Winter Yoga 2012-2013

I am so grateful to my yoga students in the winter time and for their commitment to showing up to class and practicing yoga with me.  I have given students the opportunity to reflect back over the winter classes and notice what stood out for them, how practicing yoga and meditation may have been helpful to them.  Jai Bhagwhan:)

yoga class for fall

Hi everyone,
I am going to miss you all when class ends this quarter.  I don't know if it is the new building or what, but I feel like I have been on a journey with all of you.  Please remember that whatever choices you make for your future, you can not f*&k up.  Every choice will give you an opportunity to learn.  So, don't be afraid, spread your wings and fly and remember that you are beautiful.
Thanks for deciding to join me on my blog....
Kristin:)

Yoga Ends for Spring quarter

My yoga classes end for Spring quarter and I am giving students the opportunity to post about their experience, strength, and hope in yoga class this quarter:)  So grateful to have the opportunity to meet and practice yoga with you all.
Love and light,
Kristin

Yoga is for everybody!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/11/yoga-nba_n_821384.html

Classes end for Winter Quarter

We are approaching the end of Winter, and I have given students the opportunity to share what stood out for them in yoga class this winter.  I am so grateful for my students, and for their willingness and openness to learn about yoga.  May the long time sun shine upon them!!!
Kristin:)

Yoga classes end for Fall quarter

Hi there,
Yoga classes are ending next week for Fall quarter.  I have given students the opportunity to post on my blog any reflections over the quarter about learning about yoga.  It has been a great fall and I am very grateful to my students for practicing yoga with me and giving me the opportunity to share my practice of teaching yoga.  Have a great break everyone....
Jai:)

interesting study done on yoga as an intervention for depression

A Yoga Intervention for Young Adults with Elevated Symptoms of Depression

June 16, 2011 By Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine 0 Comments

Posted in Articles, Depression

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Context: Yoga teachers and students often report that yoga has an uplifting effect on their moods, but scientific research on yoga and depression is limited.
Objective: To examine the effects of a short-term Iyengar yoga course on mood in mildly depressed young adults.
Design: Young adults pre-screened for mild levels of depression were randomly assigned to a yoga course or wait-list control group.
Setting: College campus recreation center.
Participants: Twenty-eight volunteers ages 18 to 29. At intake, all participants were experiencing mild levels of depression, but had received no current psychiatric diagnoses or treatments. None had significant yoga experience.
Intervention: Subjects in the yoga group attended two 1–hour Iyengar yoga classes each week for 5 consecutive weeks. The classes emphasized yoga postures thought to alleviate depression, particularly back bends, standing poses, and inversions.
Main Outcome Measures: Beck Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Profile of Mood States, morning cortisol levels.
Results: Subjects who participated in the yoga course demonstrated significant decreases in self-reported symptoms of depression and trait anxiety. These effects emerged by the middle of the yoga course and were maintained by the end. Changes also were observed in acute mood, with subjects reporting decreased levels of negative mood and fatigue following yoga classes. Finally, there was a trend for higher morning cortisol levels in the yoga group by the end of the yoga course, compared to controls. These findings provide suggestive evidence of the utility of yoga asanas in improving mood and support the need for future studies with larger samples and more complex study designs to more fully evaluate the effects of yoga on mood disturbances.
To download the full article, originally published in Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine, click here.