Erika Griffin
Your body is your best teacher, learn to listen to it. Your mind is your biggest distraction, learn to quiet it. Erika invites you to unite your mind, body, and spirit in the present moment through meditation an...|| GENTLE ||
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at Yoga Moderne (14872 Metcalf Ave Overland Park, Kansas 66223)
Gentle is beneficial to all ages and levels of students.
- Gentle is a restorative- or yin-based practice, depending on your teacher’s background and the students’ needs. Gentle is a great place for beginners. But what does that mean, you ask?
- Most of your time in Gentle is on the ground, in postures on your back, side, or stomach. Some poses are seated or kneeling, very few poses are done standing.
- Gentle is meant to bring softness into the deep fascia and connective tissue that support major muscles, and to introduce some very soft compression into the joints. The purpose is NOT focused on stretching the major muscles. Instead of firing up the major muscles, we are asking them to relax so that they and their neighbors can re-set. But the main focus of Gentle is on stillness. Your teacher may guide you through shapes that you hold for 3 - 5 minutes (yin) or 5 - 10 minutes (restorative), and will introduce whether you are meant to find an edge to your comfort or, instead, total relaxation.
- We also work on breath regulation in Gentle. Breath regulation is a central component to relaxing in the shapes. Have you ever tried to visualize breathing into an area where you felt tightness? That is a good place to start using your breath to soften your body.
- “How am I supposed to relax on the ground?” you might ask. Well, this is where props come into play. In Gentle, you essentially make yourself a nest for each pose. The nest is built from bolsters (long, firm pillows), blankets, blocks, and your mat. All of that equipment is available—and free to use—in our studio. You do not need to bring anything other than yourself in loose, comfortable clothing to Gentle. We also use sandbags and eye pillows to ground our bodies.
We encourage you to try Gentle with different teachers to deepen your practice. Check out each Teacher's profile for more details on their style and what to expect.