Yoga Instruction by ZenLily Health
“Creating a balanced and healthy body allows your mind and heart to open more readily to the joyful possibilities of life. Yoga is a vehicle for experiencing deeper and deeper levels of self-awareness.”
-Patricia Walden
From the beginning of Elizabeth’s journey in the Yoga world she was drawn to the Kripalu tradition of hearted centered and mindfulness yoga. It was the focus of “being present in the moment” and loving kindness and compassion towards one self that resonated deeply with her. Yoga is not a competitive sport, thank goodness. And Kripalu style yoga encourages self-awareness, respect and non judgement when doing the poses. And that in turn encourages us to take those qualities “off the mat” and into our daily lives. Elizabeth’s teaching style focuses on building the relationship between body awareness, breath, structural alignment and spiritual insight.
Her teaching has been greatly enhanced by studies with Master Teachers including Cindy Lee, Donna Farhi, Todd Norian, Anne Green, Barbara Bachman, Tias Little, John Friend, and Erick Shiftman. Her lighthearted and playful approach encourages students to encounter “their edge” with awareness and joy. As a teacher and lifestyle consultant for older adults and people in chronic pain, Elizabeth has developed classes in Chair Yoga and Restorative Yoga to address the needs of seniors and students with special needs.
What is Yoga?
Yoga is an age old science and philosophy. It originated in India over 5,000 years ago and is not a religion or a set of exercises. Yoga is widely regarded as an effective, low risk activity that delivers an array of health benefits to it students. The practice of yoga enables the student to achieve calmness, clarity, a sense of well-being and enthusiasm. It’s many benefits range from highly effective stress management to low impact, joint friendly postures.
Yoga more than any other exercise, can be tailored to fit seniors. Most yoga classes taught in the west are a type of Hatha yoga. Hatha yoga is a simple form of yoga that focuses on the basic poses and breathing techniques. Journal of Nursing Research found that just one class of basic Hatha yoga significantly reduces women’s feelings of stress. Restorative Yoga is an inviting yoga to relax and soothe frayed nerves. In a Restorative Yoga class bolsters, blankets, straps and blocks are used to prop students into passive poses so the body can experience the benefits of the pose without exerting any effort. And don’t forget the eye pillow and lavender scent. A good restorative class is more rejuvenating than a nap. Chair yoga is a gentle approach to yoga, stretch and strengthening with focuses on balance and breathing , performed using a chair or the wall for support.
Why Do Yoga?
Yoga has positive effects on breathing, posture, stress, strength, balance, flexibility and the Endocrine System. Recent research shows yoga significantly reduces pain and fatigue and increases mobility and physical function. Research has also shown that a regular practice of yoga can improve symptoms of depression, insomnia, migraines, back pain, and improves posture. The beauty and power of yoga lies in its ability to counter the adverse effects of stress on our daily lives. Yoga helps us to become more adaptive, positive and resilient in our lives, qualities that can be useful to us as we move into the coming years.
Regular practice of yoga can improve symptoms of:
Yoga Service Offerings…
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In addition to offering private or group instruction in the comfort of your home or private location, Elizabeth has been on staff as a Yoga Instructor at Naples Community Hospital (NCH) Wellness Center for the past 15 years. Come in for a class at one of NCH’s two wellness centers or call to discuss scheduling a private session. All classes are multilevel and seniors and beginners are welcome.
“Elizabeth’s genuine warmth, caring and love of yoga comes through in each class. We all (her students) appreciate her unique teaching style”
-Nancy M, ZenLily Student
FEES : 1 hour $90.00 | 1.5 hours $135.00 | RECEIVE 20% OFF YOUR FIRST VISIT |