New Class! Yoga for Every Body!

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Shuva is back teaching a Wednesday night small group Yoga session and we’ve created a new name for this session!  We love this name because we think it embodies what Shuva and all of our teachers are so passionate about…making movement accessible, fun and beneficial to your life no matter where you are in your practice!  

Whether you’re new to yoga or working on building a consistent practice, this class will help you de-stress and improve your concentration with common poses. With as-needed guidance of props, such as straps and blocks, you’ll focus on matching breath to movement while you transition into and hold different positions.

Each class will include warm-up exercises, balance poses, posture-correctors, and hip-openers to help facilitate a full-body workout that will leave you feeling more flexible, stronger, and relaxed.

Sign up for Yoga for 4 Weeks for $99

Want to try a free yoga session?

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Shuva Rahim, New Yoga Instructor t Rivercity Pilates

 Small Group Yoga with Shuva
Wednesdays at 5:15pm

I am so excited to have Shuva Rahim teaching at the studio!  When I moved to the area over 14 years ago and opened up Rivercity Pilates I met Shuva in a women’s small business group I had joined. At the time Shuva was growing her photography business and we were both trying to figure out what it took to run a small business! 

Shuva has been a friend and supporter of my business since the beginning. She starting practicing Pilates with me at the original Rivercity Pilates location, she was our photographer for the very first photo shoot at the studio, she took some of my favorite family photos over the years and she is truly just a great human who I am honored to call a friend. Be sure to check out the photo collage I put together highlighting some of our memories together over the years!


Shuva describes herself as a newish Yoga teacher (she finished her RYT 200 training in August 2022) who wants to share her love of Yoga with the world.  She shares her love of Yoga with others by teaching and writing! Be sure to check out Shuva’s blog here.

Shuva is excited to be teaching a Friday night flow small group Yoga session designed to help you build strength, flexibility and kick off your weekend feeling amazing! This small group yoga session will be limited to 5 participants and will happen Wednesdays at 5:15 pm.

The Yoga flow session will focus on aligning breath with movement and learning to transition from one pose to the next. (If you are familiar with yoga you’ll recognize that this follows the principles of Vinyasa Yoga)   Shuva will help you find adaptations and variations of poses that are perfect for your body. 

Shuva’s small group sessions are designed for ALL bodies and you’ll be comfortable in this small group setting if you are a brand new to Yoga beginner or if you have Yoga experience.  

Try a Wednesday night session for FREE in November by emailing us and letting us know which day you want to try the session!

A Yoga class designed for age 50+?

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Kimberly Blackwell, physical therapist and yoga instructor at Rivercity Pilates
Kimberly, PT and Yoga Instructor

Yoga is one of those movement practices that I think a lot of people have heard of, a lot of people have thought about because they realize it could really help them with feeling better in their body, but people hesitate to try because they feel intimidated by joining a group class.

Kim’s Wednesday small group Yoga session is designed for those 50 and up who are interested in practicing Yoga as a way to improve their flexibility and strength.

P.S.  You can still take this session if you are under 50 but I want everyone to know that you are not going to be coming in and taking sessions designed for 20 year old bodies!!  

Kim’s small group Yoga sessions are individualized to those coming in and you can be confident that you’ll feel comfortable in this session even if you are challenged by things like balance, getting down to the floor and back up, kneeling, any sort of plank or push up position or flexibility. You’ll love how Kim helps you create a Yoga practice in your life that you love!!

Try a small group yoga session for free all month long by simply emailing us.

I’d like to try a yoga session for free!

Learn Yin Yoga

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Saturdays at 10 am
Taught by Jenny Fitzpatrick

Yin Yoga consists of poses primarily done on the floor and held for a longer period of time, usually 2-5 minutes or longer. The approach to posture in Yin is different than other yoga classes which will typically activate different muscular groups to bring a posture into its full expression. With Yin Yoga gravity is used to hold a pose in place.

What does Yin Yoga do for our body?

  • Yin yoga encourages us to slow down and practice stillness.    Props like blankets and Yoga blocks are used to find the best position for each body.
  • The muscles should not be engaged during yin yoga postures. This allows muscles to lengthen and stretch and also gently lengthens connective tissues giving your joints a sense of space.

Common benefits of practicing Yin Yoga:

  • The body feels like it moves with ease.
  • A sense of calm and decreased anxiety and stress
  • Better alignment and posture from releasing tightness in the body.

Sign up for Yin Yoga Sessions by requesting a Saturday 10 am small group session  or email us and we’ll schedule sessions for you.

Email us to sign up for Yin Yoga

New Yoga Inspired Movement Classes

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Jenny started offering Integrative Health Sessions at the studio last year and she has added two small group Yoga Inspired Movement sessions to her schedule that started this week.

For those of you who haven’t worked with Jenny yet, I wanted to tell you a little bit about her and the small group sessions she’ll be offering, because it might be just what you’re looking for!   

Jenny is a licensed physical therapist, a certified Yoga teacher (200RYT) and is also certified in Yin Yoga. 

Jenny’s goals for her weekly group movement sessions are to create a Yoga inspired movement session that focuses on mobility in the back and hips, strengthens core muscles and brings a sense of balance to the nervous system.

Her sessions will be doable by ANY body and she’ll give lots of options on how to make movements work for your body.  If you are looking for a gentle, mind body focused movement session designed to improve overall strength, flexibility and mobility you will love these sessions! No Yoga or movement experience is necessary!  

Jenny is offering sessions Tuesday mornings at 9 am and Saturdays at 10 am.

If you want to schedule a small group Yoga session yourself you can look for openings under the appointments tab in Mindbody and request an appointment on the app or on in Mindbody in a browser.  You can also always just email us and we can schedule it for you!

Want to try Yoga?

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Increased flexibility, decreased stress, strength, and a workout you enjoy…

If you’ve heard about Yoga you might be thinking it could just what you need in your life….we agree!!  We also know that sometimes it can be really intimidating to start something new, so we’re writing this blog to help you feel more comfortable before you walk into the studio and so you’ll have a better idea of where the best place might be to start. Here’s a few answers to our most frequently asked Yoga questions and a guide to the best way to get started!  

What do I wear to Yoga?  Wear clothes that you can move comfortably in!  This could be leggings and a t-shirt, shorts or whatever you feel most comfortable in! There are absolutely no rules to what you should wear other than you want clothing that allows your body to move in a variety of ways comfortably!

Should I take a class to get started or a private session?   The choice is entirely up to you!!  At Rivercity Pilates we know that everyone has different learning styles and we offer either a complimentary private session or a complimentary class to get started so that you can start with the option that you are most comfortable with.  We have a variety of classes on our schedule that are truly beginner friendly and our teachers are fabulous about giving variations of exercises so that everyone in class feels comfortable.  If you are brand new to Yoga and want to start with a class here is a list of our favorite first time to Yoga Beginner Friendly classes:   Yoga for Life w/ Nil  Tuesdays at 8:30 am, Fridays at 12 pm or Sundays at 9 am, Yoga for Happy Hips and Back w/ Kim Thursdays at 6pm.     

Are you one of those people who really doesn’t enjoy not knowing how to do things (especially in a group setting?) or maybe you have something going on in your body that might effect your movement time and how you do exercises?  Taking a complimentary private session before jumping into a class might be the best option for you!  A private session gives you time to chat individually with a Yoga teacher and ask all the questions that you might be a little nervous to ask in a group class!  It also allows your teacher to teach you the exercise in a way that is completely individualized to your body.  If this sounds like you click here to schedule a complimentary private Yoga session or simply call us at 319.665.2499.

Can I talk during class? I think there are a lot of misconceptions about the atmosphere in a Yoga class.  Every teacher is different when it comes to the music they play and the atmosphere they create in their class so I can’t speak for everyone, but I can tell you about our teachers at Rivercity Pilates.  Our teachers are super passionate about making Yoga accessible to ANY BODY and they are all really great at creating an atmosphere where everyone who comes to the class is comfortable!  It’s pretty common in our group classes to hear moments of laughter and casual conversations during class!  Of course everyone is super respectful of each other and no one is loud and obnoxious…but no one is overly strict about someone asking a question or talking during class.  In fact most of our teachers encourage their students to ask a question in class if you have one, because they know if you have a question someone else has probably thought the same thing!  

Do I need my own mat?  We have Yoga mats at Rivercity Pilates so you don’t need a mat.  If you want to bring your own mat you can though! 

Have more questions?  We would love to answer them for you!  Email us at rcpilates1@gmail.com or call us at 319.665.2499!