Yoga Class at Longefellow Fitness!

I am now officially on the Longfellow Fitness Club Yoga schedule....starting monday January 31st, check me out 9:00-10:30AM!

Children's Dance Theater is Offering Adult Flamenco Classes...

Starting February 9... Children's Dance Theater is offering Adult Classes in...

Flamenco Dancing Have a foot stomping, hand clapping, castanet clicking good  time!  Absorb the dramatic postures and the colorful flavor of flamenco, the exciting dance form that originated in Spain.   Price: $15 Drop-in Thursday 11:00am Zumba Fitness  Ditch the workout, join the party! Zumba classes feature exotic rhythms set to high-energy Latin and international beats. It's easy to do, effective and  exhilarating work-out while building a  community among students. Price: $15 Drop-in Thursday 6:30pm  Belly Dancing Belly dancing is the oldest form of dance, with roots in ancient cultures such as the orient to India and the mid-East. Belly dancing focuses on isolating different parts of the body, moving them independently in sensuous patterns, weaving together the entire feminine form.  Price: $15 Drop-in Wednesday 7:00pm

Free Trial Class - February 9th and 10th Ask each teacher about their discounted 10 Class Card offer! 89 Washington Avenue Natick, MA 01760 (508) 259-0909 www.childrensdancetheater.com

PACO PEÑA FLAMENCO COMPANY

From Spain

PACO PEÑA FLAMENCO COMPANY

Performing the Boston premiere of Flamenco Vivo

Friday, February 25, 8pm I $40

Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Sq., Somerville

Exceptional flamenco dancers and a sensational band of musicians and virtuoso singers come together in this brand-new production from legendary flamenco guitarist Paco Peña. Packed with intensity, depth and raw energy, Flamenco Vivo captures all the passions of present-day flamenco and reflects on the enormous power and draw the art form has had throughout history.

FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION CALL WORLD MUSIC / CRASHarts (617) 876-4275

Buy online: www.WorldMusic.org

What is a Yoga-Snack and why do you need one?

           Yoga-Snacks ™

Welcome to the wonderful world of Yoga-Snacks™, an in-school yoga program designed to expose your children to the benefits of yoga during the school day. In just 20 minutes, your children will relax, renew and re-energize. 

During a typical Yoga-Snack, your child is familiarized with yoga. Yoga, an ancient Indian body of knowledge,  dates back more than 5000 years ago. The word "Yoga" comes from the Sanskrit word "yuj" which means "to unite or integrate." Yoga then is about the union of a person's own consciousness and the universal consciousness.  Ancient Yogis had a belief that in order to be in harmony with your own self and your environment, you have to integrate your mind, body, and spirit. For these three to be in harmony, your emotions, physical energy and perception must be in balance. The Yogis envisioned a way to obtain and maintain this balance and it is done through the three main structures of Yoga: Pranyama (the art of breathing), Meditation (the art of focusing the mind) and Asanas (the art of posturing the body). 

For children, yoga helps them to become aware of this connection between their mind, body and their spirit. They learn how they act within the world the world around them and how they react to this world. Through the use of postures, games, music, dance and relaxation, they learn to pay attention to these actions and use yoga as a tool to calm and focus their mind, body and spirit. But while stretching is certainly involved, yoga is really about creating balance in the body through developing both strength and flexibility. This is done through the performance of poses or postures, each of which has specific physical benefits. The use of poses can be a vehicle to focus and clam the mind.

 

Benefits of Yoga for Kids:

1. Builds their confidence and self-esteem.
2. Improves their powers of concentration and focus.
3. Develops their brain and intellect.
4. Excellent for their bodies and health. Promotes balance, flexibility, coordination and strength.
5. Helps them cope with stress and difficult emotions.
6. Develops their creativity and imagination.
7. Sharpens and expands their awareness.
8. Helps them develop calmness.

In relation to the Special Needs child, yoga has been proven to provide a perfect opportunity for these children to move, explore their world, and interact physically and mentally in order to understand themselves and their environment. Yoga is not a cure, but it will encourage physical activity, increase self esteem, provide relief from symptoms, promote positive social interactions, teach stress management, and develop muscle tone and flexibility, along with providing numerous physical, psychological and physiological benefits.

Yoga-Snacks ™ are a fun and engaging way to explore yoga poses, cooperative games, breathing, Sanskrit (the language of yoga), relaxation and meditation. The classes convey positive lessons in self-expression, body-awareness, and social skills. Yoga has a significant positive effect on a child's academic achievement and general health. Yoga is non-competitive and fun and students develop strength, flexibility, concentration and confidence. The results are amazing! Children who practice yoga are more focused, and are better equipped to deal with emotional fluctuations and challenges.  Yoga-Snacks™ are a benefit for your child and for you!

A simple yoga sequence to help teenagers stand up taller

Teenagers are notorious slumpers. They then grow up to be slump shouldered adults. Help your teen lift up and feel the broad chest and broad back, the heaqvy tail bones so the back is neither overly concave or convex, the neck is long, the shoulders are open and relaxed...

Here is a short and simple yoga sequence to help teenagers out of "slump mode":

1. Lie on back, with feet on floor (This is called Constructive Rest). Starting on the right side, bend the right arm and slide the lower arm under the lower back, so that the  fingers of that hand can be seen on the opposite side of the body. Now simply breath in and out. Roll your spine up and down, pressing the bent arm into the floor a bit and then releasing. This is a gentle stretch for the front of the shoulder.Repeat on left side.

2. Now back to Constructive Rest. With the shoulders on the floor, allow both knees to drop off to the right side. Beathr. Then repeat on left side. Breath.

3. Next bring both knees into chest and hug them in. Breath.

4. Roll over to Child's Pose. This i s a great starter stretch for the back. breath.

5. Put hands on floor, by knees and curl toes under. Press up into Standing Child's Pose. This is basically a forward bend, but the knees are bent so that the abdomen and possibly ribs can lay on top of the thighs. THi8s gives a great stretch for the back. Feel you tail bones heavy and feel your front draping.

6. Standing. Place a beanbag on the top of the head, not for balance, but to allow the head to be up, the chest to be lifted, the shoulders are relaxed. The tailbones are heavy so that back is in neutral. Walk around. breath.


  

Escape the Winter on a Sunday Afternoon: Hot Tap, Flamenco and Jazz

Escape the Winter on a Sunday Afternoon. 

A Creative Venue before the Super Bowl!

For all Ages

Patrice Monahan and Shufflin’ Time

Swing, Blues, Funk, Latin, Tap

Original Compositions and Jazz Standards

Patrice Monahan - Voice - Tap - Piano

Eyran Katsenelenbogan - Piano

Bill McCormack - Bass

Paul Marcantonio - Drums

Rick Stone - Saxophone

Valery Marcantonio - Tap

Sunday February 6th

 2pm -315pm

Amazing Things Arts Center

160 Hollis St.

Framingham, MA. 01701

508-405-2787

$14(Stu/Sen $13) Members $12

www.amazingthings.org

With Guests

Eve Agush - Flamenco Tap

Nick Grondin - Guitar

www.patricemonahan.com