Hi all, I wanted to get in touch to let you know about my teaching schedule for the next couple of week, a new class, and upcoming class themes.

Here’s my family, wishing you a wonderful holiday season!

Teaching schedule notes:

I will be teaching my Sunday zoom class on Dec. 26 and Jan. 2 – please register on my website, and I hope to see you there -

jmayyoga.offeringtree.com

Schedule at the Roxborough Y

- Friday, Dec. 24 10am – I will be teaching

- Saturday Dec. 25 – Y is closed

- Friday, Dec. 31 and Saturday Jan. 1 – I will not be teaching (please check the app to see if a sub is assigned)

New Class Alert:

Yoga For Body Awareness: An 8 week session at Chestnut Hill

United Church

o Wednesdays, 10-11am; Jan. 19-March 9

o Each week has a body-part centered theme

o Build strength and improve posture

o Register with the Mt. Airy Learning Tree at:

https://aceweb.mtairylearningtree.org/wconnect/ace/CourseStatus.awp?&Course=22WMB11%20%20%20%20%20&DirectFrom=Schedule

Pose for holiday de-stress - restorative bridge

Lying on your back with your knees bent and feet on your mat, lift your hips and slide a block underneath the back of your pelvis (not your low back)

- This pose helps the psoas muscle relax (thick hip flexor

muscle deep in your abdomen that can tighten with stress)

- Slow breathing can enhance the deep release

Class Themes

Current - stress relief - some of the ways yoga can help with stress:

- Get you in touch with how stress feels in your body

- Release muscle tension with conscious softening on exhalations

- Slowing down your breathing rate

- Making exhalations longer than inhalations

- Using props to put your body in a position where it can stretch in a mild, relaxing, passive way without needing to engage muscles to hold yourself in place

Upcoming - upper body strength - use yoga to build upper body strength by

- Bearing weight on your hands (lots of options to start where you are and progress - all fours, knees-down plank, plank on a chair, plank on the floor)

- Squeezing a block between your hands or pulling on a strap

- Creating your own resistance by moving slowly, as-if through thick mud

- Building strength can help your posture and range of motion too!

Take care, and always feel free to get in touch with questions!

Jen