Yoga Classes | Athens Yoga

Flow Yoga and Thai massage

Olga Paraskeva — Thu, 26 Oct 2017 14:17:00 GMT

A practice suitable for all levels that combines movement, breathing and therapeutic touch, on a journey of union of our physical, emotional and mental existence.

The class is aimed at practitioners who enjoy exploring themselves through the exercises performed with awareness and introspection, as well as learning techniques of relaxation, massage and partner yoga.

Through the practice of Partner Yoga, the duality of self / other begins to dissolve and we experience the essence of Yoga - Union' - Elysabeth Williamson

Flow & Restore Yoga

Olga Paraskeva — Thu, 31 Aug 2017 12:57:00 GMT

This class consists of 60 minutes of vinyasa practice kai 30 minutes of restorative/meditation. Each student chooses how intense the vinyasa part is. This class combines the intensity of movement with the tranquility of non movement and meditation.

We will take advantage of the quiet mind that the flow of movement creates to enter the meditative state. The class focuses on observing the mind and the body through this contrast and aims at building awareness.

Gentle and Accessible Yoga

Olga Paraskeva — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 07:38:00 GMT

This class aims to offer yoga practice to all. Everyone, regardless of their physical ability, are invited to participate in this wonderful gentle practice.

Students with disabilities, injuries, hemiplegia, increased weight, advanced age, chronic diseases and syndromes are welcome to experience and enjoy the euphoria and serenity one feels when moving all or part of his body with breathing and awareness. In this class props are used to facilitate movement. Chairs, cushions, walls, blocks and straps will help us to move the parts of our body that encounter difficulty or even pain. Let's listen to our body and its needs and enjoy all the benefits of this wonderful practice!

Physiotherapists and doctors around the world recommend yoga more and more. There is research showing that practicing yoga reduces anxiety, stress, pain, fatigue and insomnia. Yoga reduces cardiovascular risk and hypertension. Yoga also helps cope with symptoms of many neurological diseases, like stroke, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson.

Yoga increases flexibility and strength and thus helps the elderly or overweight practicioners.

The practice of yoga is a reboot for mind and body. Breathing and meditation bring us closer to the awareness and recognition of our real feelings. When we recognize these feelings, we are given tools with which we can keep these feelings around us, but without identyifing with them. The practice of yoga can help us respond to life and the world around us in a more relaxed and meaningful way, recognizing more readily amazing and intact self that resides within our body:

"There's a part of me, which is always good, regardless of whatever is around me or anything happening to my body. Inside me, I am always well, I'm complete. The more you cling to this bit, the happier I become'' Jivana Heyman

Source: www.accessibleyoga.org
Jivana Heyman teachings

Hatha Yoga

chris prifti — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 17:07:00 GMT

Hatha Yoga is the most widely spread type of yoga in the West. It is focused on physical health and mental wellbeing. It uses body postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation (dyana) with an aim to bring about a healthy body and clear and peaceful mind.

Morning Hatha Yoga

Olga Paraskeva — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 17:07:00 GMT

The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit root 'yuj', which means' connect, join, concentrate my attention. The word hatha yoga comes from the Sanskrit words "ha" ("means moon") and "tha" (meaning "sun"). More specifically, the exercise of discipline of the mind, the mind, the emotions, the will to foster a balanced psychic world, which enables the practitioner to be fully in all aspects of life. When we practice yoga, we focus on the breath and movement. This gives our gratitude and serenity feelings which we experience after we finish practice.

With practice in the morning, we help ourselves to remain more calm and focused for a long time in the day. And so we are more ready to recognize the good things that happen. Establishing a morning habit is easier than any other time of day. Think how easily the morning coffee became a habit in your life. Yoga, and generally exercise, in the morning, helps metabolism, as it begins with action and burning. The morning yoga warms and prepares the physical body in order to avoid injuries in the day. It is good for the heart, reducing the pressure and cholesterol. Strengthens bones and joints, and increases blood circulation.

Anusara Yoga

chris prifti — Wed, 27 Jan 2016 17:10:00 GMT

Aunusara is a modern school of yoga that was developed by the yoga teacher John Friend. Anusara had as its base Iyengar yoga, and today it s a school that emphasises body-mind health and awareness as well as emotional, mental and spiritual freedom. It particularly emphasises the principles of alignment that exist in all asanas and are connected with the philosophical side of the practice.

Kundalini Yoga - as taught by Yogi Bhajan

Stefanos Patelis — Tue, 26 Jan 2016 14:39:00 GMT

Kundalini Yoga consists of active and passive Kriyas (purifying practices) that are based on asana, pranayama, mantra and meditation that influence the whole mind-body-energy system, including the nervous system, glands, chakras and other.

Dynamic Hatha Yoga

chris prifti — Mon, 25 Jan 2016 13:37:00 GMT

Dynamic Hatha Yoga is a type of yoga with relatively faster rhythm. It is favoured by people who like dynamic practice with plenty of movement.

Iyengar Yoga

chris prifti — Mon, 25 Jan 2016 13:37:00 GMT

Iyengar yoga emphasizes proper alignment of the body, the time devoted to asana in order to increase the depth and to begin to draw the benefits and the use of props, which support the body to get the right attitude. Through the practice and understanding of Iyengar yoga, student firmly driven control of his body and thus control of the mind. Training in Iyengar yoga often leads to the elimination of pain, improve posture, and can be used in treating many diseases.

Vinyasa/flow Yoga

Olga Paraskeva — Mon, 25 Jan 2016 13:37:00 GMT

Living in today's fast paced world we think that what makes us happy is simply meeting our material needs. We need more clothes, more food, more luxury. But what if these needs constantly multiply? Trying to cover them, we lose contact with our breath, ourselves, the elements of nature. We lose the flow. Vinyasa is the flow. The stream that everyone has inside him. The flow of air, the flow of the ocean, the flow of life. In a Vinyasa/Flow practice the student follows the flow of the breath, the internal flow. Combining breathing with movement, we manage to release physical, mental and emotional blockages and gain a rooted sense of tranquility and relax in the moment. Now. In flow.

Restorative/Gentle Yoga

chris prifti — Sun, 24 Jan 2016 14:41:00 GMT

Let yourself to the benefits of the restorative poses with the use of props (belts, blankets, blocks etc). Free the mental and physical tension with gentle asanas and pranayama exercises and complete your practice with meditation and deep relaxation.

Partner Yoga

chris prifti — Sun, 24 Jan 2016 14:39:00 GMT

Partner yoga is a great way to surrender deeper into the practice of asana. The help of another person allows us to let go of the effort and dive more deeply into the present moment. The exchange of energy that takes place through the connection with another person in yoga poses can be revelatory for both partners. And most of all, it is a lot of fun!

Note: You don't have to come with a partner to attend this session.

Prenatal Yoga

Stefanos Patelis — Sat, 23 Jan 2016 17:15:00 GMT

For this very special time in a women's life - time to connect with her inner world, to deal with emotional turbulences with breath and awareness, to experience fully the miracle of life and creation.

Yoga during pregnancy:

- Brings relief from pain and other possible discomforts during pregnancy (nausea, constipation, swelling, cramps, insomnia and other).

- Strengthens the uterus, the pelvic floor and the back, all of which help the labour process, but also the mother in the period after the labour.

- Gives the mother a sense of ease, health and well-being.

- Trains the mother to relax with observation of her internal world, and to deal with emotional turbulences with the breath and awareness.

- Helps mother find her own natural rhythm and coordination of the breath with the movement - a very useful tool for the labour process as well as for the relaxation and pain management.

- Helps mother develop greater sense of control, power and self confidence.

Mothers usually feel at peace during and after the yoga classes, which is being passed on to the embryo, positively affecting the mother-baby relationship.

After the birth of the baby, mothers usually continue to practice yoga, as this time of self-care becomes an essential part of their lives. At Athens Yoga, they can even be coming WITH their baby, to class Mom&Baby yoga.

Mom and baby Yoga

Olga Paraskeva — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 14:39:00 GMT

The program is based on Birthlight method. The Birthlight Trust is a non-profit organisation dedicated to enhance the health and wellbeing of women and their families from conception through to the third year. Birthlight has grown organically from small pioneering classes for groups of women and families that Françoise Barbira Freedman set up in Cambridge in the 1980’s.

What is Mom & baby yoga?

Baby yoga helps to attune to your baby’s needs and to calm or stimulate them as appropriate with a sense of security and wellbeing. It is beneficial for all babies, you don’t need to practice yoga or even know anything about yoga to get started with your baby. From Birth babies respond positively to the stimulation of movement and touch together. Baby Yoga includes a wide range of different practices that can be combined to suit the needs of each baby or toddler through their individual development:

-Gentle body strokes
-Yoga moves adapted to babies (mini twists, mini stretches, upper and lower body movements, diagonal movements) These moves have been transmitted though generations in India for at least 2000 years
-A blend of postnatal yoga and baby yoga for new mothers
-Playful moves with rhymes
-Joint parent/baby relaxation (walking relaxation, instant relaxation, relaxation to sleep, feeding relaxation)
-Transitional practices (head control, sitting, crawling, standing, early steps, first jumps and balances)
-Baby yoga offers quality physical stimulation that has become essential in an urban sedentary lifestyle. For every hour that babies spend strapped in cars seats or home seats, 5 minutes of Baby Yoga provide stretching as a start to a healthy lifestyle. Baby yoga can be practiced instantly anywhere at anytime and always generates a joyful interaction.

Birthlight baby yoga comes with a debt of gratitude to the people who have taught Françoise their traditional forms of closeness with babies around the world, most particularly grandmothers from India and South America.

Materials / Method: Mats, Birthlight philosophy, children's songs, cushions, etc.

Toddler Yoga

Olga Paraskeva — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 14:39:00 GMT

This class is inspired by S.M.A.R.T. YOGA (Stretch Move And Relax Together) of Birthlight. The Birthlight Trust is a non-profit organisation dedicated to enhance the health and wellbeing of women and their families from conception through to the third year.

This class is for moma or/and dads with toddlers 1 to 4 yearls old. In this group we aim to balance between effort and relaxation, discipline and resilience, movement and keeping still. We are cultivating respect towards the other person and his needs as well as our own and faith in equality between all human beings in order to create and live in harmony - a piece missing from everyday life.

There are currently different activities available for preschool kids- Toddler Yoga offers a structured base for parents to exercise, practice and have fun with their little ones while boosting their strength, resilience, balanace and relaxation as opposed to energetic activity.

Toddler Yoga enhances language ability, listening skills and developmental abilities while nourishing the spirit and boosting family ties. As babies develop the ability to move independently and walk and when the skin contact with parents tends to decrease, Toddler Yoga come to enrich this contact, with love and play, roviding a positive common experience for new families in periods when there might be tantrums and limits' testing. The parents are encouraged to connect with the child inside, their creativity and intuition.

H Νηπιακή Γιόγκα ενισχύει τη φυσική ευεξία και τονώνει τη γλώσσα, την ακρόαση και τις αναπτυξιακές ικανότητες, αλλά και τρέφει το πνεύμα και ενισχύει τους οικογενειακούς δεσμούς. Κατά τη μετάβαση των μωρών στην ανεξάρτητη κίνηση και το περπάτημα, όταν η σωματική επαφή με τους γονείς τους μειώνεται, η Νηπιακή Γιόγκα εμπλουτίζει την επαφή, γεμάτη αγάπη και παιχνίδι , καθώς παρέχει μια θετική κοινή εμπειρία για τις νέες οικογένειες σε μια δύσκολη περίοδο με ξεσπάσματα και δοκιμές ορίων. Οι γονείς συνδέονται με το παιδί μέσα τους, τη δημιουργικότητα και τη διαίσθησή τους.

Materials / Method: Mats, Birthlight philosophy, children's songs, cushions, etc.

This class requires registration at 2130383611 or center@athensyoga.gr

Kids Yoga

Olga Paraskeva — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 14:41:00 GMT

Kids Yoga is an opportunity for children to embark on the precious journey of mental health and clarity and personal development early in their life.

Yoga for Kids 5-9 y.o. with Pinelopi Gavrilaki on Thursdays 16:30-17:30 starting Sept 14th.

This yoga class for children is aimed at children 5 to 9 years. Yoga for this age group allows children and teens to relax, to develop their imagination, their ability for visualization and to develop their personality. on and the culture of their personality. It is a complete physical exercise system that develops physical strength, emotional balance and mental and creative skills that contribute to the development of a happier and emotionally mature child. Children are able to manage better the physical and emotional changes they go through if their minds and bodies work together. Hormonal changes, starting school, a demanding environment and the period leading to puberty can result in nervousness and reactivity at the child's behavior.

Until the age of 6-7 years old children play in a fantasy world. As they grow, they benefit from a more structured approach to the notions of discipline and concentration. So yoga is a natural choice as it helps children to develop their potential to the fullest and enables them to create a successful, useful and integrated lifestyle. The yoga class for children includes information on anatomy, ecology and social life which makes it even more beneficial for children!

Materials / Methods: Mats, children's songs, pillows, wreaths, etc.

Complete Relaxation

chris prifti — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 14:39:00 GMT

Complete relaxation - one-hour class:

- 15 minutes of very easy exercises (light stretches and joint rotations) and breathing relaxation.
- 45 minutes of the Yoga Nidra technique from supine position, with guided meditation, music and visualisations.

This is the best way release the stress accumulated throughout the week, to rest and relax on a deeper level (even deeper than in sleep) and re-charge for the weekend.

Lucid Relaxation

Lucid relaxation has multiple beneficial effects on nervous and immune sytems, on the ability to relax and meditate, and on deepening of the spiritual experiences.

What is lucid relaxation?

Lucid relaxation is a therapeutic method of relaxation that we oftentimes practice at the end of our yoga classes. It not only relaxes the body, it also brings the mind to a deep state of rest and harmony. Since it involves "floating" between sleeping state and being awake, it allows access to the subconsious mind.

What happens during a lucid relaxation?

The mind becomes quiet, and the psycho-somatic tension is being released. After some minutes, the heart beat slows down, the breath becomes subtle and the mid deeply calm. This is why it is believed to be more healing than the regular, unconscious sleep.

What is the difference between lucid relaxation and meditation?

Lucid relaxation IS a form of meditation, but because it is done lying down without any physical effort, it is a very good preparation for the meditation. One develops the capacity to have full awareness, even in very deep states of mind.

What does the deep conscious relaxation consist of and how does it affect us?

There is a rotation of awareness on various parts of the body, awareness of the whole body, of the breath, of the pace and energy, as well as various visualizations. The whole time we remain in a state between waking and sleeping, gaining access into the subconscious. Sometimes there is a Sankalpa – a resolve as a seed of change. When we decide something, e.g. to stop smoking on a conscious level, but the subconscious mind resists our decision, our decision usually ends up fruitless. In conscious yogic sleep though we have access to subconscious and the decision we make in the form of a short positive sentence, is being imprinted in the subconscious. This becomes possible because the mind is receptive and sensitive to auto-suggestion. We make the resolve with feeling and strong will-power. With regular and persistent practice, the changes we decided upon start to manifest in our lives. These changes may concern our behaviour towards ourselves or other people, repetitive unwanted reactions, the state of our physical and/or mental health and so on.

What is a dedication of practice to some other person?

As our yoga practice matures, we begin to feel deep gratitude for our life and appreciation towards other people. This awakens a desire to offer and to share the sense of wellbeing and health with others. Yoga practitioners oftentimes dedicate their practice, and their sankalpa becomes a wish for health and balance in the life of another person, or even of the humanity as a whole. In conscious yogic state of deep relaxation and mental floating between the conscious and subconscious states, our thoughts have great power, and the positive energy that we “send” influences positively both ourselves and he person we wish well to.

Hints for deep conscious relaxation practice:

- Stay awake. In the beginning say to yourselves: “I will not fall a sleep. I will remain awake throughout the whole practice”.
- Do not try to concentrate on various parts of the body. Rather, you will experience the awareness effortlessly flowing from one part to another.
- Don’t try to go deep or to have special experiences. Be spontaneous, relaxed and receptive.

The origins of this tecnique are found in Puranas, ancient Indian scriptured dating back to 3-5 century CE. Its official name "Yoga Nidra" is very well defined by Adya Sankaracharya in his text Yoga Tadavali. Hatha Yogic Text Hatha Yoga Pradipika also used this term in different context. Later on, contemporary Yogis like Swami Rama, Swami Satyananda and Pandit Sriram Sharma Acharya propagated their own techniques, which are very common today. More recently, several scientific studies are going on in different parts of the world relating to this technique.

Meditation

chris prifti — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 13:51:00 GMT

What is meditation?

Benefits of meditation

By focusing our attention on the breath, on various senses and on the inner-body, in meditation classes we withdraw from our busy life. We step out of the fast stream of thoughts to find a quiet place within ourselves.

In the beginning when we sit down and look inside, we often find much noise going on in our mind. Instead of codemning and judging this, we accept it as it is and just observe all that is going on. When we continuously practice in this way, all the more often we get to a place of stillness in meditation. We can then move on to applying the same techniques in our daily life, and thus we may become more calm and aware in our day-to-day affairs.

Meditation can consist of a still and mindful centering, walking meditation, meditation with attention on sounds, image, breath, candle meditation and so on.

In meditation, like in yoga, we acknowlege that the evolution concerns us all. Therefore the personal experience in only a part of the practice. Whoever meditates, participates acively in the evolution of all the dimensions of the Self, therefore the society as a whole too. By becoming more calm, free and conscious, we inevitably exert positive influence upon everyone else of our surrounding.

Even though meditation is performed mainly as spiritual practice, scientific studies of Western medicine have been pointing to the physiological benefits of meditation and its effect of various medical conditions.

Meditation:

- decreases respiratory rate and slows the heart rate

- increases the ability to relax

- lowers the blood pressure

- increases exercise tolerance in heart patients

- allows the person to reach deeper level of relaxation

- reduces anxiety attacks and increases relaxation response

- enhances the immune system. Research has revealed that meditation increases activity of 'natural-killer cells', which kill bacteria and cancer cells.

- increases self confidence

- increases serotonin production. Low levels of serotonin are associated with depression, obesity insomnia and headaches

- reduces pre-menstrual syndrome

- helps with allergies

- helps with arthritis