yoga « Somerville Local First : Support Locally Owned and Independent Businesses

Aiki-Yoga: 2-For-1 Seminars at Shobu Aikido

Oct 13 11:19 am

Find your inner strength - with Aiki-Yoga!

What color belt did you get to in karate class as a kid? Yellow? White with two stripes? You probably thought that would be the extent of your martial arts practice in your lifetime; however, there is a whole world (literally!) of martial arts styles, waiting to be explored. But you don’t have to go to the corners of the Earth to learn some of these techniques. In fact, there is a studio that teaches the principles of aikido, a Japanese defensive martial art – right here in our very own Somerville!

In Somerville and beyond, yoga has been the hot thing is fitness for some time now. But did you know that if you are a regular practitioner of yoga, you are already a ways along in your martial arts training?

There is deep rooted connection between yoga and martial arts. They are two branches of the same tree. One branch studied yoga for healing and spiritual development, whereas the warrior caste studied pressure points and used their internal power for fighting applications.

Today many martial arts focus on timing, technique and external power. However, ancient martial artists studied energy-focusing techniques to use the breath to unify the body and mind.

Many modern day yogis stay true to the original teachings that are meant to develop internal power. Therefore, someone who understands yoga can learn to harness their internal power for self-defense applications.

That’s why Shobu Aikido has partnered with yoga instructors from around the city to bring you Aiki-Yoga. Aiki-Yoga studies the overlap between the two disciplines. Classes focus on the traditional energetic forms of martial arts and include 75 minutes of yoga instruction, followed by an introduction to Aiki-Yoga.

Students will be taught body conditioning exercises (fascia, tendon, breath) as a way to develop internal power. These techniques can be easily practiced at home or integrated into an existing yoga practice. Newbies are welcome – no martial art or yoga experience necessary!

Classes will be held Saturday October 15th, 22nd and 29th with a $10 suggested donation.

Seminar includes:

Yoga Class: 9am-10:30am

Oct 15th Maggie Hall from O2 Yoga (Vinyasa)
Oct 22nd & Oct 29th – Cyndi Laird, Back Bay Yoga (Astanga)

Aiki-Yoga 10:30am-noon
Taught by Gordon Fontaine, Shobu Aikido

Filed under: Local First
Tags: fitness health & wellness, yoga

Samara Yoga Holds Temporary Classes at The Armory

Jul 31 5:24 pm

Hey SLFers! This is your chance to support a member organization in need! Due to a recent fire in the studio’s building,

Still going strong despite the circumstances!

Samara Yoga‘s space has been closed indefinitely (but thankfully was unharmed) while repairs are made to the building. They will be offering a temporary schedule of by donation classes at the Somerville Armory in the meantime, starting tomorrow, Monday, August 1. Show your dedication to Somerville local businesses and support Samara Yoga while they are down and out or use this opportunity to try one of their classes if you’ve never been before!

From Samara’s newsletter:

Due to continued complications with re-opening our space after the fire in our building on Friday, 7/22, we will temporarily be offering a limited schedule of evening classes at the Somerville Armory:

191 Highland Ave, 3rd Floor

Electrical and fire-safety repairs are underway in our own building- but in the meantime, join us in a lovely space at the Armory for donation-based classes in the evenings. Parking is available. Walk through the main entrance until just before the main hall to find an elevator on the right- or take the stairs.

*All expiration dates on class cards will be extended for the amount of time we are closed at our regular location. A suggested $10 cash/check donation for classes at the Armory will be much appreciated- but pay what you can or would like!

Temporary Schedule

*** Keep checking back to see any changes and to find out when regular studio classes resume ***

monday – 8/1

5:30-6:45pm – Vinyasa – Level 1/2 - Nicoline Valkenberg
7-8:30pm – Hatha Flow – All Levels - Alice Senko

tuesday – 8/2

5:45-7:15pm – Form & Flow – Level 2 – Fez Aswat
7:30-9pm – Slow Flow – Level 1/2 - Kristen Reinhardt

wednesday – 8/3

5:45-7:15pm – Vinyasa – Level 2 – Nicoline Valkenberg
7:30-9pm – Yin Yoga – Emily Frank

thursday – 8/4

5:45-7:15pm – Slow Flow – Level 2/3 - Alice Senko
7:30-9pm – Vinyasa – Level 1/2 - Anna Jefferson

friday – 8/5

4-5:30pm – Vinyasa – Level 2 – Rachel Arnold
5:45-7:15pm – Yin Yoga – Josh Summers

Filed under: Local First
Tags: fitness health & wellness, Samara Yoga, Somerville Armory, yoga

Fitness on the Avenue: A Bootcamp Block Party!

Jul 18 2:43 pm

We here at SLF love the class offerings (no membership required for all the commitaphobes out there) and personalized instruction methods over at The Training Room, and it’s apparent that all you other Somervillians do too, as the health and fitness hotspot will be ringing in another year this Saturday. Read below for The Training Room’s write up of the 2nd annual Fitness on the Avenue anniversary extravaganza! Click here for the event schedule.

Enjoy the benefits of an outdoor and instructor-led workout all at once!

JOIN THE TRAINING ROOM IN CELEBRATING ITS SECOND-YEAR ANNIVERSARY AND HELP TO KEEP SOMERVILLE “THE FITTEST CITY IN MASSACHUSETTS”

The Training Room plans to celebrate its second-year anniversary with a “block party” event on Saturday, July 23^rd from 12 PM to 4 PM. The event will be held along the Somerville Ave./Elm St. parking corridor, located in front of the facility at 691A Somerville Avenue.

Attendees will be encouraged to take advantage of the free fitness classes, demonstrations and screenings that will be offered by The Training Room staff and Physical Therapists, Lorna Brown and Keith Foley from the Cambridge Spaulding Center for Rehabilitation.

Live music provided by Felix Brown will keep an upbeat tempo for the two 45-minute outdoor bootcamps, intended to take place outside the facility weather pending. In addition to bootcamps, The Training Room will have free: yoga and cycling classes, foam rolling demos, functional movement screening and running gait analysis.***

Training Room co-owners Heidi Brown and Maren Kravitz hope to continue their efforts in helping the City of Somerville to stay among the fittest cities in America.

If you would like more information about this event, call 617-284-6088 or e-mail The Training Room at info@thetrainingroomboston.com

***Advance signup is recommended for bootcamps, yoga, cycling and foam rolling demos, as space is limited.

Follow the link and RESERVE YOUR SPACE NOW

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

12:00pm – 1:00pm / vinaysa yoga

12:30pm- 1:15pm / outdoor bootcamp with music from Felix Brown

1:30pm – 2:00pm / 30-minute indoor cycling

2:30pm – 2:45pm / indoor foam rolling demo

2:45pm – 3:00pm / indoor foam rolling demo

3:00pm – 3:45pm / outdoor bootcamp with music from Felix Brown

12:00pm – 3:00pm / Functional Movement Screening (FMS) with Jason Pak

“Put simply, the FMS is a ranking and grading system that documents movement patterns that are key to normal function. By screening these patterns, the FMS readily identifies functional limitations and asymmetries. These are issues that can reduce the effects of functional training and physical conditioning and distort body awareness.” http://www.functionalmovement.com/fms

12:00pm – 4:00pm / Running Gait Analysis with Physical Therapists Lorna Brown and Keith Foley

Have a trained professional take a closer look at your running / walking gate and provide you with some knowledge about the importance of proper footwear and body mechanics.

Filed under: Local First
Tags: events, fitness health & wellness, outdoors, Porter Square, The Training Room, yoga

Samara Yoga: Yoga in the Heart of Davis Square

Oct 13 10:27 am

Nicoline Valkenberg

Today’s post comes from SLF Member Nicoline Valkenberg. Nicoline owns Samara Yoga in Davis Square, where she is also an instructor. Find out why Nicoline decided to set up shop in Davis and how you can get a taste of Samara at their upcoming open house below:

“Yoga in the heart of Davis Square”. We chose this tagline for our new studio – Samara Yoga – a sunny 1,500 square foot space tucked above the urban canopy of Davis Square- not just because of our location in the middle of this eclectic Somerville neighborhood, but because of Yoga’s capacity to help us live from our hearts amidst the chaos of modern life.

A nod to our location on Elm Street – our name Samara refers to the winged pockets that carry off the seeds of the elm tree – a lucky metaphor for the process of personal transformation on the mat becoming positive change carried out into the world.

Having just enjoyed Honk Fest from our windows overlooking Davis, I really feel I am in the right place. After having taught for years on the Boston side of the river, I am reminded of Somerville’s crowds of creative change-makers, movers and shakers. I’m excited to be contributing to this rockin’ community, a dedicated Yoga space with some of my dearest friends – who I can honestly name as some of the Boston area’s most sought-after Yoga teachers.

This weekend, October 16-17, Samara Yoga will celebrate joining the vibrant Davis Square community with an Open House! Come tour our beautiful space, and sample our weekend long schedule of free Yoga classes accompanied by live music, complimentary massage and acupuncture by the studio’s resident specialists, and a Sunday evening potluck party where students and instructors can meet and mingle over bean salad instead of bakasana.

Open House with Free Yoga, Massage, Acupuncture and Potluck Dinner

Sat. Oct. 16 9am-6pm – Sun. Oct. 17 10am-6:30pm (Dinner at 7pm).

For more information on this weekend’s events please visit Samara Yoga’s Events page.

Filed under: Local First, Our Members
Tags: Davis Square, Nicoline Valkenberg, Samara Yoga, yoga

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