Restorative Yoga + Live Music ~ Part 2

Winter is a time where we are invited to move inward, to find rest within the body, to find stillness within the mind, and to restore and nurture our nervous system.  Winter is also a time to allow a warm and cozy comfort to weave itself into our life.  Grab your most comfy socks and your softest blanket and come experience the healing practice of restorative yoga accompanied by the soothing vibration of live music.  Restorative yoga improves circulation and digestion, assists the body in eliminating toxins and reduces muscle tension.  This practice invites your body to be supported by props, which signals safety to the nervous system, and encourages the body to gently stretch and open while releasing habitual, but unnecessary, tension.  It’s a very unique opportunity to experience live music in combination with yoga.  There is much evidence to support that the emotional resonance of live music promotes well-being, reduces stress and enhances our overall mood.

This class is a 3-part series, which invites a different musical artist to showcase their talent each month. 

January begins with the magical Donna Jean Foster.  Donna Jean is a music outreach specialist, a music therapy practitioner, an ordained minister, a church organist, and most importantly a wife and mother of two teenage children. She has performed her music on the Grand Ole Opry stage in Nashville and shared stages with Emmy Lou Harris, Lucinda Williams, Ryan Adams, Walter Egan, David Alan Coe and many other well-known artists.  Donna will guide us on a journey into relaxation and restoration using her guitar and voice.

February showcases the ambient sounds of Michael Piaskowski and…plants!  Michael is a semi-professional musician and intuitive sound practitioner.  During this class, he will be collaborating with plants as they offer their subtle energy to generate music and sound.  Michael will add live instrumentation and voice to create lush etheric soundscapes.

March gives us the gift of Anna Santini on the harp.  Anna and her harp have been performing together for 25 years at many events and various settings.  Anna will use her intuition to guide the class into deep relaxation, allowing the vibration created from the harp to offer practitioners deep healing on a physical and spiritual level.  The pure timbre of Anna’s harp will naturally encourage a sense of calm and well-being.

Jennifer is a certified trauma-informed yoga teacher with a focus and interest on gentle movement designed to relax and restore the nervous system.  Jennifer began her study of yoga more than a decade ago.  Her interest began as a physical & external practice with the sole intention of unwinding after years spent in the corporate world; where she was often exhausted, burnt-out & lacked the tools to quiet her mind.  Jennifer found that yoga supported her physical & mental health, it offered her release of deeply held tension, healing & restoration.  What started out as a physical practice quickly evolved into an understanding of the internal yoga practice of stillness, growth, balance & acceptance. Jennifer's love of yoga led her on a journey to become a teacher in 2020, where she embraced her passion for sharing restorative movement within her community.  She believes we are living in an unprecedented time of high burn-out, high stress & high tension in mind, body and spirit.  Jennifer offers students a chance to disconnect from the outside world & reconnect to their body, find safety and stillness in their mind & relax into a space that promotes health and well-being.

Please bring a mat and blanket to support your practice.