Classes, Workshops, Events

Tuesday, June 6 5pm - 6:30pm 

Cost $50

Bliss Yoga Virginia Beach

Pre-Registration Required: https://www.wellnessliving.com/rs/event/blissyogavb?k_class=538336

Or call: 757-301-9695

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In a time where most people are trying to fit more hours in their day, time for quality sleep is often the first to be sacrificed. Yet, if we look to evolution and research on sleep, healthy functioning is dependent on deep sleep that spans 1/3 of our day - just as was needed in ancient times – which tells us that it is necessary for longevity and survival. Lack of sleep is truly one of the most pernicious matters for human wellbeing as it affects every aspect of physical functioning in the body and every activity in the brain. In this workshop, learn how to integrate yoga practices and human biorhythms to make quality sleep your number one health habit. Join sleep expert and yoga teacher Dr. Diane Malaspina in this workshop where we'll explore: 
· Common misconceptions about sleep and the importance of sleep as a biological process
· Sleep hygiene: Barriers to sleep and habits to build
· Practices that support sleep including skills for relaxation, nervous system regulation, and yoga nidra
Shift your sleep paradigms and learn tools to optimize it with holistic strategies to combat fatigue and promote healthy living. 

Tuesdays, June 13, 20, 27. July 11, 18, 25 

5pm - 6:30pm  Cost $250

Bliss Yoga Virginia Beach

Pre-Registration Required: 

https://www.wellnessliving.com/rs/event/blissyogavb?k_class=538330

Or call: 757-301-9695

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Most of us recognize that too much stress is harmful to our health and wellbeing, yet we are not quite sure how to handle it. To master stress is not to avoid it, but to move through it. In this workshop series through discussion, guided practice, and reflection you will learn the science of the mind/body stress response, yoga and mindfulness practices that build baseline tolerance for stress, and strategies for managing it as it flows through your life. 

1. Stress 101: Stress is Natural and Needed for Survival (June 13)

It's impossible to live in a world without stress and it is woven into our biology in such a way that disentangling from it would be both dangerous and impossible. As humans we are exquisitely built to handle stress - and - with the right dosage and frequency it keeps our cells and tissues young and vital, and builds psychological resilience. The challenge with stress in modern life is two-fold:  we don't understand it, and we have too much of it for too long. With an understanding of the science of human biological rhythms paired with practices that will allow you to reflect on what helps you feel less stressed, we will explore the fundamental ideas underlying stress research and how yoga and mindfulness practices are effective tools for shifting your personal stress response. 

2. Finding Ease in Uncertainty (June 20)

When conditions are predictable and stable, we have more bandwidth to engage with life, work, and our relationships. But in recent years, uncertainty has become a defining circumstance in our lives, and it takes a toll on our wellbeing. In this workshop gain insight into why uncertainty feels unnatural and learn how to build uncertainty tolerance. Through yoga and mindfulness practices we will tune into embodied stress (physical sensations and tensions that show up in the body) and use anchoring into the present moment as a tool to relax into the certainty of what is now, in this moment. 

3. Embrace the Struggle (June 27)

There is no life without struggle and we spend a lot of energy searching for ways to limit frustration. If we understand the role of struggle in the process of building resilience to stress, we can become resilient to the effects of discontent. In this workshop we will explore how resisting and avoiding struggle makes it perceivably worse and how deliberate use of stress as a catalyst can create a state of antifragility - where stress can be transcended into personal gain both mentally and physically. This workshop will include practices that purposefully inject challenge to the body and mind as tools for coping with frustration and struggle. 

4.  Release: Embodiment Strategies for Alleviating Stress (July 11)

When we engage in struggle we build up a reserve of stress in both the body and mind - and the key to managing the effects is to effectively release. In this workshop you'll learn how release is an important component of the stress cycle and practices that rapidly release stress from the nervous system. This class will include breathwork, myofascial release, and deep stretching as tools for bringing the nervous system into a released state. 

5. Finding Flow: Stress as Engagement Versus Overwhelm (July 18)

Flow states are considered optimal psychological experiences where we feel a sense of complete attention and immersion with the moment and what we are doing. For some it is difficult to find (due to unmanaged stress) and for others it can be easily hijacked by negative thinking or too much or too little energy. Physiologically, flow is a state where the body is exhibiting stress - and we want to use this stress to enhance creativity and performance. Yoga practices can bring about 'ideal' flow states. In this workshop we will explore how movement and breath can set the stage for the flow state and how to reframe overwhelm with enthusiasm to get the most out of flowy experiences. 

6. Recover: Recharge the Battery of Life (July 25)

In order to metabolize stress we need to actively recover to rebuild the reserves that were depleted during both positive and negative stress experiences. This workshop will emphasize recovery practices of restorative yoga, yoga nidra, and breath work to engage the relaxation response that refuels the body/mind reserves. You'll learn the difference between active and passive recovery and how passive approaches block true recovery and continue the stress cycle. Be prepared to relax physical and mental tension and let go of stress for a full body reset.