Meditation and Mindfulness for Stress Relief and Community

You won’t be disappointed.  I’ve taught this class around the globe and helped kids find peace, let go of fears, stress, anxiety and truly live a happier life.

A consistent mindfulness routine is a life changing powerful habit.  Mindfulness helps us reduce stress and tackle life’s inevitable challenges. Join us for weekly classes as we remember to breathe, stay grounded, and relax.

This easy and fun 3 step program is great for all ages that are needing or wanting a more focused and grounding mindfulness routine which helps to provide a more fun, successful and happy life with techniques to help lower anxiety, improve focus and concentration.

A typical class looks like this:
With students seated in a quiet space, your lesson will begin with you learning a breathing technique(this technique will be done by myself and I will then have the students work on it) and you will then be encouraged to use this breathwork in a 10 minute guided mediation, followed by reflection with gratitude  and suggested journal time.  

For two weeks, we will focus on a specific breathing technique(posted below) which will be taught and practiced in guided meditations.  From deep and controlled breathing to a shallow and present style, these techniques will help you achieve soundness of mind.

What breathing technique are you wanting to learn to help deepen your mindfulness practice, we cover many:

Kundalini (Diaphragm breathing)
Nadi Shodhana and Pranayama (Alternate nostril breathing)
Zhuanqi (Breathing until the breath is soft)
Kumbhaka Pranayamas (Anatara and Bahya) (Intermittent breath retention)
Kapalabhati (Fire breathing)
 Shamatha (Breathing As Is)
Kundalini and/or Zhuanqi (Diaphragm breathing)
Nadi Shodhana and/or Pranayama and Shamatha (Alternate nostril breathing)
 Zhuanqi (Breathing until the breath is soft)
Kumbhaka Pranayamas and Kumbhaka Pranayamas (Anatara and Bahya) (Intermittent breath retention)
July Yoga Nidra with guided meditation 

Please see below for a description on breathing techniques:
1. Shamatha (Breathing as is)
Translation: “Peacefully abiding”
Shamatha breathing is a technique centered around awareness of your breathing as it is. It’s a common practice in mindful meditation and is often referred to as the reset breath or the breath that brings you back to the present.

2. Kundalini (Diaphragm breathing)
Translation: “The life force that resides at the base of the spine”
In the practice of kundalini meditation, breathing centers around moving energy within the body through controlled breathing techniques, like diaphragmatic breathing. Breathing with your diaphragm teaches you how to use it correctly and helps strengthen it. With this technique you will be able to take in more air and decrease the oxygen demand.


3. Nadi Shodhana and Pranayama (Alternate nostril breathing)
Translation: “Channel purifying”
Similar to kundalini, pranayama is a type of meditative practice that involves controlled breathing, turning your focus to your body and finding balance internally. Nadi shodhana, or alternate nostril yoga breathing (ANYB), is the technique of breathing through one nostril at a time while closing the other nostril manually, to alternate breathing and airflow. 


4. Zhuanqi (Breathing until the breath is soft)
Translation: “Unite mind and air”
This breathing method emphasizes quieting the body and mind to find harmony with nature. Zhuanqi, similar to Buddhist meditation, is a meditative breathing technique yhat aims to unite breath and mind by focusing on your breath until it is soft. This can be done by observing the breath until it is quiet. It utilizes the abdominal muscles to elevate the diaphragm and push out air.

5. Kumbhaka Pranayamas (Anatara and Bahya) (Intermittent breath retention)
Translation: “The control of prana through retention of the breath”
Kumbhaka pranayamas are a type of breathing exercise that uses intermittent breath holding following inhaling or exhaling. The pause of breath holding is shorter than the inhaling or exhaling period. 

6.Kapalabhati
Translation:  
Kapalabhati consists of alternating short, explosive exhales and slightly longer, passive inhales. Exhales are generated by powerful contractions of the lower belly (between the pubis and navel), which push air out of the lungs.

The power of our own breath to heal and transform on a physical, emotional and spiritual level, has been known (and practised) by yogis and shamans since ancient times. By consciously working with our own breathing patterns, we can tap into the ability to reset our nervous system and uncover and release all sorts of tension and blocks in our body and in our lives.