Ageless Yogis w/ Glenda on ZOOM
Start your yoga practice in September
8 Classes Tuesday and Thursday @ 11am
$65
Glenda is taking her Ageless Yogis Class to YOU! Join her for a month of yoga from the convenience of your own home.
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Ageless Yogis w/ Glenda on ZOOM September 2021
Posted by Brett- 0 Comments
BrettI am Glenda's husband. Together we own VitaZen and The Centre at VitaZen.User is currently offlineJun 23 -
September Yoga Sessions
Posted by Brett- 0 CommentsBrettI am Glenda's husband. Together we own VitaZen and The Centre at VitaZen.User is currently offlineRestorative Yoga Nidra Session
September 26th @ 2pm
75 Minutes
$20
Limited Spaces Preregistration Recommended
September 17th @ 6pm
75 minutes
$20
Limited Spaces Preregistration Recommended
Jun 23 -
Yoga in the Park Plus a Picnic After Class
Posted by Brett- 0 CommentsBrettI am Glenda's husband. Together we own VitaZen and The Centre at VitaZen.User is currently offline
Yoga in the Park
Saturday June 5th @ 11am
Booker T Washington Park
Join The Centre for Saturday Salutation in the park! We will be holding a yoga class on the lawn, follow by a picnic. Sign up today! Bring your own lunch.
$13
May 18 -
What is Pranayama?
Posted by Brett- 0 CommentsBrettI am Glenda's husband. Together we own VitaZen and The Centre at VitaZen.User is currently offline
In class, you may notice our instructors placing quite a bit of emphasis on breathing. In my first yoga classes, I remember our instructor, Glenda, reminding us to breathe, as well as when to breathe, how to breathe, where to breathe, and to never stop breathing! It was very challenging for me to keep my breath in pace with the class, but I learned that my body would adjust with regular practice (phew), and that “all that breathing” in yoga exists so that I can enjoy all the wonderful benefits of a full yoga practice.
I also learned that my term, “all that breathing”, is really a part of something known as Pranayama, or “Extension of Life Force.”
Our ‘Prana’, or our ‘life force’, is our breath. Our breath acts as a stimulus to our natural energy flow and is the connector between our body and mind, which allows us to access the benefits of Yoga. If we hold our breath while in a yoga pose, we restrict our awareness, our flexibility, our strength, and our ability to learn the pose. The pose becomes only that, a physical pose. So our breath, or life force, is what turns a physical position into a yoga posture, giving us increased energy, strength, and awareness. Learning proper breathing can be challenging at first; don’t get discouraged if your breathing does not match perfectly with cues from your instructor- just keep breathing and your yoga breath will happen.
There are many wonderful pranayama exercises you may encounter within a yoga class, or in your own research. A great way to begin your pranayama practice is with “yogic breathing,” or diaphragmatic breathing. Many of us tend to hold our belly in and breath into the top portion of our lungs instead of allowing our breath to naturally move our diaphragm downward, which pushes our belly outward slightly. This type of breathing triggers a powerful calming response within the body, along with expanding lung capacity, increasing circulation, enhancing digestive and lymph functioning, and, over time, lowering blood pressure. Practice this breathing in your yoga class as well as in your personal space; start with 10 minutes a day.How to Breathe Diaphragmatically:
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Begin seated, standing, or lying down. Any of these positions is great as long as your spine is straight.
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Breathe in and out through your nose, keeping your mouth closed
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As you inhale fully, bring the breath all the way down your lungs and allow your belly to gently expand on its own.
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As you exhale, gently feel your belly relax (don’t push or force the air out).
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Practice making your breaths slow and even and fluid, without pausing.
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Feel instantly at ease J
- Note: it is best to wear loose fitting clothing to allow this breath to happen naturally.
The Centre at VitaZen is Smith Mountain Lake’s premiere yoga studio. Offering classes 6 days per week year round and Sundays through the summer. We have 5 200 hour certified instructors. Join us and find out why our yogis proudly say “My Yoga Studio”.
The Centre at VitaZen
12787 Booker T Washington Hwy
Suite 103
Hardy, VA 24101 / 540-721-9365May 17 -
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3 Reasons to Start Your Yoga Practice Now!
The benefits of yoga are practically endless. But I wanted to keep this somewhat short, so here are a few that I think many future students can relate to.
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You are not a pretzel.
You don’t have to be fit. You don’t have to flexible. You just have to show up. Many future yogis are hesitant to begin their practice because of their current physical condition. Many, including myself at one time, come to our studio with the perception they must be able to push themselves into a pretzel to be ‘good’ or ‘ready’ for yoga. This is simply not necessary! The practice of Yoga benefits every person, at every stage of flexibility, and every stage of fitness. To me, a successful yoga practice consists of a) getting on the yoga mat, and b) doing what feels right for your body on any given day, and c) not judging yourself for what you could or could not do in class that day. That is it. However, if you are still thinking about pretzels, like I am, hopefully it is the fresh baked variety, with a pinch of sea salt. -
Yoga stops Time.
Ok, not literally. But we all have busy lives, and as we age, time seems to speed up, right? By making time for our yoga practice, we gain another wonderful benefit: awareness. By taking time out for ourselves where we practice connecting with our body and mind, we learn to live in that elusive present moment that so often passes us by as we are reciting our grocery lists in our head. With a regular practice, we find that a day feels like a whole day, instead of that blip that happened sometime last week. We get our time back, and this time is where life happens and memories are made. Enjoy it! -
Yoga enhances every aspect of your life.
When you say it like that, why wouldn’t you start today, right? Well many folks we talk to are intrigued by Yoga, but may not be sure how it would benefit their current lifestyle. Many have already committed to being a runner, a swimmer, a football player, or maybe a championship marksman. What we have learned it that adding a yoga practice actually enhances any other physical activity by balancing the muscles in the entire body. Perhaps you are a sales executive, a doctor, or administrative assistant. Yoga improves our mental focus, stamina, our posture, and our post-work back pain. Maybe you are the world’s best Mom or best Dad, juggling children and work/home life like it’s nothing (except that you have not slept in 3 years). There’s yoga for that too. A regular practice lowers stress levels leading to better sleep and improving overall mood to handle anything that comes your way.
These are just a few of many reasons to begin your yoga practice today. What’s your next step? Browse the schedule. We have at least two classes almost every day of the week. See you there J
Namaste
-“I put on my yoga pants just like everyone else: One leg on, stumble. Question balance and abilities. Use bathroom counter for support. Head to class.”
The Centre at VitaZen is Smith Mountain Lake’s premiere yoga studio.
Offering classes 7 days per week year round
We have many 200 hour certified instructors.
Join us and find out why our yogis proudly say “My Yoga Studio”.The Centre at VitaZen
12787 Booker T Washington Hwy
Suite 103
Hardy, VA 24101 / 540-721-9365May 17 -
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