Class and Style Descriptions
Beginning Vinyasa Yoga: For the student who wants to learn the flowing motion style of Modern American Yoga and has some experience with yoga and other body movement exercise activities.
Beginners’ Yoga: Our highly trained instructors encourage questions and discussion while presenting yoga basics: breathing exercises, postural education, conscious relaxation, brief yoga history and philosophy, and good form. In this ongoing five-week series, we explore classic yoga postures and different ways to perform them, experiment with props, and become comfortable with the yoga studio 'scene,' all in the presence of beginners like yourself. We cap our series at twelve students to guarantee individualized instruction. And because in yoga we stay beginners for quite a while, we encourage beginners to take this series several times before moving on to the other classes at Pink Lotus.
Hatha Yoga: The first style of yoga taught in the United States. Class consists of distinct yogic exercises--centering, breathing, Sun Salutations, postures (standing, balancing, twisting, frontfolding, backbending, inversions, and sitting), final relaxation, and sometimes meditation. The classical class structure is built on the ancient paradigm of yoga’s eight major components, or ‘limbs’, and throughout provides students the opportunity to yoke their practice with high-level awareness. Amrit and Sivananda yogas are two classical systems, and our classes that include ‘Hatha’ in their titles are Classical Yoga, too.
Happy Hour Yoga: A half-price class consisting of music, yoga postures, yoga movement, and fun. This is a healthy happy hour that sets the tone for a great weekend.
Vinyasa Yoga: Also known as ‘flow yoga,’ this style premiers one of the eight major components of yoga, the yoga posture itself. The posture is explored not through body/mind stillness and depth but, rather, through movement. In Vinyasa, postures are held for just a few breaths, and transitions between them are often yoga postures themselves. Vinyasa can range from gentle/slow to fitness-rigorous. Our morning Vinyasa classes move more slowly and engage less complex postures. It is recommended students be familiar with this style or know basic yoga postures before taking our Vinyasa classes.
Yang Yoga: Derived from various martial arts traditions as well as Vinyasa Yoga (see above), Yang Yoga sequences are imagistic, rooted in story, and are free-flowing in nature. Yang Yoga is designed to build muscle strength, endurance, and disciplined attention to mindful, often circular movement.
Yin Yoga: A class promoting a still body and mind. Floor postures are held for several minutes and target the body’s joints and connective tissue. Yin Yoga opens, strengthens, and provides relief to knees, hips, pelvis, shoulders, neck, and back, where our bodies take much stress. Yin is highly therapeutic and quiet in nature and attracts everyone from athletes to meditators. In the long span of time postures are held, the practitioner can take journeys following with breath, body sensation, mantra, and more. Erroneously referred to as Deep Stretch, Yin Yoga dives deep into the yin body to help it heal through improved energy flow.
Yin-Ha (Yin and Hatha): A blended class of Yin Yoga and Hatha Yoga. Half the class time is Yin and the other half Hatha.
Yin and Mini-Vini: A blended class of Yin and Vinyasa styles. While our other dual-style classes split the class time in half, visiting each style for half the time, in Yin and Mini-Vini, you will be moving from Yin to Vinyasa and back again the entire class; long-held Yin postures are followed by brief bursts of Vinyasa Yoga (see above). The result is heightened awareness about how, with repetition and discipline in our practice, we are able to quickly change our body’s chi (prana, life force), which brings great health.
Yin and Vinyasa (Vinyasa) Yoga: A class with half the time devoted to Vinyasa Yoga and the other half Yin Yoga (see above).
Yin and Yang Yoga: A class with half the time devoted to Yin Yoga and the other half Yang Yoga (see above).
Yinyasa Yoga: A class with half the time devoted to Yin Yoga and the other half Vinyasa Yoga.
Yoga Nidra: Guided, deep relaxation. Nidra means 'sleep,' and this practice is one of the most effective yet least explored yoga techniques for helping you renew yourself in body, mind, and heart. Different from unconscious sleep, Yoga Nidra helps you channel your mind and thus reprogram your life.
Other Classes, in rotation class series:
Aligned Vinyasa Yoga: This class teaches a soulful and heartfelt approach to toward a healthy yoking of the body, mind, breath, and spirit. This Vinyasa (see below) class moves more slowly than our other Vinyasa classes so that the profound natures of both anatomical alignment and energy anatomy alignment can be deeply felt.
Chakra Energy Yoga: While you work your body well--like in all of our classes--Chakra (‘spinning wheel’) Energy Yoga focuses on the value of some of yoga’s lesser-known benefits, one of which is the balancing the body’s prana, or the subtle energy of consciousness and universal connection that resides in us all. In this class, we take a multi-style approach to awaken, balance, and unify ourselves from head to foot by visiting the seven chakras that comprise the main centers of the body’s energy anatomy. Explore and feel the enormous effects of practicing yoga with attention to both your physical and subtle self.
Gentle Yoga and Guided Relaxation: Touch down and pamper yourself in this class that combines gentle movement, stretching, and postures and guided relaxation. Let your yoga be luxurious at times. This class will show you how.
Weekend Morning Sadhana: This class is for those who want a practice for the mind, body, and mental focus. ‘Sadhana’ means daily spiritual practice, and weekend mornings are a great day for that since sadhana will keep you present and appreciating the moment, not wishing it were Friday and not anticipating Monday and the coming week. WMS class consists of intentions, pranayama, mantra, meditation, sun salutations, and a variety of postures that promote tapas (energy and discipline) for strengthening both body and mind. Deep relaxation ends every class.
Yindalini Yoga: A fantastic blend of exotic Indian Yoga and therapeutic Chinese-inspired Yoga. Practice both movement of breath, body, and esoteric energy followed by stillness and stillness of body followed by movement.
Yinside Yoga: This class gives you a deep, mid-morning stretch and much quiet time for self-study and reflection. Equally great for those who have been up and running as well as those who are just starting their day, this class utilizes the technique of long-held Yin Yoga postures, which provides the greatest stretch available in yoga, and deeply guided relaxation: perfect for stilling our busy minds.
Yoga Mash-Up: Our most open-style class on the schedule, this is a true mash-up of postures and movement taken from the many styles offered at PLY. This class is co-creative, geared toward the benefit of switching it up, and is our most eclectic class offered. Great if you’re a seasoned yogi or a beginner who wants to explore many of our styles at PLY.
©2016 Merry Desk, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved.
Beginners’ Yoga: Our highly trained instructors encourage questions and discussion while presenting yoga basics: breathing exercises, postural education, conscious relaxation, brief yoga history and philosophy, and good form. In this ongoing five-week series, we explore classic yoga postures and different ways to perform them, experiment with props, and become comfortable with the yoga studio 'scene,' all in the presence of beginners like yourself. We cap our series at twelve students to guarantee individualized instruction. And because in yoga we stay beginners for quite a while, we encourage beginners to take this series several times before moving on to the other classes at Pink Lotus.
Hatha Yoga: The first style of yoga taught in the United States. Class consists of distinct yogic exercises--centering, breathing, Sun Salutations, postures (standing, balancing, twisting, frontfolding, backbending, inversions, and sitting), final relaxation, and sometimes meditation. The classical class structure is built on the ancient paradigm of yoga’s eight major components, or ‘limbs’, and throughout provides students the opportunity to yoke their practice with high-level awareness. Amrit and Sivananda yogas are two classical systems, and our classes that include ‘Hatha’ in their titles are Classical Yoga, too.
Happy Hour Yoga: A half-price class consisting of music, yoga postures, yoga movement, and fun. This is a healthy happy hour that sets the tone for a great weekend.
Vinyasa Yoga: Also known as ‘flow yoga,’ this style premiers one of the eight major components of yoga, the yoga posture itself. The posture is explored not through body/mind stillness and depth but, rather, through movement. In Vinyasa, postures are held for just a few breaths, and transitions between them are often yoga postures themselves. Vinyasa can range from gentle/slow to fitness-rigorous. Our morning Vinyasa classes move more slowly and engage less complex postures. It is recommended students be familiar with this style or know basic yoga postures before taking our Vinyasa classes.
Yang Yoga: Derived from various martial arts traditions as well as Vinyasa Yoga (see above), Yang Yoga sequences are imagistic, rooted in story, and are free-flowing in nature. Yang Yoga is designed to build muscle strength, endurance, and disciplined attention to mindful, often circular movement.
Yin Yoga: A class promoting a still body and mind. Floor postures are held for several minutes and target the body’s joints and connective tissue. Yin Yoga opens, strengthens, and provides relief to knees, hips, pelvis, shoulders, neck, and back, where our bodies take much stress. Yin is highly therapeutic and quiet in nature and attracts everyone from athletes to meditators. In the long span of time postures are held, the practitioner can take journeys following with breath, body sensation, mantra, and more. Erroneously referred to as Deep Stretch, Yin Yoga dives deep into the yin body to help it heal through improved energy flow.
Yin-Ha (Yin and Hatha): A blended class of Yin Yoga and Hatha Yoga. Half the class time is Yin and the other half Hatha.
Yin and Mini-Vini: A blended class of Yin and Vinyasa styles. While our other dual-style classes split the class time in half, visiting each style for half the time, in Yin and Mini-Vini, you will be moving from Yin to Vinyasa and back again the entire class; long-held Yin postures are followed by brief bursts of Vinyasa Yoga (see above). The result is heightened awareness about how, with repetition and discipline in our practice, we are able to quickly change our body’s chi (prana, life force), which brings great health.
Yin and Vinyasa (Vinyasa) Yoga: A class with half the time devoted to Vinyasa Yoga and the other half Yin Yoga (see above).
Yin and Yang Yoga: A class with half the time devoted to Yin Yoga and the other half Yang Yoga (see above).
Yinyasa Yoga: A class with half the time devoted to Yin Yoga and the other half Vinyasa Yoga.
Yoga Nidra: Guided, deep relaxation. Nidra means 'sleep,' and this practice is one of the most effective yet least explored yoga techniques for helping you renew yourself in body, mind, and heart. Different from unconscious sleep, Yoga Nidra helps you channel your mind and thus reprogram your life.
Other Classes, in rotation class series:
Aligned Vinyasa Yoga: This class teaches a soulful and heartfelt approach to toward a healthy yoking of the body, mind, breath, and spirit. This Vinyasa (see below) class moves more slowly than our other Vinyasa classes so that the profound natures of both anatomical alignment and energy anatomy alignment can be deeply felt.
Chakra Energy Yoga: While you work your body well--like in all of our classes--Chakra (‘spinning wheel’) Energy Yoga focuses on the value of some of yoga’s lesser-known benefits, one of which is the balancing the body’s prana, or the subtle energy of consciousness and universal connection that resides in us all. In this class, we take a multi-style approach to awaken, balance, and unify ourselves from head to foot by visiting the seven chakras that comprise the main centers of the body’s energy anatomy. Explore and feel the enormous effects of practicing yoga with attention to both your physical and subtle self.
Gentle Yoga and Guided Relaxation: Touch down and pamper yourself in this class that combines gentle movement, stretching, and postures and guided relaxation. Let your yoga be luxurious at times. This class will show you how.
Weekend Morning Sadhana: This class is for those who want a practice for the mind, body, and mental focus. ‘Sadhana’ means daily spiritual practice, and weekend mornings are a great day for that since sadhana will keep you present and appreciating the moment, not wishing it were Friday and not anticipating Monday and the coming week. WMS class consists of intentions, pranayama, mantra, meditation, sun salutations, and a variety of postures that promote tapas (energy and discipline) for strengthening both body and mind. Deep relaxation ends every class.
Yindalini Yoga: A fantastic blend of exotic Indian Yoga and therapeutic Chinese-inspired Yoga. Practice both movement of breath, body, and esoteric energy followed by stillness and stillness of body followed by movement.
Yinside Yoga: This class gives you a deep, mid-morning stretch and much quiet time for self-study and reflection. Equally great for those who have been up and running as well as those who are just starting their day, this class utilizes the technique of long-held Yin Yoga postures, which provides the greatest stretch available in yoga, and deeply guided relaxation: perfect for stilling our busy minds.
Yoga Mash-Up: Our most open-style class on the schedule, this is a true mash-up of postures and movement taken from the many styles offered at PLY. This class is co-creative, geared toward the benefit of switching it up, and is our most eclectic class offered. Great if you’re a seasoned yogi or a beginner who wants to explore many of our styles at PLY.
©2016 Merry Desk, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved.