Have you seen our new 

website yet? Click the image below to check it out!

ECLECTIC VINYASA 

 WITH LIZ DOYLE

Mon & Wed at 9:30 a.m.

Variety is the operative word in these classes. Informed by multiple styles of yoga, these classes offer the opportunity to explore many unusual poses and transitions. The rhythm of these classes will vary to offer the body the benefits of intensity in all it's forms- from slow and rhythmic to high/low intensity intervals to a consistent faster pace. 

 These classes will stretch you mentally and physically- all while having FUN!

HATHA FLOW WITH HEATHER RAIKES

Hatha Flow is a foundational flow-based yoga class suitable for any stage of practice - from first time/beginner to intermediate/advanced.

Primary emphasis is placed on cultivating flow within the body and mind that supports a deep, dynamic engagement with basic yoga postures. Secondary emphasis is placed on powerful principles of alignment that awaken and unleash the transformative potential of yoga.

Hatha Flow works every part of the body through sequences that are both rigorous and restorative. The word "Hatha" describes a union of opposites - "ha" meaning "sun" (exertion) and "tha" meaning "moon" (restoration). The sequences are practiced in a heated studio, which helps to fully open the body and engage the mind through conscious breath. Hatha Flow classes help to build a strong foundation for developing yoga practices - and challenge and nourish yoga practitioners of all levels through intelligent, inspiring flow.

PRANAYAMA WORKSHOP WITH ALI VALDEZ

When: Sat, May 26, 1-3 p.m.

Price: $35

Often times in class we are guided to use our breath as a tool for our practice. This two hour workshop will explain why pranayama matters, techniques to activate greater control of the body on every level, bringing relaxation to the body, stillness to the mind, and a general feeling of well-being. Combining discussion with a pranayama-based vinyasa sequence designed to show the results of intentional breathing in your practice, Ali focuses on the koshas, nadis & subtle energy body helping you truly build your practice from the inside out. 
 

Ali Valdez is a well-known yoga instructor in the Pacific Northwest, and also runs one of the top teacher training programs in the country through sattvayogaonline.com and will be co-leading the Terra Yoga 2013 Teacher Training in Brazil. Ali has spent extensive time in SE Asia honing meditation and breathing techniques and has studied yoga all over the world. She is one of a few US instructors trained in the Tripsichore method with Edward Clark in London and certified at the 500-hour advanced teaching level with the founder of Universal Yoga, Andrey Lappa.  

Are you a student who would like to practice yoga on a regular basis but cannot afford it? Terra Yoga offers several KARMA YOGA opportunities for sincere students.

The following are some areas where we may be open to work trades:

- washing mats and straps

- cleaning the studio

- front desk work

- neighborhood flyer distribution

If you are interested in becoming a karma yogi or yogini, please send us an email.

Exchanges work best when students have practiced at Terra Yoga and know the value of what we offer. Please be sensitive to the fact that we often cannot offer work exchanges to all who may be interested.

Our first 40-Day Challenge led by Ali Valdez ended in mid-February and its participants (including Ali and myself) are still in awe of the strong impact the program has had in our lives. We had offered successful 40-day challenges at Terra Yoga before which were based on Power Yoga guru Baron Baptiste's book "40 Days to Personal Revolution."  However, when the time came to offer this program again, Ali and I felt that it was time to break away from the original program and develop our own content. As Ali pointed out in her latest article on shelovesmagazine.com (in which she describes her own experience with our recent 40-Day Challenge), she felt the original program gives a boost but lacks a sense of destiny -- and I totally agree. So Ali developed content exclusively for Terra Yoga that went above and beyond what we had done before. The results were amazing!

How did the 40-Day Challenge impact me personally? I'm a seasoned yogini and I already practice asana and meditation on a regular basis. I had already experienced forty consecutive days of yoga and meditation before so I knew what to expect in that regard. Additionally, I had already participated in Baron Baptiste's version of the program multiple times. So I thought I'd go with the flow and enjoy the ride. My initial goal in participating was simply to support and be present for the students who signed up for the program. Well, I was in for a big surprise...

Week I didn't bring that many changes to my life style. We had to watch what we ate, explore our eating habits and cravings, and focus on the physical body. I've been practicing mindful eating for years as part of my yogic regimen. So I focused on supporting those who were having a hard time giving up items such as coffee, wine and sweets for 40 days.

Then came week II and we had to deal with our emotional body. Now THAT was another story. Our homework was to dig deep into our pasts and look for memories and situations that could point us in the direction of recurring conditions and emotional stresses that may have led us to develop certain coping mechanisms or form unwanted habits that do not serve us. Journaling is a vital component in most yoga teacher trainings -- it is part of getting to know one's true self-essence. However, as used to journaling as I was, that homework was one of the most challenging things I've even done. I was in tears by the time I was done. Not only that, but I simply lost it and had a temper tantrum a few hours later. I was not alone. This was a difficult week for many of the participants. What was so amazing about the whole experience is that we all came together and supported each other. It was wonderful to come to class and talk about my experiences with other members of our Team 40 and vice-versa -- not just as teacher to students, but as peers on a journey of self-discovery and transformation.

Week III was all about the senses of smell, taste, hearing, sight and touch and how our sensory awareness affects the way our minds see and experience the world. Here is the important thing I realized about myself by doing this experiment: I'm very mindful about what I put in my mouth and on my skin, but I tend to overload my visual and auditory senses just before bedtime by getting on my computer -- and that impacts the quality of my sleep. So I vowed to have quiet evenings with no external stimulation of any kind at least two hours prior to bed time. No more checking my emails and Facebook once I get home from teaching an evening class. What I found out is that I sleep much better -- and I'm more productive the next day -- when I avoid those types of stimuli altogether in the evening and replace them with candle light and Yoga Nidra.

Due to the fact that I have a science background, Week IV was right up my alley: it was about making a rational assessment of our progress up until that point and deciding which of the choices we made during the 40-Day Challenge we were interested in exploring beyond the scope of the program. Having dealt with the physical body, a torrent of different emotions, and sensory deprivation, we were ready to devise a plan with logical steps to transform our lives on a more permanent basis. This was a fantastic exercise that put into perspective the hard work we had done in previous weeks and demonstrated the effectiveness of the program. We weren't in this just for the duration of the 40 days -- this was an active transformation for life. I could already see the permanent changes in every single one of the participants, including myself.

Week V was all about finding balance, unity and bliss. There was no homework and everyone was feeling "blissed out" and deeply connected by then. That was supposed to be our last week together as Team 40. However, we decided to extend the program and have a potluck dinner at one of the participant's house a week later. We had an amazing spread of delicious, nurturing Sattvic foods, shared our healthy recipes with each other, meditated together, and we each wrote a letter to ourselves that will be mailed to us by Ali at some unknown point in the future. It was a truly magical evening. What was supposed to be the end of the program, became the beginning of a new way of being for all of us.

I took many precious gems from this unique experience. Above all, was my realization that we are all interconnected. As human beings, we all need love and affection. We are social beings who need interaction. When we take the time to get to know our true self-essence, we begin to also see some of that same essence in others. A few weeks after the completion of the program, I took a weekend intensive workshop with the inspirational Sarah Powers, whose words quoted below remind me of the durable friendships the participants of our 40-Day Challenge developed with each other and how at home we all feel when we come back to practice together at Terra Yoga:  

"We may sit with a partner, and practice mindfulness together, sharing our moment to moment experience out loud. From this, a kind of shared humanity develops where we realize that what tends to separate us can also be what bonds us in the human predicament. This brings up a quality of connection and humility that help us forge pathways to a better understanding of ourselves and each other." 

Carina Terra