Classes

Gentle Yoga

Ideal for anyone wanting to ease into yoga and those who may have physical limitations due to age, back or joint problems, or are recovering from injury or illness. Easier stretches and muscle toning combined with deep relaxation poses (restorative) to get you back in shape safely.

Level 1

For students with little or no yoga experience and for continuing students who wish to refine their understanding of the basics. This class teaches basic hatha yoga postures from various tradtions. Develops strength, flexibility, balance and an understanding of healthy body alignment and movement.

Level 1-2

For beginners and continuing students. Same focus as Level 1 with more challenging poses and sequences.

Level 2

For students with prior yoga experience, a faster paced class that includes a broader range of poses in more challenging sequences and longer holds. Introduces inversions and backbends.

Amrit Yoga

Founded by Yogi Amrit Desai of the Amrit Yoga Institute., this flowing sequence of poses provides an overall toning for the entire body and combines short meditative periods with the postures. A deeply relaxing and engaging practice, this class is appropriate for beginners or continuing students interested in deepening their practice and learning a sequence they can practice at home.

Alignment Practice

Continuing practice of natural alignmnet principles for greater ease of movement and comfortable being. This class reinforces natural ways of sitting, standing, bending, walking, lifting, carrying and sleeping and how to apply them to working at a computer, playing sports, practicing yoga, gardening and other daily activities. The practice cultivates mindfullness all day long.

Pre-requisite: Must have attended workshop, class or one private session with Kathleen Porter (503) 505-1996 / kathleen@naturalalignment.com

Practical Meditation

5-Week Session Sundays 7:00 – 8:30PM
June 21 to July 26
No class Sunday , July 5

Fee: sliding scale $40 -$60

Introduces basic meditation techniques and their rationale from a secular perspective. Students become aware of how the undisciplined mind often works against our well-being as they learn skills that train it to be a powerful ally. Meditation has been shown to be helpful in reducing the impacts of stress, improving chronic health conditions while building confidence and a sense of ease in one’s life.

Practices in Happiness

Research is telling us that individuals have the ability to increase their level of happiness and the secret lies in being focused and purposeful about integrating new practices into one’s life. This five-week course will explore some issues of happiness: what it is, how we often look for it in all the wrong places. The major focus will be on identifying and using new strategies that have strong potential for increasing one’s level of happiness. Part discussion, part lecture, part journaling and lots of focused work. This is not a therapy or counseling group.

Based on the work of Lyubomirsky and Ricard, taught by Larry Whitson (503)349-5305 or whitalex@comcast.net

Cost: Sliding scale, $30 – $90 for the 5 week course, to be paid at the end of the course.

Adult Partner Workshop

This class will be aimed at partners/friends that currently take class for those wishing to introduce someone to yoga in a supportive environment. We will do some assisted poses to better understand alignment and gently deepen stretches. Working with gravity and body mechanics we discover ways to release held tension. Plus we have fun! PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. $40 Per pair (503)335-8851

Natural Alignment Classes

The center offers free introductory classes, a 6-week course in natural alignment, an aligned movement class, an easy posture class for parents and children (9 and up) and private sessions. Some of the upcoming classes are listed below.

Free Intro to Natural Alignment
Sunday March 7 2-3PM
Monday March 8 7-8PM
Sunday March 14 2-3PM
Monday March 15 7-8PM

Natural Alignment Basics – 6 weeks course
Mondays March 22 – April 26 6:30-8:30PM

Moving to the Beat
for non-dancers of all ages
Ongoing: Saturdays and Wednesdays
11:30 -12:30PM
naturalalignment.com