yin yoga

YIN YOGA

Perhaps you’ve heard of Vinyasa Yoga, a Yang (masculine energy) style of practice that heats the body, stretches the muscles and connects your pose to your breath. Vinyasa yoga is a powerful practice that seeks balance with a Yin Yoga class (feminine energy).

In a Yin practice we slow down - poses are held between 2-5 minutes, we learn to slow and lengthen our breath, we learn to keep the mental chatter at a minimum. This practice incorporates longer held positions in order to open up the connective tissues in our body to allow for greater flexibility. In order to hold yoga poses for longer periods of time, we use props to support our poses to ease our body into a comfortable position. Once this shape is found, we learn to soften and find our breath to seek a meditative mindset.

You may be thinking, ‘this sounds a lot like your Restorative Yoga class…’ and yes, they are similar but still very different. Restorative Yoga is allowing your body and mind to surrender and deepen into the comfort of restful, easeful poses. In Yin, we work to surrender and deepen our understanding of our thoughts and our mental space because the poses in a Yin practice can be somewhat uncomfortable if new to you. Mentally, if all you focus on is the discomfort or fact that you ‘cannot do this’ or you ‘are not flexible enough’ the mind will not be in support of a restful body. There are always modifications for every body and every experience level is welcome. Examples of Yin poses would be supported forward folds, supported backbends, hip openers and shoulder mobility exercises. 

This is a beautiful practice for anyone with an over stimulated mind, stress, tightness in the body and an overall feeling of being worn out. A regular gentle Yin practice will open up your body to simply feel better. This practice will quiet your mind to feel true presence and at peace within your body. 

Yin Yoga is an effective practice that you will be guided and supported from Kaleigh, our 200 hour Registered Yoga Teacher. For her, regular Yin Yoga has made her realize how important it is to slow down her yoga practice to learn how to ‘just be’ in life and on the mat. Her hamstrings, hips, neck and shoulders always feel amazing after a class and her mind more open and receptive to the world outside the door. 

ABOUT OUR YIN CLASS

Our classes are small~ 3 people is our maximum.  Our space is warm and inviting.  We allow space to find your postures and relax with adequate attention detail.  Our space is calm, colorful, dimly lit, and enhanced with aromatherapy that compliments the practice.

Join Kaleigh and mke MindBody Wellness for this new weekly class on Tuesday’s 5:30-6:30pm, $15.  Any inquiries, please message Kaleigh at info@kaleighatkinson.com

Namaste 

BE BRAVE

As an Integrative Health Coach, I have read many books on Wellness, Coaching, Integrative Medicine, Spirituality and Health, Self-Help Books… The list goes on.

All of them have given me insight and I am grateful for the knowledge, the professionalism and research that supported my education.  However, with all of the inspiring authors I have read, Cheryl Strayed is an author I love and just keep coming back to. 

I happened on her book, Tiny Beautiful Things, years ago and gained advice on love and life from Dear Sugar.  A friend recommended it, so I bought and was so surprised by what I was reading (much different then researched data and self help) that when I would read it, I would sit with what I read and just process.  Sugar is Cheryl Strayed.  “Dear Sugar” consists of short letters that she wrote as an anonymous online advice columnist for “The Rumpus”.  I love that she was real and talked about all of life’s lows and highs, the “HARD” and the unthinkable.  She always closed her columns with life insight and honored the participants asking for advice by thanking them and acknowledging their courage in asking for support.

No judgement- just real life experiences that remind us that we all are not perfect, there really is no Facebook perfect life.  The reason we are here is to learn to navigate life and to do so with a community of support- not alone!

This book led me to recommend her book Wild to my book club (Firefly Book Club). We loved it and I suggested we all hike the Pacific Coast Trail!  (that idea got vetoed, but it is still out there J)

Next, I picked up her book – BRAVE ENOUGH.  It consists of quotes she has lived by, loved and used to help her navigate life.  She also swears in her writing, which is something I like, because I don’t swear and when she writes it, it feels so good.  In this book, she states why she wrote it:

“The best quotes don’t speak one particular truth, but rather to universal truths that resonate-across time, culture, gender, generation, and situation-in our own hearts and minds.  They guide, motivate, validate, challenge and comfort us in our own lives.  They reiterate what we’ve figured out and remind us how much there is yet to learn.  Pithily and succinctly, they lift us momentarily out of the confused and conflicted human muddle.  Most of all, they tell us we’re not alone.  Their existence is proof that others have questioned, grappled with, and come to know the same truths we question and grapple with, too. I hope this book serves that purpose for you.  ”

— CHERYL STRAYED

It is important to believe that can trust that life will support you. No matter what your choice, it is your choice, I encourage YOU to make one…even if it is not perfect ~ BE BRAVE!                        

Kerri Weishoff

Integrative Health Coach and Mindfulness Teacher

I had the chance to meet CHERYL STRAYED in person in 2017 (thanks to my friend Lisa Williams)!  It was a thrill, she spoke in Chicago as part of a book tour, it was sold out and I tried desperately to get a ticket in many ways.  I went to her show anyway without a ticket and miraculously I was given one ~ for free.  I even got all of my books autographed (again thanks to Lisa).  It was a true reminder to me to follow your heart, notice the synchronicities, follow your instincts and yes BE BRAVE and most importantly Go For It! 

SELF LOVE CLUB

The idea of signing up for Mke MindBody Wellness’s Self Love Club might at first elicit laughter or embarrassment or you might think “not for me”.  My guess is that if you allow the idea to percolate - the idea of loving yourself- you might experience something more like curiosity.  What would this look like?  Is it ok to love me?  Wait, who really am I? Am I where I want to be? Where am I going?  And then...  and then fear steps in, insecurity heightens and perhaps you’ll feel stagnant, uninspired, or even despondent.  Sit with this some more and start to picture a small nurturing group of women who together will explore this idea of having a fondness for yourself, compassion for your spirit, a tenderness for what makes you You.  This is Self Love.  

* new dates: February 2 - 23 *
Friday's 6:30 - 8pm at MKE MindBody Wellness

In the 4 week journey of the Self Love Club, you will be challenged to begin (or continue) unbecoming what you’ve taken on and in; recognizing and breaking the shoulds that keep you stuck; and quieting the feeling that you are inconvenient to others, that your emotional world is too messy.  It is bringing to awareness who you truly are, accepting and loving this person as is, imperfections and all, and committing to the positive life shifts that will open up doors to growth, meaning making and an inspired life.

The world needs you to love yourself healthfully, wholeheartedly and honestly because then, and only then, are your innate gifts fully available to offer.

Self Love is revolutionary, not frivolous.

To inquire or register please call Sue at: (414) 335-3399