What is different about Clinic Yoga?

Clinic Yoga is a small studio with big results. It's all about one-on-one learning. Physical and mental fitness are not sustainable without a deepened body-mind awareness; large studio settings don’t allow the time or personal attention to progress effectively, nor can they accommodate all ages and levels. Here, you choose the recurring time and day, and practice solo or in a group of up to four.

What style of yoga is this?

Yoga has many forms, and Clinic Yoga is a physical practice. The postures are Hatha-based and familiar, like you may have seen in a Flow, Vinyasa, Hot, Yin, or Restorative, to name a few. The studio is room temperature, and every session includes a warmup, a sequence of postures tailored to the level of the students, a pause for questions (and water!), and then a cool-down  with some longer-hold stretches. Because the groups are small, the sessions are dynamic and can change mid-course in order to address specific areas as they come up to make sure everyone gets the most benefit from the experience.    

How does the pricing and format work?

You can come on your own, in pairs, or in a group of up to four. It's the same price regardless of the number of people; you all split the cost. Get some friends who are interested in practicing together and give it a try. If you're looking to find a new group, get in touch and you can be matched up with others based on your level of practice. The groups are motivating, supportive and fun, and it's a nice way to learn from seeing what others are doing. 

I’m not athletic or flexible; is yoga for me?

Oh yes! This is the main thing that keeps many people away from yoga. This is also why you’re in many ways the ideal practitioner; you’ve got the willingness to try something that will work your body and mind, yet you’re a blank slate with no bad habits!

I’m already athletic; why do yoga?

Very often athletes are superbly developed in the area(s) related to their sport, but are literally ‘out of balance’ in the rest of their body, and sometimes wind up with surprising injuries. Everything is connected! So by bringing a more thorough awareness to the whole body, yoga prepares you for whatever gets thrown at you. Your game will improve by doing yoga. You‘ll jump higher, react faster, and get injured less.

I’m recovering from an injury; is yoga for me?

Of course, this depends on the injury. When injured, you need to strike a balance between resting parts that need to heal, but also keeping blood flowing and muscles awake. Yoga does help you heal faster; but talk to a licensed physiotherapist to find out what you should and should not do, then be sure to inform your instructor of your injury so that your sequence can be tailored to make things better, not worse.  

Will yoga help me lose weight?

Burning more calories than you consume will help you lose weight. Yoga can definitely burn calories...but this is only a facet of the lifestyle change that you’re hoping to make. Mostly, keep in mind that many things are good for you in moderation, and there are no magic, instant ways to make changes like this. If you’re patient, dedicated, and see yoga within a larger context of change, then yes, the excess weight will go away.  

Isn’t yoga dangerous?

Sometimes people have been injured doing yoga improperly, too intensely, or too often. People also bungee-jump, play football, ballroom dance, bicycle and run...and wind up injured. Yoga is the only physical activity that is aimed entirely at the full-body well-being of its practitioners. It’s choreographed physiotherapy, and many, many more people have benefitted immensely from proper yoga instruction and practice than have been injured. Smart teachers like smart students.

I won’t have to chant or meditate, will I?

Chanting is used in some classes to help students relax, breathe, and establish a level of camaraderie among strangers. The simplest chant is the ‘aum’, often done three times at the beginning and end of a session. It feels good to do, but it’s not necessary!

Why do I need to be flexible?

Being flexible means that your muscles, tendons, and ligaments have a good amount of elasticity to them. As we age, the elasticity hardens and our range of motion decreases..that means we start to have trouble reaching and walking. Yoga helps your strength, flexibility and balance so that you can stay active, feel good, and live for a long time.

I tried yoga once and hated it. Why should I subject myself to that again?

Ever been to an awful restaurant? You’ve likely never gone back...but presumably you have not decided to never go to ANY restaurant ever again...?  It’s possible that your first yoga experience was with a bad teacher, or the class was too big, or your shorts were too tight, or the style just wasn’t suitable for you. You might hate a class...but please dedicate yourself to making sure that you get the most benefit possible based on your goals and level. 

Isn’t yoga mainly just for girls?

Yoga was originally created for men, and it’s only in the last half century that the physical practices of yoga have been adopted by a majority of smart women who saw the benefits and were willing to make it part of their routine. There’s been a recent surge in the number of men taking classes, which is a good sign, and does suggest the need to be aware of the postures that suit men’s and women’s bodies differently.