February Workshops + Events at Parallel Yoga

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Yogis–can you even BELIEVE it’s February?!

Seriously.

But guess what? We have the BEST workshops lined up for you this month! Honestly. Check ‘em out:

Acro Yoga with Stef

  • Date: Saturday, Feb 3rd
  • Time: 11:45am – 1:00pm
  • Cost: $10 plus GST

New to Acro? Never heard of Acro? A bit nervous to try? Not to worry! These classes are for all levels and will teach you the techniques and skills you need to fly, base and spot confidently and safely.

Have experience with Acro Yoga? Great!

Come on out and have some fun. In this adult-oriented class (14+), you will have the opportunity to play and practice while building new skills and techniques, so whether you are new or have experience, you will be given options to propel you further along your journey.

Office Yoga with Guest Teacher

  • Date: Saturday Feb. 3
  • Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
  • Cost: $35 plus GST

Do you sit for hours day at a workstation or desk? Do you feel sore in lower back, have a stiff neck and tight shoulders?

We have all heard that sitting for many hours is now considered the new smoking. Sitting for long periods can increase risk of heart disease, diabetes and many other health problems. It also causes fatigue, brain fog and improper posture.

Our bodies are meant to move, not sit for many hours a day!

You will learn how to use your breath to increase oxygenation that assists in reducing stress, to ease anxiety, and boost your mood. We will incorporate yoga poses to release tension, stretch and encourage proper posture while sitting on a chair, as well as learning how to use your desk as a prop to increase strength, blood flow and energize you throughout the workday.

You will be able to take this practice and incorporate it into your daily workday routine at your workstation or home office.

*This is a 2-hour workshop.

Restorative Yoga for Sleep with Sarah

  • Date: Saturday Feb. 3
  • Time: 6:00pm – 8:30pm
  • Cost: $49 plus GST

Come enjoy a deep relaxation restorative yoga practice and learn:

  • The restorative poses that set your body up to sleep soundly through the night
  • How to quiet your mind for a more peaceful sleep, night after night
  • The science of how to improve the quality of your sleep
  • How to enjoy ‘deep rest’ any time you need it

Led by Sarah Domes, yoga teacher and sleep coach, this workshop builds upon the previous Yoga for Sleep working and is designed for both new and returning participants.

Meditation Teacher Training with Colynn

  • Start date: Friday Feb. 9
  • Time: 5:00pm – 9:00pm
  • Course cost: $695 plus GST

This 50-hour training offers you the tools to skillfully instruct students through guided meditation and pranayama. Completing the training offers Continuing Education hours towards Yoga Alliance, as well as a certificate.

The course is set up to introduce students to several different types of meditations and pranayama, as well as delve into the chakras, learn to script meditation and pranayama into a regular yoga class and review the business and sales of meditation and breath work as workshops, full classes or in your own business. Includes home-study hours as homework and required reading.

More dates and times: February 9 and 16 6pm-9pm; February 10, 11, 17 and 18 12pm-8pm

This course offers 40 contact hours and 10 non-contact hours for the full 50 hours CEU

Introduction to Meditation with Colynn

  • Date: Saturday Feb. 10
  • Time: 12:00pm – 4:00pm
  • Cost: $50 plus GST

This workshop is taking place during a teacher training. It’s open to students and teachers that are not looking for a full certification, but rather a shorter introduction to the practice.

This 4-hour teaching opportunity informs participants of the benefits of meditation, how to set up your own practice, as well as introduces a variety of meditations.

Introduction to the Chakras with Colynn

  • Date: Sunday Feb. 11
  • Time: 12:00pm – 4:00pm
  • Cost: $50 plus GST

This is not the ordinary Intro to the Chakras Workshop, this one is a little more in depth. It is part of a teacher training and is open to those that do not want certification in meditation, but want to know more about the Chakras.

This 4-hour workshop introduces the chakras, the physical, spiritual, and psychological aspects that they govern, the anatomy of, mudras for, and much more. A discussion is generated around the chakras and imbalances, and the class ends with a chakra balancing meditation!

Introduction to Pranayama with Colynn

  • Date: Saturday Feb. 17
  • Time: 12:00pm – 4:00pm
  • Cost: $50 plus GST

This workshop takes place during a teacher training, but is open to teachers and students not interested in taking the full certification. This 4-hour class starts with a restorative breath practice, to connect the student with their breath and how it feels in their body.

There is a brief intro to the anatomy of the breath and the benefits of pranayama with a discussion, followed by several different techniques of pranayama and class ends with a meditation.

Silent Meditation Experience with Colynn

  • Date: Saturday Feb. 17
  • Time: 5:00pm – 8:00pm
  • Cost: $50 plus GST

This workshop is taking place during a teacher training and is offered for students or teachers not interested in the full certification, but wanting to experience an afternoon of the most interesting meditation techniques.

This 3-hour workshop introduces the participants to 3 different types of silent meditation, that will help you to unwind & let go of tension. Most of the experience requires silence from the student, followed by a half hour discussion of the effects of the practice. Guaranteed you will leave feeling like a new person.

*Please inform studio of any food allergies on registration

Restorative Yoga Teacher Training with Sarah

  • Date: Friday Feb. 23
  • Time: 6:00pm – 9:00pm
  • Cost: $299 plus GST

Open to current yoga teachers, wellness therapists, and other individuals look to deepen their own practice, this Restorative Yoga Teacher Training is sure to give you the tools you need to teach restorative classes and in private sessions in a meaningful way.

Taught by Sleep coach at registered yoga teacher, Sarah Domes, this course is either taken over the weekend or in separate 3-hour modules that pique your interest.

The curriculum will cover:

  • Grounding and Personal Practice
  • Props and Postures
  • Deepening Relaxation
  • Meditation and Mindfulness
  • Teaching and Integration

*15 YA CECs

If you’d like to register for any of the classes, you can do so online, in-studio, or over the phone.

ALSO: we’re running an Instagram contest this month, guys–a 28 day InstaChallenge! Here are the details:

  1. Practice yoga once a day, in the studio or at home, for at least 20 minutes.
  2. Post on IG, tag us, and use hashtags #parallelyoga and #pyinstachallenge.
  3. Comment on our daily posts starting today (February 1) with a simple “done.”

Open to local residents, only! Each comment and hashtag will count as one entry. The winner will receive lots of awesome yogi stuff! See our Instagram wall to find out exactly what the prizes are.

Good luck!

 

 

Spring Equinox, Yoga, and Balance

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We welcome March with open arms, and are truly excited for Spring Equinox! Although temperatures are still cool, the earth’s soil is erupting with life and the birds are singing a new song. It’s nature’s time of cleansing, starting fresh, and finding an equal balance within—not just in our physical surroundings, but within our hearts and souls, as well.

It’s common over the winter (and not just for animals) to feel inclined to hibernate. The early darkness and cold air makes it easy to stay indoors and get cozy. This is Mother Nature’s way of letting us know that it’s time to slow down and rest for a while.

During this time, life tends to feel unbalanced in many ways. With limited exposure to sunlight and a typical cutback in physical activity, our bodies and minds can take an emotional and physical hit of sorts.

Naturally, after some time, we begin to feel ready to get back outside and take in deep breaths of warm sunlight. How sweet it is to step outside, stretch your arms towards the sky and let the sun beam down on your face!

Spring Equinox

Spring Equinox for the northern hemisphere takes place on March 20th, when the earth’s two hemispheres unite with equal amount of darkness and light (night and day). This creates a true moment of balance and the dawning of spring, which many of us regard as hope for new beginnings and a fresh start.

Embrace this moment to find your own balance alongside the earth’s. What kind of balance are you looking for or think you may need?

spring equinox balance

Physical Balance

Physically speaking, achieving proper balance isn’t just necessary for standing on two feet, but for all things we enjoy doing again as spring sets in. (Riding a bike, hiking, walking, paddling, swimming and so on.) These activities will help improve your overall well-being and can help prevent you from illness or getting hurt.

Finding balance comes from within and radiates to the outside of oneself, and can be easily achieved through practicing yoga and these three simple rules:

  • Breathing comes first as it is the bridge between your mind and body, and must be established before holding a steady pose. Holding your breath causes tension and makes you shaky in your stance.
  • Focus. Practice focused gazing (Drishti) by finding an object within a few feet and steady your focus towards it for balance. Keep breathing.
  • Finally, plant your feet with even weight and press down on the outer edges.

Emotional and Spiritual Balance

To many religions dating back thousands of years, Spring Equinox is regarded as a spiritual gift from the atmosphere. The energies received from the balance of darkness and light truly reflect in our emotional well-being and peace within. The same energies can be further driven through practicing yoga and meditation where your intent is on cultivating a healthy and balanced emotional setting within your soul.

At Parallel Yoga, we’ll be celebrating Spring Equinox on March 20th with open hearts! It also happens to be our very own Kara’s 40th birthday that day—a new decade to be welcomed with hope, joy, thankfulness, and gratitude.

Join us at the studio to balance your mind and body with the beginning of a new season, and please visit our website to learn about our classes and schedules.

Happy Spring Equinox from Parallel Yoga.

Namaste.

 

 

 

 

 

Yoga for Heart Health

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Channel your energy and consciously shift your focus towards promoting good heart health.

Too many of us are allowing stress, anxiety, poor diets and lack of physical activity affect our lives—all of which are key contributors to heart disease and stroke (currently affecting 1.6 million Canadians).

The good news is that we can make conscious decisions and simple lifestyle changes to avoid such damage. Mindful breathing techniques, intentional movement, and meditation are 3 simple ways that one can help promote good heart health. Yoga actually encompasses all three of these recommendations, as well as encouraging self-love (the most important kind of love). Also? It’s suitable for anyone, at any skill level.

Here’s our summary of the three ways yoga directly contributes to good heart health:

Movement

Yoga is built on the foundation of intentional movement, which is very important for good heart health. The various poses and postures help to stretch, strengthen, and tone your muscles. You establish balance and stability while improving circulation and reducing inflammation.

Studies have shown that people who practice yoga combined with other forms of movement are more likely to stick to their exercise routine.

Breath

Yoga includes dedicated time for meditation and breathing techniques. Focusing on slow, deep breaths activates our parasympathetic nervous system and induces a state of relaxation, which helps to release stress or anxiety that has been harboured deep within body. As you enter a state of quiet calmness, your blood pressure lowers and your heart rate settles into a peaceful rhythm.

Hatha is a popular form of yoga we practice which is great for beginners–it’s a more gentle and slow form. Hatha would also be recommended for anyone recovering from a heart condition as part of a rehabilitation and strengthening program. But we don’t just practice hatha here at Parallel Yoga–see HERE for the complete list of classes we offer.

Stillness

Most yoga classes end with a few minutes of meditation, often done through a pose called Savasana, which entails lying flat on your back with your eyes closed. Meditation quiets the nervous system and eases stress and anxiety or depression—all contributors to serious cardiovascular diseases.

Feel calm and at peace by quieting your mind and creating a stress-free environment, letting your body work for you, instead of against. Be one with every single beat of your heart and every single breath you take.

For your mind, heart, body and soul, explore the benefits of yoga. Your risk of heart disease and stroke can to be avoided, and we want to help spread that message. If you want to learn more about how you can improve your heart health, visit the website for the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation.

For our class schedule or to learn more about the benefits of yoga, please feel free to visit our website or call our studio. With all our hearts, we welcome you home.

Namaste. xo

Bump to Baby: Taking Comfort in Prenatal Yoga

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Pregnancy can easily be named the greatest gift of a lifetime for an expectant mother, but with pregnancy comes that lengthy and sometimes overwhelming list of things to prepare for before the baby arrives. Nine months can seem like a long time to get ready (especially in those first few months), but trust us, it will go fast! Our best advice to you, for the sake of yours and your baby’s health and well-being, is to just slow down.

Take the time to find comfort and relaxation with your growing bump—try prenatal yoga! Expectant moms all over the globe find comfort in prenatal yoga, and here’s why:

Increases Strength and Flexibility

A common question we get at the studio from an expectant mother is, “I’ve never done yoga before; is that okay?” The answer is YES. You do not need to be an experienced ‘yogi’ when it comes to prenatal yoga. With very little impact on your joints, you can expect to tone your muscles, improve your balance and promote healthy circulation, all the while supporting the process of your growing baby bump.

Promotes Peace of Mind

One of the first things you’ll learn to do in a prenatal yoga class is to breathe—fully. This form of breathing is known as ujjayi breath.

Breathing very slowly and concentrating on each breath involves calmly inhaling through the nose and filling your lungs as your belly and chest expand. Then, gently release that exhale as your stomach compresses and your heart rate settles into a peaceful and calm rhythm.

Breathing fully promotes almost instant relaxation and peace of mind which will be very useful throughout pregnancy, during labour and delivery, and even into motherhood—those cute kiddies can be frustrating at times!

Many studies have concluded that a happy pregnancy equals a happy baby, and that makes perfect to us.

Allows Early Connection with the Baby

During prenatal yoga, you’ll find yourself in a natural state of self awareness, paying close attention to all the sensations in your body, including your thoughts and emotions. Don’t be surprised if you feel those first little fluttering taps in your tummy during a prenatal yoga class.

What a wonderful way to bond with your growing baby and feel an early connection!

Prepares you for Labour and Delivery

When it comes to labour and delivery, everyone has a unique story and there is no way to guarantee equal experiences. Through prenatal yoga, you’ll be naturally trained to stay calm when you need it the most. You’ll be well prepared to trust your body and allow the process to happen as it should.

Aside from being prepared mentally, your body will also be toned physically in the pelvic floor, hips and abdominal core muscles which will assist in the birthing process. The breathing techniques taught in yoga will significantly help you manage or reduce pain during contractions, too.

Once you’ve been given the go ahead from your doctor, we would love to welcome you and your baby bump to our studio. From 4 weeks to 40, our trained instructors will provide you with an amazing journey throughout your pregnancy. To preregister or to learn more about the benefits of prenatal yoga, we encourage you to email or call us at (604) 746-4070.

Namaste.

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