Yoga, meaning union, is a way of life that has been practiced for thousands of years.

Different people may be drawn to yoga for its various aspects; Physical strength and flexibility, stress relief, increased athletic performance, recovery from injury or illness or pain, philosophy/psychology, meditation or life balance. Yoga has many benefits and it can be adapted to the individual.

There are many different forms of yoga. Currently at Flow Health Centre we offer the following classes:

YOGA FOR HEALTHY BACKS

This class is designed to improve posture and relieve tension in the back with an emphasis on spinal alignment and strengthening the core, as well as releasing tension in the hips and hamstrings. Classes will also include breathing techniques to help develop awareness of the mind/body connection. All abilities welcome.

YOGA FOR NECK & SHOULDERS

This class is designed to relieve tension in the upper back, neck, shoulders and arms. It is great for office workers and those that work at a desk or on electronics for long periods of time. Postures will have a gentle, restorative approach with a focus on breath and mindfulness.

YIN YOGA

Yin Yoga is a slower paced style of yoga that holds postures/asanas for longer periods of time. Yin Yoga targets the connective tissues of the body; tendons, ligament and fascia with the aim of increasing circulation and flexibility in the joints. It complements the yang styles of yoga. It is a great practice to counteract stress.

MEDITATION

Meditation is the practice of sustained directed voluntary attention. It is a very valuable and researched skill that can greatly improve the quality of your life and help you cope with daily stressors. It has been shown to improve attention, memory, patience, creativity, empathy, & willpower and reduce pain, inflammation, stress and depression. It helps us with our relationship with our thoughts; it moves us from our doing mind and soften us into our being mind. It moves us from a sympathetic (fight or flight) to parasympathetic (rest and relaxation) state.

Mindfulness is a type of meditation in which the object of our attention is the present moment. You observe the present experience with nonjudgmental awareness. With regular practice is becomes easier to have nonjudgmental attention of the present moment and enrich your daily life.