Yoga Selah

At Yoga Selah, we think Mondays are a great time to recharge. Join us tonight for a restorative yoga class led by @tiffanystephens__ designed to guide you into a time of rest and relaxation. Link to register in profile.

Happy Sunday! Join @laura__tara for Foundations at 4:30pm. Link to register in bio.

The beginning of the year often becomes a focus on creating habits to change ourselves. In a recent podcast, @angiefadelsoulcare made a comment regarding this mindset: New Years Resolutions in their very nature are shaming. We are setting out to change something, to reverse something in ourselves, to alter something. Usually it has something to do with your weightthat you’re not good enough the way you areI think that can be a set up for failure. What if instead of shamin...g ourselves we took a look at the things we deeply value? Our virtual Reboot Camp is about connecting more deeply with our values and considering ways that will best help us foster growth in those areasin the qualities we already possess. There is still space for you to join us this weekend! This time is not to teach you how to be betterwe won’t be offering meal plans, exercise programs, or teach you how to be meditation professional (disclaimer: there’s no. Such. Thing ). This will be a space to gain a clearer view of your values and how they fit into your life. We hope you join us, exactly as you are . Register here: https://www.yogaselah.com/event/reboot-camp/

New year, and some new virtual offerings. 1. Starting Monday, January 11th, @tiffylou will be teaching a weekly virtual restorative yoga class. Recommended props: 2-3 blankets, a bolster (or 2 standard sized pillows), 2 blocks, and some wall space. If you are an autopay member, this restorative class is included in your membership. If you did not receive an email last week on how to register, please contact us. 2. Weekly meditations on Wednesdays at 6:15pm. This 20 minute spa...ce is a time to gather for sometimes silent, sometimes guided meditation. This is a free offering, but donations are welcome. 3. There is still space to sign up for our Reboot Camp this weekend! Link to register in profile.

That which is day to the many is night to the sage/That which is night to the many is day to the sage. BG 2.69 2020 has felt like stumbling around in the dark. The events of this year have upset our old patterns and way of doing things and left us in a constant state of dealing with uncertainty. Yoga is about learning to see in the dark. It’s about introducing new patterns and managing the chaos that arises as we create and adjust to those new patterns. It’s about managing ...transformation. What will your 2021 be like? What patterns and new ways of seeing do you want to cultivate?Now is the perfect time to reset how you live your life. This afternoon workshop will help you do just that.More than simply goal setting or New Year’s resolutions, thepractices and exercises covered in this workshop are designedto reboot your thinking for the new year. Develop strategies to support deep transformation. And benefit from ongoing coaching to sustain that vision. Join us for this virtual event on January 9th from 1-4pm. Investment is $85; early bird registration is $75 before 12/31. Link to register in bio.

Registration for our "Reboot Camp" is open. Early bird discount ends 12/31!

Monday, December 21st marks the winter solstice; the longest night of 2020. This year has been a hard one for so many of us, and we at Yoga Selah have not been immune to the challenges the year has brought. There has been grief, loss, frustration, and uncertaintybut there has been love, friendship, encouragement, and growth as well. So many of us started practicing yoga as a way to manage stress, anxiety, pain, etcthank you 2020 for more opportunities to practice :). This ...year, we are offering a Virtual Yoga Nidra - Guided Relaxation on the winter solstice at 6:30pm. In this systematic practice, you’ll focus on your breath, bodily sensations, thoughts, and emotions to find a deeper sense of calmness. In times of stress and growth, it is so important to take opportunities to rest and digest. We would love to have you join us in this offering as we hold space for one another to pause and reflect and REST. Link to register: https://www.yogaselah.com//virtual-yoga-nidra-guided-rela/ See more

It was so good to have @tiffylou back teaching her class this past Monday! This weekend she finishes up her 300 hour yoga teacher training with @toughloveyoga and we are so excited and proud of all the hard work she’s put in! Tiffany was one of our first students when it was just Taylor and @bextrussell teaching in the attic of the Otwell House, so we are proud yoga parents and we’re not crying, you are. Thanks for being a part of our practice family, Tiff!

Rebecca is subbing yin tonight at 5 pm, and we’re going to be adding some myofascial work into the mix. Bring a block and a blanket or large towel. Link to register in profile.

We miss props! This private lesson with @taylored.yoga was a blast, partly because we got to break out the dowels, sandbags, and some other items to help prep for working on drop backs. Have you ever tried using a wooden dowel for your yoga practice? They are amazing for offering feedback, support, and deeper openingas seen here. Aubree has a lot of movement and flexibility in her spine, and the dowel is a reminder to keep integrating and engaging her shoulders in this stand...ing backbend variation. If you’re curious about what props to use for yoga, we recommend 2 yoga blocks to start out. We are still incorporating props into our classes (mainly blocks!) so we recommend bringing 2 blocks, 1 yoga strap, and a blanket if you have them. We are still providing yoga chairs (easy to clean) and you might just see some wooden dowels in our classes in the near future!

Word of the day: FOG There’s a phenomenon on Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, called the tablecloth. Air blown in from the Atlantic Ocean is forced to rise up the eastern slopes of the mountain, and then condenses into a cloud cover on contact with the cooler air at the summit. The cloud is blown down the front of the mountain where it dissipates as it meets warmer air again. It’s a dramatic site from the ground, but if you’re on top of the mountain when it happen...s, you lose all visibility past a few feet in front of you. Also, it’s cold and wet and miserablebecause you’re in a cloud. Maybe you’re not feeling enthusiastic about your yoga practice right now. Maybe you’re not feeling enthusiastic about much of anything. This year has felt for so many of us like being in that fog on the top of the mountain, and we feel like we’re groping around in low visibility, trying to find the path. We often do a challenge in January to take advantage of the changing of the calendar, to encourage new rituals and activities, and help jumpstart your practice if it’s needing a little encouragement. For us, we feel like December could use a challenge of being present to what ISin the middle of the fog and uncertainty, what do we notice? And can we see the good within the pause? Because isn’t that the point of the yoga practiceall this asana, core work, blanket drills, creativity with blockshelping us to be able to breathe through discomfort? To learn with our bodies ways to help our minds know how to be still and be present when it’s the last thing we want to do. Selah essentially means to pause and reflect. As this year draws to a close, we invite you to pause and reflect with us. We are planning to pause and reflect on the year behind usacknowledging the struggles that may still be going on, and also making space to reflect on the things that are bringing life and nourishing us right now. And if you’re not up to reflection at the moment, because you’re in the middle of it, that’s ok too. Fog eventually burns up in the sun or is blown away by the winds. Hang in there. From all of us at Yoga Selah, we love you and are so grateful for this practice

We took this photo on March 1, 2020, on our first teacher training weekend. This amazing group of students became our first remote teacher trainees and helped us navigate the ups and downs of remote learning and online training with grace and compassion and joy. We couldn’t have asked for a better group to be a part of this journey of 2020, and we are so proud of all that you have accomplished this year. Congratulations to the 2020 Yoga Selah teacher training grads!

Taylor will be teaching the next class in our Yamas & Niyamas series this coming Sunday, 12/6. Join us virtually from 9:30-10:30am for a deeper dive into yoga philosophy. Cost: $12 drop in/free for Unlimited Monthly Members *This class counts as 1 CE credits for Yoga Alliance Registered Teachers.... * You will be emailed a zoom link to sign in prior to the start of the event. See more

Because there is so much more to the practice of yoga than just poses, we are bringing back our Philosophy Labs starting this November! Broaden your understanding of yoga philosophy through an in-depth look at the yamas and niyamas, yoga's ethical principles. Each lab will explore the historical origins and context, as well as the evolution to present-day practices, of one of the ten ethical concepts outlined in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. While this is a series, each lab will f...ocus on one principle, making it easy to join when you can. We'll start with ahimsa, non-violence, and consider its emergence from Vedic practices to become the central tenet of yoga. Cost: $12 drop in/$100 for full series/free for Unlimited Monthly Members. Date: Sunday, November 8th, 9:30am *This class counts as 1 CE credits for Yoga Alliance Registered Teachers. * We are offering a virtual option for this class as well. Link to register in profile.

If you missed out on the CBD & Sound Healing Journey this month, we’ve scheduled another one for Friday, November 6th! Space is limited, so please register soonlink in bio.

A quick pose to prep for and recover from 4 days of sitting on zoom: 1. Take two blocks on the highest setting. If this is too much of a strain on your low back, elevate the hips a little. 2. Line up the blocks with each shoulder blade, leaving a small amount of space between the blocks (2 inches or so, depending on the width of your shoulders). 3. Lean back over the blocksthis might take a couple of tries to get the blocks situated on each shoulder blade.... 4. Reach your arms overhead and clasp opposite elbows. Your forearms should be behind your head at this point. 5. Allow your head to rest on your forearms. If the neck and shoulder permit, gently press your head into your forearms. 6. Press your shoulder blades into the blocks and visualize your spine lifting up away from the space between the blocks. 7. Come up and repeat, clasping the elbows the other way. See more

We've added another Sound Journey for November 6th! Space is limited, so sign up today!

Sometimes deepening the practice means exploring foundational poses and getting deeper into nuances, not just shapes. Try this variation of Parsvottanasana/Pyramid pose to help maintain a long spine and work on squaring the hips. 1. Place a block at an angle to the wall, and step one foot to the block. Angle your back foot slightly outward, as you would for parsvottanasana. 2. Place your hands on your hip points and make sure they are both facing the wall. 3. Hinge forward a...t your hips. For a more supported variation and shoulder stretch, place your hands on the wall (2nd photo). For more feedback to lengthen the spine and work on squaring the hips, bring the crown of your head to the wall. 4. Straighten your arms beside you with the palms facing up. Keep the arms straight and work toward lifting the hands higher than the shoulders. If the shoulders permit, try drawing the thumbs together behind you while keeping the arms straight. Let us know what you think!

Virtual Meditation - Wednesday evenings at 6:15pm. This 20 minute meditation is a donation based offering and we’d love to have you join us! *Registration required. Sign up on our class schedule (link in bio) and you will be emailed a link prior to the session.

Have you ever heard the words remember to breathe in class and wondered how the instructor knew you weren’t breathing? Join us Wednesday mornings at 9:30am for Slow Flow. This class is an opportunity to slow down and fully take in your breath and your practice. We’ll take our time to move deliberately and use the breath intentionally to draw us into the present moment. Link to register in bio.

Ayurveda is a Sanskrit term that can be translated as knowledge of life. It is often referred to as the sister science of yoga, and looks at excesses and deficiencies in the body. There is so much more to the practice of Ayurveda, but in western society, there can be a tendency to focus only on the dietary aspects. This can often take an unhealthy turn when we lack full understanding of the entire practices of this ancient approach to health. We don’t recommend getting diet...ary advice from your yoga studio, so this is not a post about how you should eat! Disordered eating practices are all too common in yoga culture, and we like to stay in our wheelhouse, so this isn’t about how you should eat. The seasons play a big part in Ayurveda, and paying attention to the qualities of the season we’re in can be a helpful tool for overall health. For instance, the fall is known as Vata season. If you’ve been feeling more restless, anxious, forgetful, and jumpy lately, or your digestion is a little off or your joints are cracking or achy and your skin is drier than usual, you may be feeling some of the effects of an imbalance of Vata. Excess Vata energy is said to accumulate in the spine, hips, low back, and pelvic region. A calming, supported twist as shown below is a great way to address a little too much Vata energy in your body. Instructions to set up this twist in comments .

We have some new classes in our media library for you to enjoy! We’ve switched our library over to our scheduling page, so just sign into your account and click the Watch Video icon in the top menu. We have some previews to check out at no charge. To view our entire library, simply purchase our Media Library Access pass. *Unlimited Autopay Membership includes media library access*

I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time... I rest in the grace of the world, and am free. Wendell Berry See more