YOGA

Why Practice?

Practice is the key to healing. Yoga practice is first and foremost a commitment that you are making to yourself that says your health and healing are just as important as all the other things on your to-do list. Yoga works when we understand and accept this as a key component to balanced living. Practice also teaches us to become an observer, while simultaneously exposing our role in the power of choice. It maintains a certain level of mental clarity that aides better decision making. 

Skillfully constructed and consistent Yoga practice shows us what is working and what is not. Karen’s specialty is meeting you at that moment of conscious choosing. It is with the utmost respect for lineage and her teachers that Karen communicates and shares the traditional teachings and philosophy of Yoga while allowing room for its natural evolution. Lending over two decades of experience and knowledge, Karen can help you cultivate the courage to venture into your journey. 

Hatha Yoga utilizes physical postures (Asanas) and cleansing techniques as a way to release tension in the body to cultivate healing, mental clarity and proper energetic flow. This prepares the body and mind for the more subtle stages of Yoga such as Mantra, contemplation and meditation, which can lead to Self-realization. The Eight-limbs of Patanjali Yoga also move from gross to subtle. Karen offers group and private Yoga classes with this goal in mind. Without the higher aims of Yoga, the practice is one-dimensional and the suffering continues. We are only limited by our level of commitment and effort.

Group Classes
Group classes are a wonderful way to share the Yoga experience and connect with people who share similar interests (Sanga). A group class will lead you through a practice that may include breathing techniques (Pranayama), physical postures (Asana), concentration (Dharana), meditation (Dhyana), chanting (Mantra), cleansing techniques (Kriya) and complete relaxation (Savasana and Yoga Nidra). A group class will typically have a variety of students with different levels of experience. The class description should indicate the level of instruction but a good instructor will be able to accommodate all levels through the use of props and modifications.

Private Yoga
Private Yoga instruction is one of the best ways to enhance your Yoga practice. The nature of a private Yoga session is total focus on you and your personal needs. We all come from different backgrounds and experiences that have influenced who we are today. These experiences can reside in our body in the form of tension, in our mind as resistance, and in our emotioal body as energetic blocks. In a private Yoga session we will look at your general physical and mental well-being as understood through basic Ayurvedic analysis. We will then tailor your session to fit your needs.

Whichever path you choose will enhance your well-being. Improving your posture and gaining mental clarity are the stepping-stones to a happier, healthier life. Healing in the world begins by healing ourselves.