Let the challenge begin today!

It's here!  The 4th annual Mighty Yoga Challenge!  You've still got time to sign up by Tuesday, Feb 5th and challenge yourself to take 20 classes this month.  Sign up online now or in the studio.  We're also keeping track of your progress on a sign near the studio entrance.  So when you take class, collect a STAR sticker from the front desk to add to your name.  It'll feel just like those award days in elementary school, yes?  When you complete the Challenge, you'll get 20% off your next class pass!  Plus you'll feel awesome!  Good luck!

Meet our NEW teacher, Adiza, at our NEW Community Class on Tuesdays @ noon!

WelcOMe Adiza Jibril to the Mighty Crew!  We're thrilled Adiza is joining our teaching team, and you can meet her starting this Tuesday at noon for our NEW $5 Community Class!  We took some time to ask Adiza some mighty questions, so you can meet her here NOW!  Enjoy!


How did you come to yoga?
I started my yoga practice my sophomore year in high school when it was offered as a form of P.E.

What do you like about Power Yoga?
I love Power Yoga because regardless of whatever kind of day I've had, I can always come and breathe and sweat and work hard, and ultimately leave my frustrations on the mat.

How has your yoga changed since the first time you practiced?
My yoga has become a lot less about "perfecting" the postures and learning "trick poses".  It's become so much more about understanding my body, listening to it, and responding to myself in a way that is honest and beneficial.

Why did you decide to teach yoga?
I decided to teach yoga because I felt it was time for me to explore a completely different facet of my being.  All of my life I've identified myself as one thing, a singer.  And I didn't realize it until recently, but I had all this passion built up for this other discipline as well, and that maybe it was time to explore what I could become as a yogi as well as a musician.  I have so much love for this practice and it's helped me in ways I couldn't even begin to understand when I was 15, but if I could start to guide someone else on a similar journey then that's just another way to leave the world a better place. =)

Any tips for someone new to yoga?
Breathe, smile, take a child's pose, and have fun!

What is your favorite pose or poses? Why?
My favorite poses are any kind of inversions.  So headstand, forearm balance, handstand, even just hanging out it forward fold!  I just love feeling like the world looks completely different after you've looked at it upside down for a little bit.

What do you like to do off the yoga mat?
Off of the yoga, I love to sing, read, eat (a lot), go out with friends, and start shows on Netflix and watch nothing else until I've completed each season of that show.

What fuels you?
The feeling that comes after working really hard on something.  Being too idle irritates me so I'm always chasing some project, some form of work.

Khalil Gibran says "Work is love made visible".

What makes you Mighty?
My mom.

DJ HyFi + Rockin' Flow @ MY next Tuesday!

Ian Hyman, a.k.a. DJ HyFi, will be joining Jamie’s Rockin’ Flow class next Tuesday, December 6th at 7:30pm. He will be taking us on a journey across a sonic landscape of groovin’ beats and lush atmospherics. In his mixes, DJ HyFi focuses on creating soundscapes that infuse yoga practice with a Yoga DJ dose of ecstatic bliss and carry practitioners to a deeper place as they ride the sonic wave.

About DJ HyFi
Ian Hyman (DJ Hyfi) is a Philly based DJ who has taken his art into the yoga studio to create a deep fusion of sound and movement. He spends most of his time on the road spinning for workshops, festivals and conferences around the nation, striving to create a fresh experience for people who love yoga. Finding inspiration from life on the road and the interesting collection of characters along the way, he shares his perspective on yoga through his turntables. Ian's DJ mixes are infused with a wide range of soulful electronic music, from deep ambient tunes to ecstatic rhythms of Jungle/DnB.

We’re extending the class for this special event, from 7:30-8:45pm. Regular class rates/passes will apply, plus an additional $5 cover charge for the DJ. Come early to make sure you get a spot for this special event!

Rockin' Flow

w/ Jamie Silverstein + DJ HyFi

Tuesday, December 6

7:30 pm - 8:45 pm

Learn the ART OF ALIGNMENT w/ Liz this Saturday

Don't miss out on Liz's 2-hour offering this Saturday, 11/5! There is still room for you and friends. You'll learn what it means when the teacher says things like, "Roll your shoulders away from your ears. Tuck your tailbone. Lengthen your side body." And how you actually get your body to cooperate! This workshop will explore how to properly align your body in common and not so common poses to get the benefits of it and to get deeper into your yoga practice.

For more info and to sign up today, visit our online scheduler!

The Art of Alignment
w/ Liz
Saturday, 11/5
11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Price: $30
Mighty Members with an auto-renew pass get 10% off.

Summer Nights @ Mighty Yoga

Still wondering how you're going to spend those long, hot, summer nights? Check out these special summer classes, as featured in this month's newsletter.

Spend the first Tuesdays of the month in Power Melt where we pair vigorous vinyasa with deep stretches that leave you boneless. On the third Tuesday of the month you can get your yoga on to an energizing music mix in Rockin' Flow. If you're looking for more balance in mind and body, check out a new Meditation class Thursday nights. And on Friday nights, learn to balance on your head, shoulders, hands and forearms in addition to your feet in Inversions 101.

See you on the mat this summer!

Power Melt w/ Jamie (all levels)
First Tuesdays of the month, 7:30 - 8:30 PM
July 5th, August 2nd

Rockin Flow w/ Jamie (all levels)
Third Tuesdays of the month, 7:30 - 8:30 PM
June 21st, July 19th, August 16th

Meditation w/ Dana (all levels)
Thursdays, 7:30 - 8:30 PM
$10 regular/$8 student; All passes accepted

Power Flow - Inversions 101 w/ Zainab (all levels)
Fridays, 6 - 7:15 PM

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!

May is a-blooming at Mighty!

So many new things in effect since our last post! Our new website is up and running. More pictures, more videos, more fun! And our new t-shirts are out! Visit the boutique the next time you're in, and let us know what you think. Last, but not least, our new summer schedule is in effect, so check out our web schedule to plan your summer yoga with us.

We've also been hosting some donation classes this spring: A 2-part Yoga Jam for Japan to raise funds for the Red Cross' efforts in Japan (more than $300!); our on-going Body Empowerment Yoga classes to help The Nutrition Clinic / Sol Stone Center (next one is June 4th!); and an upcoming Memorial Day Benefit for the House of Hope Farm Project (May 3oth, 10am-12pm). Thanks to all the yogis and yoginis who've supported these causes. We're honored to take part in raising awareness to help these kinds of wonderful projects!

And if you haven't already, please feel free to check out this month's newsletter for some spring musings by Jamie. Happy May!

Get your slogan on the next MY t-shirt!

FIVE more days to help Mighty Yoga come up with our new slogan for t-shirts coming next month!

Here's how it works. Submit your ideas on Facebook between now and Saturday, April 16th. The top 5 slogans will be passed on to MY instructors and the favorite will be displayed on the new t-shirts . The winner will receive a FREE t-shirt and a FREE 3 class pass to use for yourself or give to a friend or relative. Can you dig it? =)

Have more than one idea? Improve your chances of winning by submitting mutiple suggestions! Even if you don't submit an idea of your own, help us out by "liking" your favorite ones! Can't wait to see all your ideas!

Benefit class for Japan later this month!

Our hearts go out to the survivors of the recent disaster in Japan. To raise more support for the relief efforts in the region, Mighty Yoga is hosting a benefit class later this month. Please join us for a 2-hour Yoga Jam for Japan Saturday, March 26th, which will feature several Mighty instructors. More details to come!

Yoga Jam for Japan

Saturday, March 26

6:30 - 8:30PM

Suggested minimum donation: $25

AcroYoga starts today! Plus this month's newsletter is out!

Yep, we said it all in the title! We're thrilled to be hosting our 2nd set of AcroYoga workshops starting tonight, 7:30pm! We've still got room, so if you've been wondering what it feels like to fly about 4 feet off the floor (give or take or foot, of course), join us for one or all workshops! Tonight is the Community Class, a great intro to the practice that brings yoga, acrobatics and Thai massage together as one!

And if you haven't already, check out this month's newsletter! It features some tips to rest some of those sore muscles after last month's Challenge as well as news about our new look in the studio. We hope you enjoy it!

What's your motivation for the new year?

In honor of the recent changes, from winter solstice to the holidays to embracing 2011, meditation expert Phillip Moffitt offers some tasty food for thought, asking about our motivations behind our those yearly resolutions. Feel free to check it out and discuss!

The Dharma of Life Changes, Yoga Journal


And with just three days away to another year, we'd love to see you New Year's Day in our benefit class for the House of Hope Initiative! All levels are welcome.

New Year's Day House of Hope Benefit
Saturday, January 1
w/Gina
1-3 PM
Suggested donation: $25

Holidays at Mighty & New Year's Day Donation Yoga

We're gearing up for the holidays! Mighty is offering a reduced holiday schedule from December 23rd through January 6th. Please visit our online schedule for specific class times.

Please note, the studio will be closed the following days:
December 24, Christmas Eve
December 25, Christmas Day
December 31, New Year's Eve

But do feel free to spend New Year's with us in our 2nd annual New Year's Day Benefit Class! Practice yoga and help raise funds for one of our ongoing causes, Uganda's House of Hope. Since our last donation class on the 4th of July, we've raised over $800 to help the Ugandan orphanage! Gina Newlin is teaching a 2-hour vinyasa flow to help detox and rejuvenate you for the new year. Need a fresh start to the new year? This is it!

To learn more about the House of Hope Initiative, check out our last blog entry or visit the House of Hope page on Facebook and the World Action for Humanity website. We look forward to seeing you there!

New Year's Day House of Hope Benefit
January 1, 2011
w/ Gina Newlin
1:00 - 3:00 PM
All Levels Welcome

Flowing, Flying & Jamming this Friday!

Join us for Flow & Fly this Friday night, the last one offered in 2010! This dynamic class blends Yoga, Thai Massage and Acrobatics. You can explore more integrated sequences, inversions and partner acrobatics. It can turn your world upside down as demo'd by Zainab in Star! Joyful, playful, and a great workout! No partner required. All levels welcome.

And stay after class for our first ever Acro Jam! Jams are a great way to work on what you've learned in Flow & Fly or try new things with the support of a room full of playmates and spotters. We'll wrap up the festivities with the deliciousness of Thai bodywork and desserts of the sweets and wine variety. Whether this will be your first class or you've been a frequent flyer, it's sure to be an acrolicious evening! Bring friends!

Please note, the Acro Jam is free if you take Flow & Fly first or $5 at the door if you're only able to show up for the jam. We'd love to see you this Friday!

Flow & Fly

w/Gina Newlin

Friday, December 17, 2010

7:30 - 9:00 PM

Jam begins 9:15 PM

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!

New fall classes at Mighty Yoga

We're making it easier for you to get your yoga on! Due to high demand, we're adding 3 new All Levels classes to our schedule and switching one of our Basics classes to All Levels, starting October 25th:

--Mondays at 4:30 pm with Molly
--Tuesdays at 7:30 pm with Jamie (Formerly Basics, now All Levels)

--Wednesdays at 4:30 with Zainab
--Saturdays at 4:30 with Huck

And we're adding a brand new type of class to our schedule, Flow and Fly! Starting November 5th, Gina will be teaching a 90-min class every other Friday at 7:30 pm. 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! Mark your calendars for the classes: Nov. 5, Nov. 19, Dec. 3, and Dec. 18.

Remember to check out our full class schedule to find your next yoga class. Please note: our 6 pm classes are filling up so plan on arriving 15 minutes early to better ensure a spot.

Flow & Fly is kicking off this Friday!

Join Gina for some fly time this coming Friday, October 15th, 7:30pm! She is teaching an intro to MY's newest class Flow & Fly. If you missed September's AcroYoga workshop (btw, check out MY on Facebook for some rockin' photos, like this one of Zainab, Andrew and other mighty yogis in Diamond Twist), this is your second chance to share in the fun of partner yoga & acrobatics. All levels are welcome!

Check out the class description below. Flow & Fly will be offered Fridays 7:30 - 9pm biweekly starting the first week in November, so mark your calendars for November 5th and 19th for some more yoga play time!

Flow & Fly classes blend the three ancient lineages of Yoga, Thai massage, and acrobatics to form the foundation of a unique partner practice. Grounded in breath and "metta" (loving kindness), participants explore partner flows and sequences, experience a deepening trust in themselves and others, and realize that by working in partnership, we manifest far more than we ever could alone. As we explore more dynamic sequences, students will practice inversions and partner acrobatics with the support of a spotter, and learn techniques to develop strength, flexibility, and body awareness. 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!

Let's welcome Huck!

The Mighty fold is growing. Tonight we welcome Mathew "Huckleberry" Ingles to our teaching crew! Huck, as he's known to most (read about how he got the name below), has been teaching yoga in Ithaca and Cortland for the past couple of years. He coordinated the Finger Lakes' first yoga festival this past August, and if you're a fan of roller derby, you may already know he is the official yoga instructor for the Ithaca SufferJets. Needless to say, we're thrilled to have Huck on the schedule! He'll be teaching Wednesday evenings at 6pm. Please join him at his first MY class tonight!

For now, meet Huck in our conversation with him below.

Mighty Yoga: How did you come to yoga?
Huck Ingles: In 1998 I was in a skiing accident that left me in pain. A friend gave me a book on power yoga and showed me some basics. I used sun salutations to deal with back pain and stiffness. But, it wasn't until about five years later that I started to take it seriously. I reached a point in my life where just easing back pain wasn't enough. I needed to take control of my physical and mental health. I began practicing regularly, and the results were so rewarding I have dedicated myself for life.

MY: What do you like about Power Yoga?
Huck: Power Yoga takes me to a state of humble surrender. For me, I need to the challenge, to find my limits. I live an active and intense life, and, as we know, yoga practice is life practice. We learn from yoga what we need to know for life. If my life is intense, active, and challenging, then my yoga practice should reflect that. Power Yoga does that for me.

MY: What do you like to do off the yoga mat?
Huck: I can't get enough of the outdoors. I love swimming, camping, hiking, mountain biking and snowshoeing. When I am at home, I like to garden, read, cook, and play guitar. In the summer, you will find me working at the local festivals and events. I travel when I can. I usually avoid the tourist traps and take local vacations, exploring the nooks and crannies of small towns, museums, and state parks.

MY: We can’t resist asking. Why the name “Huck?”
Huck: In 1995 I attended a festival in the Mark Twain Forest in Missouri. It was a hot summer, and I was wearing a large brimmed hat to keep the sun off. I had run out of clean clothing and borrowed a pair of overalls from a girl I was traveling with. They were a bit short on me and came just below my knees. I guessed I looked the part because people began calling me Huck. When I got back home, I had mail addressed to Huckleberry. The nickname stuck. People call me Mathew too. I'm okay with either.

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!

Welcome to Mighty, Molly!

Please join us in welcoming our newest addition to the schedule, Molly Kornblum! A former New Yorker who trained at Laughing Lotus in Union Square, Molly is a wonderful addition to our Mighty family. Interested in getting to know her? Well, as all the magazines say, we sat down with Molly to learn a little more about why she loves yoga and her life off the mat. Check it out below!

Mighty Yoga: How did you come to yoga?
Molly Kornblum: I used to do yoga with my mom when I was little. She taught me fun poses with names I could relate to like tree, and lion, and downward dog. We laughed a lot when we practiced. It wasn't until I took classes in college, however, that I really got hooked.

MY: Why did you decide to teach?
Molly: I wanted to teach yoga for many years before I actually got certified. I was working for “Corporate America” in New York City when my company relocated. Instead of moving with them, I took the awesome severance package and used the time and money to attend yoga school. It was the best decision I ever made!

MY: Since you're teaching a Basics class here, any tips for someone new to yoga?
Molly: I know it's hard, but try not to judge yourself when your practice doesn't look just like the girl's next to you. Try to accept yourself where you are. As long as you keep practicing, you'll get exactly where you need to go.

MY: What do you like to do off the yoga mat?

Molly: I'm in nursing school; nursing is a passion of mine. I play old-time music. I swing dance with my sweetie!

Meet Molly tonight for her first class, Basics 7:30pm -8:30pm!

An awesome start to a 2nd year!

What an amazing week! MY had nearly 500 people visit and practice with us for our anniversary celebration week. Amazing how many people you can fit in a studio! Thank you to all the yogis who made this possible, and thank you to our newest yogi friends. We look forward to flowing with you all in the coming year!

Some happily sore yogis even made it out to last night's grand finale after our last class. And congrats to our raffle winners. They got some snazzy new MY duds!

Plus, we had a guest appearance of one of our tiniest Mighty Yogis, the little Norris (below). He's giving Mighty's official Golden Retriever, Cody, a run for his money on cuteness factor. Not to worry, though, there is more than enough room for these cute friends in the MY kula!