Intro to Yoga - Series at Okra Yoga

New to Yoga?

Can’t tell your updog from your downdog? Or maybe you are seeking a refresh for your practice? Check out this 4-part series with Grace Millsap (500 ERYT) as she guides you through some foundational practices to prepare you for most flow, or vinyasa-style classes. We will spend time learning variations, prop usage, and even introduce some philosophy and history.

Fun fact: did you know that many of the poses that we practice today are only 100-ish (or less) years old? But the philosophy behind the bigger picture of Yoga (breath, meditation, life ethics) is at least 5000 years old and codified in India.

While we won’t cover everything, you can expect a blend of modern and classical yoga, with an emphasis on preparing you to enter community classes with confidence and ease.

Week One: Foundations. We will break down the poses in Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar) and learn how to move with our breath. We will also discuss the 8-limb path of Yoga…spoiler, it’s wayyyy bigger than the poses.

Week Two: Building. We go further down the rabbit hole and cover more standing poses, and discuss the ethical considerations (Yamas and Niyamas), and the ways our Yoga shows up off the mat.

Week Three: Balancing. We will break down some of the common balancing poses, and learn ways to support ourselves on the most unbalanced of days. We will also introduce Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, one of the foundational texts of classical Yoga.

Week Four: Bring it Home. We will finish by covering some backbends and twists. We will discuss safety considerations for your spine, and empower you with tools to make good choices when these poses are offered in a community class setting.

“My hope is to establish a foundation of reverence of the big picture of Yoga, beyond the asanas. It’s necessary to honor Yoga’s history, so we may approach the practice(s) with integrity.” Grace

Investment: $75 early bird (enroll by 12/21), $100 after