Yoga Loft Sonora

Yoga Journal Convention Jan. 12-16th 2012

yogaloft — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 21:59:44 +0000

The 9th Annual Yoga Journal Conference: San Francisco is bursting into the city January 12-16, 2012! Come celebrate the New Year with Yoga Journal by mentally and physically detoxing, reviving, and thriving! Whether you drop in for The Grateful Dead Yoga Hour with David Romanelli, spend a day in an intensive with Seane Corn, or get a taste of instructors during the Main Conference, you will ignite your practice and prepare yourself for a year of yogic flourishing! To get the full scoop on conference offerings including a full instructor roster, all classes, and all events, visit www.yjevents.com/sf . Use discount code SF56 to save $50 off the Main Conference pass!

Family Yoga, feb. 18th & march 10th 2012

yogaloft — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 04:13:19 +0000

Family Yoga
For adults and elementary age children!

Saturday January 21st
11AM-noon at the Yoga Loft

Having trouble finding time for your yoga practice?

Family Yoga will provide an opportunity for adults and children to practice yoga together. We will weave a yoga web through the ages as we use poses, movement to music, and stories to create a yoga practice.

Yoga fosters confidence and self-esteem. It improves physical strength and flexibility, as well as self-control and respect for ourselves and others. Children and adults will work individually and as a team throughout the class. No experience necessary.

$10/child-adult pair
(each child needs an accompanying adult)

Jaded

yogaloft — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 20:59:03 +0000

One thing I can say, with 15 years of yoga experience, I have employed many a mat. My first mat love was purple. My instructor, Jennifer, purchased an industrial sized roll of mat material. From the roll she cut a mat for each of her students. She charged us $11. A hefty investment I thought. Just like lovers, you remember your first mat. I remembered rolling it up and tucking it under my arm with pride. I learned to stand on my head, bind my arms in parsvottonasana, I cried on that mat and laughed as well. We traveled and explored new yoga venues together I stretched, flexed and grew strong on that mat, so much so I wore it out.
I spent time after the break-up trying left over mats at the gym and studios. Like one night romances, not fulfilling, not practice sustaining. Years later, I began to invest in mats with fancy yoga labels, like Gaiam, Barefoot Yoga and Lululemon to name a few. None lasted, some I lost, some frayed and others weren’t able to keep up with my ever evolving practice. Then I found the one I wanted to stay with forever. The PrAna Eco Mat. Oh, I was in love. We shared environmental ideals. The color was green, like spring moss. When I was in down dog my hands and feet felt buoyant as if I was practicing on moss. Such a sturdy mat, yet light weight enough to travel anywhere. This was the height of my practice; I practiced 3 times a day, lots of sweat, lots of omms. Eventually, after tens of thousands of upward facing dogs, my toenails finally carved a path so deep in the moss, my feet would get stuck. Sadly, this mat began to bio degrade on the studio floors. It need replacing. I purchased a new PrAna. This was like dating your ex love’s sibling. Not quite the same but familiar. Something had happened, maybe PrAna had a new manufacturing credo. The purple/pink color was awesome, but this mat was flimsy, unlike the original.
Manduka was like a first marriage. Oh my! Environmentally manufactured, sturdy, sticky, name recognition- like dating a model, this was home. Manduka was there for me as my practice changed, ripened and began to mature, It met the needs of the yogini I had become, In a devotion act of love I washed Manduka, but not knowing this to be dangerous I left it out in the sun (never do that) to dry I was never forgiven, it was a reprehensible act. The mat began to peel away from itself and it’s edged fringed in dismay.
After I consoled myself with austere thoughts of not needing any one mat in my life. I began to mostly rely on my studio’s loaner mats. After the Manduka, I thought of all my previous mat loves. How we worked together, grew together and eventually grew apart. I was sad, I felt loss. Practicing on the Yoga Loft’s thin, ultra used but super sticky non-designer mats, was humbling. The mat was not inspiring, the inspiration had to grow from within.
I thought of starting a new mat relationship, but mostly I was content with practicing on those well worn ones at the studio.
Not long ago a newer company, Jade, sent me a calender and an email wanting to know if I wanted a demo mat. Sure.
It was the color of my old Manduka, the one I had ruined by hanging in the sun. I found it to be sturdy and sure of itself. I began to date it. I didn’t completely rely on it, but gradually got to know it and began a deep appreciation of it.
Like all my previous loves, the manufacturer’s source and produce the mat with minimal environmental impact. Very little packaging and biodegradable.
Today my Jade and I are together always. It’s the second marriage, the lasting marriage, the mat I will grow ever old with.
We now stock Jade’s Harmony mats at the Yoga Loft. They are $56. Yes, costly but FYI, cheaper than you can find them anywhere, anywhere!
The Jade is a mat for those with serious, dedicated practices. You earn a Jade! They are sticky, skid resistant, sturdy and thick but light weight. Great performance.
I invite you to meet mine, give it your best downdog and see what you think.
Cherie

Persistence- by Kevin Valine

yogaloft — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:02:15 +0000

I’m 5 feet 11 inches tall and easily 110 pounds overweight. So practicing Yoga is about the last thing I’d ever do. Yoga is for those with graceful, athletic, lithe bodies. Not for someone with a body more fitted to a couch than a Yoga mat.
That’s what I used to think (and occasionally still do) until I started coming to the Yoga Loft about March of last year. I attend class two to three times a week. In the beginning, it was hard. I was self-conscious about my size and was sure I was being judged. (I was right about the judgment but wrong about who was doing it. It was me and not the instructors or my fellow students.)
By just getting my body to class and doing the best I could do that day (even when it seemed my best was not very much), I’ve made progress, which I measure in small steps:
I have a body. It’s hard to explain, but before Yoga it felt like I didn’t have a body or at least I wasn’t on speaking terms with it. At best, my body felt like an unarticulated blob. And in the beginning of my practice, about the only place I felt sensation was in my lower back. It didn’t matter what pose the class was doing, it seemed as if I felt everything in my lower back. And it wasn’t a pleasant sensation. But that has gone away. I can actually feel the different parts of my body. I have even felt the space between my ribs. I also feel comfortable in my own skin, something I didn’t feel even when I was thin and fit.
I’m taller. My wife noticed it first and got the tape measure out. I’m about a half inch taller and about as tall as I was in high school. It’s because my posture is better. I stand up straight and don’t slouch. I slouched because it hurt to stand erect or my back was too stiff.
I can clasp my hands behind my back. Big deal, right? It really is. In the beginning of my Yoga practice, I could not get my hands within a foot of each other when I tried to clasp them. I can also turn my neck from side to side and see what’s behind me. Before Yoga, my neck was getting stiffer each year and it was starting to feel as if it were bolted to my shoulders.
I feel better. Lots of times I drag myself to class fighting the internal chatter in my mind (you’re too tired to go, you’ve had a long day and need to rest, you’ll go tomorrow, etc.) only to leave class feeling energetic, lighter and in a better mood.
Persistence has become my mantra. Yoga is the cornerstone of my efforts to improve my health. It’s also given me the confidence to try to lose weight. I don’t have to do Yoga perfectly or feel bad because I can’t do a particular pose or go as deep into it as others, I just need to show up.
Kevin Valine

Pre natal Yoga Gathering – 2/25/12

yogaloft — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:55:41 +0000

Umbilical cord

Author: Rachelle Prevost

There was a cord that once bound you to me
You grew at the end, like a ripe fruit on a tree,
It fed you and cleansed you and kept you alive
It ensured that I cared for you, even while inside.

I keep this cord now, the small piece that does remain
As a reminder of the great joy I felt after the pain,
I promise to keep it safe and always remember the day
That you came into my life, and that this cord led the way.Even though the cord is now dry and no longer needed
It began the attachment that since then we have seeded,
And though no physical cord attaches us now, however
The spiritual cord that bonds us is forever.

Nurturing connection ~ like the umbilical cord~ will be the intent of these pre natal yoga class. Dr. Hope Ewing, family practice physician at the Mathiesson Clinic in Jamestown will teach postures, breath work and relaxation techniques to deepen the connection of mother and baby. With discussion and pregnancy tips we will nourish the community of mothers.
Class meets Saturday, February 25, 11am
No yoga experience is necessary. Please call to reserve your spaces # 209-536-0503. $10.

Steve Tripp Taekwon-Do classes

yogaloft — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 03:40:07 +0000

Steve Tripp was called back from summer musings at the river by his fan base begging for Taekwon -Do. Relaxed and recommited, Steve will offer classes on Monday’s & Wednesday’s. Tots 5-6 yrs. old meet at 3:45. The Jr class 7-12 yrs.old convene at 4:15pmClass goals will be Gross motor skill development achieved through Fun Taekwon-Do drills and skills .

Class goals will be to introduce the practice of goal setting through the learning and practicing of Taekown-Do curriculum.

Self-Defense is taught with an emphasis on developing practical useful skills as well as each students responsibility to these newly developed skills.

(All classes are taught by Steve Tripp Owner and operator of Tripp’s Taekwon-Do since 1984)

Rogue River, ARTA & Cherie

yogaloft — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 03:59:17 +0000

fluidity

3 days of Yoga, whitewater and bliss

Join us on the Rogue River for three days of relaxing riverside yoga interrupted by fun rapids, great stories, wonderful meals, soothing swims, short hikes and long, peaceful afternoons of drifting downstream without a worry in the world, (plus one night in a rustic, riverside lodge).

We’re teaming with Cherie Newman of the Yoga Loft in Sonora, CA for a three day escape into the vast wilderness of Southern Oregon and the intimate recesses of your natural spirit. We’ll find beautiful beaches, gorgeous pools and our inner best. We’ll stretch, swim, bask, explore, expand and laugh. Beginners will be gently introduced and experts will be freely encouraged. If all goes as planned, everyone will be blissfully content.

Trip will begin and end in Grants Pass, OR and will include all guides, meals, rafting equipment, camping equipment, transportation, one night of camping and one night accommodation at a riverside lodge (double occupancy). Plus daily yoga sessions and all the karma you can absorb.

3 days, September 3 – 5, $819 per adult, $769 per youth (plus $150 single supplement)

Sunshine Rafting and Yoga Adventures 2011

yogaloft — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 02:07:35 +0000

Building A Healthy Community Through Sunshine Yoga & Rafting!

Living in a healthy community is something to be extremely proud of! This season Sunshine Yoga and Rafting is doing its part in order to bring forth healthy living options to Stanislaus County. We have created several affordable retreat options that combine the beauty of the Stanislaus River with the relaxation of yoga in the company of wonderful people. The benefits of our rafting and yoga retreats include the opportunity to connect with nature and explore the inner depths of what it means to live an engaged lifestyle. We welcome all levels of experience in yoga and rafting and invite you to come and get your feet wet on a unforgettable experience down the Stanislaus River!

Time that is spent on the river has many healthy advantages. It creates an opportunity to disconnect from your typical daily life and reconnect with nature and all of its glorious elements. The river has an essence to it that can calm any worry and encourage the pattern of “going with the flow.” This fundamental idea of “going with the flow” that is gained by rafting in the sunshine can then be applied to your daily life off the river. It is a natural concept that can elicit inner peace and well-being. Sunshine Yoga and Rafting is a company that believes in the incredible value of being outdoors and how powerfully it can create a positive impact within a community.

A community deserves yoga! We honor the ability that we have to create the most unique yogic adventures offered in CA that require no experience. We use this strength to share in the growth of a healthy community. We’ve structured our classes for all levels of yoga in order to make sure that anyone that wants to give it a try has full access to it. Yoga is a way to get your mind and body on the same plane of healthy living. Once the mind and body are in sync a new path of internal growth can be created. This river of expansion can easily overflow into the community that we live in. This is what we aim to build through yoga!

Now, to top it off we have taken two wonderful ways to spend your weekend and added a new twist to it all. Our day retreats extend a splendid way to quickly get outside and have a great time. A day retreat with Sunshine Yoga and Rafting includes one day of rafting, two yoga sessions on the beautiful green grass on the river’s edge, live drumming, delicious catered meals and snacks, and an optional massage at the end of each day. What more can you ask for?

There’s more! We have the most amazing themed yoga/rafting retreats that have yet to be offered in CA and they are right in your back yard. You can stretch your senses on our River Stretch or you can challenge your psyche to bravely walk across fire at Fire Flow! The enjoyment of our retreats stems from the wonderful people that come out to share the love and joy with us. Each retreat has incredible instructors that want to generate a passion for being outside and practicing yoga. They do it with a delicate touch and expertise that will imprint your mind with the stamp of how good it feels to be outside and be healthy!

To support our initiative to be creative with our retreats we also offer dancing and music. Anyone who wants to participate in the freedom of dancing with musical accompaniment can do so on Freedom Flow. We want to make it special so we’ve hired San Francisco’s amazing dance freedom instructor to lead you on the journey of transformation through movement!

One of our premier specialty retreats will be featuring professional salsa and meringue instructors Paul and Catherine Calderon. They are internationally acclaimed for their signature program called “Dancing with the Spirits.” This five day retreat will be one of our highlights of the season and is one that you don’t want to miss!

All overnight retreats will be hosted at the privately owned gorgeous River Haven. This property offers resort-style camping on fields of manicured green grass under treetop canopies that light up at night with stars and fascination. There is access to showers and bathrooms at the River Haven and a sauna to make it even more relaxing.
The Sunshine Yoga and Rafting team is inspired to offer a season of unique and affordable retreats in the name of creating a healthy community! If you are looking for a spectacular way to spend a day, weekend or week join us on one of our retreats and share the experience that the scenic Stanislaus River has waiting for you!

For more details and dates or to reserve your space on a raft call 1-800-829-RAFT or visit raftadventure.com!
Written by: Susan Lawrence

Hoyt’s Helpful Hints- Practicing Principles

yogaloft — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 22:19:24 +0000

Perfect Perpendicular

A rational, linear construct in the mind will inform the intuitive, organic functioning of the body. Imagine a vertical line extending form the exact center of the Earth to the zenith of the heavens; off this line fall perpendicular (90 degree angle) lines extending in all directions (360 degree from center) – there are an infinite number of these intersecting lines. Now run the vertical line through the exact center of the body, and imagine (visualize, feel, sense) all the structures of the body in this perpendicular relationship to it. Moving with this mental directive will facilitate natural alignment in your anatomy (symmetry, proportion and balance), release emotional holding patterns, and help restore optimal functioning in your physiology.

Remember, however, in the body there are no straight lines, no sharp angles. Therefore, never fully straighten (hyper-extend) a joint or become rigid/fixed in the time-space of your experience. Firm, yet flexible, energized yet relaxed…these are the hallmarks of “effortless effort” in the practice of yoga, leading to presence and poise in life.

Change is gonna come

yogaloft — Thu, 27 May 2010 18:47:24 +0000

Looking for words to help define the feelings I was experiencing, this morning, while updating the June Yoga Loft schedule, I googled quotes on change. Not disappointed , I found this from Bruce Barton :
“Action and reaction, ebb and flow, trial and error, change- this is the rhythm of living.”
At the time the Yoga Loft opened in August of 2004, I was the lone name on the schedule . Nance Spence ‘s Soto Zen meditation groups action of joining the Yoga Loft began the first wave of interest. The flow began. Yoga instructor Hoyt Cory’s gift of a jade plant resulted in his staying to teach for a while. Others followed. Newly certified teachers, dancers emerging from their chrysalis and events of dance and movement began to contribute to the studio. The flow coming into the Loft was high until the tide changed. Teachers like Hoyt, Kira, and Carly moved on. My first experiences in editing the schedule to reflect omissions left me feeling sad, alone, afraid and mostly surprised. By the time Christian Damek joined the Yoga Loft in 2006 I had began to understand the ….”Rhythm of living “and trust my connection to the planetary tide flows.
“All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward. “
Ellen Glasgow
I still grapple with changes that have not benefited the Loft . Nance Spence’s group continues to leave a void after 4 years at the Loft. I wish that Forrest could have stayed forever. I was bitter when Yoga Level 2 Spring Semester was cut. I was sorry that the Columbia College budget cuts effected Terrie’s Wilderness Women Within group. I continue to be discouraged by the lack of participation that some classes have been met with, despite the enthusiasm, effort and monetary cost put forth by their teachers.
“All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another. “
Anatole France
Some changes to the Loft’s schedule are exciting. Hoyt who left the Loft in 2005 returned in 2010. Ebb and flow. Darca the only Capoiera teacher in Sonora is pregnant with twins. She’s cancelled her class (temporarily). Susie Lawrence, our Cardio Hula Hoop instructor, in keeping her weekends free, moved her Sunday class to Darca’s spot. Ebb and flow. Christian, earlier this year, took time off to heal from a serious bike accident. Onto our shores was swept Nora, from Ibizia , she graciously covered his classes. Ebb and flow.
Steven Espinoza has left his Friday am spot to teach at Sonora Sports and Fitness, not a great change for the Loft ( great for yoga students at the Fitness Center). Danielle will begin to offer healing Reiki treatments at the Loft, starting June, on Fridays. Ebb and flow. While the Loft will pine the loss of Marguerite’s nia class, I am excited to see what Marguerite will offer next. Ebb and flow, I trust so.
“All things are transient”
My teacher and wise friend Patricia Harrelson
Melancholy, movement, excitement and trusting, these are the emotions pulsating thru my energy channels this morning. Much appreciation to all the teachers who have shared their wisdom, trials and efforts at the Loft over the years. From them I have learned to trust the tides. The June schedule is ready for printing.