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Health & Fitness

Restore ~ Body ~ Mind and Spirit

Yoga has the power to make you more resilient to stress. It reminds you of your inner strength. And it can give you back a sense of joy and purpose.

The benefits of yoga go far beyond flexible hamstrings, a stronger core, and less back pain. Yoga has the power to make you more resilient to stress. It reminds you of your inner strength. And it can give you back a sense of joy and purpose.

As I write this blog I am feeling a little fatigued from a very busy week. I take a moment, honor my body by accepting where it is in the present moment and decide that once I’m done with the task at hand I’m going to do a restorative yoga practice.  I’m pretty excited!!

Restorative yoga gives us the opportunity to simplify and learn to do one thing at a time: restore.  Restore body, mind, and spirit which brings a sense of calm. During my training with Judith Lasater to become a Certified Relax and Renew trainer she shared with us that the antidote to stress is relaxation; to relax is to rest deeply.  Relaxation is a state in which there is no movement, no effort, and the brain is quiet.  The benefits include reduction in muscle tension and improved circulation.  It takes at least 20 minutes of rest to extinguish (quell) your body’s “fight or flight,” (stress) response. Afterwards you may notice that your heart rate has slowed down and your breath deepened.  Feeling calmer and more grounded. Give some thought to how it’s impossible to be relaxed and anxious at the same time. My vote is for relaxation.

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I’m happy to announce that I am a Certified Relax and Renew Trainer.  I love Restorative Yoga and am very excited to be offering this practice.  Starting in 2013 I will be offering Restorative Yoga classes at Jacobs Well, details to follow.  If you’re interested in experiencing this wonderful practice please contact me and I will add your name to the list of students.  I also offer private yoga classes; please contact me for more information.

If you would like to learn more about yoga, please feel free to join us Wednesdays at 6:00pm* and Thursdays at 9:30am* at Jacobs Well in Evergreen Park.

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*Please arrive 15 minutes early to register.

Joan Zigulich is a Certified Hatha, Children and Family Yoga Instructor and Certified Relax and Renew Trainer.  My mission is to introduce the wonderful benefits of yoga allowing the student to practice both on and off the mat. I teach classes at Jacobs Well in Evergreen Park. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss how to incorporate the practice of yoga into your life, http://www.yoga-pathway.com, yogapathway@yahoo.com  or "LIKE" Yoga Pathway on Facebook www.facebook.com/YogaPathway

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