Ready to try Yoga?

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This series is designed to introduce Yoga to those with limited or no experience.  If you’re a beginner in Yoga or haven’t practiced in awhile start here!  Over the course of 4 weeks , we will learn the basics of Yoga including breath work, postures and alignment and see how all of these combined will help you on your journey to more focus, balance, strength and flexibility.  
 
What to expect/bring:
 
Bring a Yoga mat if you have one and if you don’t we have some at the studio!
Bring a water bottle if you like to rehydrate during movement. 
Wear clothing that allows you to move freely.
Be prepared to move and also be prepared to have moments of stillness. 
Bring a positive and open attitude towards the discovery of your new practice!
 
$49 for 4 week series or use any class card or membership series.

4 Week Beginner Yoga Series starts October 7th

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Start your week right with our Beginner Yoga Class on Sundays at 4pm!

This series is designed to introduce Yoga to those with limited or no experience. If you’re a beginner in Yoga or haven’t practiced in awhile, start here! Over the course of 4 weeks, we will learn the basics of Yoga, breath work, postures and alignment and see how all of these combined will help you on your journey to more focus, balance, strength and flexibility.

What to expect/bring:

Bring a Yoga mat if you have one and if you don’t we have some at the studio!
Bring a water bottle if you like to rehydrate during movement.
Wear clothing that allows you to move freely.
Be prepared to move and also be prepared to have moments of stillness.
Bring a positive and open attitude towards the discovery of you…

Click here to sign up today !!!  Or call us at 319.631.9510 or email us at rcpilates1@gmail.com and we can help you sign up! 

Not starting Pilates or Yoga because it’s hard is not an excuse (anymore!!)

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I overheard a conversation the other day ago where a couple of my Pilates clients were talking about the new Yoga class we were offering. One of the students had been taking the class and mentioned to the other student she should try it.  Her response was ,”I probably should…but Yoga is hard!”    This struck me as a little bit funny because as her Pilates teacher…I’ve seen how hard she works in my Pilates classes.  

If you’ve done Pilates, you know that there is not necessarily anything easy about Pilates. Pilates requires you to be completely present in the moment, focusing on your breath, your movements, your alignment, your core engagement and I personally feel like it is never “easy”. As much as I love to move and exercise my body I kind of think it’s alway “hard” to regularly exercise.   It’s hard to make myself add it in (even when I don’t feel like it), it’s hard to stay focused on what I’m doing in the moment and it’s hard to not want to quit when my muscles get tired and feel like they are working!  So I guess it seems logical that when anybody is contemplating doing something new, that we might use the excuse “it’s going to be hard”  as a way to justify not doing it.  I kind of see it as our mind’s way of tricking us into not being vulnerable enough to try something new…even though that something new might have immense benefits in our life!   

If you are one of those people who is not trying Pilates or Yoga because you think it’s too hard, maybe it’s time to change the story you are telling yourself. Try telling yourself that learning a new movement practice is a challenge for everyone, but the challenge is what in the long run is going to help you get results in your body.   Starting a new movement practice is never easy and because of that the staff at Rivercity Pilates always makes sure to do their best to create an environment that you can succeed in and actually enjoy.  Here’s just a few of the things we do:

  • We get to know you before your first class.  We offer a complimentary private session to all clients so we can get to know you and your body before you take your first class. We do this so we can make you as comfortable and at ease as possible for your first class! We find that this helps us create the best possible movement experience for you.  As a client, it’s kind of like already having a friend on your first day of school… 
  • Each exercise will be taught in a way that is doable in your body!  There will always be lots of options on how to do an exercise and you’ll feel completely comfortable choosing the version that feels best in your body
  • There are no unreasonable expectations.  You don’t have to worry about being the only one in class not able to twist like a pretzel or stand on your head….. our classes focus on functional movements that don’t require you to already be super flexible or know how to do some acrobatic move! 
  • We won’t single you out and over correct everything you do, Our teachers are great at teaching in a way that ensures you are doing things properly and not injuring yourself without making you feel silly or embarrassed because you are working on things!  
  • Exercises will always be safe for your body.  Safety is always on the top of our instructors mind and you will be coached on how to do exercises as safely and as effectively as possible in your body!
  • The class atmosphere will be positive and inspiring!  Our teachers are pros at creating a great environment to work out in!  You’ll walk out of classes not only with a great workout, but feeling good about what you did and enjoying your movement time!  

Ready to try out a new movement practice like Pilates or Yoga in your life?  We would love to get to know you and introduce you to a mindful movement practice!! Schedule a complimentary session to meet us and see if we’ll be a good fit for you! 

Workshop: Yoga for the Body, Mind and Soul

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Spring Cleaning – A Yoga Practice for the Body,Mind and Soul 

 with Nicole Sohalia Hussain

March 24, 11:30am to 1:30pm

Join guest instructor Nicole for this special yoga practice designed to cleanse your body, clear your mind, and speak to your soul. In this two-hour workshop, Nicole will blend powerful detoxifying pranayama (breathwork) with dynamic asana (postures) and guided meditation to create a space for students to release tension and constriction in the body while strengthening and lengthening the spine in order to to allow prana (life-force energy) to flow freely and abundantly. Revitalize & renew yourself as we shed the layers of winter and welcome the budding seeds of spring!
 
Nicole Sohalia Hussain has been teaching yoga for the last decade and is a life-long dancer & performing artist. She believes that a full and happy life is an embodied one, in which we come into deep integrated relationship with this unique vessel we were each gifted. An advocate for the power of movement to bring us into harmony with ourselves and the world around us, she shares this path to self-understanding & self-expression through yoga, dance, and her healing practice.
 $20 per person

Active Agers: Have you thought about taking a Yoga Class?

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I can’t tell you how often people call us and say – I’d like to take yoga, but I’m older now – and I can’t twist into all those crazy positions like “young” people .    My goal is to stay healthy and keep moving!    We have just the class right now on the Rivercity Pilates schedule!   It’s called “Gentle Yoga”.   

Here are four reasons to try Yoga at Rivercity Pilates, from an article written by personal trainer Debbie Abbott in Great Britain and a testimonial from a current 65 yo client who is a “regular” in our Gentle Yoga classes ! 

  1. Yoga makes our bones denser.   This is big, because Osteoporosis is rampant. The main sites for developing osteoporosis are the wrist, spine, ribs, and hip.  They’re vulnerable because most forms of exercise don’t stress these areas very much, and general living with no exercise means almost no stress at all on these sites. Planks, twists and other fun moves (aka, “asanas”) both load the bones and create a pulling/tugging of the muscles-tendons-ligaments that attach to those bones.  When that happens, the message the bone gets is, “We need to build.” 
  2. Yoga creates a hormonal-chemical concoction in your blood that’s conducive to “rest, digest, heal, and grow.”   Life often creates a hormonal-chemical concoction that’s conducive to “fight or flight,” which make us fat, sad, and tired. This is big, and this is important. The hormonal soup we swim in very much determines Who. We.  Are.  We have the ability to control that soup, but it takes intentional thought and determination. 
  3. Yoga teaches us to focus on one thing at a time.  Yoga was actually created thousands of years ago specifically for that reason.  Focusing has bigger benefits than you might imagine.  Short, choppy attention spans and difficulty concentrating are associated with anxiety, depression, and the inability to learn and perform tasks well.  Did you know the average U.S. attention span has shrunk to 9 seconds?  That’s not good! Yoga is both movement and “forced” focus. I challenge you to think of your to-do list, or a problem, while holding dancer pose; it’s not happening. These poses take too much concentration! Movement and focus stimulate brain growth, or “neuro-plasticity” in a good way!  When we practice yoga, we’re literally re-wiring our brain to be positive, productive, creative, and much, much less scattered.  
  4. Yoga increases flexibility and balance tremendously, more than most sports.   The ranges of motion and the poses that we practice in yoga are pretty unique to yoga.  Can you fold over and touch your toes?  Can you stand on one leg for a minute?  Can you squat with no pain?  Can you easily get on and off the floor? These are normal movements of life.  Our body, just like our mind, is a “use it or lose it” organism.  

 

What is Gentle Yoga and would you like it?

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picture of yoga classAre you wanting to try Yoga or maybe you’ve practiced in the past and you’re looking for a class that fits you?  Let me tell you about our Gentle Yoga classes so you can decide if it might be a good fit for you!

Gentle Yoga is a slow paced class that focuses on the making Yoga accessible to any body. No need to worry about standing on your head or doing any of what I hear called “crazy poses”!  You’ll learn how to focus your mind and use your breath to move with ease into poses that are very doable for your body.  Your teacher will give lots of variations of the pose to help you find one that works best for your body.  You’ll learn to use props like a Yoga strap or Yoga block to help poses work better in your body.  The class atmosphere is relaxed and mindful, but you’ll always feel comfortable asking a question if you have one.

How will your body benefit from Gentle Yoga?  You’ll find yourself building strength and flexibility in your body.  Your body will start to feel more and more balanced. The sense of calm you get from taking this class will ooze into your daily life. You’ll be moving in a way during class that will teach you how to move better indoor daily life.

If this sounds like a class you would enjoy we encourage you to come in and try a complimentary class!!