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Articles
by Melissa Perehudoff
The Kelowna Yoga House is located at 1272 St. Paul St. in the heart of Kelowna’s cultural district. The warm wood floors and calming yellow walls welcome people of all ages wanting to stretch, strengthen and renew their bodies and minds. The Kelowna Yoga House is one of two non-profit charitable societies in B.C. dedicated to providing yoga to the community. It is the realization of a vision by its benefactor Margaret Lunam who graciously donated funds for construction of the building. Lunam has been a yoga disciple and a driving force in the yoga community for decades, and with the help of many individuals in that circle, saw the creation of Kelowna Yoga House become a reality.
The house operates under the auspices of a volunteer board of directors, and has been in existence for the past six years, exclusively specializing in Iyengar Yoga, which was created by internationally renowned Yoga Master, BKS Iyengar of Pune, India. Iyengar Yoga is distinguished from other styles of yoga by its attention to detail in the postures, use of props and sequencing of poses to calm the mind and rejuvenate the body. Iyengar yoga classes are taught progressively in levels. Students advance gradually and systematically as they develop stability, mobility, strength and alignment in their bodies. As a student of yoga, it is important to be challenged in your class and yet never perform any position in class that generates pain, especially in the knees, lower back and neck.
All certified Iyengar teachers must go through a rigorous training program. Teachers at the Kelowna Yoga House adhere to a strict national certification program which includes eight levels of certification, each level taking a minimum of three years to complete. The teachers not only have a disciplined practice of their own but they also learn how to teach each asana correctly and safely according to the level, ability and physical condition of the student.
The Kelowna Yoga House features 7 teachers, 3 fully equipped studios with ropes, 24 classes a week, as well as specialty workshops and once-a-month free introductory classes.
STRESS AND ITS EFFECT ON YOUR BODY
by Steve Stewart
The constant bombardment in our daily lives of pressures, problems, sadness, illness, disappointment, etc.; put our bodies under constant stress. As our bodies evolved, allowances were made for a certain degree of stress and strain. We refer to this as the body's "elastic limits". Meaning that the muscles, the nervous system, the organs and other membranes of the body are able to tolerate loads and stresses beyond their normal limits for short periods of time without breaking down or collapsing.
Our bodies are wonderfully made, but in modern society, stresses placed on them are more frequent and come from many more sources than ever before. As a result most of us push our bodies far beyond the elastic limits.
When pushed beyond these natural limits, stress becomes strain.
When your body is pushed beyond its elastic limit, resulting in strain, normal functions are impeded. Strain is tense, or unrelaxed, muscle tissue. When a muscle is unable to fully relax after use, the blood is unable to pick up the fatigue poisons. These fatigue poisons are then stored in the tissues. Resulting in reduced blood flow and circulation.
Muscles left in a condition of strain for a prolonged period of time will cause body distortion. As body distortion increases, exhaustion results.
As strain sets in, and ultimately becomes distorted, many people think that all that is needed is prolonged periods of rest. Unfortunately this is not the entire answer. If it were, people who became so exhausted and ill that they were forced to stay in bed would all get well. Of course this is not the case.
For more information on Iyengar Yoga, check out these websites:
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