Classes description
Hatha yoga
Hatha Yoga is a branch of yoga that originated over one thousand years ago. It is a refined, powerful and transformative practice that calls on the body, breath and mind to work as one. In this class the students are lead through balanced practice of yoga postures, breathing exercises and relaxation to improve not only the physiological systems of the body, strength and flexibility, but also steadiness of mind, concentration, and more intimate connection to yourself. Practising Hatha yoga also helps to eliminate problems such as stress, emotional imbalance, and anxiety.
The word Hatha comes from the Sanskrit terms “Ha”, meaning sun, and “Tha”, meaning moon. The postures, breathing techniques and mediation or relaxation practices help to balance pairs of opposites that exist within us: right and left, feminine and masculine, hot and cold, rationality and intuition, movement and stillness. Hatha classes are suitable for all levels of practitioners, as students are carefully instructed and provided by safe options of yoga postures, which meet everyone´s current needs and dispositions.
Yin yoga
Yin yoga merges yogistic and Taoist tradition and is considered for a practise of quiet power. Most of the forms of yoga practised in the Western world tend to have an yang nature – they are focused on muscle work and striving to reach a particular form. Yin yoga focuses on softness, surrender and acceptance. The attention is drown towards affecting the connective tissues (ligaments, tendons, fascias, joints), i.e. the tissues of great importance to the range of motions. Yin yoga targets specifically the lower spine, pelvis and femur joints and effectivelly stimulates meridians, which pass through this area of body. Each posture is held for relatively long period of time (3 to 5 minutes) to encourage the slow and safe opening of connective tissues. Yin yoga is quite a challenging practice due to the length of time postures are held, but the release of stiffness is not only on physical level, but allows also space for emotional cleansing. Other benefits are the experience of deep relaxation, peaceful mind and renewal of the life force.
Prana Vinyasa yoga
Dynamic style of yoga inspired by first series of Prana Vashya Yoga is a practical path to self-discovery. Similarly as Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga follows the tradition originating several thousands years ago in India. The asanas (yoga postures) are held for relatively short time period - for your five breaths. There are fluent transtions between the asanas and the most important is the focus on harmony between movement and breath. The fluency of the asana sequence helps keep our attention, which is directed inside. The content (inner state) is our main concern, the form (how it looks from outside) is secondary. From the beginning to the end of the asana flow our breath serves as an anchor, which keeps us present in the moment. This yoga style might be, especially at the beginning, quite demanding and intense practise. But it´s worth it persisting. The muscles are nicely stretched and naturally strenghtened. By this practise is possible to compensate the existing disbalances caused by one-sided loading of organism (whole day sitting in the office, sport etc.). Thanks to the dynamic character of the practise we involve also our cardiovascular system, the fresh blood nourishes the inner organs and stimulates release od the toxins from the organism. After some time of yoga practise you won´t feel any physical tiredness at the end of the class - just on the contrary - the practise is highly energising.
Restorative yoga
Restorative yoga classes are very relaxing, almost therapeutic, and they focus on the inner experiece. Restorative yoga uses props as bolsters and pillows so you can hold poses longer (up to 15 minutes), allowing your body to open slowly through passive stretching. Meditative atmosphere is enhanced by soft light and relaxing music. Gentle supine or seated yoga poses are adapted to everyone needs to make this yoga style available for everyone. Restorative yoga is a great complement to more active practices. This kind of practise appeals to people facing stress in other areas of life, athletes, meditators, and people who simply enjoy relaxing into state of blissful awareness.
Five Tibetans
Five Tibetans is an activating yogistic series of exercises originating in Tibet harmonizing the energy centers in the body. The exercises renew not only the flexibility of the spine, but also the flexibility of the mind and it is believed that they are one of the secrets of eternal youth... Five Tibetans increase density of the bones, improves the body posture, eliminates the eventual backpain and strenghtens the abdominal muscles. This series of simple exercises also positively stimulates the endocrine glands and thus also the right hormonal level. When the hormons are out of balance, one is prone to illness, is moody and lacks the energy. After performing Five Tibetans you can feel immediate revitalisation, the mind becomes very clear. When performed regularly, the psychic functions work better and one deals with many situations in his/her life easily.
Dance yoga
The base of Dance yoga is created by simple yoga postures, which are linked together by elements from dance. The postures are not held for a long time, but the fresh flow takes you swiftly form one posture to another using the movements form fitbalet, jazz, classiscal or modern dance. It makes yoga brightened up by body waves, movements into space, isolations of different body parts, dance turns etc. Thus, very fluent and elegant exercise is created, influencing positively the nervous system. Thanks to balance positions Dance yoga strenthtens the body core and improves coordination of the movments. To the other benefits belongs healthy body posture, increase of grace and flexibility of whole body, improvement of feeling for music and movement memory. Dance yoga is not focused on perfect technique or on the wide range of motions in the postures. The most important is a feeling of grace, joy of movement and self-expression.
Entrainment yoga
Entrainment* yoga is a series of synchronized flows created to awaken and harmonize all the main chakras, energy centers in the body. This style integrates motion and breath, and when practised frequently, it gives rise to feelings of balance and well-being. Each of seven flows has unique music that vibrates the specific chakra and heals the physical body associated with that chakra. The participants will learn to breath and move as one unit, like a dance, to each beat of the music. Entrainment, when practised with precision, is very meditative, increases concentration and keeps your mind "here and now". Students are encouraged to wear white so as to look as one unit together, but of course it is up to the students to decide. Entrainment is a new style of yoga created by Shakti Mhi and Pepe Danza of Prana Yoga Teacher College, and I am honoured to be able to share this wonderful flows with the students in Czech Republic. Suitable for students with previous experience with yoga.
*Entrainment is the tendency for two oscillating bodies to join so they vibrate in harmony. It is also defined as a synchronization of two or more rhythmic cycles. The principle of entrainment is universal, appearing in chemistry, pharmacology, biology, medicine, psychology, sociology, astronomy, architecture and more. The classic example shows individual pulsing heart muscle cells. When they are brought close together, they begin pulsing in synchrony. Another example of the entrainment effect is women who live in the same household often find that their menstrual cycles will coincide.