Frequently Asked Questions About Yoga and Pilates

Yoga Etiquette

• Wear fresh, non-restrictive and comfortable clothing, suitable for exercise. Yoga is practiced with bare feet. Remove shoes before entering asana room (cubbies are provided).

• Please be on time. Asana room opens 10 minutes before class. If class is in session please wait for teacher before entering. No one will be admitted into class more than 10 minutes after class starts.

• It is strongly recommended not to eat 3-4 hrs before a strenuous class. A light fruit snack 1 1/2 –2 hrs prior to a less rigorous class may feel ok.

• We highly recommend that you invest in your own personal yoga mat, both for hygienic purposes and your own comfort. We have a selection of yoga mats for sale, and in case you did not bring one, we also have mats to rent.

• Please do not bring pagers or cell phones in the asana room!

• For the breathing comfort of the class, please refrain from wearing strong perfumes and aromatic oils.

• Enjoy your yoga practice with patience and mindfulness. Please be sure to let the teacher know of any injuries or other health conditions. Always remember to practice within your ability and honor your body.
   

What is Pilates?

• Pilates is a system of movement and strengthening that promotes full breath, healthy joint articulation and stability in the core muscles of the body. Developed by the German-born Joseph Pilates in POW camps during World War I, it has shown tremendous results bringing relief from back pain and chronic discomfort.

• Pilates dramatically transforms the way your body looks, feels, and performs. It builds strength without excess bulk, creating a sleek, toned body with slender thighs and a flat abdomen. It teaches body awareness, good posture, and easy, graceful movement.

• Professional dancers have known the benefits of Pilates for decades. Top athletes use it for strength, flexibility, and injury prevention. Developed from the rehabilitation techniques of Joseph, it is a safe, sensible exercise system using a floor mat or equipment.

Health and Fitness Benefits of Pilates

Creates a balanced and evenly conditioned body:
Pilates conditions the body as a whole, training several muscles at once. No muscle group is over or under trained. Conventional workouts tend to make the strong muscles stronger and the weak muscles weaker, creating a muscle imbalance – the primary cause of injury.

Elongates and strengthens muscles while increasing flexibility:
Workouts are designed to create long toned muscles as well as a flat abdomen. No "bulking up."

Develops strength of the "Core":
Core, meaning center of the body, consists of the muscles that surround and protect the spine. Control of the deep abdominal and back musculature allows for your limbs to move gracefully.

Challenges without increasing stress:
Most exercises are low impact and partially weight bearing. This reduces the stress placed on the joints while allowing maximum muscle performance.

Improves body awareness:
Emphasis on proper breathing and correct body alignment while focusing on purposeful movement patterns increase your awareness of how your body moves and feels in space. Quality over quantity of movement prevails, giving you maximum power and efficiency

What is Yoga?

• Yoga is a 5,000 year-old tradition of self-healing and self-realization that incorporates postures, known as asanas, and breathing that enhances health through physical strength and mental focus and clarity.

Health and Fitness Benefits of Yoga:

Stress Relief:
Yoga reduces the physical effects of stress on the body by encouraging relaxation and lowering the levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. Related benefits include lowering blood pressure and heart rate, improving digestion and boosting the immune system, as well as easing symptoms of conditions such as anxiety, depression, fatigue, asthma and insomnia.

Pain Relief:
Yoga can ease pain. Studies have demonstrated that practicing Yoga asanas, meditation or a combination of the two, reduced pain for people with conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, auto-immune diseases and hypertension as well as arthritis, back and neck pain and other chronic conditions.

Increased Strength & Flexibility:
Yoga helps to improve flexibility and mobility, increasing range of movement and reducing aches and pains. Yoga asanas use every muscle in the body, helping to increase strength literally from head to toe. Yoga also helps to relieve muscular tension.

Weight Management:
Yoga can aid weight control efforts by reducing the cortisol levels, as well as by burning excess calories and reducing stress. Yoga also encourages healthy eating habits and provides a heightened sense of well being and self-esteem.

Improved Circulation and Cardiovascular Conditioning:
Yoga helps to improve circulation and, as a result of various poses, more efficiently moves oxygenated blood to the body’s cells. Even gentle yoga practice can provide cardiovascular benefits by lowering resting heart rate, increasing endurance and improving oxygen uptake during exercise.

Where can I find your information about your class schedule and fees?

• Class Schedule

• Fees and Policies