A regular yoga practice helps relieve headaches, chronic pain, colds, insomnia, menstrual cramps, stress, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and menopausal symptoms.
Yoga poses improve cardiovascular, immune, nervous, and digestive system functioning. Doing yoga releases physical tension and emotional upset, and leaves the practitioner feeling relaxed yet energized. By focusing on both flexibility and strength, yoga improves the functioning of our bodies in our everyday activities as well as in sports.
With the right teacher and class level, yoga is appropriate for kids, teens, adults, and the elderly. Whether you’re stiff, in good shape, physically challenged, a newcomer to yoga, or haven’t done in years, start from where you are - you can only feel better!
My teacher training was and continues to be in Anusara yoga. The word anusara means “flowing with grace.” Founded by John Friend, Anusara yoga unifies a heart-oriented philosophy of intrinsic goodness with concise biomechanical principles of alignment. When, through refinement and precision in the poses, the physical body becomes aligned, the mind and heart also move into proper relationship. The spiritual principles of Anusara yoga include celebrating beauty in all its diversity and honoring the innate worthiness and supreme nature of every being.
Qualities that I nurture in my students:
- flexibility, strength, and body awareness
- softening into the present moment
- focus on the breath
- compassion for their struggles
- playfulness and delight in the poses
- recognition of their innate beauty, vibrancy, and goodness
Yoga Guidelines
My classes are on-going; you may begin at any time. They are geared toward new and practiced beginners and are moderately difficult. Some of my students had never done yoga before coming to my class; others had some experience but did not have a regular or current practice. Wherever you are in the spectrum, you are welcome to come see how my class fits you. We all start wherever we are, every time we get on the mat; some days we’re more flexible and strong, other days less so. The important thing is to come to your practice with an open and nonjudgmental mind.
Classes are held at Green River Yoga Center, 158 Main Street, above World Eye Bookshop, in Greenfield, Massachusetts. There is plenty of free parking in the municipal lot behind the studio, accessed from Wells Street. Click here for a map and directions.
The first time you come to the studio, please arrive ten to fifteen minutes early to register and familiarize yourself with the layout. The studio is fully equipped with mats and props (blankets, blocks, straps). Feel free to bring your own mat if you prefer. Wear light, comfortable clothes that allow for comfort, freedom of movement, and regulation of body temperature.
Allow at least one hour (for a snack) or three hours (for a meal) between eating and practice. An empty stomach allows for deeper breathing and greater comfort in postures that involve compression of the abdomen. It is best not to drink too much water right before class; bring a water bottle if you like to take sips during class.
Top of This PageYoga Article for Wedding Day Sourcebook
Focused Spaciousness Key to Centered Planning
There are so many details to think about for your wedding, your head is spinning, you’re not sleeping enough, and you may not be eating as well as you’d like. You don’t have time enough to take a breath, much less a whole hour to relax and unwind – there’s just too much to do.
But imagine, for just a moment, how much easier it would be to address those many details from a place of calm and quiet inside yourself…
Imagine feeling refreshed, grounded, and centered; clear about what needs to be done, when, and by whom, without totally stressing out about it all…
Imagine remembering that this planning is for a day that you want to enjoy, a day to celebrate, a day when your family and friends rejoice in the ceremony that joins your heart with your beloved’s…
How can you possibly get to that place of calm and quiet from the chaos of a thousand details? A yoga party for you and your bridesmaids and friends is not only a fun way to appreciate and acknowledge your and their efforts toward your big day, it’s also a great way to let down and relax. Led through a series of poses designed to remind you that you can, indeed, take a deep breath, they can also help you move peacefully into a more spacious state of being inside yourself. Almost miraculously, find yourself slowing down, coming back to the sane person you were before the pressure started to build.
Yoga benefits your body, emotions, and spirit. Gentle stretches can help you loosen and soften, feel more in your body, and release anxiety. Counter the intense stress of planning a wedding - which affects your sleep, appetite, and sense of humor - with simple, guided movements that bring you back to ease. The details and demands will still be there; the key is approaching them with clarity and centeredness.
Yoga can help you feel energized and rested, focused and serene, and more capable of dealing with the swirl of planning your wedding. No experience is necessary to receive a lot of benefit. Get grounded, soften into the present moment, and have fun!
Give yourself, your bridesmaids, friends and family, the gift of an hour to an hour and a half of time-out oasis. Come back to what really matters: the joy in the choice to share your life fully with someone you love deeply. Know that the details will all work out – and they’ll do so better and easier if you can find some inner quiet. Take care of yourself – you’ll be glad you did. Your body will thank you for easing its tension; your mind will be grateful for slowing down and getting focused; your heart will be happy to come back to the forefront of this wonderful occasion. And you’ll be breathing again!
Jenny Chapin, yoga teacher, acupuncturist and Zero Balancer leads custom-designed, 1-1.5 hour yoga-inspired relaxation/restoration sessions for brides, their bridesmaids and friends. Jenny is known for her clear instructions, compassion, and playfulness in her classes. You can reach Jenny at (413) 522-3816, or jgchapin@crocker.com. Greenfield, Northampton, and Easthampton locations available.
Green River Yoga is located at 258 Main Street, in Greenfield, MA.
413-522-3816 Email: jgchapin@crocker.com
Directions/Map
© 2008 Jenny Chapin