Princeton Center for Yoga & Health: Courses: Winter 2008

You've got Options!

You can sign up for a full session, purchase a sampler package or an unlimited class pass, or drop in for a single class. The drop-in charge for most classes is $17 per class. Hot Yoga is $18. Pricing for Yoga for Kids, Parent/Toddler is $20. Pre-Natal, Mom/Baby, Post Natal Yoga is $25. For Seniors, drop-in charge for most classes is $14; For students, $10. Be sure to check out our best deal yet, new unlimited class membership! For more details, contact us, or see the Register page.

Yoga & You: Which Style of Yoga Suits You?

PCYH offers many yoga styles, most of which are traditions of Hatha Yoga. They all increase flexibility, enhance strength, boost stamina, and increase awareness of our bodies and ourselves as we release muscle tension, create a sense of calm and peace, and feel rejuvenated.

Here at PCYH, Yoga is not simply a form of exercise; it is a life practice. By establishing a regular practice, we can realize a deepening connection with our spirit. Each class deepens our connection to our true selves.

We recommend that you sample a variety of approaches and teachers. Mix a softer, more inner directed style (Kripalu, Yoga for Stress Reduction, Yoga for Rejuvenation) with one that's moderate or vigorous (Power, Vinyasa Flow, Hot Yoga). Or, try a specialty class like Sampoorna Yoga or Yoga for Stiff People. Not sure about which class to take? You've got options! Simply pick the class that fits your schedule, use the sampler package or pass option, or call us for a personalized recommendation.

Gentle Yoga
Enjoy a combination of balance and harmony through slow and relaxed movements. Emphasis on self- awareness, breathe and gentleness to the body. Open to all levels.

Hatha Yoga: Mixed Levels
A classical Hatha Yoga class where individuals learn asanas (yoga poses) and pranayama (breath work) in combination to build overall strength, increase flexibility and aid in overall relaxation. A creative wave of poses connecting the mind and body through deep yoga breathing allow graceful movement through the asanas. There is an emphasis in holding poses to promote going inward while allowing for a deep and sustained stretch. Honoring, listening, and working with the body is strongly encouraged and movement alignment principles are emphasized along with the breath to guide the body through a safe and effective practice. Suitable for beginners or those with prior yoga experience.

Hatha Yoga: Level 2-3
Students who appreciate the rigor of "power yoga" and vinyasa will find these classes equally physically challenging, while characterized by amore directed, inward energy. Enabled by precise instruction regarding alignment and the use of the breath, students hold poses for longer periods of time, exploring their nuances and their subtle effects on the mind and body. In addition to familiar poses, students will explore backbends and inversions, examine twists, experiment with arm balances, and develop their core strength. Over time, a deeper understanding of physical anatomy and a literal opening of the body will yield not only greater physical strength and stamina, but an awakening at all levels of the self. All are welcome to these classes, although students with some exposure to yoga, and particularly those who seek to deepen their practices, will find them particularly beneficial.

Hatha Yoga: Spanda
A classical Hatha Yoga class where individuals learn asanas (yoga poses) and pranayama (breath work) in combination to build overall strength, increase flexibility and aid in overall relaxation. There is an emphasis in holding poses to promote going inward while allowing for a deep and sustained stretch. A mixed level class suitable for the beginner or for someone with prior yoga experience. All participants are encouraged to adapt the asanas to meet their individual needs.

Hot Yoga
Twenty-six sequenced postures practiced in a heated room. Work deep into your muscles, tendons and ligaments - change your body from the inside out. Increases flexibility, improves circulation and reduces stress. The class is designed for all levels. Bring water, a towel, and a mat. Plan to sweat! Detoxifying, healing and energizing.
Not recommended as a student's first yoga experience and/or those with a serious injury, illness, epilepsy, high blood pressure, heart condition, or pregnancy.

Kripalu Yoga
Kripalu uses physical postures and breathing techniques to increase strength, flexibility, and relaxation, with emphasis on taking yogic principles "off the yoga mat" into your everyday life. Each movement encourages self-awareness and acceptance. Kripalu Yoga for Beginners: A perfect introductory practice for students with little to no yoga experience or for those looking for a gentler practice. The practice includes emphasis on breathing, postures, relaxation techniques, and meditation to strengthen you r physical body, harmonize your energies, and calm your emotions. Emphasis on self-awareness, breathe and gentleness to the body. Open to all Levels. Beginner/Mixed level focuses on alignment in the asanas, breathing techniques and basic yogic principles that can be applied to your modern day lifestyle.

Mom/Baby Yoga
This class is designed for post natal mothers and their babies up to twelve months old. The focus will be on stretching, toning the muscles of the abdomen and pelvic floor, and relaxation to help ward off potential postpartum blues, all while bonding with their infants. Babies will be engaged during the class with exercises of their own. Moms, be sure to have your health care provider's consent prior to enrolling. Class will be scheduled with sufficient enrollment only. Please call to indicate interest and availability to commit to a series of classes.

Parent/Toddler Yoga: Ages 2-4 and any age parent!
Help nurture your child's development through imaginative play, song and yoga. The class is designed to help your child relax, support good health, well being, and learning while having fun with yoga poses and games. Please call to indicate interest and availability to commit to a series of classes.

Power Yoga:
a rigorous full-body workout that promotes mental stability and concentration and contains aspects of Astanga, Vinyasa, Iyengar and Bikram yoga styles. Power Yoga links a flowing sequence of poses (asanas) together in a dynamic and challenging practice. It bolsters strength, stamina and flexibility, improves focus, releases tension and anxiety, maintains proper posture, tones the body, removes toxins and improves performance in sports (cycling, golf, rowing, swimming). Power Yoga helps the student develop and cultivate awareness to achieve unity through the body, mind and spirit using traditional yoga practices to tap into the inner core of one's power. Power Yoga for Beginners: This class is designed to introduce new students to Power Yoga and includes detailed instruction on the foundational elements of pranayama (breathing), sun salutations, standing and seated poses, inversions, final closing sequence and meditation. This class is appropriate for students that are moderately physically fit and do not have any chronic ailments, injury or disease or that are pregnant. Power Vinyasa Flow Yoga (Level 2-3): Be prepared to sweat and push your limits (with modifications), in this class which incorporates a vigorous approach to asanas and pranayama. Experience your own: inner strength, focus, flexibility, with determination, challenge, and balance. These classes are suited to students with a strong, regular yoga practice and NOT recommended as an entry level class.

Post-natal Yoga or Mom/Baby Yoga
This class is designed for post natal mothers and their babies up to twelve months old. The focus will be on stretching, toning the muscles of the abdomen and pelvic floor, and relaxation to help ward off potential postpartum blues, all while bonding with their infants. Babies will be engaged during the class with exercises of their own. Moms, be sure to have your health care provider's consent prior to enrolling. Class will be scheduled with sufficient enrollment only. Please call to indicate interest and availability to commit to a series of classes.

Pre-natal Yoga
Learn breathing techniques for relaxation, energy conservation, and mental focus while you strengthen muscles that need special attention throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and recovery. Class will be scheduled with sufficient enrollment only. Please call to indicate interest and availability to commit to a series of classes. Class will be scheduled with sufficient enrollment only. Please call to indicate interest and availability to commit to a series of classes

Rise and Shine Yoga
Yoga has traditionally been practiced at dawn. Experience the benefits of waking up to yoga as we stretch and tone the body, mind and spirit on Sunday morning. This is a multi-level class and all are welcome, although familiarity with sun salutations is recommended. Get inspired as we learn a variety of vinyasas that focus on different themes from week to week. Each class includes a brief meditation period, pranayama or breathing instruction, floor work, sun or moon salutations, balance poses, and deep relaxation. Please inform the instructor of any acute injuries or physical limitations.

The Complete Yoga (Sampoorna Yoga)
The Sanskrit word Sampoorna means completeness. This class will help you connect to your innate wellspring of bliss initially through asanas (postures), explore the more subtle aspects of yoga such as pranayama (breathing techniques), kriyas (purifying techniques) which open pathways of the body, mudras, bandhas, relaxation, mantra chanting and meditation, and understand the broader spectrum of the various yogas: hatha yoga, karma yoga, bhakti yoga, Jnana yoga, and Kundalini yoga. Whether you are free of any health problems, or suffering from body or mental ailments, suffer from indecisiveness, incompleteness, worries, anxieties, lack of energy, depression, frustration, this class may be of help to you. Class discussion may include references from the spiritual texts such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads. A commitment to regular attendance in this class followed by regular home practice is recommended for results to be realized.

Vinyasa Flow
Challenge yourself using a flowing series of postures coordinated with the breath partnered with contemporary teachings and commentary, breath awareness, meditation, hands-on alignment, and relaxation. Vinyasa Yoga, flow or moving yoga, focuses on moving through the poses slowly and gracefully, linking one pose to another, synchronizing the flow of movement with the flow of breath. Poses will include a variety of vinyasa sequencing emphasizing many variations of the Salutation to the Sun with the qualities of strength, balance, and flexibility weaved throughout. While flowing from one pose to the next, movement alignment principles will be highlighted to ensure a safe, effective practice for toning throughout the entire body. We offer Vinyasa Flow classes as taught from several local schools of yoga: Soma, Spanda, Saraswati, Kripalu, each honoring the time tested ancient lineage traditions with a unique focus.

Vinyasa Krama
A sequence of movements and breathing that prepares you to do a classical asana (posture). Vinyasa krama means intelligently placed, orderly steps. It is an ancient practice of physical and spiritual development. This class emphasizes an intelligent progression of movements synchronized with the breath in the tradition of master teachers such as Yoga Acharya Krishnamacharya and enables both beginning and continuing students to explore higher levels of energy, vitality, strength, flexibility, balance, alignment. The endeavor is to make each pose done as a worship and as a meditation. The class is ideal in combating stress and lack of energy and at the end of the class you feel refreshed with a deep relaxation technique called "Yoga Nidra" expounded by Swami Sathyananda Saraswathi. Suitable for all levels as level of challenge is individualized to needs of each student.

Yoga for Kids
Yoga helps build a child's self awareness and self esteem, as well as improving concentration, while increasing body strength and creativity. Yoga offers a way of being mindful, yet actively playful! Suitable for children ages 5-11. Please call to indicate interest and availability to commit to a series of classes.

Yoga for Stiff People!
New Class! Have you or someone you know ever said "Oh, I can't do yoga, I'm not flexible enough"? Then this is the yoga class for you. Yoga for Stiff People will gently focus on improving pain-free joint movement and range of motion through breath work (pranayama) and simple yoga poses (asana). Learn to become more aware of their bodies and skeletal alignment and what can be done to reverse the effects of sedentary work environments. The overall goals will be to improve breath and movement and to develop a more acute sense of inner balance and mental focus.

Yoga for Stress Reduction
Learn and practice classical yoga postures, breathing exercises, meditation and other techniques that reduce stress and promote health on all levels.

Yoga for Rejuvenation
Learn and practice specific techniques for rejuvenation! Yoga and Ayurveda (Yoga's sister science of health and medicine) offer a treasure chest of practices designed specifically to:
- Reverse the effects of gravity on the face and body
- Counteract the effects of aging in the joints, skin and tissues
- Revitalize the body through improved digestion and circulation
- Restore a more youthful physique and energy level.

Yogarama Kids, ages 3-5
This class encourages children to discover and explore the body and mind through fun and play. Children will learn to "play" yoga by mimicking animals and objects in nature, using creative expression, games, music, art, and storytelling. With imagination, we combine simple yoga poses with songs, puppets and stories that exercise social, sensory and motor skills while increasing flexibility.

Yogarama Kids, ages 6-11
This class provides a fun and safe environment for kids to improve concentration and focus, stimulate the imagination, and release energy. Engaging interactive yoga "games" teach lessons about yoga postures, nature and simple anatomy. This class promotes self-confidence, self-respect, and respect for others. Visualization and breathing exercises encourage kids to learn to center themselves both in and outside of the classroom.

Belly Dance for Fun and Fitness
Learn the basics of belly dancing while toning and strengthening your body in a low-impact, fun way. A fun and exhilarating way to improve posture, balance and grace. No experience necessary.

Nia Dance
NIA is a body-mind-spirit fitness and lifestyle practice. Through expressive movement, NIA empowers people to achieve physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. NIA is done barefoot to music and delivers cardiovascular and whole-body conditioning. Because NIA is self-guided and based on creating a loving relationship with the body and the innate intelligence of the body, it is adaptable and safe for any fitness level, from stiff beginners to highly fit athletes.

Pilates Mat Class
Strengthens core abdominal muscles while increasing strength and flexibility in legs, arms, and back. Improves posture and prevents injuries. This class will develop your "powerhouse" and help to strengthen core muscles. Improves posture and prevents injuries. Also increases strength, fluidity, control, and flexibility throughout the body. Good for all levels of experience; the new student will learn the ropes, and the experienced "pro" will refresh their knowledge of the basics, but everyone will work up a sweat!

Also among our offerings: Gentle Yoga, Yoga for Rejuvenation, and Yoga for Stress Reduction offer a gentle, yet more active experience to strengthen, stretch and tone and improve balance and circulation. Pranayama and Insight Meditation, and Mindfulness Stress Reduction are additional restorative practices to support us as our bodies mature.