archive for the ‘classes’ category

don’t just do something. sit here.

Friday, October 14th, 2011

hey there…we have some exciting (or more appropriately, calming) news!

on saturdays, the studio will be open from 9:20-9:50 a.m. for personal meditation or silent study…anyone and everyone is welcome to roll out a mat or a blanket and get your zen on between our POWER + FLOW classes

meditation is a great addition to your yoga practice, and it’s particularly nice right before or after asana practice…from time to time, we offer meditation classes and meditation is a big part of the 40 DAYS program, but you can practice it anywhere, anytime by simply getting still and becoming aware.

to get you inspired, here are some great meditation recommendations from our 40 DAY REVOLUTIONARIES:


    john r.
    Morning: First thing – Upstairs with the door closed so the dog won’t lick me, Open window to hear the morning sounds, Keep coming back to my breath
    Evening: Just before turning in, Get really grounded, If it’s raining sit under an umbrella in the hot tub

    monica
    my new meditation strategy is to use lightly-guided meditations. It just helps to provide a little structure and support through the process. Lighting a candle helped too. It made for a smoother transition into and out of the meditation space by the simple act of lighting it at the beginning and blowing it out at the end. Plus, it’s pleasant to notice the lovely, fiery smell as I breath in.

    alison
    Once I settle. I visualize an open book at my feet. Blank pages. Book open. As thoughts enter my head, I direct them to a blank page in my book. Each thought gets it’s own page. Once they have tumbled (and I visualize them tumbling from my head right down to their page), the page is flipped to the next blank page. That way, they have a place to go but they don’t get to stay in my head while I meditate. After meditation I can refer back to my book, if I want. But I don’t have to. Bet I would find some interesting patterns of thoughts. Maybe there’s a breakthrough in one of these chapters.

    michelle
    I get up around 4:30.. Smile and sit… Getting up and smiling makes my meditation feel like a treat.. Not al the time, but most of the time. I love to sit early. One of my teachers told me “it is the nectar of the day” and I truly believe it!

    britt
    My meditation strategy is to schedule it into my day. Early each
    morning I set aside the allotted amount of time to meditate before I
    get my day started, so then there are no excuses for me not to do it.
    I also like to light candles for my evening meditation because it sets
    a tranquil mood and feels special. I find the evening meditation to be
    more difficult, so by making it special I’m more inclined to do it!

    ondrejka
    I committ and sit every morning and evening, but when my morning meditation is interrupted by things outside my ability to control (specifically, my little guys). I practice PRESENCE in the real world rather than reacting with frustration, anger, and disappointment. Oh, so I get to practice EQUANIMITY too, since this really is right where my life is meeting me.


    robin
    use a meditation cushion…also know as a Zafu.

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breakthrough bootcamp: q+a’s

Friday, September 2nd, 2011

hey there.

i am gettting psyched for monday’s BREAKTHROUGH BOOTCAMP! it’s our kickoff for the YOGAAID CHALLENGE and Africa Yoga Project.

can’t wait to play + sweat with YOU! here’s everything you need to know (and maybe a little more!).

1.WILL IT BE HARD?
only as hard as you make it…it will be like one of our regular POWER classes, with some time for breakout partner work. you’ll work at your own pace (as always), but it will take you to your edge!

2.CAN BEGINNERS COME?
absolutely, positively YES!! this will be a great place to learn all about the power yoga practice…bring your friends who want to give yoga a shot!

3.WHAT IS FINDING “TRUE NORTH”?
you won’t need a compass. true north is a way of being in your body that will ignite your practice. it uses the physical elements of EARTH, WATER, FIRE, AIR and SPACE to bring you into a deeper awareness of your body, your movement and yourself.

true north is one of the hallmarks of Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga, the style of yoga we practice at three dog. my recent trip to assist Level 1 Bootcamp inspired me to create this workshop to share this powerful principle!

4.WILL IT BE A LOT OF STOP AND START?
nope. we’ll explore all the elements of true north in the flow of a power yoga practice. put another way: you will get your flow on and your workout in.

5.WHAT IS THE REST OF MONDAY’S SCHEDULE?
we are closed for the rest of the day on monday…happy labor day!

6.WHAT SHOULD I BRING?
you. your mat. a towel. water bottle. $26 donation for YogaAid/Africa Yoga Project – we will match your $26! (cash, CC or check to TDY all work).

7.HOW DO I SIGN UP?
do it here now…or come see us in the studio this weekend. you can also email me at anna[at]threedogyoga.com

    as we journey inward, we reflect our light outward
    baron baptiste

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go out with me…please!

Tuesday, July 19th, 2011

consider this your personal invitation to join David and me this sunday for another fun SUMMER OF LOVE event. it’s going to be off-the-leash…come see for yourself.

    when: this sunday, july 24 – 9:00-10:15 a.m.
    who: YOU…and your friends!
    how much: just bring a non-perishable food item or a cash donation for the Food Bank…we’ll donate $2 for every item you bring and match any cash donations.
    what else to bring: your mat and water, if you need it. dress in layers…it might be a chilly start, but we’ll get you fired up in no time!

there will be no 10 a.m. or 4 p.m. class this Sunday, so please join us outside in paradise! sign up online or in the studio and let us know you’re coming!

if you just can’t wait, check out the slideshow from last year!
see you there!

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sweat and shine…

Thursday, June 30th, 2011

what are you doing for the 4th of July?

want to make it truly awesome?

kick it off with us, celebrating breath, life and all that good stuff with our 2nd Annual 108 Sun Salutations practice at 9:00 a.m. on Monday morning. this year, the practice is part of our SUMMER OF LOVE karma project for the Redwood Empire Food Bank…want to know more? read on.

what is a sun salutation?
sun salutations (surya namaskara) are the warm ups we use in our POWER and FLOW classes. historically, they were performed to honor the sun at the beginning of each day. each of our sun salutations is composed of 8 poses, linked together with breath in a flowing sequence. the salutations build heat in the body and stretch the spine forward and back and prepare the body for the stronger, deeper postures that follow.

why 108?
108 is a sacred number in many world cultures. in mathematics, it’s an abundant number, a semiperfect number and a tetranacci number; plus, it’s the sum of 9 consecutive #s: 8 + 9 + 10 + 11 + 12 + 13 + 14 + 15 + 16 = 108. in astronomy, the sun is 108 times the diameter of the Earth…and, wait for it, there are 108 stitches on a baseball and 108 cards in an Uno deck.

a hindu/buddhist prayer necklace (mala) contains 108 beads or stones where each one can represent a prayer or mantra (the Catholic rosary has 54, or one-half of 108). in yoga practice there is a belief that the soul resides in the heart center at the intersection of 108 energy channels (nadis). it is also believed that when a prayer or mantra is recited 108 times, it travels to these channels which in turn radiate out to all parts of the body.

108 sun salutations is often performed in a practice of offering or service. when we all come together to move as one with a common purpose (this time: helping the hungry families in our community), cool things happen.

how long does it take?
about an hour and a half for all the salutations, but plan to be here about two hours since we finish off with some opening and restorative postures and a nice long Savasana. we start at 9 a.m., please be here and on your mat!

will i be able to keep up?
absolutely! it’s a challenging practice for sure: you’ll get a serious sweat on, but it’s also very do-able. we’ll show some different options that will allow you to add/subtract intensity as you need to. you’ll also find that the experience is way more than just a physical practice…curious? just show up!

is there a fee?
nope. no fee for this class…we’re donating our time and hope you will bring a food or funds donation for the Food Bank. we will donate $2 for every food item and will match any funds donation you bring. the Food Bank has $4 of purchasing power for every $1 we donate…they also help to feed more than 78,000 hungry people in our community, so please come join us and let’s send them a big ol’ pile of love.

    never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
    margaret mead

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july 4 weekend schedule

Thursday, June 30th, 2011

we’re open all weekend with just a couple of schedule changes…come out and play with us!

friday: all regular classes = ON
saturday: all regular classes = ON
sunday: 10 a.m. FLOW = ON, 4 p.m. POWER = canceled.
monday: 9 a.m. 108 SUN SALUTATIONS, all other classes = canceled.

*back to ALL regularly scheduled fun on tuesday 7/5…plus even more fun coming your way on 7/8!

want to know more about the 108? peep this…

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we. heart. breakthroughs.

Thursday, May 19th, 2011

BREAKTHROUGH BOOTCAMP is sunday, may 29…haven’t a clue what that means? no worries, read on and get ready to SHINE.


1. so, what’s a BREAKTHROUGH anyway?
in our classes, a breakthrough is a shift in your physical or mental practice that allows you to learn or experience something new. for sure things like taking wheel or crow for the first time are breakthroughs, but so is taking the first step toward crow or actually breathing during wheel. it’s the beginning of something new in your practice…and maybe even your life.

breaking through is also about getting out of our own little heads/world/stories and stepping up to be the change that we want to see in the world…so each of these workshops is a KARMA PROJECT, which means that all the funds are donated to an organization that works to bring more peace, love and joy into the world.

this month, we’re throwing some BREAKTHROUGH LOVE to Forget Me Not Farm, an awesome, awesome, awesome organization that gives abused/neglected animals and at-risk children a safe haven to heal and thrive.


2. ok, but why a BOOTCAMP…this is yoga, right?
we call it a bootcamp, because you will be fully engaged — body, mind and spirit — while you are here. we will challenge you physically with an extended practice; we will challenge you mentally with new ways of looking at poses and flows you already know and we will challenge you on a deeper level to find your power and get out of your comfort zone.

it’s also a time of real transformation, we will be engaged in a two-way learning experience, taking your questions and working on the concepts and postures you want to know more about.

plus, you are going to sweat a lot!


3. i’m a beginner, can i do this?
YES! this experience will bring more clarity and ease to your practice, helping you make your poses stronger and your transitions from pose-to-pose more gentle and powerful at the same time. it will be physically challenging, for sure, but you always hold the volume knob and you can turn the intensity down whenever you need to.


4. i’ve been doing yoga for years, will i be bored?
NO WAY! this session will push you to your limit, too…you’ll explore new ways to deepen your postures and move with more grace and ease.

5. what exactly will we be doing?
we will most likely start with a brief meditation to clear the mental cobwebs and get prepared for the working portion of the class. then we will warm up, and then begin working some basic concepts and refining various postures that traditionally need a little more explanation than we can offer in our regular classes.

we never know what’s going to happen before it happens, but my best guess is that we will work on:

    - folding forward with core body control and ease in the lower back
    - finding the variation of chaturanga that’s right for you
    - demystifying upward facing dog
    - learning to step and jump with your breath…and with grace
    - stepping into warriors, etc. with confidence, precision and power
    - making backbends work for you
    - finding ease in hip openers
    - moving with confidence and grace into inversions

    plus, we’ll have a nice long Savasana…


5. do i need to sign up?
we strongly encourage signing up…you can register here or you can sign up at the studio. the workshop fee is $20…we promise it will be MORE than worth it…and 100% will be donated to Forget Me Not Farm.

hope to see you here on the 29th! better mark out the whole day, because starting at 6:30 p.m., we’re having our first PLAYdate! curious? more on that later…

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q+a: DEEP POWER

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011

ever experience tightness or tension in your hips, hamstrings or shoulders?

yeah, us too…so, we cooked up a remedy: DEEP POWER. if you’re serious about getting stronger and more flexible, join us on tuesdays and thursdays from 7-8 p.m. — want to know more? keep reading.

    what exactly is DEEP POWER?
    a 60-minute POWER class with a focus on longer holds and deep opening for the hips, hamstrings, low back, neck and shoulders.


    will it be harder than a POWER class?
    not necessarily, like any of our classes, you’ll go at your own pace. the poses and holds will be intense, but nothing you won’t be able to handle. modifications will be offered and you’ll feel your flexibility and strength build with each class. if you’re stiff or not-so-flexible, this IS the class for you!


    will it be a slow class?
    not really. the flow will work at your breath pace…we will spend longer in each opening pose that we would in a regular FLOW or POWER class, but we will move at a pace that will keep you engaged and working.


    will the poses be the same?
    YES…you’ll recognize all of them! we’ll focus on the poses that concentrate on opening the hips, shoulders, hamstrings and low-back (think warriors, triangles, backbends, pigeons, frog, forward bends, splits, twists…oh my!), as well as spending some time upside down in poses like legs-up-the-wall, shoulderstand or (always optional) headstand.


    will there be heat?
    YES! the heat will help you relax more, deepen your poses and get your sweat on.


    do i need any special equipment for the class?
    nope. just bring your mat, your water bottle and a towel. when you get here, hook yourself up with two blocks, a blanket and a strap.


    will i feel it the next day?
    oh, indeed…and you’ll love it.

got more questions? give us a call or an email…or just show up at 7 and join the fun!

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