Strike A Balance: Katonah Yoga® Inspired Winter Practices

Active Hatha Yoga Balance Sequence, Restorative Shapes and Breath Exercises to Ground and Balance Your Energy

What you'll learn

Support your physical and mental wellbeing during the winter season with Katonah Yoga® inspired sun salutations and restorative practices.

Stabilize your physical body for improved balance in standing postures and more efficiency in transitions.

Yoga Breath techniques to tone your nervous system.

Develop internal resiliency against the demands of the external stressors of the season.

Requirements

No previous experience necessary. Modifications are offered to accommodate varying levels of ability. Optional props include 2 blocks, 1-2 blankets and a yoga strap.

Description

Everything in nature moves in cycles and seasons of growth, decline and rest. Our personal practices (how we support ourselves physically and mentally) should reflect these cyclical changes as well. There's a time to move and grow, and a time to be still and reflect.While we can all benefit from learning to live in harmony within the season we're in - whether that be the literal season of the year or a personal phase of creative development - the very real circumstances and demands of our daily lives don't always allow for it.This yoga asana (postures) and pranayama (breath work) based workshop was designed to reflect these often contradicting needs of the winter season - the natural need to rest and turn inward, and the external obligations of work, family and friends.It includes an active standing sequence, restorative restful shapes and balancing breath work.We will begin by warming up our feet and activating our stabilizers with a playful balance exercise and then move into slow flowing water salutations. We'll work on finding sustainable ways of holding ourselves in challenging positions and developing efficient movement patterns in transitioning between shapes. We'll finish with supportive stretches, restorative rest and a gentle pranayama breath series.While this class was originally created for colder months of the year, it can be enjoyed any time. It is a great practice for when you need to challenge yourself to be present. It will give you tools to regulate your nervous system, focus your mind, center and ground your energy, and build physical resiliency within your body.This videos in this course fit seamlessly together as one long Yoga & Pranayama practice or can be enjoyed individually as shorter, more focused practices. Supportive options will be offered using 2 blocks, 1-2 blankets, a strap and a wall.Katonah Yoga® is a theory based movement practice created by Nevine Michaan in Katonah, NY. It combines traditional Hatha Yoga with Taoist philosophy, sacred geometry, Pranayama and the use of metaphor to develop imagination.

Overview

Section 1: Introduction

Lecture 1 Introduction

Lecture 2 Standing Warm Up Sequence

Lecture 3 Katonah Yoga® Water Salutations

Lecture 4 Standing Balance Practice

Lecture 5 Restorative Floor Practice

Lecture 6 Pranayama Breath Exercises

Anyone that wants to learn ways to move their body and breath in harmony with the energy of the winter season.