Corey teaches mainly 2 styles of yoga, Yin & Hatha Yoga and incorporates slow flow and vinyasa within the classes.
The Hatha Yoga class uses functional poses that help to unlock the body incorporating stretch therapy techniques that target specific muscles & muscle groups. In todays lifestyle of sitting & body stagnation, these muscle groups have become weakened and tight. It is a yoga & stretch system for the 21st century body, synthesizing the great teachings of the past and placing them in context to our world today. In a mash-up of East meets West – The eastern philosophies are delivered with the western scientific knowledge, empowering students to take charge of their own bodies & lives, as they are better informed on all the processes and benefits of the yoga and stretching techniques.
Yin Yoga is a slow-paced style of yoga with poses that are held for longer periods of time, mostly floor based for up to five minutes or more per pose. Yin yoga poses apply moderate stress to the connective tissues of the body—the tendons, fascia, and ligaments—with the aim of increasing circulation in the joints and improving flexibility. A more meditative approach to yoga, yin aims at cultivating awareness of inner silence, and bringing to light a universal, interconnecting quality.
I believe at the basic level a good ‘yoga class’ = a good stretch, correct breathing, conscious movements & sensing into the body – feeling the stretch that is taking place, with a relaxation & moments of meditation (turning within) …coupled with better lifestyle habits = wholefoods style diet, purified water, getting to bed early, balanced intakes of all the ‘naughty’ foods will help instill changes on the physical, emotional & mental layers of our being…giving us more choices, more freedom from illness, and a much more happier outlook on life. You won’t know unless you try it for yourself!
Yin Yoga classes draw from the teaching of Paul Grilley who introduced Yin Yoga to the world along with the meditative & meridian aspects of Sarah Power’s Insight Yoga.
It is in essence a blend of Classical Chinese Medicine, the ancient indian tantric yoga system and western science. Bringing health to the joints and body’s connective tissue, which includes as a base the fascia, ligaments, tendons and joint capsules, through the slow loading of tensional stress (traction) and bone to bone compression.[1]
It complements many other forms of ‘yang’ styled exercise, such as cardio & strength and conditioning training which work on stressing the muscle fibres to build strength and health. Combined Yin and Yang exercise are an excellent compliment for optimal health
The Thymus gland sits in front of the heart and is squeezed during the Cobra.
This gland is the first point of immunity in the body -it can be called the discriminator as it sends out search & destroy hormones to help rid the body of mutant cells, bacteria & disease.
Being at the heart level -on the emotional level we discriminate who we open our heart too and who we hold back from to protect ourselves.
The Yoga targets the hormone producing glands in the body, the central nervous system & the autonomic nervous system, whilst increasing flexibility & core muscular support.
It Assists in the removal of toxins & wastes, returning the body & nervous systems to homeostasis (internal stability) – by giving our internal organs a much needed massage.
The traditional postures (asanas) are combined with limbering, breathing exercises (pranayama) & relaxation. You learn throughout the class how each posture affects the body on a physical, emotional, mental & spiritual level.
Information is available at the touch of a button and comes at us from all angles, thicker and faster than ever before in the form of media, advertising & the internet. We are all living busier lives, our brains are operating at a frenetic pace & we are finding ourselves time poor. The meditative & introspective approach allows students the mental space to unwind whilst physically working through the postures.
A General class is normally 1 hour in length giving students a beneficial practice & allowing them to return to their busy lives refreshed, refuelled & regenerated.
Is your body, mind & wellbeing in need of a lift?
Do you find yourself saying ‘I should do Yoga?’
General Yoga Classes
1 to 1.5 hour format incorporating limbering, traditional postures, breathing exercises, yoga philosophy, health benefits & ending with a Relaxation so the body can fully absorb the benefits of the class.
Private Yoga Class – 60 minutes @ $110 / 90 minutes@ $150
Class tailored to the individual, taking into consideration what their needs & wants are from the practice of yoga. With hands-on instruction & demonstration I aim to deliver a unique experience for the student. Includes @10 minute relax, discussion before & debrief at the end of class.
Stretch Class &/0r Stretch Therapy Consult
Stretch Therapy (ST)™ is a comprehensive system that includes stretching, fascial remodelling, strengthening, neural re-patterning, and relaxation. The goals are grace and ease, and this is experienced as enhanced awareness and elegance in movement.
Applications of the ST approach span rehabilitation of specific physical problems, through development of more efficient alignment and movement patterns, all the way to improvement of elite athletic performance. Everyone will find themselves somewhere on this continuum!
We say that ST is a safe, yet extremely efficient, way to improve your flexibility, but that’s only a convenient way to open the dialogue. As one starts to work with the body, new needs will be uncovered and you will find yourself pulling on one of the many strands of the ST approach. Everyone’s path is unique, and our approaches reflect this reality.
ST is practised by thousands of people worldwide, and is suitable for everyone, regardless of age or fitness level.*
Stretch Therapy Consult -1 hour @ $110
Includes discussion, diagnosis techniques & stretching
A Yoga class can be incorporated with a short relaxation.
Progressive Yoga Relaxation a 45 minute relaxation can be added at the end of either Private Yoga session or Stretch therapy consult for an additional $75.
The therapeutic benefits of deeper relaxation can be found here
“1 hour of Relax is said to be as rejuvenating as 4 hours of sleep”
Corporate Class $250 p/hour
Depending on the corporate setting and the needs of the employees, I can tailor make a class that delivers the benefits & teachings requested. In general terms, the format will run in a similar way to the general class or can be run as a complete introduction to yoga, building each week. The class can be fitted in with employees lunch or after-work hours. If you have any enquiries please do get in touch.
Kids Yoga
Fun & light interaction with Traditional Postures, games & inclusive activities.
Uplifting for all the kids involved as they learn about their body & ways to keep it healthy & agile.
Tailored to the age groups attending.
– After or During School Curriculum
– On site at Child-Care Centres/ Creches
– During Physical Education programmes
* Description taken directly from Kit Laughlins website
The deepest relaxation is a sense of being at home in your own skin and being comfortable with who you are!”
Yoga Journal, August 88
In our modern day lives we are often told, we need to Relax or to take a chill pill. We run around so busy, constantly checking our phones, our emails, our facebook accounts, we write blogs, we study, we work, we socialise, we go to the movies, we play sport, we play music, we constantly do do do..and then do do more… We have become Human Doings….. rather than Human Beings.
We say to ourselves watching TV is our relaxation time – when in actual fact our bodies and hormones are stimulated by the sound, the ads, the violence, the love affairs & the drama.
If you check in with your body as you watch TV or Film- it will be tense in various places, at times you will be holding your breath, you will cry, you will laugh, you will get angry & if you are watching Big Brother or another reality TV show – You will be shouting at the TV airing your grievances…. awaiting for it to shout back maybe? Our senses are constantly under siege.
Relaxation, in our modern terminology is more often associated with ways of masking or distracting from tension (as seen in the examples given above) rather than it’s true meaning of ‘release.’
The Latin origins of Relaxation is ‘RELAXARE, to let go or to loosen’
The most often medically prescribed drugs in the Western world, are in some way or another, forms of relaxants, which do not address the cause of the tension, but rather create a temporary release. Add to these, the huge volume of recreational drugs, plus alcohol, tobacco and sugar derivatives, and one begins to apprehend the levels of tension in our world today.
If we are to create true relaxation, we need to understand the cause of the tension and remove it, or give people the means to deal with it, or show them how to go beyond the stress.
Certain drugs may be helpful short term in breaking a stress cycle or tension pattern, but ultimately, we must deal with the causes. They may give us ‘breathing space’ in which the body can ‘catch up’ and re-marshall it’s forces, enabling the cause of the tension to be addressed.
For this reason, theses drugs should not be totally discounted, but as evidence proves, most relaxants used over a period of time, have proved addictive, so the benefits must be carefully weighed up in the light of the persons temperament and overall willingness to ‘do the tough stuff’ for themselves.
There are many forms of relaxation and different ways of activating the release of tension.
ACTIVITY
- Yoga, walking, running, swimming, workouts, sports, etc.
- Pursuing a hobby eg. cooking, boat building, painting
- Dancing, singing, playing an instrument
- Sex
- Gardening, walking with animals
REST
- deep, undisturbed sleep
- lying on a beach, listening to the waves
- sunbathing
- floating
- fishing
- reading
- listening to music
- meditation
- Progressive Yoga Relaxation
- iRest Yoga Nidra
We all use many of these, individually or in combination at various times in our lives and these are all valid methods of releasing tension SO LONG AS WE ARE AWARE OF THE CAUSE! And can thus choose appropriately.
SO WHY DO PROGRESSIVE YOGA RELAXATION?
Restorative practices are a way for the body to realign, rebalance & re-find that inner equilibrium… The physical body is constantly working for balance, for homeostasis…
- If you cut your skin – the cells begin to repair immediately.
- When a virus or bacteria enters the body – your immune system kicks in to begin the fight to eradicate & destroy the bug.
- When an organ is not operating to its optimal capacity – other organs kick in to assist and take up the slack.
It can be therefore summised that we can encourage our muscles (the physical body) our minds (the mental body) & our deep and sometimes, unknown emotional blocks (the emotional body) to release the tension they’re holding, by giving them the right conditions to do so….
And amazingly all this can be done, in a very non-threatening, non-confrontational, simple way…. by practicing to be completely still!
The yogic form of relaxation is literally laying down on your back & not moving. How easy! (yet highly effective, I might add!)
Learning to relax the ‘yogic’ way, is however a progressive, ongoing journey… It is a practice that is repeated time and time again… Just like if you were a gymnast – Your routine needs to be done over and over again until your body, down to the cellular level, has it recorded within its memory… And after this – You keep on rehearsing… Your body and muscles are constantly changing, new cells created as older ones die, just as we have new stressers that pop up each day… Therefore there will always be new tension to release.
Ideally the Relaxation space should be a quiet room, with limited noise, from the outside world. You lay with your head supported on a pillow, your lower back & knees supported by a cushion and your feet also resting on a supportive cushion. You cover yourself with a blanket and allow the lights to be turned down low (or be in complete darkness/ or with an eye mask.)
The teacher (or CD) will slowly talk your physical body down into a state of release, releasing each part of the body. Once the physical body is released it allows the mental & emotional tension to slowly bubble to the surface and release as well… This can be sometimes observed by twitches in the hands, feet or anywhere on the physical body.. Other times there can be a sense of lightness following the class. Sometimes the body can go into a deep state of rest.
All these experiences, over time, train the physical body to release the muscular tension naturally… freeing up our minds & allowing the organism (the body) to rebalance, restore & re-energise a lot easier & more effectively, than if you did not do this ongoing practice.
It has an amazing healing effect, that is further discussed in Margrit Segesmans book ‘Wings of Power,’ the creator of this Progressive Yoga Relaxation technique. (Margrits book can be purchased through my site)
I personally have had amazing healing through practicing relaxation daily with my hatha yoga & meditation. In essence the 3 practices feed each other.
The Hatha Yoga allows the physical body to release the surface tension & be flexible enough to sit in Meditation, and bring about a deeper rest & release when practicing Relaxation.
The Relaxation releases the deeper tension, allowing the mind to be able to focus & concentrate more rapidly in Meditation, which flows into a deeper and more meditative Hatha Yoga practice. The mind can focus deeper within the physical body, creating a greater awareness.
The Meditation creates stillness in the mind & stillness in the body, allowing those insights & intuitions, that bubble to the surface of the conscious mind, to be grasped & processed. The sitting meditation allows the active meditation (hatha yoga) to be more focussed inwardly, and the Relaxation to be more conscious, awake & aware (without the body slipping into a sleep state.)
Each practice feeds & informs the other… A wholistic practice should always incorporate many branches… These can be seen in Patanjalis 8 Limbs of Yoga (but more about that later)
Back to Relaxation… The only time most of us rest the body is at sleep time – and then for a huge percentage of the population, the body is not getting enough sleep, or getting a satisfactory deep sleep, allowing the body & mind to move through all the stages of the sleep cycle. Many suffer with insomnia & are overstimulated with alcohol, coffee & other stimulants, they watch the TV, violent movies, play video games or stare at a computer screen until the early hours of each morning and each night are robbed of the organisms natural ability to regenerate itself fully, during the natural sleep cycles.
To be completed…
* some information on this page was sourced from Teacher Training notes & Progressive Yoga Relaxation Post-Grad notes.