TREASURES

CHAIR YOGA is a gentle form of yoga promoting relaxation and proper breathing techniques, and is designed for all levels of fitness.

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED: "Straight-backed armless chair, belt or strap & a container of drinking water on hand!"

*NOTE: PLEASE....WEAR COMFORTABLE CLOTHES AND A SMILE!

Those who may have suffered injuries, are overweight,or have limited range of motion due to aging or disabilities can benefit. It is also beneficial for those with many health issues including hypertension, insomnia, neck and back pain, anxiety,depression, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

These “Chair Yoga” positions (asanas) can help stretch your hands,wrists, arms, upper back, hips, low back and feet. These Yoga exercises will strengthen your abdomen, deepen your breath, lower high blood pressure,can eliminate stress with meditation techniques promoting relaxation and may reduce the probability of blood-clot formation in your blood vessels.

“Exercise helps the body process and excrete adrenaline and cortisol,two chemicals the adrenal gland creates when the body is under stress. And it stimulates the pituitary gland and hypothalamus to create those feel-good peptides we fondly call endorphins. Endorphins reduce pain and induce a sense of well-being.”-

You can also perform these exercises in your office, in an airplane seat, in your home or.... anywhere else!

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I have been so grateful for your choice to practice my "Carol's Gentle Hatha Yoga" classes with me. My goal is to bring you the very best that Yoga has to offer through my diversity of gentle styles, Asanas, levels of classes and knowledge sharing of yoga philosophy.

I aim to provide each individual the opportunity to develop their unique potential by enhancing their body, mind, and spirit. My Studio and Home is a place for growth, and I hope to spread the word about my studio to reach more like-minded people with that same goal in mind.

Use my free library of videos to take some classes with me. Thank-you for practicing with me!

Namaste ॐ

CLASS VIDEO RECORDINGS

Namaste is a Sanskrit greeting meaning:

"I see the Divine in you as a mirror of the Divine in myself."

We use this greeting in class at the beginning and end. It is included in a practice called the "Heart Salutation." Sit or stand across from your partner or instructor. Bring your hands together in the prayer position pointed towards the Earth. Inhale as you raise your hands to your heart. With a soft gaze and an open heart, look into each other's eyes. Bow as you exhale, looking into your instructor's or partner's eyes and either say aloud or silently.... acknowledge the Divine in them as a mirror of the Divine in yourself. Inhale back to your starting position. Exhale your hands back to the Earth.

As you move through your day, look into people's eyes and say, "Namaste", either aloud or silently. See if you can experience the "Divine within them." This practice can also be done with animals, trees, rocks, mountains or anything else, as we are all Divine Consciousness in form.

Notice how this practice makes you feel??? ....connected, alive, silly, alone or present?

1. Instead of one long practice, try 2-3 minute mini practice portals that you can weave throughout your day. You can set the timer on your phone to remind you when to practice. When you do have a few minutes of space to practice, notice how resistance to resting or practicing may show up. Be aware of what you feel called to do instead. Is it nurturing, supportive, or healing? Is your default mode moving you toward healing or toward distraction and staying stuck?

2. Use your least favorite chore as a portal to practice. Chant, sing, or follow your breath while washing dishes, doing your taxes, doing laundry, or mopping the floor. Use your resistance as a way to turn the mundane into the sacred. Any song or affirmation that is offered with devotion will work.

3. Leave a small space in your home—a chair, your yoga mat, a corner of a room, a closet, or even your car—set up and ready for your practice. Begin to see every seat as a potential meditation seat or yoga nidra nest.

4. Acknowledge your obstacles. Let go of being surprised and frustrated when they show up. Observe the barriers to practice that arise and the obstacles that you place in your own way. Be aware of which patterns keep showing up. How can you shift something to create a new outcome?

5. Decide what you are willing to commit to.

6. Connect to the desire in your heart to deepen your practice and let that be what guides you. Even when you feel like you cannot “do” a single thing, connecting to that longing with a sense of gratitude that the fire is burning within you will support you. Connect to it with gratitude, as opposed to despair and disappointment that the desire has not yet been fulfilled know that you are moving toward it. Connect with your faith that things can change. Remember the cycles of nature where nothing is permanent. There is a season for everything.

7. Be creative. Look for the pauses, transitions, spaciousness, and silence. The day is full of natural transitions: sunrise, high noon, sunset, moon-rise. Use these natural transitions to remind you to pause. When you pause, you create a natural void, so place a mantra, an affirmation, a bible verse, or a blessing for yourself in that space to empower yourself. These are the little Nidra moments that will change your relationship to the practice.

NOTE: Adapted from Radiant Rest: Yoga Nidra for Deep Relaxation and Awakened Clarity by Tracee Stanley © 2021 by Tracee Stanley. Reprinted in arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Inc. Boulder, CO.

1.Increase Flexibility

2.Strengthens Muscles

3.Improves Balance

4.Improves Immune Function

5.Improve Posture

6.Improve Lung Function

7.Leads to Slower and Deeper Breathing

8.Discourages Mouth Breathing

9.Increase Oxygenation of Tissues

10.Improves Joint Health

11.Nourishes Intervetebral Disks

12.Improves Return of Venous Blood

13.Increase Circulation of Lymph

14.Increase Circulation of Feet

15.Improve Proprioception

16.Increase Control of Bodily Function

17.Strengthens Bones

18.Conditions the Cardiovascular System

19.Promotes Weight Loss

20.Relaxes the Nervous Systems

21.Improve the Function of the Nervous System

22.Improve Brain Function

23.Activate the Left Prefrontal Cortex

24.Changes the Neurotransmitter Levels

25.Lower Blood Sugar

26.Lowers Blood Pressure

27.Lower Levels of Stress Hormone Cortisol

28.Improves Levels of Cholesterol and Triglycerides

29.Thins the Blood

30.Improves Bowel Function

31.Release Unconscious Muscular Gripping

32.Uses Imagery to Effect Change in the Body

33.Relieve Pain

34.Lowers Needs for Medication

35.Fosters Healing Relationships

36.Improves Psychological Health

37.Leads to Healthier Habits

38.Fosters Spiritual Growth

39.Elicits the Placebo Effects

40.Encourages Involvement in Your Own Healing

Yoga as Medicine by Timothy McCall, M.D.

PARTNER YOGA is a unique physical and spiritual practice which combines powerful techniques and exercises from yoga, dance and martial arts. And can be a fun way to connect with others!

Partner Yoga use various movements and poses (asanas) to focus the mind and increase strength, stamina and flexibility. The physical poses are combined with potent breathing techniques (prananyams) which help release tension and promote the free flow of subtle energies (prana). All Partner Yoga exercises use the buddy system to dissolve tension and establish a natural state of harmony in body, mind, emotion, and spirit.

In Partner Yoga, much attention has been given to the importance of touch… and intimacy. Touch is seen as a basic human need that, in our modern busy lifestyle, is generally not satisfied. Partner Yoga offers a system that treats touch and intimacy as integral parts of our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Remember how good a HUG feels? In poses and exercises, partners rely on each other's support to keep correct body alignment, balance, and concentration. In a deeper sense, this physical support fosters deeper feelings of nurture and acceptance. When you feel safe and supported you develop the courage to trust others and the strength to confront your fears and ... embrace your true self.

Partner Yoga can be practiced by anyone. Partner Yoga offers something unique to couples, parents and kids, and friends.

For couples, practicing Partner Yoga is a great way to strengthen the relationship by fortifying trust and communication and/or deepening intimacy.

It is also a wonderful activity for parents and kids to share. Partner Yoga postures like the "Cat/Cow" and the "Downward Facing Dog" are a fun and creative ways for us to learn about the body and the importance of physical exercise.

Friends can use Partner Yoga to help each other stay Motivated and committed to their wellness plan. Practicing yoga with a partner is uplifting and inspiring, and helps raise both people to new heights.

The movements and poses in Partner Yoga require 100% participation from two people. Some poses challenge your balance, strength and flexibility others require your total trust and surrender. Each exercise and breathing technique uses the power of the partner dynamic to achieve more than one person could alone.

From creative exercise to profound spiritual work, Partner Yoga delivers a diverse range of benefits to a wide array of people. My well rounded workshop requires no special equipment and once learned can be done in any open space (your living room, gym, or park). So, grab a partner and take a trek into the new frontier called “Partner Yoga.” ”Partner/Buddy Yoga” is ultimately… A Journey Back to your True Self!

CONTACT CAROL

Carol's Gentle Yoga & Art

Chair and Mat Yoga for All Ages!

Gifts from Bright Feather

Chair Yoga

Something Good

The word "Namaste"

7 Rituals to Transform Your
Day Into a Sacred
Householder’s Flow

40 Ways Yoga Heals:

Partner Yoga

Carol's Gentle Yoga and Art

ARIZONA | MEXICO