Bring Yoga to Your Resolutions

Posted: Thu, January 5, 8:57am by Sarah Jamieson

In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali presents the practice of Svadhyaya, or self-study, as a primary component of the yoga practice. This practice of deepening self-awareness can be a valuable tool in the process of setting – and keeping – New Year’s Resolutions.

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Pain Management

Alex Mazerolle

Posted: Tue, April 5, 4:42pm by Alex

Dealing with pain, whether it is chronic or acute can be incredibly taxing on our bodies, minds and souls. There are many avenues to explore while dealing with pain, but for long-term relief, the approach must be a holistic one. Treatment for pain is more effective when we look at the bigger picture. There tends to be a vicious cycle between feeling physical pain, which leads to stress, which leads to a toxic outlook thus making it harder to heal. The good news is there are many ways to restore optimal health, but it starts with an open mind and a willingness to feel better. 

Yoga for pain management:

Yoga can bring tremendous relief for many reasons. The more aware we become of our bodies, the more we are able to source out the actual root of the pain. Practices like Anusara Yoga as well as Pilates focus deeply on alignment, which can help bring physical ailments to light. By correcting our posture and strengthening our muscles to support our skeleton, pain can lessen by getting stronger and increasing flexibility. It can also create healthier muscle patterns and undo damaging habits.

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Understand Your Body, Feel Strong & Wake Up Muscles with Pilates

Posted: Wed, March 2, 9:32am by Alex Mazerolle

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Alex Mazerolle is a yoga & pilates teacher with YYoga. Click here for her upcoming class schedule!

My first pilates class was part of a dance summer camp when I was 13. The girls and I saw it on the schedule and jokingly called it "pilots." I remember being bored to death and at that age, not having enough focus or concentration to grasp the method.

PILATES (pronounced pih-law-teez) is a non-impact strength training system of exercise. It's focus is on quality versus quantity. Pilates is practiced from a place of deep mindfulness and attention to alignment. When done correctly there is little need for excessive amounts of repetition, thus making the method extremely proficient.

Fours years later I found pilates again doing private lessons on the suggestion of a physiotherapist. In attempts to heal an injured spine, I fell in love with it's therapeutic ways and found great relief for my suffering body.

As a teacher, I see many people just like me years ago. Suffering from back pain, unaware of their bodies and seeking relief. Issues like lack of core support, pelvic instability, muscular imbalances, poor posture, and lack of body awareness all effect the health of the spine. These are the issues that the Pilates method specializes in helping people improve.

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