Olney Yoga & Wellness teachers have united from rich and varied yoga backgrounds - each and every class is a unique reflection of a teacher’s training and authentic style. These descriptions are intended to offer students a brief overview of the classes available, and to help you choose the one that is right for you! Please inquire with each of us directly for further details on classes and other offerings.
Linda Evans
Yoga 1/2 - Moderate: For continuing students who have completed Yoga 1 or who have prior yoga experience. Students will refine the basic series of poses while building the endurance, strength and flexibility to prepare for Yoga 2 poses and variations.
Natalie Dodson
Yoga 1 Beginner: This is a class for students who have completed an introductory yoga program, students who are returning to their practice after several years, students who are currently at the beginner level or any student who desires basic yoga instruction. This class will cover basic yoga postures and basic breathing techniques.
Sarah Fishman
Vinyasa Flow - All Levels: This is an amazing practice for students of all levels who want something more out of their practice - more energy, more self expression, more challenge, more breath, more meditation, more spirit. Vinyasa refers to the fact that the poses are linked together and to the breath to create a powerful and flowing practice. It is a natural, intuitive way to co-create a yoga practice that goes far beyond the "power yoga" sterotype. If you love vinyasa or if you've never tried it, come and experience Sunset Flow with us on Sunday evenings. Students should be in good health and free from any major injuries.
Vinyasa Flow - Levels 1/2: This class is intended for experienced beginners and intermediate students. We'll take hatha yoga postures and start to link them together in cycles of movement, and link breath to the movement and transitions in between the postures. As students begin to master form, structure, and breath, optional amplifications can be explored to guide you through more challenging postures (inversions and backbends) and sequencing, but still with a continued emphasis on the fundamentals of yoga, ensuring that more difficult postures are practiced safely.
Yoga 2/3 Intermediate/Advanced: This class is for students who have a general knowledge of the basic postures and are familiar with or ready to explore more advanced asanas as well as pranayama (breathing techniques), yoga philosophy and meditation.
Peter Gibbon
Gentle Yoga: This class is a designed for students of all levels who desire a gentle, nurturing practice for any reason. The basic postures are presented at a slower pace and with sufficient time and props for appropriate modifications. (This is not a therapeutic class and presupposes a fair to average level of fitness) For those with serious issues where unaided movement is restricted a better choice to start would be a private session.
Level 1-2-Moderate - Mixed Level Yoga: This class is a mixed level yoga class for students with previous experience in yoga. The class focuses on proper body alignment, combining stretching and strengthening asanas within a vinyasa flow sequence. This may also apply to more traditional Hatha yoga classes where poses are sequenced but focus is less on flow and more on longer holding to encourage deeper levels of experience within the postures.
Laura Greene
Yoga 1/2 Beginner-Intermediate: This class is for continuing students who have completed Yoga 1 or who have prior yoga experience. Students will refine the basic series of poses while building the endurance, strength and flexibility to prepare for Yoga 2 poses and variations.
Yoga 2 Intermediate: This class is for students who have a general knowledge of the basic postures and are familiar with or ready to explore more advanced asana as well as pranayama, yoga philosophy and meditation.
Rev. Keith Hall
Tantric Qi Gong - Level 1: Learn how to improve your health and well being in as little as 10 minutes a day. The 8 Treasures system increases vitality and flexibility, reduces stress, and is a non-impact aerobics routine for cardiac and respiratory health (plus much more!). The class will utilize elements of Tantric Qi Gong & Bioenergetic practices. Classes will include Ta'i Chi Chaun, utilizing a relaxed body & conscious breathing to develop one's vital energy (chi), coordination and flexibility, and nourishing our mental, physical & spiritual health. Upon completion you will be eligible for certification (includes training manual and log).
Tantric Qi Gong - Level 2: This class expands upon the techniques of The Eight Treasures, focusing more deeply on coordinating physical movements with breath and energy techniques. Using practices from Chi Kung (Qi Gong), Energy Yoga and Bioenergetics, you will begin to understand why these eight simple excercises are called "treasures." This class will help you do the following:
- Deepen your ability to strengthen your body with no-stress mental techniques.
- Increase your vitality through the secrets of the Energy pump.
- Taoist King Fu methodology for circulating Chi.
- Yogic energy techniques to empower and accept who you are.
- Increase empowering, life-affirming emotions while reducing destructive life-denying emotions.
Tantric Qi Gong - Level 3: This class is for students who have completed the 8-week level 2 session. Continued expansion upon the techniques of The Eight Treasures, focusing on coordinating physical movements with breath and energy techniques (see above).
Dawna Houston
Yoga 1 - Beginner: This class is for students who have completed an introductory yoga program, students who are returning to their practice after several years, student who are currently at the beginner level or any student who desires basic yoga instruction. This class will cover basic yoga postures and basic breathing techniques.
Yoga 2/3 - Intermediate/Advanced: Taught in the Vinyasa Flow style, this class is for students who have a general knowledge of the basic postures and are familiar with or ready to explore more advanced asanas as well as pranayama (breathing techniques), yoga philosophy and meditation. Students should be free from serious injury and interested in safely exploring inversions, backbends, and arm balances.
Charlene Muhammad
Stretch & Restore - Yoga 1: This class is for the beginner, or experienced students who desire a quieter practice. This slow-paced class will include: meditation, warm-ups, modified and/or restorative postures, balance poses and strengthening poses. Awareness of the students' external body alignment as well as the internal yogic experience will be emphasized.
Karen Papanicolas
Yoga 1 - Beginner: This class is for students who have completed an introductory yoga program, students who returning to their practice after several years, student who are currently at the beginner level or any student who desires basic yoga instruction. This class will cover basic yoga postures and basic breathing techniques.
Tanya Proffitt
Pilates: This class is for students who wish to build strength and flexibility, with an emphasis on lengthening the body and aligning the spine, rather than on building muscle mass. Pilates' focus is on the "powerhouse" region of the body which includes the muscles of the abdominals and the lower back. Because of its focus Pilates has become popular not only in the field of fitness, but also in rehabilitation. It can be used to progress individuals through movements that represent their day-to-day activities. The focus on strengthening the core/powerhouse muscles and improving postural awareness are especially well indicated for the alleviation and prevention of back pain.