"...Door County's first Yoga Studio located north of Jacksonport."

Tag: Junction Center Yoga Studio

Is yoga a sport or a spiritual practice?

While Debate.org says the vote is split 50/50 (now 43/57 after my post) on this discussion, most serious practitioners will agree that yoga is instead, a way of life.

It can best be described as a fitness lifestyle, one that builds the connection between your body, mind and spirit. If yoga is a sport, it is one of the few that you actually get better at, the longer you practice it and the older you get.

“There is only one way to find out how plastic your body really is, and that’s by using it,” says Kathy Navis. “Regain flexibility and range of motion rather than watch it slip away over the years.”

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She teaches and encourages anyone, at any age to begin exploring yoga as a means to better health and wellness with a variety of yoga classes available the year ’round at Door County’s oldest yoga center: Junction Center Yoga Studio in Jacksonport.

Yoga is an ancient practice, one that originated in India over 5,000 years ago. Whether it’s the immediate reduction in levels of stress or the measurable improvements in circulation and blood pressure, practicing yoga is one of the most enjoyable forms of “preventive medicine” that you can take. After a few sessions you will begin to notice improvements in your flexibility and balance. Over time, Yoga is also a strength builder.

Kathy invites regular students to bring along a friend anytime for a free class… help expand their knowledge and practice of yoga philosophy, the postures (asanas) and breath work (pranayama).

The benefits of Yoga do not occur overnight, but the results are indeed long lasting. As you become fit and flexible most practitioners will begin to notice an increase in overall vitality and a greater sense of wellness. The different Asanas each focus on gently improving the functional capacity of your skeletal joints, muscles and connective tissue. By linking the actions to the breath, one also begins to “quiet the mind” – to hush that endless stream of thoughts that some mistake for consciousness.

Yoga students will also begin to take greater notice of their posture as they gain awareness of the alignment and range of motion inherent in their own musculoskeletal system. According to a notable physiologist, we become less flexible as we get older mainly because of certain changes that take place in the connective tissues as our bodies gradually begin to dehydrate. It is believed that stretching stimulates the production or retention of lubricants between the connective tissue fibers, thus preventing the formation of adhesions. Perhaps the greatest realization you will experience in taking up the practice of yoga is that you are actually capable of changing and improving your range of motion.

Classroom attire in Yoga sessions is freeform, but dressing in layers is advisable so you can peel them off depending on the level of exercise and temperature of the room. Students will often wear leotards, shorts, t-shirts and tank tops under a layer of sweats that can be removed.

There is only one way to find out if yoga is right for you. Sign up for a free beginner’s class at Junction Center. All of the equipment is provided in a warm and comfortable environment. Beginner’s classes are for all ages, male and female and for any level of fitness or ability. Call 920.823.2763 to join or visit the Website at JunctionCenterYoga.com‎ to learn more.

Restorative Yoga and Vibrational Sound Healing at Junction Center, April 26

Bobbi Silverstone and Ceci Parrella travel and share their Restorative Yoga and Sound Healing classes at different yoga studios across the USA.

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They are each certified as instructors in both Yoga and Integrative Breath Therapy. On Saturday, April 26 from 5:30 – 7 pm, they will be here in Door County at Junction Center Yoga Studio, providing an opportunity to enjoy a unique encounter.

“Experience deep relaxation as layers of tension and stress melt away,” says Bobbi Silverstone. “In this state of relaxation, the body is nurtured and healed from within.”

The poses in their distinctively sensual yoga class are done lying on the floor, using bolsters to support your body. Breath awareness, hot stones, essential oils, singing bowls and drums are added to induce and enhance the process of relaxation and vibrational healing.

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Bobbi Silverstone hails from Gladstone, MI where she has been teaching yoga, breathwork and sound therapy for more than 15 years at her home studio. Her Facebook Page may be found at Serenity Yoga and Breathwork. Ceci Parrella is from Hilton Head, SC and also teaches in her home studio. Her Facebook Page may be found at Flowering Breath.

Together, they will present a delightful evening session that you may never forget. The cost to attend is $40. Call 920.823.2763 to reserve a space as class size is limited.

Begin Yoga with a 5-Week Morning or Evening Class

You are invited to begin exploring yoga as a means to better health and well-being in a 5-session weekly class opportunity at Junction Center Yoga Studio here in Jacksonport.

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Yoga originated in India over 5,000 years ago. The name for these ancient teachings is a Sanskrit word meaning union or joining, similar to yoke. The physical postures or poses are called Asanas and are intended to join body, mind and spirit. Whether it’s the immediate reduction in levels of stress or the measurable improvements in circulation and blood pressure, practicing yoga is one of the most enjoyable forms of preventive medicine you can undertake. After a few sessions you will begin to notice improvements in your flexibility and balance. Over time, Yoga is also a strength builder.

On Tuesday mornings from 9 – 10:15 am or Wednesday evenings from 6 – 7:15 pm you are encouraged to enroll in 5-class Beginner’s weekly series. The series provides you with a basic knowledge and practice of yoga including an explanation of the philosophy, the postures (asanas) and breath work (pranayama). In the total series of 5 classes, you will learn all of the poses for a beginner’s home yoga practice.

The 5-class training series costs $60 or for those under 30 years of age, $50.

The benefits of Yoga do not occur overnight, but the results are indeed long lasting. As you become fit and flexible most practitioners will begin to notice an increase in overall vitality and a greater sense of wellness. The different Asanas each focus on gently improving the functional capacity of your skeletal joints, muscles and connective tissue. By linking the actions to the breath, one also begins to “quiet the mind” – to hush that endless stream of thoughts that some mistake for consciousness.

Yoga students will also begin to take greater notice of their posture as they gain awareness of the alignment and range of motion inherent in their own musculoskeletal system. According to a notable physiologist, we become less flexible as we get older mainly because of certain changes that take place in the connective tissues as our bodies gradually begin to dehydrate. It is believed that stretching stimulates the production or retention of lubricants between the connective tissue fibers, thus preventing the formation of adhesions. Perhaps the greatest realization you will experience in taking up the practice of yoga is that you are actually capable of changing and improving your range of motion.

Classroom attire in Yoga sessions is freeform, but dressing in layers is advisable so you can peel them off depending on the level of exercise and temperature of the room. Students will often wear leotards, shorts, t-shirts and tank tops under a layer of sweats that can be removed.

There is only one way to find out if yoga is right for you. Sign up for a free beginner’s class at Junction Center. All of the equipment is provided in a comfortable environment. Beginner’s classes are for all ages, male and female and for any level of fitness or ability.

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RSVP on Junction Center’s Facebook Page or call 920.823.2763 to join or learn more.

Tai Chi with Carol Hoehn at Junction Center Yoga Studio

Carol Hoehn returns lead students of Tai Chi in an ongoing series, sharing her knowledge of one the oldest forms of Chinese martial arts.

Often described as “meditation in motion,” Harvard Health Watch says, “Tai chi might as well be called medication in motion. There is growing evidence that this mind-body practice, which originated in China as a martial art, has value in treating or preventing many health problems. And you can get started even if you aren’t in top shape or the best of health.“

Carol Hoehn presents summer classes in tai chi chuan, meeting twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8 – 9:15 am at Junction Center Yoga Studio. Lifelong ballet dance instructor, Hoehn studies tai chi chuan under Chan Ming Shu and Chen Tzu Wei, two highly regarded masters. As practitioner, spending most of each year in China under their mentorship, she has entered and placed in the World Cup Tai Chi Chuan Championships in 2008 and 2010.

Her twice-weekly morning classes at Junction Center will be appropriate for students with no prior experience and will focus on the basic principles of breath and motion, including a basic form for daily practice. Loose-fitting clothing is encouraged and appropriate for the classes.

Tai chi chuan is at the root of all traditional martial arts and is practiced for both meditative and health benefits as well as for self-defense. It is also practiced by people of all ages. Carol’s classes also  include a study of Qigong, “breath work” or “energy work,” which consists of focusing on the action of breathing combined with movement.

“A growing body of carefully conducted research is building a compelling case for tai chi as an adjunct to standard medical treatment for the prevention and rehabilitation of many conditions commonly associated with age,” says Peter M. Wayne, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the Tai Chi and Mind-Body Research Program at Harvard’s Osher Research Center.

Call 920.823.2763 for more information or to reserve a place.

Striking a Pose For the Safe and Gentle Sport of Yoga, How Mainstream Media Agrees

The Grim Facts Department reports that  more than 50,000 people wind up their exercise routines in the emergency room every year because of mishaps on gym equipment, according to numbers from the Consumer Products Safety Commission.

Worse yet, more than 17 million Americans are treated for sports-related injuries each year, including 3 . 5 million children under the age of 14.

Class in session at Junction Center Yoga Studio

Class in session at Junction Center Yoga Studio

While we at Junction Center Yoga Studio encourage you to maintain a focus on the bright side of life, it’s sometimes valuable to reflect of why yoga is such an important lifetime “sport” – one that should be taught in schools and practiced throughout life for optimal health and well-being.

It certainly appears that many more people including the mainstream media agree. On Point Radio recently featured Strike a Pose For Yoga that explains, “Yoga in America. How downward dogs and crow poses went mainstream.”

The New York Times recently featured When Chocolate and Chakras Collide.

“The words of Ziggy Marley’s ‘Love Is My Religion’ float over 30 people lying on yoga mats in a steamy, dim loft above Madison Avenue on Friday. All had signed up for a strange new hybrid of physical activity: first an hour of vigorous, sweaty yoga, then a multicourse dinner of pasta, red wine and chocolate…”

The fact that more peoiple are discovering the long-term benefits of paying attention to you physical and mental flexibilityis an encouraging sifn of the times. We hope that you are among them! And if not… Join us in the next Beginner’s 6-week series to learn more. The hardest part of change is often just taking that first step.