Yoga in Mirrormont: At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

Yoga class in Mirrormont will be offered this week on Monday evening, January 17, at 7:30. Please bring a blanket for final savasana and a space heater, if convenient.

Natarajasana from Yoga Journal calendar, 2010

Yoga lowers cortisol levels. If that doesn't sound like much, consider this: Normally, the adrenal glands secrete cortisol in response to an acute crisis, which temporarily boosts immune function. If your cortisol levels stay high even after the crisis, they can compromise the immune system. Temporary boosts of cortisol help with long-term memory, but chronically high levels undermine memory and may lead to permanent changes in the brain. Additionally, excessive cortisol has been linked with major depression, osteoporosis (it extracts calcium and other minerals from bones and interferes with the laying down of new bone), high blood pressure, and insulin resistance. In rats, high cortisol levels lead to what researchers call "food-seeking behavior" (the kind that drives you to eat when you're upset, angry, or stressed). The body takes those extra calories and distributes them as fat in the abdomen, contributing to weight gain and the risk of diabetes and heart attack. ~Timothy McCall, M.D.

Let Natarajasana cultivate love and open-heartedness in you!

Blessings,

Bonnie

Bonnie Dike, Certified Yoga Instructor, E-RYT

Bio: Bonnie (Certified Yoga Instructor, E-RYT) has been practicing yoga for 14 years and teaching for 10. She trained under Catherine Munro at Yoga Tree in Fremont and participated in teacher-training classes with Aadil Palkhivala. She taught at Terra Yoga for many years and regards Carina Terra as her mentor. She has taught yoga to many high school athletes, including the Liberty High School Football Team. The experience of natural homebirths led her to teach Prenatal, Mama/Baby, and Mama/Toddler classes. Bonnie teaches Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, Nidra, and Restorative styles of yoga. She studies and embraces yoga’s beautiful sister science, Ayurveda, and is pleased to offer seasonal workshops. Grateful for the opportunity to serve as a Board member for Yoga Behind Bars, she has been blessed to bring yoga classes to maximum-security incarcerated teens at Echo Glen Children’s Center. Off the mat, Bonnie enjoys hiking, boating, cruise-biking along old railroad beds, hula and bellydancing, learning jazz cello, and playing chamber music with her husband, 11 children, and grandchildren. She is a professional cellist and recently retired Children’s Director at the Academy of Music Northwest. Over the years she has taught Music, Art History, Shakespeare, Penmanship, Etiquette, and other classical subjects, including yoga, to tots through teens at her children’s supplementary homeschool center. She is certified to teach the Essential Low Back Program, having trained under internationally recognized yoga therapist, Robin Rothenberg. She is honored to assist Robin's yoga for MS and Parkinson's classes. Bonnie’s teaching style is calm and encouraging. She takes joy in sharing the compassion, gratitude, and realization of abundant blessings that yoga engenders.

Bonnie lives with her husband, Bruce, and their large family in beautiful Mirrormont. She is honored to bring yoga classes to the neighborhood as a way of encouraging great health and well-being.

Yoga classes are offered on Monday evenings from 7 - 8 at the Mirrormont Country Club. Please bring a yoga mat and a blanket and arrive 5 minutes early.

Find joy and serenity as you build strength, balance, and flexibility in the body, mind, and spirit with yoga!

1 hour class ~ $10

Married couples ~ $10

Teens and children ~ No charge

Families (regardless of size) ~ $10

Class changes or cancellations will be posted here.

Group lessons are available in the convenience of your own home. Invite your friends! Host a yoga party!

Private lessons are also available in the privacy of your home. Email me at bonniedike@gmail.com for details.

I also teach at Village Green Yoga in Gilman Village in Issaquah. Come and be moved!

Count the ways in which yoga can change your life!

Yoga for High School Athletes!

Yoga Behind Bars!