James & Joyce have teacher certifications through Live Love Teach in Rhode Island  & the Yoga Project in Fort Worth.  They both are registered teachers with the Yoga Alliance and are ERYT (Experienced Registered Yoga Teachers)  They have taught a combined total of over 5000 teaching hours. 

The class will begin with a focus on a personal sankulpa, or resolve (intention), which helps us focus on releasing the accumulated tensions that we build up on our bodies daily. These tensions include muscular, emotional, and mental. Yoga nidra is not just the practice of relaxing, but of reforming from within, where we practice a burning up of old habits, beliefs, and tendencies. In nidra, the practitioner is in a state between wakefulness and dream, so we have traces of awareness where both the subconscious and unconscious levels of the mind are open. In this state we can penetrate the depths of our mind. After some release of physical tensions though a combination of yin and restorative postures, nidra is practiced in savasana, which includes guided meditations and visualizations, with the end result being a more connected feeling to your inner being and a very grounded sense of peace.

What is Yin Yoga?

Yin Yoga is a very grounding, passive, meditative type of yoga practice with a physical focus that often goes much deeper than in the Yang practices. This practice was designed to help the student sit comfortably in mediation for long periods of time. It involves poses that primarily target the lower extremities. Variations of seated and supine positions are held for a minimum of 3 to 5 minutes. These long holds access deep layers of fascia, the connective tissue that surrounds muscles and separates them from other organs. Often overlooked, this connective tissue accounts for almost 50% of the body’s resistance to flexibility, while muscles account for about 40%.
Immediate benefits include open hips, a calm body and a centered mind. During a yin class, the student is asked to relax into a pose and stay with it. Sitting with feelings and sensations for long periods of time can be challenging for anyone. This exact stillness can result in greater mental stability. Yang Yoga is what’s commonly known as Hatha and vinyasa flow where breath is the primary focus and connecting breath to movement is secondary. Yang yoga is active and expressive. It develops muscular strength, stamina and flexibility. Power, Slow Flow, Basics and even Hot Slow Burn classes are each classified as Yang Yoga.
Any yoga practice asks the student to be willing to get intimate with the self. Emotions, thoughts, sensations are felt and acknowledged in a flow class, and sometimes we power right through them. Conversely, in yin, the student is asked to stay with the experience of the self for extended periods of time. This practice of allowing healing processes to begin or continue can have a profound impact on a person’s well-being.Unwind at the end of your weekend in our Yin Yoga/ Yoga Nidra Class on Sunday, August 25th from 5:30 PM-7:00 PM. Set these 90 minutes aside to reduce stress and anxiety while improving flexibility and circulation. Join us!