"? This class will cover the basics of the physical practices of yoga, including basic postures and philosophy as well as an overview of different styles of Hatha yoga.
Visit www.yogaerica.com for more information or call Erica at (510) 592-4373 to preregister. Cost: $80

Iyengar Yoga Yogacharya BKS Iyengar brought his revolutionary style of yoga to the west in the 60's, and his legendary book has become the bible of yoga for generations since. Iyengar has been called the "Michaelangelo of Yoga," and was named one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people.

Alignment, awareness, and consciously directed change are the marks of Iyengar Yoga. Iyengar's precise focus on alignment and breath immediately centers the mind and empowers specific therapeutic knowledge of one's own body. This enables students of all ages, conditions, and body types to cultivate strength and balance wisely and intelligently. Props allow longer stays in the postures and fully support tight, weak, or injured areas, retraining proper joint action and muscle tone, and relaxing the emotions. Through the innovative approach of this method, students can shift their body structure dramatically and penetrate beyond the physical layers to the full integration of mind, energy, and spirit.

Kundalini Yoga, the Yoga of Awareness as taught by Yogi Bhajan, Ph.D., Master of Kundalini Yoga, is a great way to recharge and heal your body quickly. Each class generally follows a similar structure designed for optimal results physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Every class begins with a centering mantra, followed by warm-up exercise, which prepare the body for yoga sets (kriyas). Each yoga set involves a series of physical postures (asana), breath work (pranayama) and a meditation. The last portion of the class allows for a short meditation and a long, deep relaxation for a peaceful integration of the practice, regeneration and stress release. Classes close with this song of blessing, which can be sung or just listened to:

"May the long time sun shine upon you, all love surround you, and the pure light within you, guide your way on."

It is recommended that you not eat for an hour before class, bring water, and come with an open mind for a different yoga experience.

Learning to Listen: Insight Meditation Group
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to this sitting group. If we have not yet met, my name is Jonathan Reynolds. This sitting group is composed of new and old students to meditation - each wishing to practice and embody the twin principles of wisdom and compassion in their life. Whatever the reason for your curiosity, again, welcome.

The intention of this group is three-fold: it is an introduction to the practice of insight (vipassana) meditation in the Buddhist tradition; it is a place for experienced meditators to sit regularly in community - ongoing friends and friendships will surely grow around this group's regularity; and lastly, these meditations are an opportunity to pause, reflect, and to notice the passing of our previous week, and to skillfully recharge for the days and week to come.

Our time together will be guided primarily by Buddhism's Four Foundations of Mindfulness - body, sensations, thoughts/emotions, and dharmas. At times our meditations will also be informed by Buddhism's Brahma Viharas (Heavenly Abodes) - loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. You need not be a Buddhist to attend, as these practices appear in one form or another in all great wisdom traditions.

The evening begins with some instruction in the practice of seated meditation - this helps to inform our 40-minute sit. Following the meditation there is an open forum for reflection, sharing, and questions. Also, if you find it difficult to sit on the floor, please bring what you think you may need: meditation cushion (zafu), meditation bench, or chair. Let us sit for a bit. $5-$10, Sliding Scale Donation.

Living Waters: Explorations in Continuum Movement will take place every other Tuesday, on January 31, February 14 & 28, March 13 & 27, April 10 & 24, May 8 & 22, June 5. Engaging with sound, breath and non-patterned movement, Continuum Movement is a visionary inquiry into our capacity to innovate and participate with the essential, generative, and biological movement processes of life. In Continuum, we use sensation as a guide for exploring our essential fluidity. What we call body can be experienced as a continuum of unfolding movement. Our cells shimmer, bones spiral and tissues undulate with intelligence and aliveness. Our breath can be felt as the wind of creation. Our sounds can be perceived as the echoes of primordial ancestors. Pre-registration encouraged but not required. Drop-in $30 per class or discounted rate for 5 classes $125. See  www.somaticwisdom.com for more information.

Nia Technique Class will take place the first Friday evenings of the month, January 6-June 1. Dance For Joy — Body. Mind. Spirit. Nia Technique is a guided-but-free transformational dance class, with great music, that unlocks the range of potential in your body. You will enjoy a perfect, fully-balanced workout... and it's FUN! Experienced dancers and those who are new to dance are welcome. Try this class and see what it does for your body, mind and spirit. If you're not satisfied, I'll give you your money back. What's there to lose?
See www.iamlivinginmotion.com/nia for more information. Fee: $15 per class. Multiple class discounts available.

Prenatal Yoga is taught by an experienced teacher and mother and prepares pregnant women for labor and delivery through postures, breathing exercises and relaxation.

Postnatal Yoga, like Prenatal Yoga, is oriented to the special needs of new mothers. Babies of pre-crawling age are welcome to this class.

Shadow Yoga, founded by Zhander Remete, is a Hatha Yoga system that consists of circular and spiraling movements, warrior stances, and sun salutation forms preparing one for the more advanced asanas, or seats. Shadow Yoga utilizes rhythmic breathing, bandhas (energetic locks), and the marma system (vital junctions) to free the peripheral body of its energetic obstructions to ignite our inner fire, or agni. These Shadow Yoga Series run for 3 weeks on Wednesdays and Fridays (six classes total). Visit www.shunyatayoga.com for course dates, prices, and details. To register, email Scott & Chandra at shunyatayoga@gmail.com.

Vini Yoga is a style of yoga made available in the West by T.K.V. Desikachar. The primary way that it differs from other styles in its emphasis on tailoring the practice to each individual practitioner. It is characterized by repetition of simple movements, one at a time, with the breath. When the breath and movement are in harmony, the breath supports the movement, and the movement supports the breath, which helps to stimulate a clear, steady flow of prana, or life force, in the system. This in turn prepares us for the seated practices of pranayama (breath control) and meditation. Regular students to this class will also receive private instruction.

Vinyasa Flow classes offer sequences of poses designed to stretch and strengthen muscles while opening the body to increasing challenges. Focus is on remaining aware of the importance of breath and core strength. There is ongoing encouragement to find an interior steadiness in the face of external exertion. All levels welcome but some yoga experience is helpful.

Yin/Yang Yoga provides the benefits of a balanced practice of Yin and Yang styles of yoga. The Yin style of long-held passive poses opens the body to more flexibility and chi flow through the subtle channels while also engendering a more contemplative, non-reactive quality of mind. A more active, dynamic, Yang style of vinyasa will follow, strengthening and invigorating the body and mind. Each class will conclude with meditation.

Yin and Restorative Practice provides a way to ease into your weekend and recalibrate your nervous system with a luxurious practice of mostly passive, long-held postures inviting deep opening, ease and release-the perfect remedy to a stressful week. Dress in layers and bring an eye bag if you have one. Space limited. All levels welcome.

Yoga for Basic Stress Reduction addresses the issue of stress, which has become an epidemic in our society. This class will focus on reducing stress physically, mentally, and emotionally through the practice of yoga postures and breathwork.

Yoga for Every Body is a slow, deep practice using body, breath and relaxation as a doorway into the vaster field of awareness, which is always unchanging. You are invited to sense your body, as a movement in awareness. You are encouraged to welcome emotions and thoughts as a movement in awareness, opening the door to the Ground of Being. All levels welcome.

Please check the schedule for availability of classes and instructors.