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Class Update January 2021
“Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.”
― Albert Einstein
Our online Zoom classes will be taking a brief hiatus for the months of January and February during which I will be begin working toward my certification with Warriors at Ease, a military-specific, trauma-informed, evidence-based, and adaptive yoga training and credentialing. Warriors at Ease is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization with a mission to “bring the power of yoga and meditation to military communities around the world through training, advocacy, programs, and partnerships.” To learn more about the history of WAE, visit their website here.
For those of you who know me, it has long been my goal to bring yoga and meditation to the military and first responder communities dealing with PTSD; I am delighted to have this opportunity to broaden my knowledge and teaching.
Weekly online group classes are scheduled to resume in March. I do have a limited number of private group or individual Zoom classes available. Please contact me at Kelly@KellyMcGuireYoga.com for further information and scheduling.
January 2021
POSTPONED UNTIL FEBRUARY 2021
A few words of advice as 2020 winds down: forget the New Year’s resolutions, the “New Year, New You” hype, and unsustainable exercise regimes. After a difficult and isolated 2020, what we all need is support, encouragement, and acceptance. We need to understand there is nothing “wrong” with us that we need to fix or change. What we need, is to breathe. What we need is to create intentions, not force resolutions.
Unlike unrealistic resolutions, setting an intention focuses less on a fixed goal and more on the journey leading to a desired outcome. For many of us, the journey is about sustaining a sound body and mind. We understand we are in this for the long haul, not a short term fix. Join me and the Ripple Yoga community as we begin 2021 on a path to wellness.
Our February yoga practice will center around our breath as we let go of the past year and make space for new beginnings while cultivating discipline, self-compassion, and clarity in a community of fellow explorers. Each class, each asana, each breath is an opportunity to begin again, to release what no longer serves us, honor the present, accept who we are, and revel in the knowledge that we are all connected.
Classes will help strengthen the body, increase mobility, relieve stress, and calm the mind, and they are accessible and beneficial to all – beginners through advanced yogis. Our movements will be linked with breath, and we will enter the postures mindfully with attention to proper alignment and then practice sustaining. This careful preparation and fluid entry into postures will protect and nurture our joints, muscles, and connective tissue. All classes are crafted to explore your individual range of motion and help you find your edge, so you can safely explore the pose depending on what’s right for your body on any given day.
Pricing:
- February Series: 4 Classes $40.00 ($10 per class = $20 Savings)
- Single Class: $15.00 per class
“With every breath, the old moment is lost; a new moment arrives. We exhale and we let go of the old moment. It is lost to us. In doing so, we let go of the person we used to be. We inhale and breathe in the moment that is becoming. In doing so, we welcome the person we are becoming. We repeat the process. This is meditation. This is renewal. This is life.”
― Lama Surya Das
Preregistration is required at least an hour prior to class. A link to join the Zoom meeting will be emailed to you upon registration completion. If you miss a class, a recording of the class will be emailed to you to practice at your convenience.
To register, please complete the the following form and a payment option below. If you are giving a class or session as a gift, please enter recipient’s email where indicated.
If you have any questions, please email RippleYoga@comcast.net.
Payment Via Venmo or PayPal
For Payment Via Venmo: Please Scan the code with your Venmo app and include type of session in the message field.
For Payment Via PayPal: Select February Series or Single Class To Complete Payment
February Series
4 Week Series February 3rd through 24th on Wednesdays 6:00 – 7:00 pm Live via Zoom
$40.00
Single Class February
Drop In Class Wednesdays 6:00 – 7:00 pm Live via Zoom
$15.00
Gift Yourself Holiday Presence
Do more than “get through” the holidays this year! Join us for all levels Kripalu style yoga classes designed to foster mindfulness and help you truly enjoy the magic of the holiday season. Classes begin Wednesday, December 2nd 6:00 – 7:00 pm via Zoom live.
Preregistration is required at least an hour prior to class. A link to join the Zoom meeting will be emailed to you upon registration completion. If you miss a class, a recording of the class will be emailed to you to practice at your convenience. For more information about the series, click HERE.
To register, please complete the the following form and a payment option below.
Payment Via PayPal or Venmo
For Payment Via PayPal: Select December Series or Single Class To Complete Payment
December Holiday Series
5 Week Series December 2nd through 30th on Wednesdays 6:00 – 7:00 pm Live via Zoom
$50.00
Single Class Holiday Series
Drop In Class Wednesdays 6:00 – 7:00 pm Live via Zoom
$15.00
For Payment Via Venmo: Please Scan the code with your Venmo app and include type of session in the message field.
2020 Holiday Series Update
Due to the resurgence of COVID in our area, our Holiday Series will be offered online only.
Classes begin Wednesday November 4th 6:00 – 7:00 pm via Zoom live.
Preregistration is required at least 24 hours prior to class. A link to join the Zoom meeting will be emailed to you upon registration completion. If you miss a class, a recording of the class will be emailed to you to practice at your convenience. For more information about the series, click HERE.
To register, please complete the the following form and a payment option below.
Payment Via PayPal or Venmo
For Payment Via PayPal: Select Session to Complete Payment
November and December Holiday Series
9 Week Series November 4th through December 30th on Wednesdays 6:00 – 7:00 pm Live via Zoom
90.00 $
November Holiday Series
4 Week Series November 4th through 25th on Wednesdays 6:00 – 7:00 pm Live via Zoom
40.00 $
December Holiday Series
5 Week Series December 2nd through 30th on Wednesdays 6:00 – 7:00 pm Live via Zoom
50.00 $
Single Class Holiday Series
Drop In Class Wednesdays 6:00 – 7:00 pm Live via Zoom
15.00 $
For Payment Via Venmo: Please Scan the code with your Venmo app and include type of session in the message field.
Holiday Presence 2020
Looking to do more than “get through” the holidays this year? Join our community as we come together to connect and support ourselves and one another through Yoga!
I initially thought I would name this series, “Surviving the Holidays”, until I realized I want to do more than just survive them this year. I want to embrace and revel in the connections, the enchantment, and the beauty of the season, not merely endure. Join the Ripple Yoga community in person or online for a four to nine-week yoga series designed to foster gratitude, lovingkindness, and mindfulness and help you truly enjoy the magic of the holidays. This series is offered in person and online via Zoom on Wednesdays at 6:00 pm in November and December.
Our all levels Kripalu Yoga style classes help steady the mind, invigorate the body, and cultivate self-observation without judgment. Classes begin with gentle warm-ups and breathing techniques to prepare the body for postures. Each class offers a unique season appropriate theme and unique asana sequence designed to strengthen, lengthen, and balance the entire physical being, and ends with deep relaxation and meditation – perfect for preparing for and recharging during the holidays.
Due to the recent COVID resurgence in our area, our Holiday Series will be offered online via Zoom only. Private classes or groups are still available. In person class will be held in Guilford following all social distance and COVID guidelines. For the safety of all, in person class size is limited to 6-7 participants. For those who prefer to practice in the comfort of their own home, you have the option to join us online via Zoom. If you are unable to attend any of the in person or virtual classes, a recording of the session will be forwarded to you to practice at your convenience so you will never miss a class!
To register, click HERE.
November Session: (4 Classes): Wednesdays November 4, 11, 18 and 25th.
December Session: (5 Classes): Wednesdays December 2, 9, 16, 23, 30th.
| Session | In Person Classes | Online Classes |
| November & December | $135 | $90 |
| November Only | $60 | $40 |
| December Only | $75 | $50 |
| Drop In (per class) | $20 | $15 |
Private Group Sessions Available! Have a book, wine, friend, family, or corporate group you would like to offer this session to at your location? Private, in person series are available on a first come, first serve basis. Contact me for limited availability and dates.
Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.”
– Eleanor Brownn
Learning The Dirgha Breath
If you have ever taken a yoga class, chances are you experienced Dirgha breathing, the fundamental breathing technique for all Pranayama (or Yogic Breathing). You may also have heard the Dirgha breath referred to as the “Three-Part Breath”, the “Full Yogic Breath,” or the “Complete Yogic Breath.”
When we practice the Dirgha breath, we consciously breathe into each of the separate areas of the lungs; therefore, we take in more air than normal and invigorate the body. It just feels good. Almost without fail when practicing, I think to myself “This is amazing. Why don’t I breathe like this all the time?”
Besides making us feel better, there are many tangible benefits to utilizing Dirgha breathing including:
- Calming the mind
- Improving focus
- Releasing tension in the chest and abdomen
- Providing a gentle massage to the abdominal organs
- Improving digestion
- Facilitating a deeper experience of postures and increasing holding time
- Enhancing the mind-body connection
Now that we know how good it is for you, what exactly is it?
Dirgha pranayama is performed with long, slow, complete breaths that bring the breath into the three regions of the lungs. The contraction and downward movement of the diaphragm that results pushes the abdomen out; this is sometimes referred to as belly breathing, even though no air actually enters the belly. Like many of you, before yoga, I was always trying to keep my belly pulled in tight and NOT letting it expand as I breathed; I had to shift my thinking and unlearn this tendency when I first tried this technique. This may be the same for you too.
The Dirgha breath is simple to do. Dirgha breathing can be performed almost anywhere at any time, and the results are immediate. It is especially helpful during your yoga practice while holding a pose, meditating, or at any point in your day when you need to center, refocus and calm the mind.
Here are the basics to get started (or improve) your Dirgha breathing practice:
1. Sit in a comfortable seat, with your spine long, abdomen relaxed, hands resting gently on your knees.
2. Close your mouth and focus on relaxing your face and jaw as you inhale and exhale through your nose.
3. Place your palms on your belly and breathe into your lower lungs, feeling the diaphragm drop and the belly expand into your palms as you inhale, then feel the belly button retreat toward the spine as you exhale. Repeat several times.
4. Move your palms to the sides of your torso and breathe into belly again and then up into the chest, feeling the rib cage expand front, back, and out either side. Repeat several times.
5. Next, place your fingertips just below your collarbones. Breathe into the belly, then ribs and finally into upper part of your chest. Feel your hands lifting, almost as if the outside edges of your collarbones are rising slightly into a smile. Repeat several times.
6. Combine all three in-breaths to make a complete and full upward inhalation from the belly, up to ribs, and finally into the chest.
7. Exhale completely in a downward motion from chest, ribs, down to the belly, gently contracting the abdomen to squeeze out any residual air.
8. Repeat this cycle several times, moving your hands to the three parts of the body. Focus on filling (upward motion) and emptying (downward motion) the lungs completely.
9. Rest your hands on your lap and continue this breathing pattern for several minutes.
10. Release the breath practice. Sit quietly and notice the effects.
You don’t have to be sitting on a yoga mat to gain the benefits of this breathing technique. Look to incorporate a few rounds of the Dirgha breath into your day, and enjoy the calming, healing effects this simple technique has on your body and mind.
Hello World!
Here we go!
The Corona Virus has brought unprecedented sickness, stress, and hardship to so many globally. Here at home, it has changed the way we function in our daily lives. I wasn’t planning on launching Ripple Yoga for a few more months; but with the arrival of COVID-19 and the closing of studios, gyms, and well just about everything, my timeline was adjusted for me.
In the summer of 2019 I left a successful career in marketing. Some thought I was impulsive, some plain crazy. The challenge, the pace and yes, even the money, had lost it’s novelty for me. Without another job lined up, I wasn’t sure where I was going, but I knew wanted to devote my professional life to giving back to the community.
Over the course of a ten year yoga practice, I experienced firsthand the transformative nature of yoga and witnessed the changes it made in my own life. I gathered my courage and applied to the 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training at Kripalu, the world renowned yoga institute. I was accepted and began an intensive residential program a few months later. My teacher training was both mind blowing and magical, and it confirmed all of my beliefs in the power of yoga.
Armed with my certification in Kripalu Yoga, I began to bring my training to others upon my graduation in November 2019 teaching private and semiprivate classes. I was planning on launching my yoga community in the summer of 2020. The Universe, however, had another plan.
The arrival of COVID-19 brought such uncertainty, fear, and isolation to so many of us. On a whim Monday morning (yes, yesterday!), I decided to FaceTime some friends into my regularly scheduled evening class. It wasn’t without a few technical difficulties, but I immediately understood how bringing a small community to practice together was powerful and healing for the mind, body and spirit.
That class and the responses it generated has shown me that today more than ever, there is a NEED for yoga. Our bodies and minds are desperate for the physical and mental gifts of strength, mindfulness and loving kindness it bestows. So here we go.
Classes, schedules, details, pretty much everything for Ripple Yoga are works in progress right now, so I humbly ask for a bit of patience. I welcome you to get in touch with any questions, ideas or suggestions. I will update you here, on social, and via email on online class offerings. Get in touch via our contact page if you are so moved. In the meantime, be well and be kind to each other. We need it.