Anniversary News + Mighty Mix Highlight: Tap into your dancing soul w/ Zainab!

Enjoy the dance of yoga during this 3rd Anniversary Week's Mighty Mix class with Zainab, Artful Transitions in Flow....

In a yoga practice, Vinyasa flow links breath and movement to create a continuous dynamic flow. The transitions within the practice, also known as the poses between poses, help maintain this continuous flow in beautiful and empowering ways, much like fluid dance or a lovely symphony. Without smooth transitions, as in a concert where all the musicians play at random, the yoga practice can feel disjointed and filled with jarring notes. So while we do not have names for them, transitions are an integral part of the journey on your mat. In this special class, you’ll tap into the dancer in your soul! Learn the art of moving with grace in and out of poses and apply these techniques to build up to peak poses mindfully, more smoothly and with greater ease, like an ongoing dance. The class will move beyond basic transitions such as the common vinyasa (Plank to Low Push-up, then Upward Dog to Downward Dog) to incorporate creative, fluid sequences that highlight transitions to further tune the body and mind to bring out your most dazzling self. Expect arm balances, some inversion work and creative variations on common poses. For intermediate level, a regular yoga practice is recommended.

Artful Transitions in Flow w/ Zainab
Sunday, August 26 | 2:45 - 4:15 pm | $3!
Sign up for this and any other Mix classes before August 18th to secure your spot!

Anniversary News + Mighty Mix highlights: Sharpen your yoga tools w/ Huck & Rachel!

More Anniversary Week highlights!  From breath to poses, these Mighty Mix classes each offer ways to refine what you know about yoga.

First, what's in your yoga survival kit?  In Huck's Yoga Survival Kit, you'll use props for practical pose variations.

Second, breathe much?  Rachel takes you through Breathe & Restore to help you discover that "aaahhhh" moment in class where the breath and movement have met, allowing your whole body to melt. Our bodies can survive for days without food and water, but it's only minutes before the body begins to perish without the breath - breath truly is our life giving force (prana). In this class we will discover different types of breath control (pranayama) in addition to our classic ujjayi - victorious - breath. This class is accessible to all - please bring your questions! Learn breathing techniques and their benefits, even for outside of your yoga class. We will move through a gentle sequence of restorative poses designed to give us further access to our breath, calming our bodies systems, and the mind. Please bring a firm(ish) pillow that you will be comfortable sitting on. This can be anything from a bedroom pillow to a throw pillow - if you have a meditation cushion or bolster, that works great. The studio has a few cushions to share if you don't have one of your own.

Yoga Survival Kit w/ Huck
Saturday, August 25 | 2:45 - 4:15 pm | all levels | $3!

Breathe & Restore w/ Rachel
Sunday, August 26 |  1:15 - 2:30 pm | all levels | $3!

Sign up for either of these and other Mix classes before August 18th to secure your spot!

Anniversary News + Mighty Mix highlight: Take off with Liz in The Rocket!

Our 2nd Mighty Mix class during our 3rd Anniversary Week features The Rocket.  Here's more of a taste of this invigorating class with Liz!

Dubbed the "Feel Good Routine," The Rocket blends the best of Vinyasa and Ashtanga yoga and leads you through an energizing and challenging sequence that includes standing poses, inversions, arm balances and seated poses. Students should have a regular yoga practice and desire to try arm balances and inversions.

Mighty Mix:  The Rocket
w/ Liz Falk
Saturday, August 25 | 1:00 - 2:30 pm | $3!
Sign up online or in the studio before August 18th!

These classes will be offered during our Anniversary Week. The cost is $3, but space is limited. Sign-up today to save your spot!

Anniversary Week's Mighty Mix Highlight: Let's floooow with Gina in FloMoYo-GA!

To kick off our 3rd Anniversary Week of $3 yoga classes to benefit the Ithaca Health Alliance, we're offering the first of five special Mighty Mix classes next Sunday, August 19th, for $3 only!  Gina's taking us through FloMoYo-ga. Register in the studio or online before August 18th to reserve your spot!  Here's a preview....

It's vinyasa with a "kick." And a twist. And sometimes a hop. Inspired by Gina's immersion in Tripsichore, Flowmotion style, and Vinyasa Yogadance, these creatively choreographed, continuous vinyasa sequences will take your flow outside the box and back again, with elements of cardio and athletic power. Beginning slowly, these flows will take you to the top of the mountain, and set your own, organic and authentic style free! Minimal instruction and inspiring rhythms = finding your unique expression of the yogic themes of harmony, balance, inner light and bliss. All levels welcome, intermediate practice recommended.

FloMoYo-ga w/ Gina
Sunday, August 19 | 6 - 7:30 pm | $3!

Meet our new teacher, Lara Green!

In case you haven't noticed, Lara Green has joined the Mighty family!  A former student at Mighty, Lara took a yoga teacher training in Costa Rica (um, we're not jealous or anything), and she's back to share her love for yoga with us.  We're so excited to have her on the team!  She's subbing throughout the summer and will be on our regular schedule in the fall.  Look out for her bright smile in class!

How did you come to yoga?
I started stretching and breathing with my mother, one of my greatest teachers, as a young kid. I began my yoga practice about 7 years ago. I was in college at SUNY New Paltz, and the gym offered free classes. I would leave class feeling like I was floating on air!

What do you like about Power Yoga?
I tried lots of styles before I found my true fit in Power Yoga. I love it because it is challenging, but also well-rounded and nourishing. Whether I am working with concentration, endurance, breath focus, or advancing in the physical postures, my time on the mat transfers into positive growth and development in every facet of my life! I leave a Power Yoga class feeling content, balanced, and at peace.

How has your yoga changed since the first time you practiced?
I used to drag myself to class because I knew I would feel great after I practiced. Sometimes, it was a real struggle to motivate myself to step on the mat. Today, I can’t imagine how I ever survived without yoga! I have seen marked progress in my physical practice,and I have learned so much about my body and the nature of my mind.

Why did you decide to teach yoga? 
I was planning a 6-month trip to Central America to volunteer at an elementary school and get certified to teach English. I knew I wanted to incorporate yoga into my daily routine. I was looking to deepen my asana practice, and also spend time in meditation. When I discovered a 200 hr. certification in the jungle of Costa Rica- it seemed like a great match. I decided to combine my love for teaching and yoga, and share the practice with others. I wanted to make yoga accessible to people of all walks of life, and to spread joy and wellness to everyone who was willing to try it!

Any tips for someone new to yoga?
Commit yourself to taking at least three classes. It might seem intimidating, challenging, and foreign at first. As you practice and become comfortable with the poses, it gets easier, more fluid, and way more fun!

What is your favorite pose or poses?
Virabhadrasana 3! I love balance poses because they require deep focus, strength, and stability. I also love supported Supta Baddha Konasana to open the front body and restore and soothe after a tough practice.

What do you like to do off the yoga mat? 
Hiking, travelling, singing, dancing and floating on tubes in Cayuga lake!  

What fuels you? 
Kombucha! Movement and nature! New experiences, fresh air, flowing water, climbing trees, and playing with kids.

What makes you MIGHTY? 
I am courageous, compassionate and strong. I have a deeply rooted connection with community and family. Together, we are even mightier!

Welcome, Emma, our newest teacher!

We're thrilled to welcome Emma Silverman into the Mighty family! Trained in the Kripalu style of yoga, she also brings knowledge of Iyengar, Bikram, Ashtanga, Kundalini and Vinyasa flow to her teaching. Meet Emma Monday nights @ 7:30pm, one of our new Pay-What-You-Can classes!

How did you come to yoga?
Emma: I took my first class with my mom when I was 12. It was on and off for awhile, until I moved to the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health and started volunteering there. Since then, I've done yoga every day, whether on or off the mat.

What do you like about Power Yoga?
Emma: Sometimes, the only way to still the mind is to move the body. I believe that there is a style of yoga for us at every stage of our lives; right now, the amazing calm I feel after a Power Yoga class is exactly what I need.

How has your yoga changed since the first time you practiced?
Emma: I used to be a chronic look-around-the-room yogini. I compared myself to everyone. These days, I steer clear of beating myself up if I'm the only person in the room in child's pose. I can't know what the other people in the room have been through to get onto the mat that day-- only what brought me.

Why did you decide to teach yoga?
Emma: In the years preceding my decision to teach, I was first a Project Manager at a software company. I traveled half of the month and worked all of the time. Then I moved to Mexico City and promptly developed a mild form of asthma from the pollution. After those years, my body was wrecked. Yoga made me feel like myself again and, like so many other teachers, I decided to teach my passion and share the love!

Any tips for someone new to yoga?
Emma: The hardest step is showing up. Once you do that, the teachers and the practice will support you.

What is your favorite pose or poses? Why?
Emma: Savasana. A friend once said that they can tell how good a class was for them by how deeply they go into final relaxation. Totally true. I often end and begin my classes in Savasana; I'm a big fan of things coming full circle.

What do you like to do off the yoga mat?
Emma: Biking. I once biked from Ithaca to Ann Arbor, MI and bicycle commute year-round. Ithaca is amazing for hiking, too. After moving here from Madison, Wisconsin, I realized how much I had missed hiking. In nerdier pursuits, I love crosswords, the Sunday New York Times, libraries, and co-ops of all kinds.

What fuels you?
Emma: Banana chocolate peanut butter smoothies.

Meditate with Dana Kingsbury, our new teacher!

We're so excited to introduce Dana to the Mighty crew! She will be teaching Meditation Thursday nights (7:30-8:30pm), starting June 9th! Here's a little Q&A to start to get to know her.

Mighty Yoga: How did you come to meditation?
Dana Kingsbury: I was first introduced to meditation in 2008 during my graduate coursework in the Transpersonal Psychology Program at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. Naropa is an established contemplative school that bridges Eastern and Western learning modalities to foster the whole student. Contemplative education is an academic setting infused with the experience of awareness, insight and compassion through the practice of sitting meditation and other disciplines. I enjoyed working one on one with a meditation coach during my first two-semesters of Meditation in the MA TCP, Art Therapy program.

MY: What do you like about power yoga/meditation?
DK: Strength and flexibility are the foundations of a good work out. Yoga is a tool to strengthen our core, and align body, mind, and spirit. Meditation is a way to bring great awareness into our physical movements, and to develop a healthy flow of balanced intention. Meditation creates a place of stillness that can be carried into more rigorous yoga workouts offered at Mighty Yoga. Even in the most challenging yoga poses, we can work with our breath and awareness with ease and grace to deepen our commitment to each moment during the workout.

MY: How has your yoga/meditation changed since the first time you practiced?
DK: I feel a deeper sense of embodiment now than I did when I first began my meditation and yoga practices. The breathing exercises and poses have become more natural to me, and I feel a greater sense of flow and presence both on and off the cushion/mat.

MY: Why did you decide to teach meditation?
DK: I am working towards a private holistic healing practice. I felt that Meditation Instruction was the first place to begin, because it represents a practice that is simple, sustainable, and can be done anywhere at any time. It is the basic practice of being fully present with ourselves in each moment. With many distractions and external stressors in today’s culture, the simple act of remaining clear and connected to true inner self through meditation can create a sense of balance and harmony in all that we do.

MY: Any tips for somebody new to meditation?
DK: To begin with curiosity, openness, and a sense of commitment. Also, to keep in mind that there will be challenging times during one’s practice, and that is ok, and is a natural part of starting something new. It is important to remain present and non-judgmental. To practice with love, and to appreciate the challenges as much as the fun times!

MY: What is your favorite pose? Why?
DK: Garudasana, or eagle pose. It calls on the inner stillness that is evoked through meditation to remain balanced and centered.

MY: What do you like to do off the yoga mat?
DK: I enjoy painting, jewelry making, pottery, gardening, reading, biking, dancing, singing, and cooking, to list a few. I also like to contribute to the community in any way I can.

MY: What fuels you?
DK: LOVE. A deep connection to my true self and to all things, and an intention to evoke this fullness of spirit within others.

Meet Dana on the meditation cushion next week!

Jammin' for Japan tonight!

Two weeks ago a 9.0 earthquake struck Japan, resulting in a devastating tsunami which has left the country, and the world, facing not only the immediate effects of a natural disaster, but an impending nuclear crises as well. For us here, it can be all too easy to feel as though these issues are beyond our control and that there is little we can do to help. Yet we must remember that whether we are one mile apart or continents away from one another, we are all connected in this diverse world. And we can use this connection to affect global change.

In our yoga practice we are always growing and moving forward. We have the opportunity to confront the things that scare us and then rise to change. It is this response, this rise to change things for the better, that can help make a difference in our life and, ultimately, the world. That is why there is much we can do here, thousands of miles away from Japan.

There is still room to join Gina, Huck & Jamie tonight as they co-teach the first of two yoga benefits for relief efforts in Japan (the second is scheduled for April 23rd). The 2-hour class will feature energetic power flow sequences and mindful meditation to cultivate this connection with oneself and the rest of the world. It is open to all levels. Together, our collective energy and support can affect positive change that will help heal!

Yoga Jam for Japan
Saturday, March 26
6:30 - 8:30 PM
Suggested minimum donation: $25

All donations raised will go to the Red Cross. We hope to see you tonight!

Welcome our new teacher, Liz!

In addition to more classes and more workshops, we're thrilled to welcome new teacher, Liz Falk, to the Mighty team! We wanted to get to know this cool gal who hails from Boulder and Washington, DC, so we asked her a few questions, and we found out she brings some wonderful energy to her teaching. Meet her in person Tuesdays at 4:30pm!

Mighty Yoga: How did you start yoga?
Liz Falk: I starting taking yoga classes when I was at college in Boulder, CO. I was intimidated at first because Boulder is a pretty "hard core" place and everybody was a lot better than I was. After a few classes I was hooked. I found it to be the perfect balance of exercise for the body and the mind, something I had not experienced before.

MY: What do you like about Power Yoga?
Liz: Overall, I just LOVE the challenge. It's never easy and no two classes are ever alike. I love the flow of power yoga because of the necessary connection between movement and the breath. I'm not a dancer at all, in fact I'm quite intimidated by it, but when my mind, breath and movement are all in sync during a yoga practice, it feels like a really beautiful dance. Creativity juices flow, the whole body relaxes yet stays strong as it moves. It's really pretty awesome :)

MY: How has your yoga changed since the first time you practiced?
Liz: Yoga was only a physical practice for me when I first started. I was quite inflexible, barely able to reach below my knees or sit comfortably in Sukhasana (a.k.a. easy pose), so my focus was on physically trying to get into and move through poses. I was also an athlete so just wanted a good workout. After a few months I noticed my running was improving and I became much more flexible. Poses became more comfortable. I started noticing my breath and learned how to connect the two.

MY: Why did you decide to teach yoga?
Liz: Teaching is challenging and super fun! I have been an educator for many years, mostly teaching garden related topics. I first became a teacher because I was inspired by other teachers. The progression was similar with yoga. I always loved doing yoga but it wasn't until I had a few absolutely amazing and inspirational teachers that I really got deep into yoga as a practice and appreciated all it has to offer. A good teacher can help students feel and benefit from the full expression of a pose. I hope I am that kind of teacher for some of my students.

MY: Any tips for someone new to yoga?
Liz: Patience, first and foremost. Some poses will come easily and others hard. And secondly, make it fun. The body, mind, breath connection takes some serious concentration, so I think it's really important to smile a bit in our poses, stay relaxed and always be open to play and exploration.

MY: What is your favorite pose or poses? Why?
Liz: Oh goodness, this is a hard choice. Probably Chaturanga Dandasana (a.k.a. four-limbed staff pose) because it involves so many muscle groups and provides the body with so much benefit when done correctly. I also love arm balances. They are really fun to try even when I can't do them and really satisfying when I can.

MY: What do you like to do off the yoga mat?
Liz: My hobbies are mostly outdoors related—hiking, running, cross-country skiing or swimming depending on the season. Also I am an aspiring farmer and work part-time as a community garden & compost educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Finger Lakes Permaculture Institute. I'm passionate about all things food related and hope my efforts will help the greater community have access to fresh and affordable food.

Flow & Fly tonight!

Flow & Fly with Gina starts tonight! For this month and December, Gina is teaching a 90-min class for all levels every other Friday at 7:30pm.

Flow & Fly classes blend the three ancient lineages of Yoga, Thai massage, and acrobatics to form the foundation of a unique partner practice. All levels of yogis are invited to come and find their Yoga practice challenged and expanded. Come support and be supported. No partner required. Joyful, playful and a great workout! We can't wait to see you on the mat!

Visit our schedule online for our newly expanded class offerings!

MY AcroYoga weekend is almost here!

Thinking about joining us for our Mighty AcroYoga weekend? Space is filling up fast, so register soon! Remember all levels are welcome; no partner is necessary.

In the meantime, wonder how yoga, acrobatics, and therapeutic Thai massage came together? It turns out amazing things happen when people unite… and share a love for pyramid building with their bodies! Nearly seven years after the founders had their first impromptu contact yoga session, AcroYoga is increasingly distinguished for its celebration of interdependence and play (For a fuller history, check out the official AcroYoga web page).

It is easy to see this practice as child’s play. Remember hanging over someone’s feet, sitting on someone’s shoulders or leaning back to balance a two-person tug-of-war? In AcroYoga, typically a triad of players play—a Spotter assists a Base as he or she supports a Flyer in dynamic variations of yoga poses with names like Folded Leaf, Bat and Bird (like the one pictured here).

We’ve already mentioned how the principle of bone-stacking makes seemingly challenging poses increasingly effortless and allows people of varying sizes to fly or base with greater ease. One more thing to note is that the spotter’s involvement is vital. Think of the spotter as the safety net; with his or her watchful eye, the base and flyer can more fully, and freely, explore those eye-catching acrobatics.

When MY’s Gina was introduced to the practice, she remembers that though the visual appeal of the partner poses hooked her, the underlying elements of trust-building brought her back to fly. “This amazing practice was another place to explore relationship, explore the intricacies of community,” Gina says. “It was another way to have a conversation in a safe, nurturing, playful, fun environment.”

This weekend leading AcroYoga instructor Chris Loebsack, one of the first certified AcroYoga instructors (pictured below), will be assisted by MY's Gina in sharing the playful freedom and benefits of therapeutic flying, Thai massage, inversion training and an intro to partner acrobatics. We hope you can make it for part or all of the sessions!

BUT if you absolutely can’t make it this weekend, Gina also coordinates casual, weekly Ithaca AcroYogi practice sessions at various parks, weather permitting. You can feel free to check the Ithaca Acro Yogis Facebook page for the next play session, too. Let’s fly!

So much yoga, so much time!

September is National Yoga Month! This can be another opportunity to explore and celebrate the many styles of yoga. In our September newsletter, we featured the Finger Lakes's first yoga festival at Greek Peak Resort last month, which offered sessions in several kinds of yoga and holistic services. In one weekend, people could experience the therapeutic benefits of Thai yoga and massage, the sensuality of belly dancing, the warming fires of Kundalini yoga or the exhilaration of flying in partner acrobatics yoga. That was a taste of what the entire scope of yoga offers any practitioner, at any level, and it was a wonderful reminder that while it's great when you find your fit in yoga, it can also be fun and illuminating to check out other styles and traditions, too.

For a quick lesson in the many faces of yoga, feel free to check out the Yoga Journal article below. There is no such thing as one kind of yoga. It is all encompassing! Happy Yoga Month!

Not All Yoga Is Created Equal, Yoga Journal

Eat, Pray, Love and BE Yoga this weekend!

The memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love, is about one woman's journey to link mind, body and spirit to find herself (which also happens to include some time on the yoga mat). She also wrote a thoughtful article, Let's Get Physical, for Yoga Journal about her first experience with yoga which touches on this journey into self-discovery and empowerment. About yoga, she writes, "There always comes that one holy moment, usually somewhere in the middle of the class, when I suddenly find that I have shed my pain and failings, that I have shed my heavy human mind, and that I have metamorphosed for just an instant into something else: an eagle, a cat, a crane, a dolphin, a child."

Who doesn't need a little empowerment now and again? Join Jamie this Saturday for a class that emphasizes self-care and developing a positive self-image. Jamie is teaching her monthly donation-based Body Empowerment yoga workshop. Donations are appreciated and are given to The Nutrition Clinic/ SolStone, a local eating disorder treatment center. Yummy yoga for a great cause! We hope to see you there!

Body Empowerment

w/ Jamie Silverstein

Saturday, July 31, 2010

2-3 PM

All levels welcome

Triathlon Training with Yoga

Our latest newsletter features a section on how athletes can cross train with yoga. This spring and summer, MY instructor, Sarah Newman, has been preparing for the Cayuga Lake Triathlon in August (Rock on!), and she uses yoga to support her rigorous training for the race that consists of a 1500-meter swim, 24.3-mile bike ride, and 10K run. When she’s not running, in the pool or on the bike, she enjoys using a yoga strap in reclined hamstring and IT band stretches like Reclining Big Toe Pose, aka Supta Padangusthasana. To make the pose even more restorative and healing, you can use a block (or a pile of books) to prop your foot on, as Sarah demonstrates here.

She also recommends variations in the restorative pose Legs Up the Wall, Viparita Karani, for athletes who primarily rely on their legs, like runners, bikers and hikers. Happy and safe training!

Honoring all the cool dads today

Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope.--Bill Cosby

Happy Father's Day to all the Mighty Dads out there!

Okay, let's get real for a second. How many of you might have been contemplating surprising an awesome dad with a yoga class pass today, only to hesitate because of a looming uncertainty: Will he think yoga is a "chick thing?" When nary a male head is seen in many yoga classes, whether in Ithaca or elsewhere, you might think men avoid yoga mats. Heck, one of our cheeky mottos is "Not your Mom's yoga" (No offense to the Mighty Moms as they are kick-butt yoginis!). We can't blame you for making that assumption. But we'd like to put your fear at ease, so listen up. [Drumroll] Yoga is definitely NOT a chick thing! It's a practice for everyone, from the mellow, non-competitive types to the more macho, type-A folks.

And we're not the only ones who know this. Check out these two articles on men doing yoga in spite of being outnumbered by flexy women. Plus, the last piece is by the author of the 2003 book, Real Men Do Yoga, which features some well known male athletes who have been "OMing" for years. After reading these, you might reconsider the gift of yoga for Pop. We hope you do!

Where Are All the Men?, Yoga Journal

Reaching Your Peak: Real Men Do Yoga, Newsweek

Taking yoga to the kitchen, grocery stores, restaurants. . .

Need another reason why yoga is good for you? Feel free to check out another plug for mindful nourishment here, where a Yahoo! Health expert notes recent studies that connect yoga with weight loss. And it's not just about a butt-kicking asana practice. As we've touched on in past posts and newsletters, yoga has a way of influencing the decisions we make about food, too. Yum, yum yoga!

Yoga and Weight Loss, Yahoo! Health

Find a tree, embody a tree!

Now that spring is giving us a sneak peak at some gorgeous days, we can enjoy some time outdoors. And it's wonderful to see people pair their fresh air time with exercise. Remember, the same can go for your yoga practice, too. Consider taking your mat outside one of these nice days, perhaps to a quiet spot at the park, your backyard or near a park bench (as Zainab was so inspired here), and enjoy Tree Pose among the the ones that do it best!

Plus, check out the article below, which talks about the mood effects of exercising with nothing between you and the sky. In short, it's awesome!

How to improve mood? Study touts green exercise, USA Today

BE Yoga this Saturday!

Jamie is teaching this month's Body Empowerment workshop Saturday. The yoga features a slow, delicious flow open to all levels, and it's free! Any donations go to The Nutrition Clinic / SolStone, an eating disorder treatment center in Ithaca.

Saturday, April 24
2 - 3 PM

Sign up online from our website, or just show up!

Strengthen your mind and body!

You may already suspect this, but it seems like that high we get from a yoga class, often dubbed the yoga zone, also offers a boost to our health. Renowned expert on mind-body healing Deepak Chopra, talks about developing a strong mind, body connection (phrase sound familiar?) to influence our health in this short interview on CBS' Early Show. Check it out!

Mind, Body Connection with Deepak Chopra, CBS News

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6406365n&tag=api

April's Yoga + Chocolate Workshop Postponed

Due to limited enrollment, we're postponing the Yoga + Chocolate workshop, originally planned for this Sunday, to a future date. We're sorry to delay the experience a bit longer, but we're still very much excited about bringing these two treats together in the future. Please do keep a look out for a new date to join us for a delicious pairing of food for the mind, body and spirit!