Pilates is a practice focused on improving coordination, strength, balance, and posture through a targeted series of full-body exercises. In Matwork Pilates, take it back to where it began with flowing exercises completed on a mat, using your body weight as resistance. Since the exercises can build in difficulty or be modified to be easier, Matwork Pilates is suitable for beginner students up to advanced practitioners.
What to expect from a Mat Pilates class:

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Enhanced Flexibility – Mat Pilates works on gently and effectively lengthening muscles eccentrically through dynamic stretching. This targeted strengthening and stretching exercises help ease tight muscles, improve flexibility, and reduce tension throughout the body.

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Full Body Toning – Mat Pilates is well-known as a powerful way to fire up your core, but it also targets the entire body. Each exercise calls on multiple muscles, ensuring you’ll target and tone muscles from head to toe with each Pilates workout.

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Increased Mind-Body Connection – Pilates is known as a workout that addresses the mind, body, and soul. With a focus on breathwork, centring, and concentration, Matwork Pilates is more than just a physical challenge. By integrating breath work and body awareness, Matwork Pilates will help you feel aligned, rejuvenated, and connected.

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Fat Burning – Although it is low-impact, Matwork Pilates is excellent for fat burning. Even hours after the class ends, you will enjoy continued calorie and fat burn.
Improved Posture – Matwork Pilates integrates functional movements that work the muscles in unison to improve posture and promote efficient movement.
Mat Classes Cover the Basics – Through Matwork Pilates classes, you’ll learn the foundational Pilates movements, terms, and techniques. From c-curve to pelvic stability to spinal articulation to breath work to engage your core, you’ll learn all the Pilates fundamentals to build a strong foundation for future workouts.

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Mat Skills Translate to Equipment Skills – Most Pilates instructors agree that consistent matwork translates directly to equipment performance. All matwork exercises are directly related to equipment exercises in some way, meaning you’ll have an easier time transitioning to Reformer Pilates should you want to try it.

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Reduced Stress – Feeling overwhelmed and flustered? Get out of your head and onto the mat. By focusing intently on each move, your breath, and your intention, Mat Pilates is an amazing way to step aside from anything that is stressing you out and help you realign your thoughts.

Yin Yoga is a slow-paced style of yoga that focuses on holding postures for an extended period, typically between three to five minutes.

Here’s what you can expect in a typical Yin Yoga class:

- Focus on Flexibility and Relaxation: Yin Yoga targets the connective tissues, such as ligaments, tendons, and fascia, rather than the muscles. This helps improve flexibility and joint mobility.

- Postures: The class consists of a series of seated or reclined postures, often centered around the lower body, including the hips, pelvis, and lower spine. Common poses include Dragon, Butterfly, and Child’s Pose.

- Long Holds: Each posture is held for several minutes, allowing participants to deeply explore the sensations in their bodies. This extended holding encourages a meditative state and deep relaxation.

- Calming Environment: Classes are usually held in a tranquil environment, often with dim lighting and calming music, to promote a sense of peace and introspection.

- Breath Awareness: Practitioners are encouraged to focus on their breath, using it as a tool for deepening their experience in each pose and cultivating mindfulness.

- Benefits: Yin Yoga can enhance overall flexibility, release tension, and calm the mind. It also promotes emotional balance and helps in stress reduction.

- Accessibility: Yin Yoga is suitable for all levels, including beginners. Modifications and props like bolsters and blankets may be used to support different body types and needs.

Overall, a Yin Yoga class offers a gentle and restorative approach to yoga, allowing participants to slow down, tune into their bodies, and experience deep relaxation and rejuvenation.

Reformer Pilates is a type of Pilates exercise performed on a specialized piece of equipment called a reformer.

Here's a brief description of what you can expect in a typical reformer Pilates class:

- Equipment: The reformer consists of a sliding carriage, springs for resistance, foot bars, and straps, which help you perform a variety of exercises that target different muscle groups.

- Structure: Classes usually begin with a warm-up to prepare the body, followed by a series of exercises focusing on strength, flexibility, and endurance. The instructor guides participants through each movement, ensuring proper form and alignment.

- Focus on Core: A significant aspect of reformer Pilates is strengthening the core muscles, which include the abdominals, back, and pelvic floor. Variability: Classes can vary in intensity and may incorporate different levels of resistance through the reformer’s springs, allowing for a customized workout based on individual fitness levels.

- Benefits: Participants can expect improved posture, increased strength, flexibility, and body awareness. It's also suitable for rehabilitation and injury prevention.

- Atmosphere: The environment is often supportive and encouraging, making it ideal for both beginners and experienced practitioners.

Overall, reformer Pilates classes offer a unique and effective way to enhance physical fitness through a blend of strength training and body conditioning.

GET READY TO SWEAT!

26+2 hot yoga, often referred to as Bikram Yoga, is a form of hot yoga that consists of a set sequence of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises. The class is always the same so you can measure your improvement levels day-to-day. There are no sun salutations in Bikram yoga. It is a standing series and a floor series. So no need to be afraid about the heat going up and down.

Here’s what you can expect in a 26+2 hot yoga class:

Classes are conducted in a heated room, typically around 105°F (40°C) with 40% humidity. This environment helps to warm up the muscles, increase flexibility, and promote detoxification through sweating. Just like you would heat up iron to bend and form into a shape, we do the same with our body to find more flexibility.

Each class lasts 60 or 90 minutes (depending on the class, info will be on schedule) and follows a fixed sequence of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises. The sequence is designed to work every part of the body including your glands, organs, skeletal system, and muscular system.

There are so many benefits to Bikram yoga! Improved flexibility, strength, balance, detoxification, fat loss and mental clarity. The heat helps prevent injury and supports muscle recovery. A recent Harvard study  found that 50% of people doing 2 90 minute classes per week averaged a 50% decrease in depression levels and 44% consider themselves to completely to be in remission.

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/10/heated-yoga-may-reduce-depression-in-adults/

- Postures: The 26 postures include a mix of balancing, stretching, and strengthening exercises. Each posture is performed once for a 60 minute class and twice for a 90 minute class which allows for a deeper understanding and engagement with the movements.  

This is a beginners yoga class! While the practice can be challenging due to the heat and intensity, classes are accessible to students of all levels, from beginners to advanced practitioners.

Ashtanga yoga is a dynamic and structured style of yoga that emphasizes a flowing sequence of postures linked with breath. It was developed by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and is rooted in ancient texts, particularly the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

Key characteristics of Ashtanga yoga:

- Vinyasa: Ashtanga involves a specific sequence of poses (asanas) that are performed in a flowing manner, emphasizing the synchronization of breath and movement.

- Eight Limbs: It follows the eight limbs of yoga outlined in the Yoga Sutras, focusing on ethical disciplines, postures, breath control, sensory withdrawal, concentration, meditation, and ultimately, enlightenment.

- Primary Series: The practice consists of different series (Primary, Intermediate, and Advanced), each increasing in difficulty. The Primary Series, called Yoga Chikitsa, detoxifies and aligns the body.

- Drishti: This practice uses a specific gaze (drishti) to enhance focus and concentration during the flow.

- Breath: Ujjayi breathing, a specific breathing technique that creates an ocean-like sound, is integral to Ashtanga, helping to maintain rhythm and generate heat.

- Self-Practice: Ashtanga encourages practitioners to develop a self-practice (mysore style) where individuals can practice at their own pace under the guidance of a teacher.

- Physical and Mental Benefits: The rigorous nature of Ashtanga improves strength, flexibility, and endurance while promoting mindfulness and stress relief.

Overall, Ashtanga yoga is both a physical challenge and a meditative practice, appealing to those looking for a disciplined and structured approach to yoga.

A Vinyāsa yoga class is characterized by its dynamic and flowing nature, linking breath with movement in a rhythmic sequence of postures.

Here’s what you can typically expect in a Vinyāsa yoga class:

- Flowing Sequences: The class revolves around a series of poses (asanas) that are performed in a flowing manner, often transitioning smoothly from one posture to the next. This creates a continuous movement, sometimes referred to as a "vinyasa flow."

- Breath Synchronization: Each movement is coordinated with inhalation and exhalation, promoting a deep connection between breath and body. This practice encourages mindful breathing, which enhances focus and meditative qualities.

- Variety of Poses: Unlike more rigid styles, Vinyāsa classes can vary widely in structure and intensity. Instructors often incorporate a range of poses, including standing poses, balance poses, backbends, and inversions, making every class unique.

- Creative Sequences: Instructors may design creative sequences that may include sun salutations and other movement patterns, often adapting classes to suit the experience level and energy of the students.

- Focus and Mindfulness: The flow of movement helps to cultivate focus and present-moment awareness. As practitioners move through the sequence, they learn to maintain mental clarity and concentration.

- Physical Benefits: Vinyāsa yoga improves strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness due to its dynamic nature. The flowing sequences can also promote endurance and enhance body awareness.

- Savasana and Relaxation: Most classes end with a period of savasana (corpse pose) or meditation to relax and integrate the physical practice, bringing a sense of calmness and rejuvenation.

Overall, a Vinyāsa yoga class provides an expressive, invigorating experience that emphasizes the movement of the body in harmony with the breath. It's suitable for various levels, offering opportunities for both beginners and experienced practitioners to deepen their practice.

A Hatha yoga class typically focuses on the physical aspects of yoga, offering a balanced practice that combines postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation.

Here's what you might expect in a Hatha yoga class:

- Gentle Flow: The class usually begins with a gentle warm-up to prepare the body for the poses. This might include basic stretches and breathing exercises.

- Postures: Participants practice a variety of asanas that range from simple to moderately challenging. The instructor guides the class through foundational poses, emphasizing proper alignment and technique. You may experience standing poses, seated stretches, backbends, and balancing poses.

- Breath Work: Hatha yoga integrates pranayama, or breath control, which helps enhance the practice's calming and grounding effects. Breathing exercises are often interwoven between postures to deepen the connection between mind and body.

- Mindfulness and Relaxation: The class encourages mindfulness through a focus on the breath and body awareness. It often concludes with a period of relaxation or savasana, allowing participants to fully absorb the benefits of the practice.

- Accessibility: Hatha yoga is generally suitable for beginners and can be modified for various fitness levels. Instructors often provide adjustments and props to help students find the right expression of each pose.

- Holistic Approach: While primarily physical, Hatha yoga also emphasizes the mental and spiritual aspects of well-being, encouraging students to cultivate a peaceful state of mind.

Overall, a Hatha yoga class is a great introduction to yoga, providing a balanced blend of physical movement, breath awareness, and relaxation techniques. It's ideal for those looking to improve flexibility, build strength, and reduce stress.