Student Spotlight

Barb Killen

"I have only been doing hot yoga for one month, but I just have to give big "Thank You" for having such a great place that I can't wait to go back each time. I wish I had time every day, but for now I will take 3x/week. My running (used to do at least one half-marathon/year) has struggled over the last couple of years, coupled with what I thought were simply aging issues, my husband being deployed overseas last year, and then I was just diagnosed with hypothyroidism. So, there is a pill that will eventually help some of my health issues, but I can't tell you what the yoga has already done for me. I FEEL GOOD AGAIN! And I love listening to each and every teacher talk about the organs and how we work what with each move... I could go on and on about what your classes have done for me already, but I'll spare you as I could go on and on and on ... I will tell you this though, I am waking up rested and happy again and that means the world to me. I have so much ahead of me with my new venture in hot yoga, both internally and externally. So again, "Thank You" for what my first month has done for me. Blessings to all of you!"

Community Spotlight

Sara Jurgella, DC - Well Being Chiropractic

It is hard to succinctly state, in so many words, how yoga enhances my life. I have been practicing yoga for nearly ten years, and yoga has given me exactly what I have asked from it for all of these years. When I first started yoga, I stepped onto my mat in hopes of improving my flexibility after many years of running. As I continued my yoga practice, I began to depend on it as a way to help manage the stress that was continually mounting on me. When I became pregnant, I practiced yoga as a way to connect physically with my ever changing body, and to help prepare my body for the birth process. I now practice yoga 3 times a week (more if I'm lucky) as a form of moving meditation, as a way to connect with myself so that I can be a more present mother, wife, and chiropractor. Instead of practicing yoga for a specific end goal, I now try to practice yoga for the journey that it takes me on... and in doing so, I am able to accept what yoga wants to offer me on that particular day.

I opened Well Being Chiropractic with the intention of having a clinic that is accessible and welcoming to the community as a whole, a clinic that emphasizes the need to support local and sustainable efforts. We are an active member of Dane Buy Local, along with a supporter of Bicycle Benefits. Well Being Chiropractic is a clinic that strives to meet the individual needs of each patient in an honest, ethical and effective manner. Like yoga, my treatments are shaped to address the body as a whole, treating the musculoskeletal structures of the body, while also spending time addressing the patient's nutrition and lifestyle habits. Well Being Chiropractic is a modest and comfortable office located within The Center for Natural Medicine, a natural healing clinic in Middleton.

New Receptionist

Melissa Faulkner

Hi, I am Melissa Faulkner and I'm a new receptionist! I only work Friday and Saturday nights so you'll probably see me more in a class with you than behind the desk. I started practicing yoga about two years ago and never thought I would become such a yogi head! I have always been into running, swimming, biking- cardio busters like that - and I had judged yoga to be soft and boring. How wrong I was. Yoga is the best work out I have ever done and I am a full blown addict now! It is such a joy to work at a place that I love. Not only have I noticed a physical difference, but I am over all calmer and happier thanks to regular yoga.

I am a currently an undergrad at UW-Madison, originally from California's bay area. I am a marketing major so I love all things advertising and social media, and I tend to have my head buried in a computer the majority of the day. I consider myself a "foodie" and I love to try new dishes and cook. I'm going on my first European vacation this summer and plan on doing my fair share of eating, so if you have suggestions as to where the best gelato, crepes, and fettuccini are, please come find me at the studio! I love a good chat with a fellow yogi!

SVADHYAYA-READ YOUR BIBLE!

Svadhyaya, the fourth of the fifth niyamas is an observance of our spiritual center. The meaning is self study of sacred texts.

The Bhagavad Gita is considered one of the central yogic sacred texts, but why stop there. As the title says, read your Bible, or Koran, or Torah. There are so many! One could spend a lifetime of study. This practice leads us to a deeper level of spirituality within our yoga practice. We begin to understand ourselves at a deeper level and begin the true connection we are seeking to unify with the whole in our practice.

Yoga Medical News

Penetrating Postures: The Science of Yoga


Excerpt:

"Yoga also boosts levels of the feel-good brain chemicals like GABA, serotonin, and dopamine, which are responsible for feelings of relaxation and contentedness, and the way the brain processes rewards. All three neurotransmitters are the targets of various mood medications like antidepressants (e.g., SSRIs) and anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) drugs. The fact that yoga is linked to improved levels of these coveted chemicals is nothing to sneeze at."

1. From Warrior I, open the arms out, bringing the right arm in front of you and the left arm behind.
2. Open the left hip back.
3. Keep the right knee bent and the right thigh parallel to the floor.
4. Draw the belly in slightly.
5. Find the shoulders directly over the hips.
6. Reach out through both finger tips.
7. The gaze is forward over the right hand.
8. Engage the triceps to support the arms, and the quadriceps to support the legs.
9. Repeat on the left side.