What should I expect from Gentle Flows/Foundations?
Gentle classes are simply a slower pace than the typical vinyasa flows that I teach. They are still a vinyasa style where we flow from movement to movement, but we stay in the poses a bit longer, allowing our bodies to ease deeper into them.
Some of these classes will be specifically focused on unwinding, and the descriptions of the class will always be in the title.
Like my faster vinyasa flows, gentle will be categorized by time so that you can practically use them in your daily life.
Foundational videos are shorter videos that break down some of the poses for anyone that is starting to incorporate a physical yoga practice in their life. I totally get it! The physical postures seem to all have these fancy names, and sometimes a Sanskrit word will be thrown around in the mix.
As a physical therapist, I try to intertwine my years of teaching and knowledge of anatomy to help break down what these poses mean and how to do them safely. This will allow you to more confidently incorporate them on your own, in my classes, or in other classes!
Let's be clear, gentle does not mean weak.
I think we often tie the word "gentle" to mean weak or not as strong, which absolutely could not be further from the truth.
I used to think that if I didn't push through a power class that I didn't get anything accomplished, but I've very much come out of this mindset. Our bodies are amazing, and they will tell us exactly what we need.
It wasn't until I started listening to my body that I realized how much it really needed yoga that was slower and less power focused than traditional vinyasa yoga classes are.
Once I honored this, my body became must less inflamed, much more open, and much more at ease as I moved through my daily life.