Yoga

Yoga is an art, a science and a philosophy. It touches the life of man at every level, physical, mental and spiritual. It is a practical method for making one's life purposeful, useful and noble." B.K.S. Iyengar

As a 5000-year-old art, science and philosophy originating in India, Hatha Yoga ultimately is a method for quieting the mind and reconnecting one to the bliss of living in the moment. Easily adapted to many body types, lifestyles and beliefs, the practice of Hatha Yoga means learning body postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), and relaxation techniques (savasana) in a mindful, fluid, and practical manner. It includes movement of the limbs (arms and legs) and the movement of energy in the core of the body. The resulting increased flexibility, strength and stamina is complimented by clarity, balance, and health for body, mind, heart and spirit.

The Hatha Yoga taught at Health and Harmony Center follows the lyengar method, which emphasizes body alignment and use of props. This approach is suitable for all body types, sizes, and ages, particularly those who have difficulty in sports and fitness programs. Morning and evening classes are offered on various levels, as well as private lessons.

Patanjali’s Eightfold Path of Yoga: Yama – the practice of universal moral principles; Niyama – the practice of personal disciplines; Asana – the practice of physical postures; Pranayama – the practice of breath control; Dharana – the practice of focused attention; Dhuyana – the practice of meditation; Samadhi – self-realization. Enlightenment. A Way of Being.

Children’s Yoga: $5 per child
Chair Yoga: Practical, for everyone for 5 weeks for $45
Beginners Course: Once a week for 5 weeks for $ 60
Basics: Moderate challenge; refresh your knowledge
Multi-level: All levels with some experience

Drop-in - $16
5 Classes - $65
10 Classes - $115
20 Classes - $210
Chair Yoga - 5-Class for $45
Beginners Yoga 5-Class - $ 60
Children’s Yoga - $5
Private Sessions - $ 85

Private Instruction-1 hour by appointment:
Private one-on-one sessions are highly recommended. $85

Tuesday
Multi-level        9:30-11            Kandy
Beginners        5:15-6:30         Brittany
Multi-level         7-8:30              Kandy

Wednesday
Multi-level         9:30-11            Susan
Beginners         11:30-12:50     Joann

Thursday
Multi-level         9:30-11            Kandy
Multi-level         6-7:30              Kandy
Free Yoga        7:30-8:30        Kandy
(first Thursdays)

Friday
Multi-level         9:30-11            Maggie
Children’s        11:15-12          Suzanne

Saturday
Multi-level         9:30-11         Kandy
Basics              11:30-1           Sondra
Children's         1:15-2              Suzanne

Classroom Requests
Attire: T-shirt & shorts or leggings
Bring: An open mind, empty belly & bare feet
Avoid: Perfumes, body lotions & jewelry
Time: Please arrive 10 minutes before class starts

Children's Yoga
with Suzanne Blaney, Certified Children's Yoga Teacher
Fridays 11:15am-12:00 for ages 5 & under
Saturdays (beginning in Sept) 1:15-2 for ages 5 & up
Cost $5 per class
Please join us for Children’s Yoga with Suzanne. Through yoga, children naturally experience exercise and relaxation along with gaining focus and the ability to strengthen their mind-body-spirit connection. This magical class will be filled with yoga games and songs, breath meditations, visualizations and fun yoga movements for all ages!

Kandy T. Love, Owner/Director
lyengar Yoga Level I Certified Teacher Experience:Yoga practitioner since 1976. Yoga teacher since 1989. Teacher training with Bobbi Goldin, Felicity Green and John Schumacher. Primary teachers - Ramanand Patel, Felicity Green, and Bobbi Goldin. Memberships: Iyengar Yoga Assn., National and Southeast region, Gulf Coast Yoga Teacher Assn., and Southeast Yoga Teachers Assn.
ma#9704

Susan Carter RYT- Yoga Teacher Experience: Susan Carter is a Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance and has a B.S. degree in education. A yoga teacher since 2000, Susan is now on the faculty of the Florida Yoga Institute which conducts Yoga Alliance Registered Teacher Training. She has taken part in numerous teacher trainings at the Yoga Institute of Miami both with Bobbi Goldin and Ramanand Patel and completed several trainings at Health and Harmony with Kandy Love. Her yoga is in the Iyengar tradition studying with John Shumacher, Dean Lerner, Felicity Green, Rodney Yee, Angela Farmer, Victor Van Kooten, Aadil Palkhivala and others. Her enthusiasm and sense of humor encourage her students to explore and experience their bodies in a new and different way. Susan writes: "To go where no man has gone before." This quote from Star Trek has come to mind when I think about my teaching. My intention in every class is to take students to a new and different place even in the context of a familiar posture that they've done many times. Yoga to me is about transformation, first in our bodies and then in our lives. Many of us come to yoga as a physical discipline to lose weight, decrease stress, become stronger or more flexible and there is certainly value in that. However, as I tell beginners, yoga has been a part of the human experience for 5000 years, not because someone wanted six-pack abs or to look good in a two piece bathing suit, but because of a longing to answer what it means to be alive and human. In yoga, the body becomes a tool of that awareness.

Sondra Mitchell, ERYT
Experience: Yoga Practitioner since 1990; Substitute Teaching since 1992; Teacher since 2002
As an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (ERYT), Sondra has been responsible for teaching adult and kids yoga classes. She teaches Basic Yoga and Private Classes at Health & Harmony Center, and a Gentle Yoga Class at the Florida Yoga Institute. She is a faculty member of the Florida Yoga Institute which conducts Yoga Alliance Registered Teacher Training. In the past she has been an instructor at the Hyatt Regency in Bonita Springs, and Yes to Yoga in Estero. Her teacher trainings have been with Bobbi Goldin at the Yoga Institute of Miami and with Kandy Love at Health & Harmony Center. Sondra has studied with Rodney Yee, Angela Farmer and Victor Van Kooten, and with Iyengar teachers Dean Lerner, Felicity Green, John Shumacher, and Ramanand Patel. In addition she has instructor training with Gary Krafsow’s YogaAway’s Viniyoga program. Sondra enjoys teaching the use of props and restorative yoga, and has created two specialized programs: Self-Massage program with tennis balls for stress relief, and Yoga for Sleep. Have fun! and Don’t take yourself too seriously! are her mottos.

Maggie Tanzer
Yoga Teacher Experience: Yoga Practitioner since 1989. Yoga teacher since 1997. Membership: IYNAUS; Gulf Coast Teachers Yoga Association.

Below are some of the fundamental yoga postures, and the sequence can be performed in order. Be kind to yourself when you practice yoga. Go slowly, especially in the beginning, and listen to your body. It knows what it can do. If it says "stop," stop. Don't push it. Yoga is not a competitive sport. If you push too hard, you probably won't enjoy it, and you may hurt yourself. Whenever possible, work with a teacher. Most of all, stick with it. If you practice, you will improve. And you will feel better.

Cow and Cat
Increases flexibility of spine. This is really two poses, with one flowing into the other. Begin on your hands and knees. Keep your hands just in front of your shoulders, your legs about hip width apart. As you inhale, tilt the tailbone and pelvis up, and let the spine curve downward, dropping the stomach low, and lift your head up. Stretch gently. As you exhale, move into cat by reversing the spinal bend, tilting the pelvis down, drawing the spine up and pulling the chest and stomach in. Repeat several times, flowing smoothly from cow into cat, and cat back into cow.

Mountain - Tadasana
Improves posture, balance and self-awareness. A deceptive pose in that it appears so simple that some students may ask - "why bother?" Just as there's more to breathing than meets the eye, there is more to standing, too. Stand with feet together, hands at your sides, eyes looking forward. Raise your toes, fan them open, then place them back down on the floor. Feel your heel, outside of your foot, toes and ball of your foot all in contact with the floor. Tilt your pubic bone slightly forward. Raise your chest up and out, but within reason - this isn't the army and you're not standing at attention. Raise your head up and lengthen the neck by lifting the base of your skull toward the ceiling. Stretch the pinky on each hand downward, then balance that movement by stretching your index fingers. Push into the floor with your feet and raise your legs, first the calves and then the thighs. Breathe. Hold the posture, but not tensing up. Breathe. As you inhale, imagine the breath coming up through the floor, rising through your legs and torso and up into your head. Reverse the process on the exhale and watch your breath as it passes down from your head, through your chest and stomach, legs and feet. Hold for 5 to 10 breaths, relax and repeat. On your next inhale, raise your arms over head (Urdhava Hastasana) and hold for several breaths. Lower your arms on an exhale. As a warm up, try synchronizing the raising and lowering of your arms with your breath - raise, inhale; lower, exhale. Repeat 5 times.

Forward Bend or Extension - Uttanasana II
Stretches the legs and spine, rests the heart and neck, relaxes mind and body. Begin standing straight in Mountain pose or Tadasana. Inhale and raise the arms overhead. Exhale, bend at the hips, bring the arms out to the side and down until you touch the knees. It's okay to bend your knees if you're feeling stiff. Next, bend forward and hold your elbows, letting the head drop as your arms hang loosely. Then hold your ankles or place your hands on the floor and breathe several times . Repeat 3-5 times. On your last bend, hold the position for 5 or 10 breaths. To come out of the pose, lengthen the spine forward and lift the chest to come upright.

Trikonasana - the Triangle
Stretches the spine, opens the torso, improves balance and concentration. Start with your legs spread 3-4 feet apart, feet parallel. Turn your right foot 90 degrees to the left and your left foot about 45 degrees inward. Inhale and raise both arms so they're parallel with the floor. Exhale, turn your head to the right and look down your left arm toward your outstretched fingers. Check that your right knee is aligned with your right ankle. Take a deep breath and stretch outward to the right, tilting the right hip down and the left hip up. When you've stretched as far as you can, pivot your arms, reaching your right hand down and come to rest against the inside of your calf, or on a block, while your left arms points straight up. Turn and look up at your left hand. Breathe deeply for several breaths. Inhale, and straighten up. Exhale, lower your arms. Put your hands on your hips and pivot on your heels, bringing your feet to face front. Repeat the posture on the other side.

Warrior II - Virabhadrasana II
Strengthens legs and arms; improves balance and concentration; builds confidence. Begin in mountain pose with feet together and hands at side. Step your feet 4-5 feet apart. Turn your left foot about 45 degrees to the right. Turn your right foot 90 degrees to the right so that it is pointing straight out to the side. Slowly bend the right knee until the thigh is parallel with the floor, but keep the knee directly over your ankle. Raise your arms over head. Then slowly lower them until your right arm is pointing straight ahead and your left arm is pointing back. Concentrate on a spot in front of you and breathe. Take 4 or 5 deep breaths, lower your arms, bring your legs together. Reverse the position.

The Cobra - Bhujangasana
Stretches the spine, strengthens the back and arms, opens the chest and heart. Lay down on your stomach. Keep your legs together, arms at your side, close to your body, with your hands by your chest. Step 1: Inhaling, slowly raise your head and chest as high as it will go. Keep your buttocks muscles tight to protect your lower back. Keep your head up and chest and heart out. Breathe several times and then come down. Repeat as necessary. Step 2: Follow the steps above. When you've gone as high as you can, gently raise yourself on your arms, stretching the spine even more. Only go as far as you are comfortable. Your pelvis should always remain on the floor. Breathe several times and come down.

Downward Facing Dog - Adho Mukha Svanasana
Builds strength, flexibility and awareness, stretches the spine and hamstrings, rests the heart. Start on your hands and knees. Keep your legs about hip width apart and your arms shoulder width apart. Your middle fingers should be parallel, pointing straight ahead. Roll your elbows so that the eye or inner elbow is facing forward. Inhale and curl your toes under, as if getting ready to stand on your toes. Exhale and straighten your legs; push upward with your arms. The goal is to lengthen the spine while keeping your legs straight and your feet flat on the ground. However, in the beginning it's okay to bend the knees a bit and to keep your heels raised. The important thing is to work on lengthening the spine. Don't let your shoulders creep up by your ears -- keep them down. Weight should be evenly distributed between your hands and feet. Hold the position for a few breaths. Come down on and exhale. Repeat several times, synchronizing with your breath: up on the exhale and down on the inhale.

Head to Knee -- Janu Shirshasana
Stretches and opens back and hamstrings, improves flexibility. Sit on the floor with legs extended in front of you. Bend one leg, bringing the heel of the foot as close to the groin as possible. You may want to place a pillow under the bent knee for comfort, and/or a pillow under your pelvis. Make sure your sitz bones are firmly grounded on the floor and that your spine is straight. Turn your body slightly so you face out over the extended leg. On an exhalation, begin to move forward slowly. Try to keep the spine as long as possible. Bend at the hips, and focus on lifting the tailbone and rolling forward on your sitz bones. Inhale and lengthen and straighten the spine. Exhale and roll forward, however slightly. To get a bit more forward movement, engage your quadriceps (thigh muscles) as you move forward. This releases the hamstrings, giving you a bit more flexibility. When you've moved as far forward as you can, lower the arms and grasp your foot, or leg. Hold the position for a moment and breathe. Then on the next exhale gently pull yourself forward. Go slowly and remember to keep the spine long. When done, straighten up and do the other side.

The Bridge - Sethu Bandhasa
Increases flexibility and suppleness; strengthens the lower back and abdominal muscles; opens the chest. Lay on your back with your knees up and hands at your side Your feet should be relatively near your buttocks and about six inches apart. To begin, gently raise and lower your tailbone. Then, slowly, raise the tailbone and continue lifting the spine, trying to move one vertebra at a time until your entire back is arched upward. Push firmly with your feet. Keep your knees straight and close together. Breathe deeply into your chest. Clasp your hands under your back and push against the floor. Take five slow, deep breaths. Come down slowly and repeat.

The Corpse -- Savasana
Relaxes and refreshes the body and mind, relieves stress and anxiety, quiets the mind. Possibly the most important posture, the Corpse, also known as the Sponge, is as deceptively simple as Tadasana, the Mountain pose. Usually performed at the end of a session, the goal is conscious relaxation. Many people find the "conscious" part the most difficult because it is very easy to drift off to sleep while doing Savasana. Begin by lying on your back, feet slightly apart, arms at your sides with palms facing up. Close your eyes and take several slow, deep breaths. Allow your body to sink into the ground. Try focusing on a specific part of the body and willing it to relax. For example, start with your feet, imagine the muscles and skin relaxing, letting go and slowly melting into the floor. From your feet, move on to your calves, thighs and so on up to your face and head. Then simply breathe and relax. Stay in the pose for at least 5-10 minutes.

Consideration
Be aware of class responsibility in both time and attire. Please arrive 5-15 minutes early. We demonstrate our commitment to ourselves, the tradition of yoga, the instructor and other students when we are completely present at start time. However, we do know that the Center policy is this: if you do arrive after the class starts, simply join the group quietly.
Consideration also includes wearing appropriate attire: shorts or leggings, and a t-shirt which are preferably not too baggy nor black in color. Also, avoid wearing watches, jewelry, perfumes, and colognes. Lastly, turn off cell phones or pagers, and other distracting items. All this enables us to contribute to a better shared environment.

Care-fullness
     Care for ourselves and others is a timeless practice, closely alignes with karma yoga (service to others). This "living etiquette" in the yoga rooms starts with caring attention to yourself.
     Come to class with an empty stomach. Heaviness limits your choices and can actually stress the body during some asanas, and digestion requires a large percentage of your available energy. Increase your potential and possibilities by limiting (light intake is okay) food and drink for at least two hours prior to class. Likewise, self-care means letting the instructor know if you have specific needs or situations. For example communicating about injuries (in the last 6 months) or pregnancy allows the instructor to offer additional information as appropriate.
     The Center's yoga schedule includes multi-level classes. You'll find instructors offering ways to experience each asana. Use your awareness during class to move into the form of each pose that best serves you, as well as the non-competition. Likewise, we each have a different body each day. Thanks to this natural process, you'll discover different possibilities each day.

Completeness
Getting props our and putting them away neatly, checking your yoga card, and staying for Savasna (final relaxation) are simple ways we can feel complete in the yoga experience at the Center. Outside of the classroom, this connectedness continues as you finish what you start, be responsible for your actions, and pause before new activities.
Yoga is a gift we give ourselves, each other, and the world at large. These guidelines support our desire to grow, improve, and be a part of the yogic community that spans time and space.

Testimonials

Sept. 4, 2007

I gotta tell you, I slept like a baby last night. I don't think I moved all night. It was very peaceful. Thank you for all you do to bring us the art of yoga and friendship.
Georgia

July 2007

Thank you for class last night. I have been breathing in Mother Earth's exhale and vice versa all day. I am going to have to work on the baby stage though! It's really awesome to have more of a connection to the planet and an awareness that I haven't had before. It's life changing.
Have a great night,
Suzanne

Thank you for taking your time to talk to our employees about de-stressing. Your presentation was energizing and your enthusiasm was uplifting! We appreciate you volunteering your time. I look forward to working with you in the future.

Feb. 19, 2008

Hi Kandy,
I wanted to give you some feedback from a newbee yoga gal.
My husband and I attended the last "Beginner's" class (however we missed the 5th session due to an injury of my husband's right shoulder).
Initially we went to the free class that you were kind enough to give us with the chair.
When we arrived at our first "Beginner's" class, we were initially disappointed because you were not going to be our instructor and we were so pleased with you. However, at the first ten minutes of class, we found we truly enjoyed Susan as much as we enjoyed your instructions. Both of you are just lovely people and make people "want" to do yoga. Susan was great throughout the entire class. She's terrific!
Today we were able to attend the "Gentle" session of yoga this morning with K.T. She is also very lovely. This gentle yoga class is exactly what I'm looking for. I need the gentle stretching of my muscles, until I become more limber and lose additional weight. K.T. is just as lovely as Susan and you are and I think this is so important. You have a wonderful staff.
Your receptionist handled the signing up of our next 5 sessions, which will be in the gentle yoga class and she was also very cooperative and helpful. These people who help you, make Health and Harmony what it is for your patrons.
I want to thank you and tell you how much I appreciate Health and Harmony and everything and everyone it offers.

Thank you for creating "Health and Harmony"! Your place was my home away from home while I was in Fort Myers. Your center is full of love, ease, warmth, and exploration! I truly enjoyed the yoga classes, yours especially. Meredith is a delight! My massage from Scott was wonderful. Thank you all for your hospitality and generosity! I hope to visit and renew myself again in your space!

I just wanted to send you a note to thank you so much for being such a WONDERFUL yoga instructor and person. I have learned and continue to learn & grow SOOO much from you. Not only about yoga but about life. My path and journey in this lifetime has truly been blessed by your presence. Again thank you so much.

Love, Peace, Namaste'.
Joanne Gucciardo

Thank you for participating in the 2008 Lee County Employee Health Fair. Your participation contributed to a very successful event. Although we had a slightly lower turnout this year (226 employees) compared to last year, I have heard positive feedback from the employees who participated. Employees appreciated the variety of information available to them and found the information very helpful. I would also like to thank those of you who donated a gift for our raffle – this went over extremely well!

Thanks again for giving your time and energy to promote healthy lifestyles among Lee County employees. It was wonderful seeing you all and I look forward to working with you again next year!

The Anatomy & Physiology of Yoga with Roger Cole
We had such an amazing weekend with Roger Cole in Vero Beach! What a wealth of information and knowledge that we are looking forward to sharing with you!