2023 Class Descriptions

Fundamentals

This 4-session series is specially designed for beginners. You will learn the foundations of Iyengar yoga to help you build strength and flexibility and relieve stress. Designed for total beginners and students who want a better understanding of the foundational poses of Iyengar yoga. Each 75-minute session will build upon the prior class in a progressive manner.  You will get the most out of the classes if you attend the entire series. Upon completion of the series, you will be prepared to enter Level I classes. All body types and abilities are welcome.

Foundations

For newbies with no or little experience doing Iyengar Yoga. Every glorious home is built on a strong foundation, right? The foundation of your yoga practice will be built on standing poses. In this class, students build their strength and stamina by developing basic confidence with standing poses. This class is excellent for people who have taken our yoga fundamentals series, or who are preparing to take it. It will be geared to people who are newer to developing body awareness or using props.

Level 1

For beginners with some experience doing Iyengar Yoga. The foundation of Iyengar Yoga is experienced through standing poses, preparations for shoulderstand and other fundamental poses. In this class, students build their strength and stamina and develop their basic repertoire of yoga poses.

Level 1/2

For experienced beginners with experience doing Iyengar Yoga. The foundation of the method is continued through standing poses, shoulderstand and introduction to headstand, forward extensions, twists, backbends and restorative poses. In this class, students build their strength and stamina, expand their repertoire of yoga poses and get introduced to yoga philosophy.

Level 2

For those with Iyengar yoga experience: students should be well practiced in Level 1 postures, including shoulderstand and headstand. Classes focus on refining basic postures and introducing new poses including handstand, backbends and pranayama. Students develop their inversions and learn more about how to structure a home practice. It is most appropriate for students who regularly attend Level 1 or 1/2 classes and have studied with a certified Iyengar teacher consistently for a minimum of 1 year.

Level 3

For sincere yoga practitioners with at least three years of consistent study with a Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor (CIYT). This class assumes a thorough understanding of all basic poses, including their Sanskrit names, and a regular personal practice of inversions including headstand and shoulderstand. Level 3 integrates classical intermediate poses: all inversions and their variations, padmasana and its variations, pranayama and philosophy.  This class is appropriate if you can do Salamba Sirsasana for 5-10 minutes with variations and Salamba Sarvangasana for 10-15 minutes with variations – and know the alternatives when these poses are not appropriate for you.  This class is for students who have developed understanding of how to work with their own body’s needs, regularly attend Level 2 classes and have studied consistently with a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher for a minimum of 3 years.

Level 4

For sincere and experienced students of Iyengar Yoga. It is appropriate for students who consistently attend Level 3 classes with a Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor (CIYT) and have studied consistently with a Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor for a minimum of 5 years.  Students in these classes have a regular home practice where they develop the strength, stamina and experience to do poses from”the back of the book”.  This class is appropriate if you can do Sirsasana for a minimum of 10 minutes with variations, Salamba Sarvangasana for 15 minutes with variations and push up into Urdhva Dhanurasana at least 12-15 times on your own – and know the alternatives when these poses are not appropriate for you.

Yoga for Wellness

A gentle yoga class focused on cultivating wellness in body, mind, and spirit. This class is appropriate for beginners, those with chronic pain, injuries or other common conditions, and students of all levels who need more individualized attention or a moderately paced class. Each class will address specific parts of the body to relieve pain, gain flexibility and develop strength and stability through a combination of active and restorative poses.

Yoga For Self Care

This class empowers students by guiding them to develop a well-rounded yoga practice for their own well-being. You will learn to use asana and pranayama practice to take care of your body and mind.

Each week will have a different focus such as knees, backs, hips, fatigue or depression. Appropriate for seniors who want to be in-person.

Yoga For Seniors

Gentle Yoga for Seniors:  For mature adults who want to build strength, improve balance and coordination, while relieving stress. This class is appropriate for beginners, and those who have past or current experience with yoga. It includes basic standing, seated, and supine asanas (postures), especially those that support the immune system and lung function. This is a slower paced class that encourages students to work within the parameters of their own abilities and limitations.

Active Yoga for Seniors: For mature, active adults with recent yoga experience who want to build strength, balance and agility that will help them to age gracefully, as well as deal with common health issues and stress. In addition to standing and seated postures, this well-paced class also covers, twists, simple back extensions and basic inversions. The combination of yoga asana (postures), mindfulness and breathing bring health and stamina to the body and peace to the mind.

Yoga for Bone Health:   

Yoga for Healthy Aging

It is designed for those whose injuries and limitations make it necessary to practice slowly and with focus. This class teaches students how to help themselves using the healing benefits of asana as their tool. For example, it offers techniques for joint support, muscular strength, balance maintenance, and injury prevention to help us as we age.

Happy Hour

During this hour of yoga we will do poses to create space in your mind and help release tension in the body:  active to restorative.

This an opportunity for your body and nervous system to let go of tightness and transition into the weekend so that you can find a state of rest and relaxation.

This is great class for beginners. You will learn to follow the breath and use all kinds of poses to find space in your body and mind.

This class does not generally do inversions, though we will enjoy setubanda sarvangasana (supported bridge pose)

Community Class

An all-levels class offered at a rate of sliding scale of $8, $12 or $18.  Or use the membership or class pass you already have.

We offer sliding scale in the spirit of equity and accessibility while inviting you to to supporting our teachers and studio. If you can pay more, please do so.  This allows us to continue offering yoga to a large and diverse array of community members. We recognize that the lower end of our pricing may still feel out of reach, or you may want to take classes beyond the Community Classes.  We have a special fund to provide this type of support. Contact support@adelineyoga.com for more info.

Easy Pace

A gentle yoga class good for beginners and students desiring a moderately paced class. If you have nagging injuries, chronic conditions or specific individual needs, this is a good class for you. Find personalized attention with creative modifications and prop use from a certified yoga teacher. Includes active and restorative poses, and basic breathing techniques.

Restorative

Intended for rejuvenation via supported postures that soothe the nervous system and alleviate chronic tension.

Pranayama

Breath awareness classes offered regularly in a series format. See the current schedule for upcoming dates.

Community Meditation

This is your opportunity to explore meditative practices within the eight limbed yoga tradition. Meditation, or dhyana, is the steadying of the mind and heart to experience the space and peace inside ourselves. Mediation has many benefits: it can help bring greater clarity, purpose, and well-being into your life. In this class, asana and pranayama will be taught to prepare for meditation. After instructions are offered, we will sit for silent meditation. Each session will close with community discussion focused on the theme of the class.

Back Care

This class moves more slowly than general classes and offers a step-by-step approach to relieving and preventing back pain. It is recommended for those who are new to yoga, new to working with back issues through yoga or those who prefer to move at a slower pace.  Appropriate for people with muscle strain, disc herniation, scoliosis, and both lower and upper back/neck conditions.

Led Practice