YOGA
All yoga classes are one hour long and take place at the wellness center in our newly installed yoga studio, on our heated wood floor. The cost per class is $12 per person.
Gentle Hatha Yoga
with Burt Gottlieb
In yoga, two clear essentials are breathing and body posture. Bringing the two of these together into a kind and functional union is the intent of our Gentle Hatha Yoga series led by certified yoga teacher, Burt Gottlieb.
Burt began yoga classes as an undergrad at MSU in the late 70’s and blended yoga’s breathing and mindful stretching into a 40 year practice of Traditional Karate-Do. About 15 years ago, a yoga school called Yoga Now opened near his home, leading to regular practice for Burt, and leading to the completion of a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training program at Breathe Yoga in Bloomfield Hills. Burt is honored to share his enthusiasm for yoga’s restorative and healing qualities with practitioners and clients here at the Wellness Center.
What is Hatha Yoga?
Hatha Yoga is a popular choice in today’s fitness community. Groups and individuals use this ancient, traditional yoga style to get fit, and to encourage a healthy mind-body connection. Hatha Yoga includes the concept of multiple “limbs” or areas of the yoga practice. Ashtanga Yoga, for example, is built on eight limbs. Hatha Yoga enters those same eight limbs with breath and posture work specifically. Whether it has to do with readying the mind for meditation, controlling breathing, or focusing on another task, Hatha Yoga will benefit everyone who practices it.
Controlling breath, whether in class or out, can help improve oxygenation of the body and alleviate stress in some forms. Postures and other elements of Hatha Yoga also help with relaxing the body and nervous system into a parasympathetic state which relieves stress and heals the body, comparable to massage therapy and meditation.
Gentle Hatha Yoga encourages those with injuries and physical limitations to bring their bodies into alignment by focusing on breath and body posture. It encourages them to push themselves to their edge, gently stretching and opening joints to allow for improved range of motion with less pain and stiffness. Burt leads his class in poses gently, allowing for the participant to go at their own pace. Some may find working from a seated position in a chair is kinder to their body. Some may find extra padding under the knees may increase their ability to do more poses. Burt encourages whatever works best for the individual.
