METHODOLOGY
Empowered Yoga Path
Yoga is a 5,000 year old Sanskrit word meaning balance, union or oneness. There are thousands of styles of yoga. The system that uses the body as a vehicle for practice is called Hatha Yoga.
Hatha literally translates as “forceful” and is the system of yoga which combines physical postures---called Asanas and breathing technique---called Pranayama. The combination of physical postures and breath is intended to strengthen and condition the mind and body in the pursuit of self-development. There are many interpretations of Hatha Yoga and Empowered Yoga is a specific interpretation.
Our Path at Empowered Yoga is a methodical, modern day approach rooted in the classical science and art of Hatha Yoga. Our Path can be viewed as a circular, not a linear approach---one to which there is no beginning and no end. To enter the circle you begin with our Brand New Beginner Course (BNB). After completion of the BNB you progress along our path by regularly attending our Stationary Sequence classes and sampling our other class offerings.
Brand New Beginner (BNB)
Our BNB course teaches the basic aspects of Empowered Yoga and introduces our hallmark Stationary Sequence (SS). Our SS is a progression of postures practiced facing a mirror in a room that is heated to body temperature with high humidity.
The three basic elements of our Stationary Sequence are as follows.
1) Practice in a 98 degree room. This is done because it:
• Enhances vasodilatation so that more blood is delivered to the muscles.
• Allows oxygen in the blood to detach from the hemoglobin more easily.
• Speeds up the breakdown of glucose and fatty acids.
• Makes muscles more elastic and less susceptible to injury.
• Improves coordination.
• Reduces heart irregularities associated with sudden exercise.
• Burns fat more easily.
2) Practice facing a mirror.
Kinesthetic awareness is a person’s ability to know where their body is in relationship to gravity and space. The easiest way to understand kinesthetic awareness is to watch athletes in motion. Examples would be a football player who jumps into the air to catch a ball and while landing reaches out with his foot in order to stay in bounds or a gymnast who knows where the ground is as she spins through the air and makes a perfect landing.
Practicing in front of a mirror gives you the opportunity to develop kinesthetic awareness by seeing your body. If imbalances are found, they can be corrected. For instance, if during a pose you see your right shoulder is higher than your left you can adjust the shoulders and receive immediate feedback within your mind and body.
3) Practice the same sequence of postures.
Conscious repetition is critical to develop a skill. Our neuromuscular system can be trained through repetition. As we repeat posture after posture in a sequential order we begin to strengthen nerve pathways from the brain down through nerves to the muscles that move our skeleton. Conscious repetition of the same yoga postures in the same sequence can begin to bring your body into a greater degree of balance, which helps alleviate injuries and strengthens the muscular-skeletal system.
It can take 160 or more repetitions of practicing the postures before it becomes a new pattern within your mind and body. We recommend a student new to yoga to take the BNB and then practice the Stationary Sequence a minimum of three times a week for one year to experience a transformational experience available within Empowered Yoga.
Stationary Sequence (SS)
The SS is the foundation of our methodology and we recommend that all students continue to study the SS throughout their yoga career. The more firmly rooted you are within the SS the more you will experience growth along your path.
Vinyasa System
We also offer a Vinyasa style of yoga. Vinyasa means “to flow or carefully place.” These classes incorporate dynamic movement and holding postures, taking the foundation developed in the SS into a flowing, changing sequence.
Workshop Intensives
Throughout the year we offer 2 and 3 hour intensives where we focus on specific aspects of our yoga path. These help take your understanding of Yoga to yet another level.
Retreats
Our retreats are powerful, one week events in beautiful Costa Rica which can be experienced by both the beginner or by the advanced student. Each day begins with seated meditation; you’ll practice yoga twice a day and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Change your yoga and your life by participating in this immersion.
Yoga Teacher Training
A 200-hour study of yoga that gets yoga into your bones! You never have to teach but by training to be a teacher you will take your practice and life to a whole new level!
Our Yoga Path
At Empowered Yoga we provide an outlined path for you, the student. Empowered Yoga is a path focused on the present and the realization of the power inside of you. You can practice our Stationary Sequence your whole life or continue on our path as we have laid it out. Our intention is for you to awaken to the power that resides in you NOW. Enjoy the journey! Namaste |
