Yoga Opportunities in Bella Vista

I love teaching Yoga!  There are many opportunities to take a variety of Yoga classes in Bella Vista, Arkansas.  Check out this link:  Bella Vista Yoga.

News >From Recreation Manager Clem Morgan Thursday, October 17, 2013 -

Yoga class, anyone? Bella Vista Village's Recreation Division offers yoga in the morning, afternoon and evening! SilverSneakers Yoga Stretch, also referred to as chair yoga, is offered at the Branchwood Recreation Center at 9 a.m. each Monday and Saturday. The class is taught by Carrie Ridgeway. The cost is $3.50 per class or $30 for a punch card, which is valid for 10 classes. The class is free to SilverSneakers Members. The Branchwood daily facility fee or a monthly or annual fitness pass is also required. SilverSneakers Yoga Stretch is offered at Riordan Hall at 8:30 a.m. each Monday and Wednesday. Instructors are Nancy Keesling and Carolan Weaver. The class is free to SilverSneakers members. The cost for non-SilverSneakers members is $2.50 per class. Additionally, non-SilverSneakers members are required to have a current photo identification card issued by the Property Owners Association or pay the Riordan Hall facility fee of $2.25. SilverSneakers Yoga Stretch will move your whole body through a complete series of seated and standing yoga poses. Chair support is offered to safely perform a variety of seated and standing postures designed to increase flexibility, balance and range of movement. Restorative breathing exercises and final relaxation will promote stress reduction and mental clarity. Yoga for Active Adults is offered at 4 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday at the Metfield Clubhouse. Instructor Carrie Ridgeway leads the class. The cost is $3 per class or $25 for a punch card, which is valid for 10 classes. Participants without a current POA-issued photo identification card will be required to pay the Metfield facility fee of $2.25 per class. Yoga for Active Adults is also being offered at the Branchwood Recreation Center at 4 p.m. each Wednesday through Nov. 13. The class is led by Carrie Ridgeway. Robin Smith will offer Yoga for Active Adults at 4 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday, beginning Nov. 19. The cost is $3.50 per class or $30 for a punch card, which is valid for 10 classes. The Branchwood daily facility fee or a monthly or annual fitness pass is also required. Yoga for Active Adults classes offer a flowing style of Hatha Yoga that helps create core strength and increase flexibility and balance. Poses flow one into the other linked with the breath. The class is suitable for students of all experience levels. Students should bring a yoga mat. Other optional accessories include a yoga strap, yoga block and a blanket or cushion. Evening Yoga, led by Maureen Neagle, is available at 6 p.m. each Monday and Wednesday at Riordan Hall. The cost is $3.50 for one class or $36 for a punch card, which is valid for 12 classes. Participants without a current POA-issued photo identification card will be required to pay the Riordan Hall facility fee of $2.25 per class. Yoga classes are also offered at 9 a.m. each Tuesday and Thursday at Riordan Hall. Instructors Maureen Neagle or Carolan Weaver lead the class. Bring your own yoga mat! The classes are free with a current POA-issued photo identification card. Those without a photo identification card will be required to pay the Riordan Hall facility fee of $2.25. So grab your friends, visit one of our three recreation facilities and enjoy an hour of stress-relieving yoga exercises.

September is National Yoga Month

The month of September is National Yoga Month!  Yah!!!  If you've never tried yoga, maybe this is the month for you.

Yoga has become very popular in Northwest Arkansas, and I'm happy to be a part of this movement.  It has now been about a year since I first tried yoga, and was hooked immediately.  So much so, that I started taking classes towards my Yoga Alliance 200-Hr RYT designation.  After becoming "certified" in Yoga and Indoor Cycling through Fitour, I chose YogaFit as my training source for continued yoga study.  YogaFit allows me to spread my training out over time, which allows me to practice what I learn at each training, building proficiency, and not forcing my body to do things that, at age 53, may be more challenging than to a 20-something body.  Another benefit of taking longer to achieve the 200-Hr designation is I can spread out the cost of training.  Since starting with YogaFit in January 2013, I have now completed four of the eleven classes required for the 200-Hr RYT designation.

If you are looking to try yoga, the Bella Vista POA offers classes at Branchwood, Riordan Hall, and Metfield (beginning Sept 10!).  You can go to the Bella Vista POA website under "Recreation", then click on the clubhouse you are interested in to find classes and times.   There are also a number of studios and gyms in Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale, and Fayetteville where you can practice yoga.

One can always practice at home too!  The beauty of home practice is you choose the time.  There a tons of free yoga classes on the Internet and on YouTube in particular.  One of my favorites on YouTube is  Dr. Melissa West.  She has beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes and all kinds in between.  A neat iPhone app I found is Yogify.  This app has several free classes, and you can choose to buy more at a reasonable cost.

Bottom line, the key to maintaining a regular practice is finding a time, a location, a price, and a style that you enjoy.

Peace and Namaste'
Carrie