Beginning Yoga Workshop

A Holiday Treat

We are very happy to offer this special week long workshop for people who want an introduction to yoga.

Sunday, January 4th – Thursday, January 8th 3:00 – 4:30 PM

Member’s rate of 50 LE per class.
OR buy the “Beginners Pass Card” for 150 LE (this covers all five classes!)

This is our way of saying Happy Holidays!

Each class will be a complete practice starting with a guided meditation to quiet the mind. We will then move through a gentle flow series and end with a final relaxation.

There will be an asana of the day that is explored in depth. You will learn what muscles are being targeted in each pose, ways which you should approach the posture and ways to modify a pose so that it suits your body’s strength, flexibility and well-being.

There will be a strong emphasis on “owning your practice.” You will learn how to meet your body where it is each day, to begin eliminating judgment and competition from your practice and to honor your daily accomplishments.

To pay for classes simply arrive at the studio 5 – 10 minutes prior to the class. There are yoga mats available for use. Please wear comfortable clothes that do not restrict movement, and consider bringing a towel to aid in modifications. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call. 010 629 2684.

Blessing for a beautiful New Year,

Tips for practicing at home

The holidays are a wonderful time, eating, drinking, and being merry. They can, however, cause our yoga practice to suffer. If you are going to be out of town or just plain too busy to come to class, here are some tips for keeping your practice strong...



Sun Salutes: They will warm up your body and get the blood flowing, even if this is all that you do for the day, you will benefit.

Stretching: Try to stretch your back in all four directions; twisting left and right, bending forward and backward. Even if you can't remember specific postures, this will keep your spine supple and allow you to ease back into your practice after the maddness has died down!

Take rest: Even if you only do a 15 or 20 minute practice, take a few minutes in savasana (rest pose)

Remember: It's best to practice on an empty stomach, 3 or 4 hours after eating a meal, 1 to 3 hours after a snack

Breathe in and out through your nose

Please email with any questions!

Here is a great website that shows all of the postures in the primary series: http://ashtangayoga.info/asana-vinyasa/surya-namaskara-a/index.html

Yoga Joy!

Holiday Schedule

Sunday 14th December
9:30 am - Power Yoga (Barbara)
6:30 pm – Ashtanga (*)

Monday 15th December
6pm – Hatha (Lesley)

Tuesday 16th December
9:30 am – Power Yoga (Barbara)
6:30 pm – Power Yoga (Barbara)

Wednesday 17th December
6pm – Hatha (Lesley)


Sunday 21st December
9:30 am - Power Yoga (Barbara)
6:30 pm – Ashtanga (*)

Monday 22nd December
6:30 pm – Power Yoga (Barbara)

Tuesday 23rd December
9:30 am – Power Yoga (Barbara)
6:30 pm – Power Yoga (Barbara)

Closed for the Holidays from December 24th – January 3rd

Sunday 4th January
9:30 am - Power Yoga (Barbara)
3:00 pm – Beginners Yoga Workshop (Jessica)
6:30 pm – Ashtanga (*)

Monday 5th January
3:00 pm – Beginners Yoga Workshop (Jessica)
6:30 pm – Power Yoga (Barbara)

Tuesday 6th January
9:30 am – Power Yoga (Barbara)
3:00 pm – Beginners Yoga Workshop (Jessica)
6:30 pm – Ashtanga (*)

Wednesday 7th January
3:00 pm – Beginners Yoga Workshop (Jessica)
6:30 pm – Power Yoga (Barbara)

Thursday 8th January
3:00 pm – Beginners Yoga Workshop (Jessica)

*Ashtanga yoga teacher TBA

Eid Schedule

Although the December schedule is still being finalized, the schedule for this week is as follows:
Sunday
Power Yoga 9:30am
Ashtanga 6:30pm
Monday
Ashtanga 6:30pm
Tuesday
Power Yoga 9:30am
Ashtanga 5:30pm
Power Yoga 7:30pm
Wednesday
Ashtanga 6:30pm

Exquisite Corpse from Global Yoga Mala at The Breathing Room

“Global Mala”
--an exquisite corpse--

On this clear and breezy day
there was peace in the air.
Cairo,
immaculate city,
where the sky
falls to meet the earth
and the book thief is entirely happy,
I too am happy.
Today is a glorious day.
Our centeredness,
inner thoughts,
collective energy
moving through the air,
surfing the waves
exhaling bliss,
wisdom.
For leaders
let it be granted
on this clear and breezy day.

-- From our Global Yoga Mala participants.

-- Our participants raised almost $250 for War Child, a non profit dedicated to assisting children affected by war. Thank you to all the participants!

Learn more about Lesley

Lesley has practiced yoga for over 8 years and received her yoga teacher training with Prana Yoga College. Her teachings are influenced by her instructors Shakti Mhi and Jennifer Casola. Lesley teaches and practices a classic hatha yoga style, focusing on relaxing flow and gentle breath. She pays special attention to detailed instruction, modifications, and safety. Her class is suitable for beginners, and allows for more advanced students to go further into a posture, if desired. Lesley's class is a place of no judgment where people can be in the moment for themselves.

Class Fees

Class Fees (in LE):

Drop In Fee per Class is 60 LE.
Buy a 10 Class Pass (and get 1 additional free class) for 500 LE.

** The Class Pass averages to 45 LE a class. **

Student Rate (for university and high school students):
Drop In Fee per Class is 45 LE.
Buy a 10 Class Pass (and get 1 additional free class) for 350 LE.

** The Class Pass for students averages to 31 LE a class. **

Learn more about Barbara

Barbara has been teaching group fitness for 20 years. She comes from a dance background of jazz, modern, and ballroom. As an adult, group exercise seemed a natural fit. Power Yoga and Flexible Strength became a main focus 12 years ago. Barbara is certified through the Reebok University and has studied with Baron Baptiste and Beryl Bender Birch. Her classes are designed for all levels of ability. Whether you are just starting, or an old hand, you will find the class challenging. You will leave class feeling taller, with better posture, and most of all happy.

Learn more about Astanga

The Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga system places emphasis on the breathing and moving synchronicity first and foremost. Strength, flexibility, and stamina are developed equally through this practice.

Ashtanga Yoga benefits body, mind and spirit. It is a challenging series that purifies, strengthens, detoxifies and aligns the body, combining the benefits of Yoga and Exercise.

Classes consist of:

Breathing – Each class begins with breath awareness. We learn to feel the breath, feel the diaphragm move in our body and relax to allow the breathing process to happen naturally. During the practice of postures we practice a style of yogic breathing called Ujjayi Pranayama. (see below for more explanation).

Sun Salutes – These warm up the body and get the blood flowing. It is here that we set the rhythm and mood of our yoga session, establishing the relationship between movement and breath.

Standing Poses – These begin the opening process in the external body; develop strength and balance. Standing poses are a balance between rooting and lifting. The feet stay firmly rooted building us a strong foundation, from this base we rise and expand, lifting and lengthening into each asana (pose).

Seated Poses – The seated poses are known as yoga therapy. It is a healing process of cleansing and toning for the body, mind, and nervous system. The asanas are arranged in a time tested sequence designed specifically to detoxify the organs and make the body healthy. Many practitioners of the primary series have found it to assist in their healing process, whether it is mental or physical. Allow time for your practice to mature and the fruits will present themselves.

Relaxation – The return to stillness. In this place of stillness you will find the revitalizing and nurturing effects of the relaxation pose. Allow yourself time to absorb the energy; relish the stillness. Here is where your body relaxes and allows the toxins and tensions dislodged by the practice to be carried off and eliminated. This pose is just as important as all the other poses.

There are several elements that are unique to Ashtanga yoga and set it apart from other forms. These, although some are considered advanced yogic techniques, are important to establish early in your practice. They will help you keep your mind focused and experience yoga:

Vinyasa—movement and breathing synchronization. Moving our body in synchronization with our breath builds heat in the body while it helps calm the mind. Vinyasa keeps our practice smooth and flowing.

Ujjayi breathing. We use a specific loud breath during the practice. This type of breath helps us to utilize our diaphragm to breathe proper, steady, and deep. This relaxes the nervous system even while we work hard teaching us to remain calm even during dis-stressful times in our lives.

Bandhas or pelvic floor and abdominal stabilization. Bandha help build heat in the poses, support the spine, increase our mindfulness, and control our prana (energy). Mula bandha is akin to a kegel, a lifting of the pelvic floor muscles. Uddiyana bandha is pulling the lower abdomen inward and upward, while the upper abdomen remains soft to accommodate a full breath. These bandhas only require a fraction of your effort, creating stillness in the lower abdomen. Bandhas support good breathing and help us move effortlessly by giving us a feeling of lightness.

Drishti or gaze point. The eyes are trained to gaze softly at a particular spot. This is a method to deal with the tendencies of the mind to avoid discipline and seek stimulation through the eyes and ears. Gazing will improve the vision by exercising the eye muscles and the optic nerve, while increasing the blood flow. It also keeps the neck properly aligned in the poses, and in some poses, strengthens the neck. It is important to keep a soft gaze. Eventually this will help calm the mind

This information was written by Bobbi Misiti of BeFit Yoga. More information can be found at www.bfityoga.com.

Learn more about our classes

Ashtanga: Yoga has been used to mean union, union between body, mind, and heart. It is a philosophy and a lifestyle, which is meant to bring the practitioner vibrant health by way of physical postures, breathing, and internal awareness. In yoga we work physical postures (asana), movements synchronized with the breath (vinyasa), gaze points (drishti), and internal awareness (bandhas). The practice of primary series (known as Yoga Chikitsa or Yoga Therapy) is designed to cleanse and purify the entire body. Each posture has specific benefits. By synchronizing breath and movement we build internal heat which purifies the body by releasing toxins as well as beneficial minerals and hormones. The Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga system places emphasis on the breathing and moving synchronicity first and foremost. Strength, flexibility, and stamina are developed equally through this practice. Ashtanga Yoga benefits body, mind and spirit. It is a challenging series that purifies, strengthens, detoxifies and aligns the body, combining the benefits of Yoga and Exercise. This information was taken from the website www.befityoga.com with permission from Bobbi Misiti Classes consist of ...

Hatha:
A gentle moving yoga class focusing on relaxing flow and gentle breath. This class will help to calm the mind, relax the body and improve your overall physical and mental well-being. Great for beginners and those seeking a more meditative practice.

Mysore:
Self practice with an Instructor assisting you. This class is taught as Ashtanga Yoga is taught in India, you are not cued through the class, you do your yoga practice while an instructor is present to assist you—this is the best class to get individual attention during the class setting, it is the preferred form of practice!

Power Yoga:
Whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or advance yoga student this class is for you. Power yoga is a general term used in the West to describe a vigorous, fitness-based approach to yoga. Power Yoga is an inclusive training program that blends strength with flexibility, endurance, balance, coordination and concentration. It yields strong, fluid movements that require a focus of the mind and the body that is both challenging and invigorating. This class mixes the east (yoga) and the west (pilates and traditional strength training) with a special emphasis on the quality of movement.

Vinyasa Flow Yoga:
A creative, vigorous form of yoga, linking breath, body and mind, Vinyasa means connecting. Expect some uplifting music during the asana practice and a deep relaxation at the end. We do three different sun salutations, standing pose sequences and balances, forward bends, hip openers, arm balances, spinal twists and inversions. Pranayama (breath work) will be introduced.

Global Yoga Mala at The Breathing Room

YOGA AS PEACE IN ACTION

JOIN US SEPTEMBER 27, 10:00 AM

Be a part of the Cairo bead of the Global Yoga Mala. Proceeds will benefit War Child, a non profit dedicated to assisting children affected by war. The morning will be some asana practice, pranayama, and meditations for peace.

Learn more about Global Yoga Mala at http://www.globalmala.org/pressrelease080808.php.

Directions to The Breathing Room

The Breathing Room is located in building 12 on Road 251. The Breathing Room is on the second floor (if you count the first floor as zero). The door does not have a number on it but the door across the way is labelled with the number 2. The building is just north of road 209. The building has a wide outdoor staircase with white pillars that takes you to a landing and then you'll see a staircase on your right that will take you up to the second floor.

Learn more about Jenna

Jenna came to the practice of yoga over 10 years ago. After almost 15 years as a modern dance and ballet student, she was looking for something with a similar flow and she found it in Ashtanga yoga. Jenna learned the primary and second series as well as her teaching techniques from Bobbi Misiti in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania USA. She has also studied with Beryl Bender Birch, David Williams, Christine Hoar, and Nancy Gilgoff who is the first western woman to practice and teach Ashtanga yoga. Jenna closely follows the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga method developed in Mysore, India by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. This practice is designed to detoxify and align the body. Jenna does not "teach from the mat," rather she cues the postures and allows you to make the practice your own by giving hands on adjustments and alignment so that you better understand the postures and their benefits. When you take her class, you will sweat, breathe, and maybe even find yourself trying something you've never done before. She cultivates a comfortable, welcoming space for all yogis, old and new!

'This generation of Yogis is being TOLD how to do everything. This limits us having our own experience. Guruji's (Sri K. Pattabhi Jois) method is to have you do it, take the practice and have your own experience.' Nancy Gilgoff

http://www.kpjayi.org/method.html

http://www.bristolyoga.com/Bristol_Yoga/Ashtanga.html

Learn more about Mary

Vinyasa Flow Yoga:

An athletic form of yoga which increases strength, flexibility, cardiovascular health, and mindfulness. Yoga also tones the endocrine and lymphatic systems and promotes a heightened awareness of the subtle body.

"Yoga is the best life insurance there is."

Focused Instructional Content:
A creative, vigorous form of yoga, linking breath, body and mind, Vinyasa means connecting. Expect some uplifting music during the asana practice and a deep relaxation at the end. We do three different sun salutations, standing pose sequences and balances, forward bends, hip openers, arm balances, spinal twists and inversions. Pranayama (breath work) will be introduced.

Instructor:
Mary Noble has been practicing yoga for 18 years, and is certified by Ganga White and Tracey Rich of the White Lotus Foundation. www.whitelotus.org

Welcome to The Breathing Room!

The Breathing Room is a yoga practice located in Maadi, Cairo. The Breathing Room is run by a yoga collaborative called "The Friends of The Breathing Room". Our goal is to provide a simple and serene yoga practice where the primary focus is the yoga practice itself.