Relaxing the Heart: Restorative Yoga

It’s been said that yoga can help to heal the body at a cellular level. That through breathwork and extended periods of asana or postures, our body can begin to repair itself.

Unsure what that meant, “healing the body on a cellular level” I asked DIG Yoga teacher, Nikki Robinson to explain to me what exactly how that happens? It just so happened that her answer was Restorative yoga!

“Restorative Yoga heals at a cellular level through slow and deep breathe work by relaxing the heart and giving the body the opportunity to heal by bringing bones into optimal alignment, so muscles and relax into a supported form.”

Nikki, who teachers Restorative Yoga at our Philadelphia location, explained to me that unlike a Basics or even Gentle yoga where there is flow or active movement, Restorative Yoga uses a passive approach. This means that “Restorative class in non-weight bearing and happens in a reclining position, where “breath becomes lead and the body becomes second.”

Because many people suffer from acute pain, for example spinal degradation or hold a lot of tension within their bodies which can make us ill. “By being in a reclining position the tension within the body can be relaxed.”

“Restorative Yoga is about being in a place to give ourselves the permission to heal the physical, emotional, and spiritual.”  Nikki further explained that "as our bodies align we find a relief to pain, and release ourselves into a relaxed sacred space."

Often times people think that a Restorative Class is just for the mild mannered, however while the class may not be rigorous the results are optimal. Everyone from athletes, to cancer survivors, and the average Joe and Jane yogi can and do benefit from this healing approach to yoga.

Nikki, who is typcally interested in a more robust yoga was drawn to teach Restorative Yoga because of the healing, and the connection. While many people are attracted to harder disciplines and more advanced postures, Nikki discovered that her body needed the balance of a restorative practice to compliment her more rigorous practice, thus moving towards being truly aligned.

When I asked her who should take a Restoratives Class, she let me know that it wasn't about the “who” as much as the “what”.

“Restorative Yoga, is for everyone looking to become empowered through healing in a class that offers a more supported structure where we align our breathe with posture to develop our greatest potential!”

And isn't that what it's all about? Discovering our greatest potential?

Nikki’s next Restorative Yoga series begins Sunday, October 13th at

5:30 - 7:00pm in Philadelphia!

Cost: $20 or 2 classes off series. Register Today!

Yoga! Finding the Calm in the Crazy.

How many of us are leading elaborate lives? Juggling responsibilities of work, school, or family and often a combination of all!  It seems like we never stop moving, even when chained to our desks.  Yet what if we brought a mindfulness to that seemingly chaotic movement? Perhaps even going so far as moving ourselves towards a less stressful life? DIG Yoga provides a way to bring mindfulness into movement and align our daily life from a point of wellness.

It's true! According to the scholar Karen Armstrong, “The word ‘yoga’ derives from the verb yuj: ‘to yoke’ or  ‘to bind together’. Its goal was to link the mind of the yogin with his Self and to tether all the powers of impulses of the mind, so that consciousness becomes unified in a way that is normally impossible for human beings.” 

I know that might sound a little 'out there' but there is a reason that more than 25 million Americans turn to yoga.  This reason is simple, alignment based yoga brings us back into center and help us to find the calm in the crazy. And while any yoga is better than no yoga, not all is equal, and not every establishment that offers yoga is looking to engage the mind, body, and spirit of the practitioner. That is why Sue Elkind and Naime Jezzeny started DIG Yoga over fives years ago in Lambertville, NJ. And it is the founding principles that brought  DIG Yoga to Philadelphia just over a year ago, when Sue partnered with Mariel Freeman. 

DIG Yoga is the yoga studio that seeks to be different. Did you know that DIG Yoga has a mission statement?

DIG Yoga is a health-conscious, eco-friendly, people-oriented yoga business. Everything about DIG reflects this inclusive and life-affirming philosophy. As a sanctuary for the community, DIG supports people in their quest to realize their greatest potential.  DIG offers the highest caliber yoga instruction that optimally aligns the body, mind and heart. The DIG team leads by example, making efforts to model what is 'life-enhancing' and shed what is not. We strive for high standards, sweetened with humor and humility, with the intention of continuously evolving. 

We endeavor to always speak and act in a way that encourages others to remember how interconnected all things are and to take good care of each other and the planet. 

Yoga at DIG is for everyone. We have classes and workshops for every level of student, beginner to advanced. Together we partner excellence in teaching with dedication to creating and sustaining community. This is not just yoga, this is DIG Yoga, and we invite you discover  a life that is not bound to chaos, but free to live limitlessly.