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"Marina creates a welcoming stillness in which I can settle in and meet myself again. The flow of the class was just right for me. Since I was new, Marina has been attentive and supportive, allowing me the space to find my own rhythm. I really appreciate the space she gives to let each of us listen to our own bodies. Definitely recommended for reducing stress and fatigue. I felt thoroughly rejuvenated."

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Sharon

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Weekly class schedule  

inHOME OF ZEN

 

Velperweg 95, in Arnhem

 

 Wednesday  09.00-10.15

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Restorative Gentle Yoga

(still a few spots available)

 

Wednesday  10.30 -11.45

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Restorative Gentle Yoga 

(We will soon state with the second lesson. Are you interested? Let me know and I will reserve a place for you) 

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Building Blocks of Gentle Restorative Yoga
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Mindful Embodied Hatha Yoga

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Mindfulness is a commonly used term that has its roots in Buddhism and means from moment to moment being aware of your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, and the environment. Embodiment is a state of being fully present and connected to your body. Also called 'embodied awareness', this is a practice that helps you experience a state of complete connection with your body, a state in which you feel present and whole. Embodied Awareness is a term used in the fields of Somatic psychotherapy, Somatic movement education, and dance. Mindfulness and embodiment are an important part of Gentle Restorative Yoga. During my lessons, we practice bringing awareness to each pose. We delve deeper into the sensations of body and breath. That means going slower and staying in each pose longer. This approach to yoga has a profound immediate effect on your mental and emotional state.

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Restorative yoga

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Restorative yoga is a slow and gentle form of yoga that aims to bring you into a deep state of relaxation and tranquility. I use various props such as blankets, bolsters, and blocks to support the body in different yoga postures, allowing the entire system to enter a deeply relaxed state. Being in these poses has a rejuvenating effect on the body and mind, as it allows you to shift from a fight-and-flight response in the parasympathetic nervous system, which triggers the so-called “relaxation response,” allowing your body to rejuvenate and restore its balance.

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Breathwork

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Breathwork is an essential part of Gentle Restorative Yoga classes. We apply breathwork with the intention of improving mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. There are many forms of breathwork therapy that involve conscious and structured breathing. Breathwork promotes deep relaxation and helps you feel more energetic. In Gentle Restorative Yoga, every pose is an exploration. Through mindfulness and embodied awareness, you create more connections between your breath and your body. You learn to recognize and release blockages in the body. This in turn teaches you to recognize and free your natural breath.

 

Trigger point balls

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In Gentle Restorative Yoga classes I use yoga balls of different sizes, such as reflex balls and softballs. Yoga balls help massage trigger points and release tension in the body. They are often used in sensory therapy, relaxation exercises, and massage. In my classes, we use them as a therapeutic massage tool that targets the trigger points of the body. Small and medium-sized yoga balls help release tension in the connective tissue, also called fascia; build tissue resilience, and release tension from the body such as in the neck, shoulders, lower back, hips, legs, and feet.

Working with yoga balls feels like a deep self-massage.

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Meditation

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There have been endless studies on the benefits of meditation on our health. Research shows that meditation can help us deal better with negative feelings and emotions. Although there are many forms of meditation, the ultimate goal is a feeling of relaxation and inner peace, which can improve mental health. In Gentle Restorative Yoga classes, we learn to focus deeply on the sensations of the body. Being present, observing the breath, and connecting to our bodies are some basic components of meditation, and are an essential part of Gentle Restorative Yoga.

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Origins of Somatic Work in Yoga

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"A somatic movement is generally a movement that is performed consciously with the intention of focusing on the internal experience of the movement rather than the appearance or outcome of the movement. Movements are performed slowly, with an emphasis on quality rather than quantity. Working in this way can teach the body and, more importantly, the nervous system new ways of moving.​ 

Developed by Thomas Hanna in the 1970s, somatic yoga was heavily influenced by the methods of Moshe Feldenkrais – a pioneer of the Feldenkrais Method, which is used to improve human functioning by increasing self-awareness through movement. Additionally, earlier methods such as the Alexander Technique, developed at the turn of the century, helped improve the evolution of this practice. Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen pioneer of the somatic disciplines and the founder of the Body-Mind Centering system developed it further and created a new form of understanding Somatic Movement in yoga. Donna Farhi has her teacher training in which she combines the teachings of yoga and somatic movement.

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The yoga that I teach is a mix of Somatic Movement and Traditional Yoga that I have studied and practiced with some of these teachers over the years. The work of Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen - Body Mind Catering, as well as Feldenkrais, Alexander Technique, Embodied movement, Embodied awareness, Somatic Movement, and Experimental Anatomy, has been part of my coaching training at the Institute for Somatic Movement Studies in Amsterdam, (NL). In training with Donna Farhi, (NZ), I learned to apply these profound transformative therapeutic skills to the practice of yoga."

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Restorative Gentle Yoga classes

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