Do you ever squeeze and stretch your muscles when you awaken, as do cats and dogs, exhilarating yourself with the feeling of stretch and energy flow? Yoga has a similar luscious feeling. The stretch comes from deep inside you and reverberates outward. You expand and open from the inside out. And, like morning wriggling, yoga also gently wakes you up. The more yoga you do, the more awake you will become, both literally and figuratively.

Many people start a yoga practice because it is an enjoyable form of exercise or cross training. Some use yoga to rehabilitate from injuries or chronic pain, or to rejuvenate after vigorous or stressful activities. For others, it is a moving meditation to quiet the mind. With consistent practice over time, you will begin to feel benefits on physical, emotional, mental, and/or spiritual levels. You may discover that your body/mind feels not only more strong and flexible, but also more “integrated.” You may become more aware of subtleties like the movement of energy, fascia, or fluids within your body. You may find you have more patience, tolerance, and resilience. You may find it easier to express feelings or to respond more calmly to stressful events. The increased awareness of self that yoga provides can enable you to trust your intuition more deeply, strengthen your confidence, discover your passions, and more fully engage. In this way, yoga starts to become a way of life.

The benefits of yoga
With regular practice students can expect to:

• Increase energy level and sleep more restfully
• Reduce back pain and other musculoskeletal pain
• Improve muscle tone and strength
• Increase flexibility and range of motion
• Reduce effects of aging
• Normalize body weight
• Improve concentration, memory, and focus
• Improve body awareness, posture, and balance
• Reduce risk of/accelerate recovery time from injuries
• Boost the immune system
• Improve mood, e.g., decrease anxiety, depression, and hostility

Numerous studies and articles illuminate yoga’s psycho-physiological benefits. For a few examples, please see:

Style of classes and teaching methodology
Style of classes and teaching methodology
Rasa Vinyasa is a balanced practice that cultivates more clarity in the mind and openness in the heart. Rasa Vinyasa classes weave alignment principles together with challenging yet contemplative flowing sequences, as well as longer-held postures. In order to build strength and fluidity in all areas of the body, Rasa Vinyasa explores a wide variety of postures that are specifically sequenced to build on anatomical themes. Care is given to accommodate students' differing levels of experience by offering clear, detailed instruction and multiple pose variations. With emphasis on following the thread of awareness through and between posture, breath, thought, and technique, students become mindful of their deep-held physical and emotional patterns of conditioning, enabling them to attain their innate sense of freedom. For more information on bringing yoga to your organization, please contact us.

Yoga for Athletes. These classes are geared toward the specific needs of sports competitors and enthusiasts. Marly offers a series of classes/workshops for groups such as triathlon clubs, cycling teams, or running groups. Include yoga as part of your training to balance muscle groups, improve range of motion, develop core strength and “integration,” improve lung capacity, rejuvenate after competition, and rehabilitate/prevent injuries. These classes incorporate techniques from vinyasa and yin yoga styles to accomplish a range of objectives, from an invigorating workout to a restorative practice. To inquire about a series for your organization, please contact us.

Teen Yoga. Would you like to learn ways to relax and focus yourself during stressful times? Want to feel more empowered and energized? Want to have fun moving your body into new and sometimes challenging shapes? This yoga class designed for teens will help improve focus, awareness and mood as well as enable your body and mind to become more toned, flexible, and integrated. We will incorporate flowing movement and music for an invigorating workout, then deeply relax with meditation and visualization. Marly has taught teen classes at schools and after-school programs. To inquire about joining a teen class, please contact us.