Yoga Workshop with Fran Gallo. Workshop Name: Strong.
For details, please contact Fran Gallo, Yoga Instructor at fran@frangallo.com.
Saturday, January 28th.
3:00pm to 5:00pm.
SAC Members $25. Guests $35.
Yoga postures help us to become centered, flexible, and strong. This workshop will focus on yoga poses that build strength. We will practice the poses that help us gain strength (modifications will be suggested if needed) and reserve the last 15 minutes for deep relaxation (shavasana). All levels!
Jamie Carroll: 8-week series from January 14th to March 4th.
Saturdays from 12:30pm to 1:45pm in the Mind/Body Studio. SAC Members Only.
Cost $115. Includes a Hugger Mugger Mat.
Deadline to signup is January 6th with Anna Miller, Group Exercise Director at amiller@sacdt.com.
This 8-week series is a progressive program to learn the fundamentals of Hatha Yoga and prepare students for continued development in the practice. Jamie will introduce students to Yoga etiquette, the basics of breath, alignment, flow, and safe postures for their own bodies.
Students will learn key poses as well as basic yogic philosophies that help to guide us along our path of learning.
If you have always wanted to try yoga, or if you would like to refresh the foundations of your practice, this is the perfect series for you.
Build a fitness foundation that challenges your body, helping to improve strength, endurance, flexibility, and balance.
Incorporate high intensity exercises challenging the whole body, followed by a series of yoga postures that will flow and connect movement with breath.
This class is great for all levels of fitness!
Capacity is limited for personalized training: 10 spaces available
Drop-in $30 or $200 per month.
For more information, please contact Personal Fitness Trainer, Melissa Barasona at mbarasona@sacdt.com.
Shoulder and Chest Opening: Moving into Arching Postures Using props (including the Back Mitra, bolsters, and tennis balls) and various techniques, we will learn to go past the tightness in shoulders, neck, and chest. We will also explore and safely practice heart opening/arching asanas such as Upward Facing Dog, Cobra, Dancer’s Pose, Bridge, Camel, Bow, Pigeon. This is an All-Levels class and you will be offered modifications for all the poses.
SAC Members: $25 Once your spot is reserved, Fran will have you sign a sheet with your member number. Payments will be processed on the day of the workshop. 24-hour cancellation policy applies.
SAC GUESTS: $35, plus SAC guest fee. A chit with your name will be waiting for you at the front desk. Please arrive 15 minutes before the start of the workshop to process payment at the front desk.
Those of you who have spent any amount of time here in the early morning know Ethan Kelly.
He has been a dedicated member at the club, pretty much since it’s inception. He’s the guy who always has a smile on at 5 am and is front and center at 6:30- yoga, that is after he’s run a bazillion miles or taken a spin class!
Ethan has a special kind of cool, it’s that gentle, easy-going cool that rubs off on everyone in close proximity. He is super warm, super nice and super strong. He’s the kind of guy you want in your corner routing for you, which is why he has so many fans here at the club. His biggest fan is his amazing wife, Connie Kelly. One of the many things I admire about Ethan is how loving and dedicated he is to Connie, a true gentleman.
The reason we nominated him this month is to highlight how inspiring he truly is. Ethan had a bout of really serious appendicitis a couple months ago. So serious in fact, that his dedication and athleticism was put to the test and it paid off in full. He spent a lengthy stay at the hospital and came out swing’n! After loosing a good deal of weight, Ethan got right back on that horse and started riding! By the time you are reading this, I’m sure he will be back at his normal healthy weight and training for some sort of marathon! That kind of ability, the ability to move ahead and embrace the present is rare and Ethan has it. I want to thank him for being part of my life and my community here at the Seattle Athletic Club. I know I speak for many of us when I say “We Love You, Ethan!”
November’s Inspirational Member of the Month, Ethan Kelly
The Seattle Athletic Clubs boasts over 50 group exercise classes a week! Have you tried one yet? As an instructor, I have a short list of suggestions that will make your and the instructor’s experience richer and safer.
Introduce yourself to the instructor before class begins.
Instructors will notice your presence in class, even if you sneak in and go straight to the back row! So, introduce yourself and inform him/her of any injuries you’re dealing with so he/she can be aware of your condition.
Show up on time (means 5 minutes early to set up your equipment). Instructors build their class around a warm-up and a cool-down, and if you miss the warm up you may hurt yourself.
Ask questions! After class, approach the instructor to ask any questions about an exercise or concept you didn’t understand. Instructors love to talk shop.
And finally, give feedback! Whether a compliment or a suggestion, an instructor will want to know what you thought. Let his/her manager know what you thought as well because feedback (positive or negative) can only sharpen our awareness and hone our skills to make us better instructors.
John Gunnar is an extremely positive and inspiring member. His energy and smile are contagious! Those of us who know him can count on him to be chewing bubble gum and joking around with members and staff. John has been a member of the Seattle Athletic Club for 30 years. After all this time, his favorite thing about SAC is the people.
While he is training at the SAC he utilizes several departments. He trains with Will Paton, and attends BODYPUMP, Cycle and Yoga classes to stay in shape. His most recent and greatest achievement in health and fitness came earlier this year when he climbed Mount Kilamanjaro. He did all of his training here at SAC! When asked how he felt of this great accomplishment he said, “At 60 years old, it made me feel very good. I was very proud of myself.” His current goals at the club are to remain in shape and keep up with the other fit members. His favorite place to eat, aside from his restaurant Portage Bay Café, is the Skillet. Please congratulate John for being this months most inspirational member!!
Joseph Pilates had a diverse background in physical activity. Being sick as a child motivated him as an adult to become an accomplished boxer, diver, and skier who also studied ancient Greek and Roman exercise regimens. He developed his own system of exercise by culling from a variety of sources, including fencing, acrobatics, and yoga, etc.
It is clear that he was influenced by the goals of yogic practice, bringing the mind and body together for holistic health. He called his method “Contrology,” the study of control, because he believed that connecting the mind to the work of the body would bring strength and fortitude to everyday life. Yoga comes from the mindset of a spiritual practice, however, and the idea of “yolking” with ultimate reality. Pilates was very much reacting to the industrialization of the early 1900’s. He saw that the burgeoning technology of mass production was causing people to move mindlessly and sought to bring mindfulness into the mechanical precision of the new age.
There are two components to Pilates: matwork and apparatus work. The matwork is the most similar to a yoga class. Both are performed on a mat while your teacher leads you through a specific order of exercises that use gravity as resistance. In Pilates matwork your main focus will be moving from your center, called the “powerhouse,” to execute movements that focus on control and precision, while in yoga you will use your breath to place your body into alignment.
The pace of the class can be a major difference, as well. In Pilates matwork there is a seamless and rhythmic flow between exercises, so that you are always moving and never still. This is a way of stretching your body dynamically—making you limber while maintaining and improving explosive muscle power. Yoga generally employs a different kind of stretching that is muscularly active but much more static, holding poses for a certain length of time in order to deepen into poses. The use of eccentric contraction in Pilates matwork, (actively contracting the muscle while it’s on the stretch) is what gives Pilates practitioners the “long, lean” look.
The apparatus invented by Joseph Pilates include the Reformer, Cadillac, Wunda Chair, Electric Chair, and Ladder Barrel. They are incredibly versatile pieces that use spring resistance to develop the powerhouse, articulate the spine, and increase strength, flexibility, and balance in the body. You will always use apparatus with the guidance of a Pilates instructor who can modify your workout and the exercises to either assist or challenge you in your workout goals. The genius of Pilates’ designs is that there are almost limitless variations of exercises that allow your instructor to cater directly to you, whether you are an elite athlete, just beginning a workout regimen, or recovering from injury.
Meditation, let your eyes close, take a breath and just let go. This is easier said than done. Meditation is a lost art, something that we might think about but never get around to doing. When people think of meditation perhaps an image of the Shaolin Monks sitting cross leg comes to mind. You may think “that could never be me; I’m too busy for that”. Let’s put our busy schedule aside for a moment and talk about why everyone should make time for it.
We all (well most of us anyway) bathe regularly; we clean our bodies just about daily. Just as our body needs to be cleansed so does our mind. Think of meditation as a bath for the mind. Our head gets muddled with stress, friends, family and our own inner voice. Letting that perpetually build can take a toll on your sanity. The holidays are 100% busy and stressful. If there was ever a time to start a meditation practice this is it.
So what is meditation? Meditation is different for everyone. Being a yoga instructor, I have dedicated many hours to meditation and have made it a part of my life. From a yoga perspective, the practice of yoga and the movement you do in class is all preparation to unite the body and mind, and create a calm receptive state for meditation. However, traditional yoga meditation is not the only meditation! There are many, many schools and thoughts on meditation such as vipassana, visualization, kundalini and much more. Just like exercise, everyone likes something different.
To give meditation a try, just sit. Literally, start by sitting; find a way that is comfortable for you to sit. Cross your legs, sit on your shins or even find a comfortable couch or chair. Then begin to close your eyes, be an observer of your thoughts and the way your body feels. Once you are within yourself, try to let go. Let go of thoughts, stress, your to-do list and just be present. People new to meditation may not be able to go more than 5 seconds before the next thought slips back into their mind. If this happens to you, find a focus within your body, such as your inhalation and exhalation. Some people find it easier to focus by listening to the sounds of the environment or the sounds of their own body. It’s normal to feel impatient or agitated by sitting but don’t be discouraged. Practice makes perfect. Incorporate 5-10 minutes a day and work your way up from there. As you begin to practice more often you will slowly see a shift in your attitude and mind. With time, you may begin to notice feelings of mental calmness, less anxiety, more compassion and creativity throughout your daily activities. Allow the process to transform your mind. I encourage you to find a practice and style that is right for you!
