“I believe in kindness. Also in mischief. Also in singing, especially when singing is not necessarily prescribed.”
~Mary Oliver

 

Hi Everyone,

For those of you requesting hip openers you will be happy with the new video we shot yesterday! See below for this video and links to all the videos I’ve created thus far. I will be creating a landing page for them all in the near future, but for now following these newsletters is the best way to keep up to date. Remember if you don’t want to get this right in your email you can always check in with the Yoga with Elle FB page.

I’m also teaching 3 Zoom classes this week for free through Root River Yoga. Everyone is welcome! You’ll find the schedule and more information below. For anyone planning on joining us for the session please make sure to register soon, right now we’re short on numbers needed to proceed. Please note, there is financial assistance available, contact Amanda for more information. 

Thank you so much to everyone who has reached out and let me know they are practicing, it has made a huge difference. This last video I felt really comfortable and it is 100% because I am imagining you practicing right along with me. Thank you to everyone who was able to contribute financially, you are making such a huge difference in my life right now.

Love you, see you on the mat!

Elle

Root River Yoga on Zoom

Wednesday

4:45-5:45pm Gentle Yoga with Chairs
6:15-7:15pm All Levels

Thursday

7:15-8:15am All Levels
*You’re invited to stay online after class for coffee/tea and a chat.

Register Here
*classes are free for week of March 30th
Contact Amanda with questions or needs for tech assistance.

 

Yoga Videos

As always, these are shared with you under the category “pay what you can, if you can.”
Here’s the link to PayPal your support https://www.paypal.me/ElleNewman11

Back to Basics Hip Openers 3/29/20

All Levels 3/26/20

Gentle Yoga for Back Care 3/22/2020 

Back to Basics 3/18/20 

• Password: yogawithelle

All Levels 3/16/20

Gentle Yoga 3/14/20

Quick Basic Sun Salutation Demo

 

Ways to Keep Connected

• Follow Yoga with Elle on Facebook
• Email me at ellenewman11+yoga@gmail.com with any questions.
• Ask to join private Facebook group.
• Receive this newsletter in your email by signing up here .

 

Tips for Practicing At Home

 

• Create a space for yourself, but don’t get bogged down in creating a perfect space for yourself.
• Put your class on the calendar. Make space in your day.
• Make it special for yourself. Maybe this means putting on your favorite fancy yoga pants, maybe this means you finally get to practice in your pjs.
• Reach out to me if you get stuck.

“[Our body] appreciates and, in a strange way, delights in everything. Even more, it wants to communicate this to us and provide mentoring.”
~Reginald A. Ray, The Awakening Body

 

Hi Everyone,

The new video I recorded yesterday is an energetic one in the tradition of our Friday Infinity classes where the sequence includes B-Series with Vignettes. If you don’t know what that means, no worries, just follow along!

Root River Yogis, watch your inboxes. Amanda will be sending information about online Zoom classes. I had a really great ZOOM meeting with all of the Root River Yogis last night and I’m excited about this possibility! If you’re curious about this and not a Root River Yogi, check out Root River Yoga’s website in the next few days, and watch for information on FB. I’ll pass things along once they are up.

I also want to say thank you so much to everyone who has been supportive of me and encouraging me and letting me know when they do practices. It makes all the difference in the world, and because of this I’m getting much more comfortable in front of the camera. Instead of being in front of the unknown, I am just teaching to you, which I always love to do! For those of you who were able to contribute financially, it has made such a huge difference. Thank you!

Love you, see you on the mat!

Elle

Practicing At Home

 

• Create a space for yourself, but don’t get bogged down in creating a perfect space for yourself.
• Put your class on the calendar. Make space in your day.
• Make it special for yourself. Maybe this means putting on your favorite fancy yoga pants, maybe this means you finally get to practice in your pjs.
• Reach out to me if you get stuck.

 

Yoga Videos

All Levels 3/26/20

Gentle Yoga for Back Care 3/22/2020 

Back to Basics 3/18/20 

• Password: yogawithelle

All Levels 3/16/20

Gentle Yoga 3/14/20

Quick Basic Sun Salutation Demo

 

Support Yoga with Elle

As always, these are shared with you under the category “pay what you can, if you can.”
Here’s the link to PayPal your support https://www.paypal.me/ElleNewman11

 

Ways to Keep Connected

• Follow Yoga with Elle on Facebook
• Email me at ellenewman11+yoga@gmail.com with any questions.
• Ask to join private Facebook group.
• Receive this newsletter in your email by signing up here .

“Pain is not a punishment, pleasure is not a reward.”
~Pema Chödrön, Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion

 

Hi Everyone,

Thank you so much for everyone who reached out and let me know they were practicing,  it has helped me so much as I get used to creating videos rather than teaching with you present.

Below you’ll find the Yoga Videos section with everything I’ve recorded thus far. The new one is a Gentle Yoga for Back Care sequence. I haven’t forgotten the hip openers that have been requested, but my mind has been on back care this week as I often have to lift some of the individuals I care for. As a bonus, I also included the “test” video I shot last Saturday. And Forrest Inspired Yogis don’t feel left out, as I already have a more challenging sequence planned so expect another video later this week.

For now my goal is 2 recorded videos a week. If I don’t have them all done at the beginning of the week, like tonight, then you will hear from me twice a week. Instead of having many email lists to keep track of, I’m just going to distribute the new links this way. If you don’t want so many emails from me, unsubscribe. Soon I will have a landing page you can just bookmark.

I have also been talking to Amanda who leads Root River Yoga and, with her support, learning more about Zoom. So for those of you asking about Zoom classes, it is in the works.

As always feel free to reach out with questions, requests, and anyway that I can make your yoga dreams come true.

See you on the mat!

Elle

Practicing At Home

 

• Create a space for yourself, but don’t get bogged down in creating a perfect space for yourself.
• Put your class on the calendar. Make space in your day.
• Make it special for yourself. Maybe this means putting on your favorite fancy yoga pants, maybe this means you finally get to practice in your pjs.
• Reach out to me if you get stuck.

 

Yoga Videos

Gentle Yoga for Back Care 3/22/2020 

Back to Basics 3/18/20 

• Password: yogawithelle

All Levels 3/16/20

Gentle Yoga 3/14/20

Quick Basic Sun Salutation Demo

 

Support Yoga with Elle

As always, these are shared with you under the category “pay what you can, if you can.”
Here’s the link to PayPal your support https://www.paypal.me/ElleNewman11

 

Ways to Keep Connected

• Follow Yoga with Elle on Facebook
• Email me at ellenewman11+yoga@gmail.com with any questions.
• Ask to join private Facebook group.
• Receive this newsletter in your email by signing up here .

“She had never imagined that curiosity was one of the many masks of love.”
~Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Love in the Time of Cholera

Hi, how are you? What is your life like now? Are you working from home? Are you suddenly without a job? Are you well? Are you finding moments of joy? Do you remember how much I love you?

Thank you to everyone who has supported me by paying for the videos they watched. Your support is deeply felt. I also want to thank everyone for their encouraging words, these too are so necessary to me. Seriously, I’m sending the love right back to you 1000 fold!

Quick update on my life. I have picked up as many hours as I can with my job at Home and Community Options (HCO). The individuals in the home where I work need full time care so I’m blessedly not worried about being unemployed anytime soon. I enjoy the work itself and I it is so fulfilling to know I am making a difference in individuals lives.

As you know I have also been recording yoga classes and, with Brett’s help, uploading them and distributing them the best we can. So far only Clovis the Cat has made a debut with me onscreen, but I’m sure eventually you’ll meet the whole furry family! If we had more space I’d have Brett practice with me but as it is he is practicing off screen and keeping an eye on things to make sure the recording goes smoothly.

Because of how much time I’m needing to work outside of my teaching schedule, and the amount of time that shooting video and uploading it has taken, Brett and I are going to take at this Saturday off to give me time to regroup. If you are waiting on a hip opening sequence, don’t worry it’s coming to you next Wednesday instead!

What I need most from you right now is some feedback about what would be most useful for you. I realize that every yoga teacher in the world just went online and there are TONS of options. When I get a moment, I plan to take advantage of some of this myself! So what I can use from you is some feedback about how I can support you during this time.

• Have you already watched the videos I’ve put up?
• Do you intend to practice with me online while that is an option?
• Do you prefer recorded videos that you can watch anytime and are there for you to return to?
• Or, do you prefer live recordings at the times our classes used to be?
  • 8:15am Mon/Wed/Fri
  • 10:45am Sat
• Do you just want to keep in touch and not worry about practicing with me right now?

This weekend I will have time to spend more time figuring out the Zoom platform and how that works, as well as read through all of your replies. Expect a Sunday Newsletter from me letting you know what next week looks like in terms of Yoga with Elle classes.

See you on the mat!

Elle

Tips for Practicing At Home

• Create a space for yourself, but don’t get bogged down in creating a perfect space for yourself.
• Put your class on the calendar. Make space in your day.
• Make it special for yourself. Maybe this means putting on your favorite fancy yoga pants, maybe this means you finally get to practice in your pjs.
• Reach out to me if you get stuck.
• Yes, I know I used this image twice.

Ways to Keep Connected

• Follow Yoga with Elle on Facebook
• Email me at ellenewman11@gmail.com with any questions.
• Ask to join private Facebook group.
• Receive this newsletter in your email by signing up here .

“The root of suffering is resisting the certainty that no matter what the circumstances, uncertainty is all we truly have.”
~Pema Chödrön, Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion

 

My practice is how I got through the uncertainty of my own health these past through years. It is how I have gotten through the resulting financial crises in my life. It is how I get through feelings of overwhelm, anxiety, all the stuff. And it is how I open up to feel the joy of moments like this one writing to you. So while it is not wise to be physically close to one another right now, I believe we need our practice more than ever.

Here’s what I have come up with so far.  I will teach my Infinity classes this week and record them, then make the recordings available to any of you who tell me you want them. You can choose to use one punch on your Infinity cards or click the “pay what you can” button Ill create. I’ll keep them up for at least 3 days, giving you plenty of time to take the class. For those of you coming to class please bring your own props if you have them, I will plan a class that doesn’t use any soft props that can’t be wiped down. We won’t be on the wall so that we’ll have plenty of room to spread out (and in case our yogis at home don’t have a good wall to use).

For those asking about live streaming. The internet connection isn’t reliable enough to pull this off at any of the places I teach, so for right now that’s not an option.

For those who have been requesting that I sell classes and make them available for them to practice anytime they want: as always, thank you for your belief in me! This is not that moment. At least not yet. It is honestly enough of a challenge to get over myself enough to have recordings of me available for even a few days.

Root River Yogis, as of this writing, Amanda hasn’t decided how she is going to respond. You will know as soon as I do, and we will figure it out. Reach out to me or Amanda with your concerns, and let me know if you want access to any recorded classes.

Everyone, please keep reaching out to me with ideas and any concerns. See all the ways we can be connected (and a cute stress relieving picture) below.

See you on the mat!

Elle

Practicing At Home

 

• Create a space for yourself, but don’t get bogged down in creating a perfect space for yourself.
• Put your class on the calendar. Make space in your day.
• Make it special for yourself. Maybe this means putting on your favorite fancy yoga pants, maybe this means you finally get to practice in your pjs.
• Reach out to me if you get stuck.
• Yes, I know I used this image twice.

This Week’s Schedule (as of now)

*Classes held in Rushford and Houston are through Root River Yoga Studio

Monday March 16th

8:15am Forrest Inspired Vinyasa – Infinity Yoga Studio

Wednesday March 18th

8:15am Forrest Inspired Basics – Infinity Yoga Studio

5pm Chair Yoga – Houston Community Center

6pm Forrest Inspired Vinyasa – Houston Community Center

Thursday March 19th

7:15am Forrest Inspired Vinyasa – Rushford American Legion

Friday March 20th

8:15am Forrest Inspired Vinyasa – Infinity Yoga Studio

Saturday March 21st

10:45am Gentle Yoga – Infinity Yoga Studio

 

Ways to Keep Connected

• Follow Yoga with Elle on Facebook
• Email me at ellenewman11@gmail.com with any questions.
• Ask to join private Facebook group.
• Receive this newsletter in your email by signing up here .

“If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive.”
~Audre Lorde

Hi, thank you so much for subscribing! It’s so gratifying to have a newsletter that reaches all the people I currently practice with as well as those of you who are still in the thinking-about-it stage.

Infinity Yogis: Monday is our inversion day, expect to be on the wall. Then, I look forward to getting twisted with you later this week! Twists give us so much: they rebalance the nervous system, help the spine come into a natural alignment, and massage our digestive organs. They will hopefully also be fun!

Root River Yogis: Check out the information below on the special classes in Houston Wednesday evening. Please note that Spring Session runs from March 30th — June 3rd. The first week is free to new students, so if you know anyone who lives in rural SE Minnesota who wants to practice yoga, please let them know. Registration is open now! Financial Aid and New Student pricing available.

Everyone: Here’s a link to some guided meditations I’ve recorded over the years. Yes, the Thanksgiving one might look a little dated, but I’ve included it because we can be thankful all year round!

Also, I’m teaching at Lark Toys on the 15th and 29th of March, there’s more info below. I personally think it would be really fun to take a yoga class then get some coffee (which they sell right at Lark) and check out their amazing bookstore!

See you on the mat!

Elle

Special Classes and Events

“Where back bends are delicious, forward bends are gracious. They require us to be patient, gentle, and quiet…”~Susi Hately

Back Body Release Class

Wednesday March 11th
– Houston Community Center

5-5:45pm Gentle Yoga
6pm Forrest Inspired Vinyasa

For the participants who can come to both classes the Gentle class will open you up perfectly for the Forrest Inspired practice!
Forward folds happen all the time in a yoga class, but we don’t always slow down enough to learn how to open through our hamstrings in a safe and effective way.

As I researched how to help students open up tight hamstrings, I found that there’s a myofascial sheath that runs along the whole back body from the bottom of our feet all the way up to our neck. This means that tight hamstrings and sore necks are more connected than one might think! It also means that when we feel tight in our hamstrings it’s not just our muscles that need attention. I hope you can enjoy this multifaceted approach to opening up.

Intro to Forrest Inspired Vinyasa at Lark Toys

Sunday March 15th 9:30- 10:30am

This is perfect for anyone who hasn’t practiced with Elle before (though everyone is welcome!) or who wants to learn how to take care of their neck, shoulders, and wrists — on and off the mat.

Location: Lark Toys
Cost: $10

Love Your Legs Yoga at Lark Toys

Sunday March 29th 9:30-10:30 am

Dancers, runners, hikers, and anyone who wants to take care of their knees will love this class! Beginning with a decadent myofascial release, Elle will move you through a sequence designed to energize and open your lower body. Expect to leave with an extra sparkle in your stride and better idea how to take care of your legs on and off the mat.

Location: Lark Toys
Cost: $10

 

This Week’s Schedule

*Classes held in Rushford and Houston are through Root River Yoga Studio

Monday March 9th

8:15am Forrest Inspired Vinyasa – Infinity Yoga Studio

Wednesday March 11th

8:15am Forrest Inspired Basics – Infinity Yoga Studio

5pm Chair Yoga – Houston Community Center

6pm Forrest Inspired Vinyasa – Houston Community Center

Thursday March 12th

7:15am Forrest Inspired Vinyasa – Rushford American Legion

Friday March 13th

8:15am Forrest Inspired Vinyasa – Infinity Yoga Studio

Saturday March 14th

10:45am Gentle Yoga – Infinity Yoga Studio

Sunday March 15th

9:30am Intro to Forrest Inspired Vinyasa – Lark Toys

 

Ways to Keep Connected

• Follow Yoga with Elle on Facebook
• Email me at ellenewman11@gmail.com with any questions.
• For weekly students on FB I’ve created a private group for us.
• Receive this newsletter in your email by signing up here .