Adaptive Yoga • Ananda • Baby and Mom (Postpartum) • Candlelight Yin Yoga
Dharma • Embodyment® Yoga Therapy • Gentle/Chair
Kripalu • Kundalini • Meditation • Meditation & Qigong • Prenatal • Restorative
Svaroopa® • Yin Yoga • Yoga Therapy

Adaptive Yoga
Enjoy the well-documented benefits of yoga and meditation in a gentle supportive class modified to your needs. Small class setting. Students with limitations due to previous injuries or current chronic conditions can consider this class, but it's always a good idea to check with your physician. Call Donna Rixmann at 712-9642 before starting class for phone consultation.
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Ananda
This gentle yoga combines breath awareness, affirmations, and yoga postures to move from body awareness through energy awareness to, finally, silent, inner awareness. The use of affirmations while in the asanas is a distinct feature of Ananda yoga. This yoga style was developed by an American named Donald J. Walters, known as Swami Kriyananda. He devoted 45 years of his life to studying the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda.
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Baby and Mom (Postpartum)
Postnatal yoga, like Prenatal yoga, is oriented to the special needs of new mothers. We involve the baby wherever possible into the poses and end off with infant massage. Babies of pre-crawling age are welcome to this class. All levels welcome.
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Candlelight Yin Yoga Class
Suitable for almost all levels of students, Yin Yoga targets the connective tissues of the hips, pelvis, and lower spine. The poses are held with muscles relaxed. Due to the long duration of the poses, the release is deep and the relaxation is heavenly. Yin Yoga is a perfect complement to the dynamic and muscular (yang) styles of yoga that emphasize the lengthening and contracting of muscle.
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DharmaYoga
DharmaYoga is a restorative spiritual practice intended to join the mind and body in present moment awareness. In a DharmaYoga class, you will practice slow, gentle hatha yoga postures that stretch, open and strengthen the body. The asanas are followed by deep relaxation and meditation practices that open the heart.
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Embodyment® Yoga Therapy
Embodyment® is a hands-on healing modality utilizing the power of awareness as a catalyst to healing energy. This technique is based on the principles of Svaroopa® Yoga. Embodyment® works by releasing core tensions in the body, thus facilitating one's own natural ability to heal. A deep, yet gentle method, Embodyment® is a powerful tool for deep healing on all levels. Private sessions are $70.00/hr.
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Gentle Yoga
The Gentle Yoga class is geared to older individuals or anyone with chronic physical issues who may need modifications to enjoy a yoga pose fully. Every student begins with the use of a chair to assist in moving freely from pose to pose. Over time, students can elect to not use the chair and switch to yoga blocks. Instruction is given for many levels of beginner within the same class session. The goal is that each student have a positive yoga class experience. Check with Donna if you are uncertain whether this class is appropriate for you.
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Kripalu
Kripalu Yoga guides the student to move at their own pace. By honoring the body's needs, Kripalu yoga focuses on development of the body, mind and spirit in a compassionate and non-judgmental way. The class invites you to focus on your breath, and keep that awareness throughout movement and stillness. The class ends with a deep relaxation leaving you uplifted and centered. Kripalu yoga stretches and tones muscles, releases chronic tension, improves circulation and energizes/refreshes the body. Kripalu yoga focuses the mind by calming restless thoughts, cultivating concentration, supporting mental clarity and promoting self-awareness. Kripalu yoga heals the spirit by creating a deep connection to your self, honors your inner wisdom and invites deep stillness.
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Kundalini
Kundalini yoga was introduced to this country in 1969 by Yogi Bhajan. This ancient form of yoga combines active movement and stretching with many specific breathing techniques (pranayama). Facilitating circulation throughout the spinal column, exercise sets (kriyas) are combined with sound vibration (mantras), hand positions (mudras), and body locks (bhundas), in order to enhance their effectiveness. In so doing, they serve to dissolve energy blockages within the energy matrix of the body, creating a natural, meditative, blissful state of mind. One not need be particularly flexible or athletic to enjoy the profound benefits of Kundalini yoga; all that is required is the sincere willingness to try one's best while respecting your comfort levels and physical limitations.
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Mindfulness Meditation for Beginners
Bring balance into your life by practicing mindfulness. Learn how to pay  attention on purpose in a particular way without judgement in the present moment. Mindfulness consists of techniques that foster inner calm, increased awareness and a sense of well-being. Over the past three decades, the practice of mindfulness has been taught to adults in hospitals and clinics to assist in pain management, stress reduction and healing. In this 3-part class you will learn how to use mindfulness techniques and discover your own potential for presence, stillness and acceptance. Register here.
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Meditation
A 45-minute silent meditation. Best suited for individuals who have already received meditation instruction. A practice period; not a class. Donation basis.
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Meditation & Qigong
Come enjoy a relaxing drop-in class that will melt your stress away. The purpose is to share the practices of meditation and qigong so we can all live in health, harmony and awareness. This class begins with 15 minutes of gentle stretching followed by a 30-minute sitting meditation and 15 minutes of qigong. You don't need any prior experience to attend. Meditation can help you:

• manage symptoms of chronic stress
• prevent anxiety
• increase serotonin production and good moods
• decrease headaches and muscle tension
• normalize blood pressure
• improve focus and concentration
• strengthen the immune system
• reduce habitual negative emotions
• uncover joy, gratitude, and contentment

We will practice mindfulness meditation (focusing on the natural breathing and coming back to the breath when attention wanders off) and a simple qigong form called the Eight Pieces of Brocade that will help you maintain health and vitality.
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Prenatal
Women who are pregnant need special yoga poses to prepare their bodies for pregnancy and birth. These yoga classes will improve strength and flexibility and will allow moms to become more in tune with their bodies' needs during this special time. Postures focus on opening the pelvic parameters, strengthening the legs and learning breathing exercises to relax and become more in tune with the body and the breath. Open to all levels.
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Restorative Yoga
Restorative Yoga facilitates opening, relaxation, and rejuvenation. Blankets are used for support during the yoga postures. The class begins with gentle supported backbends and progresses to supported twists, ending with supported forward bends and final relaxation. No prior yoga experience is required.
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Svaroopa®
Svaroopa® yoga's techniques work with the asanas (poses) in a way that is both precise and compassionate. Every class emphasizes the opening of the core tensions in the body by beginning at the tailbone and progressing through each area of the spine. Each class integrates the foundational principles of asana, anatomy, and yoga philosophy, and emphasizes the development of transcendent inner experience, which is called "Svaroopa®" by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. Students of Svaroopa® yoga learn different ways of doing familiar asanas, and also learn additional asanas that they may have never seen before. This yoga practice is based on relaxation and comfort. The asanas are deeply effective and create powerful experiences of healing and transformation.
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The Magic Four Class
This powerfully transformative practice can be experienced with just four asanas (poses), called the Magic Four. They are simple and amazingly effective. They begin by releasing the muscles connected to your tailbone – the pivot point of your body.  With enough release in your tailbone, your whole body will realign from the inside outward. The changes will automatically extend down your legs through your hips, knees, ankles, and feet. Simultaneously, a domino effect of release will climb your spine through your sacrum, waist area, (lumbar vertebrae), rib cage, shoulders, neck, and skull. This spinal release opens more space for the intervertebral discs and delicate nerve roots that coordinate every muscle, bone, artery, organ, and gland in your body. This opening also lifts mechanical compression off the internal organs, improving their functioning immediately. With less tension throughout the body, your vital systems find their natural balance. Your breathing also opens up easily and immediately with the first pose. The Magic Four will enhance your vitality and physical stamina while improving your state of mind and helping your emotions to rest in joy and compassion.
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Yin Yoga
Suitable for almost all levels of students, Yin Yoga is a perfect complement to the dynamic and muscular (yang) styles of yoga that emphasize the lengthening and contracting of our muscles. Yin Yoga generally targets the connective tissues of the hips, pelvis, and lower spine and can be challenging due to the long duration of the poses.
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Yoga Therapy
Yoga Therapy provides the client a deeper release than she would get in a class. Specific therapeutic Svaroopa techniques are chosen according to the needs, tendencies, and experience level of the client. The poses are all fully supported. This is a deeply nurturing, restful, blissful, healing, and therapeutic modality and is great for beginners or experienced students who want to explore more opening.
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