Free Yin Yoga Class
To end the year, I would be giving free Yin Yoga class on December 24 and 31 (Friday), 10:00 am – 11:00 am. Please text or email me to confirm your space.
What is Yin Yoga?
Yin Yoga is a quiet, slow and relaxing yoga practice. We encourage the body to be completely relaxed as we maintain poses for an extended period of time, usually 3 to 5 minutes. Typically, the targeted areas are the lower back, sacrum, hips, knees and ankles, encouraging more opening and spaciousness in the joints. Most poses will be executed in a supine, prone or sitting position. (Please let me know if you cannot sit on the floor.)
What would I expect from a Yin Yoga class?
Yin Yoga is very different from all the other yoga class you’ve been in. I would be asking you to continuously relax and remain still in a pose which will be held for an extended period of time. We would be moving slow from pose to pose. There are only a few poses done in a Yin Yoga class, usually 10 poses or less. This is not a muscle strengthening class. Please don’t expect flying poses.
Who may attend this class?
Yin Yoga is suitable for almost all levels, from someone who has no yoga experience to a seasoned yogi. Yin Yoga is a perfect complement to the dynamic and muscular styles of yoga. Anyone attending drug rehabilitation, stress management, eating disorder treatment, or recovering from pain and trauma may find this yoga form useful in treating their condition. It is not suitable for those who have recently injured their hips, pelvis, and lower spine. That also means it is not suitable for women who just given birth.
What do I need to wear and bring?
Please wear comfortable and loose clothes. Most poses will be executed in a supine, prone and sitting position. Bring a soft / thick towel for padding. Bring your yoga mat if you have one (the thick ones will be the best for Yin Yoga). Optional: Yoga Bolsters, Blocks, Meditation Pillows, and Yoga Belts. Leave your jewelry, watches and glasses in your bag (or better yet at home). Bring your water bottle too. Keep yourself hydrated. For more on how to prepare for a yoga class, please refer to this link: Class
Why do we practice Yin Yoga?
- To balance our practice. Yin Yoga targets the connective tissues, such as the ligaments, bones, and even the joints of the body that normally are not exercised very much in more active yoga or workouts.
- Relaxation. Relaxation is the key to stay in the pose for an extended period. The muscles need to stay relaxed in order for us to access the deeper tissues.
- Joint Health. Yin Yoga helps increase the blood flow to the joint tissues by releasing the tension found in our joints. It helps create space in the joint.
- Meditation. The long quiet hold of the poses help cultivate a calm and peaceful mind.
Other benefits of Yin Yoga may include:
- Feeling calm and balanced
- Regulated energy levels (chi)
- Greater strength
- Improved health
- Stress levels lowered
- Greater stamina
- Flexibility of the body’s connective tissues and joints
- Slowed signs of aging
- Improved meditation
- Deeper relaxation
- Improved practice of yang yoga
Is there any potential harm in doing Yin Yoga?
Just like any other yoga practice, if you do not engage the practice correctly, it will cause more harm than good. It is important not to over-extend yourself in a yin pose. Stay relaxed at all times by keeping the external body soft. We do not want to use a yin attitude and yang engagement in a yin practice. This may cause unnecessary injury. In general, people who are guided well in class find yin practice absolutely beneficial. We have not known of any bad effects in practicing Yin Yoga.
I hope to see you there. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Peace.
-Karen
Sirsasana – Headstand
A repost from my fellow Greenpath Boracay Yoga batchmate, Tracy Que
Sirsasana (Śīrṣāsana) or the Headstand or the King of all poses. My favorite pose at the end of the primary series because it feels like the easiest thing for me to do. With minimal or even no weight at all on the head, all it takes to support you in this pose is strength in the arms, shoulders and the bandhas (they are internal locks that hold pranic energy within certain areas in the body).
I feel strong when in this pose that I am able to hold for more than 25 breaths. When I am upside down, I feel like it re-aligns and strengthens my spine, and the best thing of all is, I do experience a clearer mind. 
Here are the other benefits of Sirsasana when practiced regularly (by B.K.S Iyengar):
- Builds stamina.
- Alleviates insomnia.
- Strengthens the arms, legs, lungs and spine.
- Improves the function of the pituitary and pineal glands.
- Increases the hemoglobin content in the blood.
- Reduces the occurrence of heart palpitations.
- Relieves the symptoms of colds, coughs and tonsillitis.
- It tones the abdominal organs and improves digestion.
- It enhances blood supply to the brain and calms it.
- Increases intellectual clarity, will power and respiration.
I know it is just one pose among so many. But it is through my practice of each and every one of them that I have become more mindful of my strengths and even more in-tuned with my weaknesses. Day by day, as I gain maturity in my practice (mentally, emotionally and even spiritually), I am a witness to the healing powers of the Ashtanga yoga. Through this, I am constantly transformed and humbled each day of my life.
- Tracy Que
Flow with Bow
Join Bow Valdez of Flow with Bow on June 30 6pm here at Ekāgratā Śālā. Bow’s class is a Vinyasa Flow yoga class. Class rate is Php400.
Regular Led Ashtanga Class with Karen follows at 8pm.
Zen Habits
Hi guys! January is finally done! We should start being purposeful. I know that we should have done this on January, however it is our culture to extend the holidays… So we actually start getting serious on February
Anyway, one of the things that got me motivated is this website, Zen Habits. The page that I link here is a good place to start. The whole blog is about simple productivity. Plus he makes it sound so easy.
Do you need to declutter, simplify, focus, prioritize and start moving??? It sounds scary but this is a good first step. Keep your off-the-mat life zen and you’ll see the improvement in your on-the-mat practice.
Just wanted to share. 
Namaste.
-Karen
The Martha Stewart Show: The Yoga Show
Stumbled upon Martha’s show last Jan 8, 2010.
Here’s the link to the episode. http://www.marthastewart.com/show/the-martha-stewart-show/the-yoga-show
I particularly like the Yoga Dos and Don’ts.
“six things that provide success in a practice: enthusiasm, perseverance, courage, interest in seeking the truth, trust in the words of your teacher, and avoiding the company of negative people, or those that do not support your practice.”