Natural breathing and mindfulness meditation is part of all yoga instruction. The differences between meditation and mindful meditation may also be taught, upon request, along with mindfulness exercises in Karen’s ‘Let’s Get Real’ Mindfulness Course.
Hatha
Hatha yoga promotes increased strength, endurance, and mobility. It also helps drain the lymphatic vessels, and may clear the sinuses. Through Hatha yoga instruction with Karen, clients are offered assuring and adept hands-on yoga adjustments/corrections specific to their needs. These may be given to enhance their yoga practice, or to help compliment an exercise regimen or massage. More importantly, gentle readjustments may also help clients with feedback on their actual alignment, and what the yoga posture could feel like. Kinesthetic awareness can bring changes in the neuromuscular system, profoundly helping with body reorientation, while exercising, or for improving posture.
Yoga for Arthritis
Yoga for arthritis is most beneficial in helping to improve range of motion (ROM) and/or balance, and reduce pain and stiffness. Yoga for arthritis meets the client where they are by using props, or doing chair yoga, for example. Anyone with some form of stiffness, or pain can benefit from this approach.
Integral Foundational Hatha Yoga Poses
Integral Foundational Hatha yoga poses taught by the Integral Yoga Institute, where Karen attained her yoga certification, are the basic poses underneath all more advanced poses in yoga. Foundational Hatha yoga is an active deliberate and grounding yoga, which is more yang, building muscle strength and alignment. Karen knows through her personal experience with her own body, and by working with clients, that if the foundation is strong, as in any built structure, stability holds it up with more integrity and safety. Oftentimes this concentration is missed and postures are built by using muscle groups that aren’t the most appropriate. This could be one of the main reasons we get injured when we exercise. The body is designed to stack itself in a way that makes movement and holding itself up easeful and beneficial. Many times we have to stimulate these deeper postural muscles to form a good foundation again–going back to basics. This is what Karen loves to help clients do. Movement patterns are formative. At the same time, they can be neglected when we steer around them. Being experienced with this phenomenon, Karen thoroughly enjoys assisting clients with improving their movement pattern potential.
Yin Yoga
Yin Yoga addresses fascia (connective tissue). This includes the deeper innermost structures of the body, like the joints, and connects with the more remote parts of the soft tissue. It also facilitates a relationship with the more reflective part of the mind, as it affiliates with the body’s more yin requirements. These needs are less active and more restorative and receptive. It’s found to be especially useful for those suffering from chronic pain, stress, or depression. It can release scar tissue that can block function and cause pain.
Restorative Yoga
Restorative Yoga is most beneficial when the need to pause or recover is essential. It’s done with an abundance of props that hold and support the client in a series of easeful postures. It can be performed with guided meditation and/or music. It’s very gentle, calming, and profound.