Yoga in Santiago with Caroline Mastreani

I want to introduce you to my amazing yogini friend Caroline Mastreani who lives and teaches yoga in Santiago, Chile.   If you're planning to travel to Santiago you'll need a yoga fix while you're there. 

I met Caroline in 2006 in an Ashtanga class in Port Vila, Vanuatu.  I was firstly impressed by her yoga, I was a real newbie to Ashtanga then and she could do all of the poses in the Primary Series! 

It was when we traveled to Byron Bay together to attend level one Yoga teacher training in 2009 that I really deepened my friendship with Caroline and of course I got to observe her development as a yoga teacher.  Santosha's Yoga teacher training gave Caroline the confidence to step away from the Ashtanga tradition and to incorporate her creativity into her yoga.  Caroline has an ability to combine her compassion, knowledge of yoga philosophy and asana into a full and rich yoga class.   

Find her here at http://www.findyourflowyoga.net don't just take my word for it go and be inspired!

Caroline (on the right) with Sunny Richards-Glasser of Santosha Yoga Retreats, the final day of our Yoga teacher training with Sunny.

Yoga Vanuatu website

Introducing our new website for Yoga in Vanuatu, it also includes the Vanuatu Yoga Association.  Small beginnings but I am sure it can only grow.  Check it out yogavanuatu.weebly.com

I look forward to any feedback or suggestions.

Summer is finally here in Port Vila, the yoga classes are getting hot and sweaty, make sure you hydrate before you come on fresh coconut water or water and please bring a towel to class!

Rumour is out that there may be a Sunday beach yoga session starting soon, with some new paddleboards to test out.    I'll keep you posted.

Yoga Schedule changes 21-31 August

Here are the changes to the Yoga schedule for the next 10 days, all classes today (Tuesday) remain unchanged.  I am flying out to NZ tomorrow to again visit my Dad who is coming out of hospital care and to sneak in a bit of snowboarding & skiing with my boys.

Wednesday 21st, 12:00pm Vinyasa with Kathy at Bred Gym

                             5:30-6:30 Beginners at Fit for Life CANCELLED

Thursday 22nd,    8:00-9:00 Vinyasa with Kathy at Fit for Life

Friday 23rd,         9:30- 10:30 Hatha CANCELLED

                            12:00pm with Carol at Bred Gym Hatha/vinyasa style

Saturday 24th,     9:30-11:00am Ashtanga will be a self practice session, there will be sequence sheets available

Monday 26th       9:30-10:30am Hatha CANCELLED

                            6:30-7:30 pm Vinyasa with Kathy 

Tuesday 27th      12:00-1:00pm Vinyasa at Fit for Life with Kathy

                            6:30-7:30pm Hatha CANCELLED

Wednesday 28th 12:00-1:00pm Vinyasa with Kathy

                             5:30-6:30 Beginners at Fit for Life CANCELLED

Thursday 29th     8:00-9:00 Vinyasa at Fit for Life with Kathy

Friday 30th          9:30-10:30 Hatha CANCELLED

                           12:00-1:00pm Vinyasa with Kathy or Carol

Saturday 31st      9:30 - 11:00am Self Practice

OR check the Google timetable for the Yoga Association that is updated regularly by Didier, thanks Didier!.  It can be consulted by anyone using this link. Smartphones/tablets users can also copy and paste this iCal Link to sync the calendar (works with any app or device that supports the iCal format).

All classes back to normal for September and thank you for being so FLEXIBLE while I take time out for my family.

Katie

Pikinini Dy Class Schedule

Today we will still have the lunchtime Ashtanga class 12:00-1:00pm at the Bred Fitness Centre but there will be no Beginners class this evening at Fit for Life.

Practice of the week - Gratitude

 "When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength.  Give thanks for your food, and the joy of living. "  - Tecumseh
 
Practicing gratitude can help us lift our spirits and free our hearts.  It can be as simple as remembering to give thanks for the food and the energies that it took to get it from farm to table before you eat at meal times.    Or it can be more formal as in writing in a gratitude journal daily or practicing a gratitude meditation.   If you wish to try a gratitude journal try writing five things, moments or relationships you've experienced that day to be grateful for, this can be a quick note or a longer piece of writing if you like to write, a photo might also capture some moments to be grateful for.   Do this each day for 30 days and notice how much joy and abundance you find in your life.

For a guided MP3 gratitude meditation by Davidji go to The Chopra Centre's website http://www.chopra.com/community/online-library/guided-meditations.

Choosing a yoga class

Maybe you are new to yoga and are unsure of the different styles of yoga on our yoga timetable, which class should you come to?

The Hatha classes 9:30-10:30 am are suitable for beginners and for those who do not wish to do a lot of sun salutations.  We teach the basics and at a slower pace we have time to accommodate those with injuries.

The more dynamic classes are Monday 6:30-7:30 pm Power Yoga, Tuesday 12:00-1:00pm & Thursday 8:00-9:00am Vinyasa Flow, Wednesday 12:00-1:00pm & Saturday 9:30-11:00am Ashtanga classes.  These classes all include a lot of sun salutations and vinyasas which build strength and heat the body for more intensive stretching.  There is a strong focus on the breath in all of these classes.

Wednesday evening 5:30-6:30pm is Beginners night at Fit for Life another class which covers the essential postures with a more gentle introduction to learning the sun salutations influenced by Sivananda Yoga style.

Gentle Hatha Flow 6:30 on a Tuesday evening is based on the basic postures but with sun salutations and some slower paced vinyasas, good for beginners and experienced yogis who like to move a little or who find the stillness in yoga a challenge.  Some different breath practices are explored.

Friday 12:00-1:00 Hatha class is based also on a Flow style with sun salutations being a feature, again the essential basic postures but at a good steady pace.

Lastly Friday 7:45-8:30 am is meditation and breathing class, meditation is based on mindfulness meditation.  Located in Vanuatu Education & Tutoring office beside Asco Motors.

All classes include bodily alignment cues, breath work and relaxation.

I encourage people to try different styles and we are also fortunate to have different instructors teaching for the Yoga Association.  Please get to class early if you are new and talk to the instructor before hand if you have any health issues.

Casual Students Welcome to Vanuatu Yoga Association Classes

Feel free to drop in on our yoga classes, but please come 5 minutes early!  We have yoga equipment that you can use.  If you are planning to practice regularly it is nicer to own your own yoga mat for hygiene reasons and.... then you have a mat to practice your moves at home.   These are currently available at Wilco's sports store here in Port Vila at a very reasonable price.It is often quite warm practising yoga in the tropics so you may also want to bring a towel. 

The other thing you will need is to leave your competitive spirit at home, even though you come to practice yoga in a class it is still your own individual practice.  You can rest when you want and you can challenge yourself too when you want to.

I always think it is good to try a variety of yoga styles to see what works best for you.  We will be looking to run some retreats and  workshops in the near future and details about those will be posted soon.