Winter 2013 Yoga Session

As my oldest child turns 12, I am reminded that I have been practicing Yoga for a long time having started in Pregnancy Yoga back in 2000.  Throughout these years, yoga classes and my personal practice have been a steady anchor for me as a "get away" from family life - just a break for 2 hours to come back refreshed and a better version of me.  Lately, people have been asking me if yoga is a good "workout".  Hmmmmm.  Well, I suppose it can be.  It definitely is if you do it in a 95 degree room with 65% humidity, but we don't have rooms like that in Viroqua in January. 

I always feel like I have worked in yoga class -- yoga isn't easy, especially if you have been taught how to engage your body for a stretch in any given pose.  It can be even more demanding to work on a more subtle level with the breath trying to keep it smooth and steady over the course of a class -- huffing and puffing is really not the goal of yoga -- a long smooth breath triggers the parasympathetic nervous system and allows you to put your mind out of business so you can relax and recalibrate. 

I think we lose something if the goal of yoga is a "workout".  I feel like yoga class is an investment in mastering an ancient science.  If my goal as a teacher is "to kick your butt" and make you sweat, I miss the opportunity to teach you the deeper elements of the poses, the tradition,  and the practices.  That said, I love a very challenging yoga class and I aim to challenge you.  Part of what helps me challenge students is if they have a strong foundation in the poses and have been trained to engage their bodies and move energy in a pose.  You get this in classes where there's plenty of "lab time" to explore and master the bio-mechanics of the postures.

I am currently taking an online class called, "Asana Junkies Webinar" where we practice a set advanced sequence for up to two hours a day holding each pose for 1 minute.  It is a major trip around the body to practice like that for two hours, but there's no huffing or puffing involved.  I am leading anyone who wants to join me in this in my Intermediate Led Practice class on Thursday afternoons from 12:45-2:45 and on Sundays from 7-9:30 am.  If you want a yoga challenge that will kick your butt, that's my best recommendation.   Also, my Flow class on Thursday mornings from 8:30-9:45 is a Power Yoga class without the heat. 

My Tuesday and Saturday Morning classes at 8:30 and 8 am are very challenging and are moving toward Level 2 classes with an emphasis on Handstand and Wheel Poses -- I am teaching these as All Level classes with "bus stops" to get off at so you can practice wisely.  My Gentle class, Tuesdays at 10:30 is my favorite class of the week with many seniors and people recovering from injuries -- absolutely sweet and restorative. 

I am offering a Yoga Nidra relaxation class for $5 donation on Thursdays from 11:30-12:30 that anyone who can lie down and close their eyes can enjoy -- an antidote for modern life.  Finally, beginners should come to my Thursday night at 6:15 class or Saturday mornings from 10:15-11:45 am (Sat Beginners through February only).

Maybe Yoga will feel like a workout, but its purpose is much deeper and more meaningful.  I feel like it is my duty as a teacher to do justice to the tradition and offer more than a fitness teacher would in a health club.  As your local yoga teacher, it is my job to teach you yoga -- to offer more than you can get on a yoga video.  I welcome you -- come let me share this ancient science and magnificent tradition with you.  It is a practice for life that can lead you  deeper into the meaning of your life and to a greater sense of your true nature.  And, you'll feel better in your body and be nicer to your kids :-).

Preparing for Fall and Summer Yoga Classes

Happily, it now feels like summer in Wisconsin and not summer in Arizona!  My goodness, it was hot as Phoenix here in July -- Mercy!  NOW, I have the energy to imagine teaching some yoga at Tapestry, so I have put a few classes on the calendar to get me and you back into the swing of studio practice.  Check out www.kathyorourkeyoga.com/schedule and you'll get the latest update. 

In September, look out for a big launch or a new schedule to encourage you to come out to yoga 2-3 times a week.  We'll be offering class most mornings and many evenings.  There are also going to be some nice new offerings on the schedule from some fresh faces!

Inner Light

There is an everlasting, bright light of knowing awareness that dwells within us -- its home is the heart. Sometimes, we feel the light more than other times, but the truth is, according to the Vedas (the ancient yogic teachings) and especially the Bhagavad Gita, that it is always there -- shining bright. So, why do we not always feel that light -- why does it feel like it is so impossible to access (and why does it seem to get even harder in the winter in Wisconsin when the days get grayer and we need the inner light more than ever?). I got a great answer to this question a couple of weekends ago from Devidas Karina Ayn Mirsky (www.sanghayoga.com) who said it is the pathways to the heart that get blocked and that's why we have trouble accessing it. All we have to do is keep the inner space open and free of obstacles and we'll be able to access the intrinsic light.

Yep, "all we have to do" is keep the inner space open. How? Practice.
Thank goodness for practice.

Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability | Video on TED.com

Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability | Video on TED.com

Now Offering Private Coaching Related to The Four Desires by Rod Stryker

Spring Class Session: April 23-July 2, 2011

The 10-Week Spring Session at the Tapestry Yoga Center starts tomorrow, April 23rd through July 2nd. We have some fresh things on the schedule and offerings in Yoga, Belly Dance and NIA.

Monday Mix
Meg Newlin is offering a radical new class called the Monday Mix Yoga from 8:30-9:30 am for just $4 cash. It is a fresh format that stands on its own on our schedule -- you just show up with four bucks cash, roll out your mat before 8:30 and the music and flow begins. Promptly an hour later, your practice is complete and you are ready to begin your week. This is a popular way to practice in urban areas and promises to be a lot of fun. There is minimum instruction spoken in clear common english that will make sense to even new practitioners. Come out and check it out!

Class Offerings - Weekly Classes are $10 each for Enrolled Students. Make-Ups in any class (except Monday Mix)
Kathy's evening Yoga I & Meditation class is now on Wednesday nights from 6:30-8:15 pm. This is a great class for new students or continuing practitioners focused on the whole yoga tradition. Kathy is also teaching a Yoga 1-2 (Mixed Levels) class on Tuesday and Saturday mornings -- healthy beginners are welcome to join these advanced beginner classes. All classes will included asana, pranayama (breathing), mantra and guided meditation linked into ancient wisdom.
Meg's Expanding Wednesday Yoga Level 1-2-3 (Mixed Levels: Adv Beg - Intermediate) will be a challenging and clearly taught class by a masterful teacher that will focus on deepening your asana practice. This challenging mixed level class is geared toward practitioners eager to expand their practice.
Belly Dance with Jess Leinberger is now on Thursday evenings from 4:30-5:45 and is a very fun time for beginners and experienced belly dancers. If you're a little shy, Jess will put you right at ease and have you dancing straight away.
Nia is still on Wednesdays from 4:30-5:30 -- this popular movement class is led by seasoned instructor Gayle Nielsen with great music and energy.

Find Your Life Purpose 3 Day Residential Retreat with Kathy O'Rourke: June 4-5-6, 2011. Take a step out of your daily routine and reflect on the meaning of life for a whole weekend. Not just on the meaning of life, in general, but specifically, the Meaning of YOUR Life. Happiness is directly related to a sense of purpose, connectedness, and deeper meaning, but all of this can get buried under the demands of daily life. We'll be nearby in LaCrosse at the Franciscan Spirituality Center where all of our meals and sleeping accommodations will be easily and economically taken care of. There are just 10 spaces available on this retreat and it will be based on the work of Kathy's spiritual teacher, Yogarupa Rod Stryker who she has been assisting in national workshops over the last 3 years. His book, The Four Desires will be published in July and we'll be using material based on this groundbreaking work. Rooted in the ancient wisdom of the yogic tradition, we will do some yoga asana, meditate, journal, do written reflections and spaciously contemplate our unique purpose and offering into the world. You will leave the retreat with a clear statement of purpose, a resolution for the next 6-18 months and greater insight into what has been holding you back and a clarity of how to bring the future in clearer alignment with your essence Self. More information will be published in May -- mark your calendars!

First Class Free for New Students from 4/23-5/13. To encourage new students to try a class at our studio, we offer your first class free during the first 3 weeks of our session. New students are defined as anyone (who lives locally) who is taking a class from a teacher for the first time.

Call me with any questions. Our brochure is available at the Co-op, the Driftless and the studio AND it is attached here, too. Please Join Us!

Fall Session Begins! September 27-December 19, 2010

An exciting 12-week session of classes begins at the Tapestry Yoga Center starting Monday, September 27th through Sunday, December 19th.  Our beautiful, bright and spacious studio is ready to welcome you with 11 classes to choose from in Yoga, Nia and Tai Chi.  

Much of the schedule from last year is the same -- Kathy and Meg's yoga classes are mostly the same; Monte's Tuesday night Tai Chi class is returning and Gayle's fun Nia (Joyful Movement/Dance) class is back on Wednesday nights.  There are two great new classes on the schedule for this Fall --  Beginners should jump at the chance to take Intro to Yoga with Meg on Monday mornings at 8:30 am.  This is the first time in 2 years that she's offering a foundations class and this is an EXCELLENT opportunity to take a class that will serve you for years as you progress in yoga with a solid understanding of the Universal Principles of Alignment in the cohesive Anusara yoga style.  For practitioners ready to take their yoga up a notch, Friday mornings there's now a  second Intermediate Led Yoga class with Meg that's coming on the schedule.  We have a wide-range of classes for all bodies and all levels.  See the complete schedule listed below.

This 12-week series is an opportunity to establish and support a regular practice of self-care.  Classes will run with a minimum of 6 enrolled students, so come out early in the session and sign up for a class for just $9 per week ($108 for 12 classes).  For the first three weeks (9/27-10/17), NEW LOCAL STUDENTS can take a FREE CLASS. New students are anyone who has not taken a class with a teacher before -- so if you've taken my yoga class in the past, but want to try Gayle's Nia class, come out and take one of her classes by 10/17.  You can do this with all the teachers that are 'new to you'  in the first 3 weeks.  We encourage you to check out what we're offering and welcome you to join us -- bring a friend along! 

Here is the Fall Tapestry Yoga Center Line-Up (It is also listed to the right on the blog).

Mondays 8:30-10 am Intro to Yoga Meg Abene Newlin

Tuesdays 8:30-10 am Yoga 1-2 (Advanced Beginners) Kathy O'Rourke

Tuesdays 6:30-7:30 pm Tai Chi Monte McPheron

Wednesdays  8:30-10 am Intermediate Yoga Meg Abene Newlin

Wednesdays 4:30-5:30 pm Nia (Joyful Movement) Gayle Nielsen

Thursdays 4:45-6:15 pm Gentle Yoga Kathy O'Rourke

Thursdays 6:30-8:00 pm Yoga I & Yoga Nidra Kathy O'Rourke

Fridays 7-8:45 am Intermediate Led Yoga Practice Meg Abene Newlin

Saturdays 7-7:45 am Meditation Kathy O'Rourke

Saturdays  8-9:30 am  Yoga 1-2 (Advanced Beginners) Kathy O'Rourke

Sundays* 7-9 am Intermediate Yoga Practice Meg Abene Newlin

 *No Led Practice on 10/3, 10/17, 11/7 or 11/28

Classes start Monday, September 27th so mark your calendars and come sign up! Please call mw with any questions at 608-637-6950 or email kathy@tapestryyogacenter.com.

Blessings,

Kathy