Margie Parrish, YA Instructor

Yoga is not just for flexible and Gumby-type bodies. A regular yoga practice will help you improve your balance and posture, teach you how to breathe more efficiently, and give you core strength to protect your low back. Most professional athletes do yoga to sharpen their concentration and keep their body agile and strong. Seniors of all ages can do many poses, which include modifications to stay safe.

A yoga practice helps us feel good in our body, and the added bonus, it helps us with concentration and cultivating a positive state of mind.

Whether you’re new to yoga or have not done it for a while, come join the Yin/Yang Yoga every Tuesday and Thursday at 10 a.m., at the Cottonwood Palo Verde Fitness Center.

The class is one hour and starts with centering, including mindful breathing, gentle warm-up, some half and full Sun Salutations, and a mix of active yang poses to refresh your energy, including standing and balancing poses. The last half hour is devoted to more yin poses, holding the posture in a prone position. There are some pose sequences where you get up and down on the mat. There are resting periods during the hour in a pose called Child pose, which can be taken at any time. You will need to bring a yoga mat, but if you forgot one, there are yoga mats, blocks, blankets, and straps available in the room. It’s best to do yoga in your bare feet, because it helps to ground and strengthen your feet for stability.

The drop-in rate for the group class is $5 per class. A private class in your home is $60 for one hour or $150 for three private sessions.

When doing yoga poses, keep this intention in mind: “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”

I hope to meet you this fall in Yin Yang Yoga every Tuesday and Thursday at 10 a.m., at Cottonwood Palo Verde Fitness Center. During the busy fall and winter months, it’s best to sign up online.

For more information, contact Margie at 602-930-8102 or [email protected].