In the opening scene of the Kite Runner, we witness two friends taking command of nature’s air as they fly their kites through the village, out into the open landscape and into a vast competition, where each participant has learned how to master the wind, allowing them to fly their kites in an amazing chorography and dance.  As two of the kites appear to collide, we gasp, hold our breath, blocking our own inner winds, only to witness the kite master’s precision in creating a shift and find the kite flying a new rhythm, a new current.

We too have the ability to ride the winds of our prana vayus.  Within the body, prana is divided into different forms each with its own function and location.  These different energy currents are called vayus, inner winds, or energy movement.  According to Ayurvedic philosophy there are ten vayus that perform ten functions, five major and five minor.  The five major prana vayus are Udana (circular movement of prana), Prana (upward movement of prana), Samana (horizontal movement of prana), Apana (downward movement of prana) and Vyana (all pervasive movement).  Each of us has these internal currents of energy that flow within us and when we feel out of control, tapping into the prana vayus and shifting our inner winds, can bring us back to optimal health.

In our therapeutic yoga, the prana vayus play an important role in assisting our client’s journey to a balanced state of body, mind and spirit.  Each vayu travels it own channel and is intimately linked with a system of our body, an element, and one or more chakras.  When a vayu is out of balance, that system of the body tends to also be imbalanced.  And, when imbalance occurs, we invite all sorts of disorders and dis-eases to emerge.  We can also rely on one vayu too much in our daily living which is the case with stress induced disorders.  When one vayu becomes prominent over all others, both hyper and hypo conditions of our physical body can occur.

At NamasteWorks Yoga + Wellness our approach is to help clients bring awareness to their vayus, find imbalances and then choose the appropriate Langhana and Brahmana tools, of pranayama, asana, meditation, and mudra to allow the client, just like the kite, to soar once again, unobstructed and untangled.  Interested in your own prana vayu assessment?  We would be happy to help you understand how to soar unobstructed.

NamasteWorks Yoga + Wellness, 5860 S. Curtice St., Littleton, CO 80120.  We are not a walk-in studio, we operate as a private center for our clients.  All classes and private sessions require a RSVP. www.namasteworksyoga.com – A Place to Discover Yoga as a Healing Art.

Have you stepped into that confusing phase in your life…..peri, pre, or post menopause?
Is your strategy just sweating the whole thing out?
Are you confused by all the messages you hear from friends, the media and your doctor? 

We invite you to take part in our wellness workshop this Saturday, Feb. 4 from 9:30 am-12:30 pm, Navigate the Natural Journey of Meno-Pause.  In this workshop you will be empowered through knowledge and awareness of body, mind and spirit, experience a yoga practice to cool your central nervous system, learn soothing breathing techniques and participate in creative expression.  Drawing from her background in Therapeutic Yoga, Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture and Menopause, Troy Krebs aims to offer you a morning filled with natural approaches to support you during this transition period.

We offer you a private setting to navigate the natural journey of meno-pause. This one-day only workshop is $39 and we still have a few spaces left.   Feel free to call us at 303.725.1434 to reserve a space or send a request via our contact page at www.namasteworksyoga.com. 

NamasteWorks Yoga + Wellness, 5860 S. Curtice St., Littleton, CO 80120.  We are not a walk-in studio, we operate as a private center for our clients.  All classes require an RSVP. www.namasteworksyoga.com - A Place to Discover Yoga as a Healing Art.

Let’s start first with an exploration of this question.  Since yesterday, you’ve probably taken twenty thousand inhales and twenty thousand exhales.  How present were you to any of those breaths?  Did you notice the natural rhythm of your inhale and exhale and the rise or fall of the belly or chest?  Or, hone in on an awareness of one being longer or shorter than the other?  Perhaps you sensed the texture, the length of the breath, or how the breath moved about your own being?  Or maybe your awareness was focused on where the breath began its journey and where it ended inside you?  If not, maybe you want to take a moment now and just be with your own breath. What you will discover is that we all have our own innate breathing pattern, some good, some not so good.

In our therapeutic practice, we aim to help clients learn that there is NO one way to breathe in yoga.  But, there are ways to breathe optimally to enhance our overall health.  Each breath we draw upon infuses our inner being with a lush gift of prana and learning how to honor that gift in how and where we move the breath are all equally important.  In our Breath with Movement sessions, we guide our clients to move their physical body to their own innate breathing, not group movement, but individual movement.  When we allow our body to be guided by the breath, we step into a beautiful flow, a meditative movement that fuels and energies us as well as dispels the body of no longer needed toxins, stress, and dis-ease.

And the way we breathe changes from moment to moment, and practice to practice.  Our trained therapeutic instructors guide you to flow your movement to your breath to enhance all systems of your body.  Using the concept of Langhana or Brahmana breathing, tied to mudras that support,  and yoga movement that awakens,  you will discover that there is no one way to breathe in yoga, but a rainbow of strategies to maintain optimal health.

Private therapy for the respiratory system is also available and guided by Nancy Levenson, PYT-1000.  She will work with you to improve conditions of Asthma, COPD, Anxiety and other taxing disorders to the respiratory system.

NamasteWorks Yoga + Wellness, 5860 S. Curtice St., Littleton, CO 80120.  We are not a walk-in studio, we operate as a private center for our clients.  All classes require a RSVP. www.namasteworksyoga.com - A Place to Discover Yoga as a Healing Art.

We are Starting Another New Beginners Yoga Series
8 week introductory series begins February 1, 2012 
7:00-8:00 pm, Wednesdays – $99

What better way to celebrate yourself than to give the gift of yoga to you.  A new beginners series starts February 1.  Almost all of our clients stepped onto the mat for the first time in our setting, offering each an opportunity to discover their own transformation.  Feeling comfortable to explore yourself with a new awareness and  discover the integration of breath and movement in a classical yoga series is what this class aims to provide you. We offer you a private setting to achieve optimal health, joy and relaxation. Max. 10 clients.  This class will be led by Renee Carrillo, 200HR Therapeutic Yoga Instructor.  This year, make a commitment to you. 

Our last class sold out in just two days, so don’t delay.   To register for this new series, pre-payment is required.  Send your request through our contact page and we will hold your space and send you the details.  Other evening series available on  Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

NamasteWorks Yoga + Wellness, 5860 S. Curtice St., Littleton, CO 80120.  We are not a walk-in studio, we operate as a private center for our clients.  All classes require a RSVP. www.namasteworksyoga.com - A Place to Discover Yoga as a Healing Art.

Reflect on your choices to change something about yourself this year and see how you might approach those intentions like you approach your yoga practice.  When we step on the mat, we allow ourselves room, room to breathe, room to reflect and room to move at a pace that works just for us.  We recognize that every time we take to the mat, it’s a new day, a different day, and a different experience.  We might feel a different sensation, learn a new insight and explore what is unfolding for us in the present moment.  As you work with your intentions, consider how this same approach might expand your focus and support your intention. 

We may not know where our new intentions will take us, but if we allow them to unfold just as a posture might unfold, we may learn a lot about ourselves on the journey.  It is said that the Lord of the Dance Pose symbolizes the destruction of the old self in preparation for the creation of a new self.  Take to the mat, inhale the breath with new abandon, pause and begin to move into Lord of the Dance (Dancer’s Pose).  Breathe into the pose with one arm reaching forward in an expression of extension, reaching outward to move ourselves deeper into our intention of the pose while the other hand holds and supports us exactly where we are, allowing us to see that in reaching forward, we must also be present with where we are.  Lord of the Dance pose allows us to experience a balance of will and surrender. 

 Trust that each time we take to the mat in Lord of the Dance or any of our postures, each small step, each breath, each new sensation and even set-backs bring us closer to our inner self.  And when we consciously arrive in that space, we learn that we are adaptable, ever changing and present. Before we know it, we are holding the pose, breathing with ease and finding that we have arrived at our desired goal.

NamasteWorks Yoga + Wellness, 5860 S. Curtice St., Littleton, CO 80120.  We are not a walk-in studio, we operate as a private center for our clients.  All classes require a RSVP. www.namasteworksyoga.com - A Place to Discover Yoga as a Healing Art.

Special Therapeutic Workshop
One Day Only – Saturday, March 31, 2012 
9:00 am – 12:00 pm– $39

Mandalas are moments captured, mirrors to our path, a place to add color and form to our inner dance.

Experience a fusion of creativity, quiet self-exploration, relaxation and movement as we discover how a mandala provides insight, healing and form to our inner dance. Our pilgrimage will include an hour of drawing and interpretation of your personal mandala, a hour-plus yoga practice and a relaxing meditative Yoga Nidra to deepen your awareness of dancing around the mandala. 

We offer you a private setting to uncover the mandala in you. Led by Jenny Clark – 200HR PYT, Therapeutic Yoga Instructor and CMT. This one-day only workshop is $39.  All materials are  included and we encourage you to bring a snack. This program is limited to ten participants and an RSVP and pre-payment are required.  Send your request through our contact page and we will hold your space and send you the details. 

NamasteWorks Yoga + Wellness, 5860 S. Curtice St., Littleton, CO 80120.  We are not a walk-in studio, we operate as a private center for our clients.  All classes require a RSVP. www.namasteworksyoga.com - A Place to Discover Yoga as a Healing Art.

Every year at this time, we take out the paper, sit in reflection and ponder, what will be different in 2012.  Can I truly sustain change in my life and how do I go about it.  As yogis, we are often reminded in our classes, meditation and daily actions that change comes from within.  This article, Nurture the New You, by Kelly McGonigal offers a yogic approach to establishing and maintaining New Year’s resolutions, from within.  You just may want to consider the present moment and begin the journey inward  today, instead of waiting until 2012. 

By Kelly McGonigal

If you’re committed to change this new year, replace the hard-headed discipline with self-compassion. Studies show it’s a more effective strategy for making all kinds of behavioral changes.

Every resolution to change begins with a burst of hope. You feel great when you do yoga, so you vow to practice every day. Or maybe you realize that your afternoon coffee breaks drain your energy, so you pledge to cut back. When you make these promises, you feel light hearted, elated, perhaps even connected to your higher Self. You’re ready to honor your longing for health and happiness. And deep down, you know you’re up to the challenge.

But after the initial enthusiasm wears off and you hit your first setback (the tempting latte, the skipped yoga practice, your inner critic pipes up. “What’s wrong with you? Why can’t you make this simple change?” The voice gets louder and meaner, and soon self-doubt creeps in. Perhaps you try to rally by setting stricter goals, or maybe you decide the resolution isn’t so important after all. Either way, your inspiration fades —and poof! —your old habits return.

Fortunately, yoga offers an alternative approach for making positive changes in your life: self-compassion. -  Click on the link to see the rest of this article – Nurture the New You at Yoga Journal.com.

NamasteWorks Yoga + Wellness, 5860 S. Curtice St., Littleton, CO 80120.  We are not a walk-in studio, we operate as a private center for our clients.  All classes require a RSVP. www.namasteworksyoga.com - A Place to Discover Yoga as a Healing Art.

Special Therapeutic Workshop
One Day Only – Saturday, February 4, 2012 
9:30 am – 12:30 pm– $39

Join this therapeutic yoga workshop and uncover natural wellness strategies to manage menopause. Be empowered through knowledge and awareness of body, mind and spirit, experience a yoga practice to cool your central nervous system, learn soothing breathing techniques and participate in creative expression. You will also differentiate perimenopause from menopause and understand the nuances of  body/mind synergy at this critical time in life.

We offer you a private setting to navigate the natural journey of meno-pause. Led by Troy Krebs, a 200HR PYT – therapeutic yoga instructor, acupuncturist and Chinese Medicine Doctor.  This one-day only workshop is $39.  This program is limited to ten participants and an RSVP and pre-payment are required.  Send your request through our contact page and we will hold your space and send you the details. 

NamasteWorks Yoga + Wellness, 5860 S. Curtice St., Littleton, CO 80120.  We are not a walk-in studio, we operate as a private center for our clients.  All classes require a RSVP. www.namasteworksyoga.com - A Place to Discover Yoga as a Healing Art.

New Beginners Yoga with Renee
8 week introductory series begins January 18, 2012 
5:45-6:45 pm, Wednesdays – $99

What better way to celebrate yourself than to give the gift of yoga to you.  A new beginners series starts January 18.  Almost all of our clients stepped onto the mat for the first time in our setting, offering each an opportunity to discover their own transformation.  Feeling comfortable to explore yourself with a new awareness and  discover the integration of breath and movement in a classical yoga series is what this class aims to provide you. We offer you a private setting to achieve optimal health, joy and relaxation. Max. 10 clients.  This class will be led by Renee Carrillo, 200HR Therapeutic Yoga Instructor.  This year, make a commitment to you.  To register for this new class, pre-payment is required.  Send your request through our contact page and we will hold your space and send you the details.  Other evening classes available on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

NamasteWorks Yoga + Wellness, 5860 S. Curtice St., Littleton, CO 80120.  We are not a walk-in studio, we operate as a private center for our clients.  All classes require a RSVP. www.namasteworksyoga.com - A Place to Discover Yoga as a Healing Art.

The Joyful Warrior

 A Six Week Program Starting October 12, 2011
Wednesday Evenings – 6:00-7:30
Limited to 10 participants,  $99.  for series 

Each of us began life in JOY – NamasteWorks Yoga + Wellness invites you to take part in “The Joyful Warrior”, a six week program specifically designed for clients affected by depression, seasonal affective disorder or just seeking to find more JOY in life. 

The intention for this six week program is to help you develop tools and techniques for enhancing Joy at all levels, physical, energetic, emotional, psychological and spiritual. Each ninety minute session will deepen your self-awareness of your physical body, enhance your flow of energy, connect you to your vital life force (prana), and bring you in touch with your feelings and emotions through self-reflection, group discussion, journaling and more.

If you have felt a loss of pleasure in life, feelings of agitation, loss of energy, excessive daily fatigue, a feeling of worthlessness or an overall depressed mood, join this program today to find more JOY.  Nancy Levenson, a trained yoga therapist, 500 PYT,  will be your guide on this journey toward JOY.  Class is offered every Wednesday evening from 6:00-7:30pm, for six weeks beginning October 12 and running through November 16. 

To RSVP for the program, send an email via the contact form or reach us at 303.725.1434.  All classes are held at NamasteWorks Yoga + Wellness, 5860 S. Curtice Street, Littleton, CO 80120.