Classes & Private Lessons
The Power of Yoga
"Through practice, you enter into a new relationship with yourself and your condition. On the one hand, you build the energy required to break the habits and tendencies that you know to be self-destructive. On the other hand, you are also taking concrete and effective steps to reorganize your systems. ...if you engage in simple practices consistently, you will be amazed at their capacity to create deep change."
- Gary Kraftsow, American Viniyoga Institute.
Classes
Students at all levels - beginner through advanced - are invited to join Dawn Summers' Yoga classes. Dawn structures her classes to help students experience strength and flexibility, deep relaxation and well-being. Each student receives individual attention.
Dawn instructs in the Viniyoga style, which emphasizes movement, breathing, and body awareness. She is sensitive to each student's expectations and limitations, and tailors her classes to the needs of those who attend. Practice classes may include yoga poses, breathing practices, use of sound, relaxation, and meditation.
See Schedule page for class times and locations.
Private Lessons
Since we are all wonderfully unique, each of us needs exactly what is right for us, not "One Size Fits All". The essence of our approach is to respect individuality by creating a customized routine for each student, which is modified over time as the student changes.
Experience the sweetly transformative nature of doing what is just right for you, being challenged at your own pace without strain, guided and supported by a skilled teacher. This is best done by enrolling for a series of lessons, so the process is a systematic and carefully monitored progression. Before your first lesson, please reflect upon your personal goals for the work, and realistically consider what amount of time you can devote to a regular home practice (even ten to fifteen minutes a day is a good start). You will receive a detailed drawing of each lesson for your home practice.
For most people, four lessons are sufficient to achieve a working level of proficiency, independence, and self-awareness. However, this can become a life-long practice; and maintaining the connection to the teacher with periodic or regular lessons will continue support you and help your practice to grow and evolve as you do.
Therapy
While this program should not be considered a substitute for medical supervision, it does provide complementary therapeutic support for many conditions. For people with back or neck pain, structural conditions, or muscle tension, this work may even be curative! Yoga also benefits those with other conditions such as hypertension, asthma, arthritis, heart problems, menstrual problems, Parkinson's, Multiple Sclerosis, and chronic pain. As well, yoga can provide balance and stability for people with emotional conditions such as depression, anxiety, or panic attacks. A yoga practice can be a support to anyone suffering from a condition of disease or imbalance.
A therapeutic yoga practice empowers a student to better manage their condition, and promotes overall integration and wholeness rather than just focusing on the disease. Some students have even been able to reduce medications as a result of a personal yoga practice.
Please speak to the teacher if you have a special condition before attending a general yoga class, as individual lessons are usually more suitable.