Professional Advice from Verona

Monthly Column in the The Verona Press and Great Dane Shopper
	September 20, 2006 How can yoga contribute to the training of bikers? Madison, known for its biking trails, bike lanes and avid bikers, has challenge rides like the Horribly Hilly Hundreds, the Dairyland Dare, and the Iron Man.  Bikers can suffer with toe and hand cramps, imbalanced breathing, back and neck problems, deformation of the spine, and inflammation of the prostrate. Olympic coaches know the benefits of yoga to top athletes - introducing yoga poses and breathing to correct dysbalance, which results from one-sided loading of the muscle and to increase awareness of insufficiently loaded muscle groups.  It is also used as part of the process of regeneration - for regaining strength after long and intensive training or competitions, and for prevention of injuries.  Yoga can improve the circulatory system, making breathing easier, and correct spinal curves.  Yoga increases flexibility, strength, speed, endurance and coordination.     At Springdale Yoga we practice combining yoga asanas and breathing exercises with aerobic sports, like biking, running, and swimming.  Go to our website to read more about our yoga practice and the benefits to aerobic athletes. Private lessons and group sessions are available.
	July 20, 2006 Why should someone consider Pregnancy Yoga? Springdale Yoga's Pregnancy Yoga classes are for mothers-to-be as well as those hoping to conceive.   Classes are designed for three purposes simultaneously. 1. To make you more comfortable throughout your pregnancy. 2. To smooth and speed labor & delivery 3. To create a healing resilience for your recovery. Before beginning class get your physician's approval.  Yoga is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment. Since this yoga can be done by woman hoping to conceive, it can also be done by Partners who are welcome to join the  mother-to-be and the little one. Svaroopa yoga is a way of working with yoga poses that is both gentle and precise.  At Springdale Yoga classes are kept small so that we are able to prop and adjust students in poses according to his/her needs.  Pregnancy is a special time of life that is both beautiful and challenging.  We will support and move you through this process that includes profound physical changes and much more.  During class we explain important principles of anatomy and share contemplations designed to deepen your bond with your little one, as well as with Partner who attend. This class currently is scheduled through the remainder of 2006.   To learn more about Springdale Yoga's Pregnancy classes and the Natually Healthy Pregnancy Workshops that follow each class to to the website Current Schedule of classes and click on Pregnancy.
	June 21, 2006 How do I know what kind of yoga is best for me? In yoga you practice Asanas - postures that help to keep the body strong, flexible and relaxed.  Frequent practice also strengthens the nervous system, digestive system, immune system, and more, while it also refines our inner perception. Although there are many styles of yoga, the differences are usually about emphasis, such as focusing on strict alignment of the body, coordination of breath and movement, holding the postures, or the flow from one posture to another.  All of the styles share a common lineage.  In fact, the founders of the three major styles - Astanga, Iyengar and Viniyoga - were all students of the same famous teacher at the Yoga Institute in India.  No style is better than another, it's simply a matter of personal preference.  More important than any style is the student-teacher relationship. Svaroopa® Yoga, which I teach, was developed by Rama Berch.  In Svaroopa® Yoga you learn significantly different ways of doing familiar poses, emphasizing the opening of the spine by beginning at the tailbone and progressing through each spinal area in turn.  Every pose integrates the foundational principles of asana, anatomy and yoga philosophy, emphasizing the development of an inner experience that promotes healing, flexibility through deep core openings - we call it relaxed energy. Yoga is for the body, the mind, and even more.....