Class Descriptions

The Style of Yoga taught at Barefoot Movement

Most of the yoga classes taught at Barefoot Movement are in the style of Flow Yoga, a.k.a. Vinyasa Yoga, and are taught at various levels to suit any student from the total beginner to the seasoned practitioner. We also have Special Classes in a variety of styles, to round things out. See below for descriptions of our various Special Classes.

In Flow Yoga we focus on transitions as well as stillness.

As with other styles that stem from the Krishnamacharya lineage, we pay a great deal of attention to the physical alignment and energetic flow in the individual postures. This is essential for both physical safety as well as insuring that we receive the maximum benefit from the postures.

In addition, driven by the breath, we let a dynamic flow that is inherent in a pose, put us into motion, so that we find a cohesive transition into our next still posture.

The focus on the movement ‘riding the breath’, like a surfer riding a wave, is what allows us to improve upon the way in which we move from one place to another, both in yoga class as well as in daily life. We practice gracefully exiting one ‘situation’ while we gracefully move to the next.

With a flow yoga practice, the breath dictates the features of flow. With the exhales we become more grounded and stable. With smooth, inspired inhales we stay weighted while finding lightness. Between the exhales and the inhales there is a timeless, in-the-now moment, space for a calm, 360 degree awareness.

The flow yoga practice challenges our bodies, improves our range of motion, strength, balance and awareness. With consistent practice, we shed our acquired movement and postural patterns finding more ability and ease.

New to yoga? Choose the class level that will benefit you the most….

  • If you new to yoga and are not in very good condition due to lack of activity, injury or other reason, please start in a Level 1, Prenatal OK class where the teacher will take more time for the transitions between poses and offer more modifications.
  • If you are new to yoga and in reasonably good condition, Level I is the class for you.
  • If you are new to yoga, in good or very good condition and have some background in dance, martial arts or another modality that has given you good body awareness then you can start in a, Level 1-2 class.

Class Descriptions

Level 1 These classes are designed for students who are new to yoga, for students who are in poor physical condition due to being out of shape or because of injury. These classes also work well for experienced students who simply prefer a foundation-building practice. A more basic selection of asanas (yoga postures) will be used with a focus on general body placement and the mechanics involved with moving through transitions that are used commonly in Flow Yoga. Attention and awareness are also cultivated at this level. Beginners classes will be geared toward the level of the most basic-level student present. Modifications and extra time for transitions will be given generously as needed.

Level 1-2 classes are for students who feel the Beginners class has become too slow and basic for them. It is suitable also for new beginners who are already in reasonably good condition and have a background in a movement-based practice such as dance or martial arts. At this level, more attention will be given to the breath, more refined placement in asana and to smoothing out the transitions.

Level 2 These classes are for students in good physical condition, who have a basic familiarity with commonly used asanas and transitions and are working on improving their breath, alignment, balance, flexibility and fitness all while cultivating a more inward focus. These classes introduce more advanced asanas and tend to move at a swifter pace than the Beginning and Beginning-Intermediate classes and offer more refinement to the practice.

Level 2-3 classes are for experienced students who are in good or great physical condition, have a solid understanding of alignment in asana, are familiar with the coordination involved in transitioning, comfortable with the use of the breath and know how to modify for their specific needs. This class level helps students refine their practice with a higher level of physical challenge while focusing on more subtle alignment and energy awareness.

Level 2-3 with Yin In this 2 hour class, we explore the balance of Yin and Yang yoga. The first part of class focuses on the “cold” tissues (ligaments and tendons specifically) with long-held, supported (Yin) postures. In the stillness of each pose, the breath becomes your guide through the sensations that arise. The second part of class is a level 2/3 flow (Yang) class that brings the heat into the muscles and gets your blood flowing. Come investigate your body through both these modes of Yoga!

Level 3 classes are for students who are in good or great condition and have embodied clear alignment in commonly used asanas and transitions. The focus in the class is on efficiently maintaining a high level of fitness while working toward more depth and availability in the body with more advanced asana, and developing a stronger internal practice. Again, students in this class need to be prepared to modify for their own specific needs.

Apprentice Led Class (ALC) These classes are taught by graduates of the Level I Flow Yoga Teacher Training (or an equivalent program), who are participating in the Level II Training’s Apprentice Program. Each class also includes hands-on assistance from other apprentices, offering an opportunity for individualized attention in refining your practice

Ashtanga Flow, Level 2-3 Explore the sequence of postures in the traditional Ashtanga Primary Series in a flow style. You will be guided through the postures with individual modifications as necessary, with an emphasis on the breathing and concentration techniques that make up the practice of Ashtanga vinyasa. Over time your body gets stronger and more flexible and as you begin to memorize this sequence it becomes a moving meditation. This class will provide you with a great foundation for any other Flow yoga class or a home practice.

Childcare Your kids can play just steps away from your yoga class, closely supervised by Barefoot Movement staff in our second yoga studio across the hall. Our childcare staff are trained in childcare and/or are parents themselves. Children ages 6 weeks to 12 years old are welcome! Please bring anything your child needs. Additional charge for childcare, see our Schedule & Pricing page.

Postnatal Yoga is oriented to the special needs of new mothers. Babies of pre-crawling age are welcome to this class. The Postnatal practice focuses on helping to restore alignment and tone and provide relief from lifting, carrying, and nursing. The Postnatal class provides a supportive community for new mothers and babies three weeks old to crawling.

Prenatal Yoga These classes prepare pregnant women for labor and delivery through postures, breathing exercises and relaxation. The class focuses on a gentle flow of movement to increase your overall strength and flexibility with modifications to accommodate the various stages of pregnancy. Whether you are new to yoga or already have an established yoga practice these unique classes offer you techniques to restore balance and vitality during pregnancy and assist in preparing for and providing relief during labor and birth.

Restorative Yoga, Prenatal & Postnatal OK focuses on relieving stress and encouraging deep relaxation. By supporting the body completely using blankets, bolsters, straps, and blocks you hold these unique poses for an extended period (5- 20minutes). The sequences are designed to move the spine in all directions, stimulate and soothe your organs, and reverse the effects of gravity on the body. It is a wonderful complement to a Vinyasa Flow practice. Modifications are given throughout class for the pregnant students. These classes are included in the “One Month of Unlimited Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Classes (no babies)” offer.

Student Led Class (SLC) These 75 minute classes are offered on an occasional basis. They are led by student teachers enrolled in the Flow Yoga Teacher Training. We create a win-win situation by offering reduced-rate classes for the community (just half off the regular price of a ‘Drop-in’ and included in the Unlimited Yoga Classes offers) while giving the student teachers a student population (beyond each other) to practice teaching.

 

TRANSITIONING (in YOGA and LIFE)

By: Jacquelyn Richards (FYTT ’10)

The world, and the universe in which it spins, is constantly changing. Look around you and you can see natural rhythms and cycles happening everywhere (night/day, seed to tree, seasons, breath, heart circulating blood, birth/death/rebirth). Today’s fast-paced and goal-oriented world has taught us to break up this ongoing movement into goals, time slots, separate compartmentalized parts of life. While it is sometimes easier to understand the infinitely complex world around us (and inside of us) by breaking things down into discrete pieces, we must not forget the universal truths that everything is interconnected and always changing.

Vinyasa Flow Yoga is an embodied way to reconnect with the natural flow of life’s ever-constant movement (especially when practiced with this awareness and intention). Rather than focusing on specific asanas, try flowing with your breath through the series of movements. Notice how you transition when you practice: How do you move from one asana to the next? Can you shift your awareness to the greater flow of your practice? How is your breath as you flow? Is there a cyclical pattern to how you move (ground, connect, flow)? What happens when you slow down/speed up?

Practicing yoga with awareness of transitions and intention to connect with the greater natural flow of life can have positive/profound effects on our ability to flow through life. It is the way in which we view life that determines whether we are halted by challenges/blockages, or are able to flow and move through the totality of our experience. Although we do not have control over life (we cannot control what happens to us), we can always choose our perspective (compartmentalized or connected, halted or flowing) and, in turn, the way in which we move through the world.