Are you yearning to go deeper into your practice with a like-hearted community?
Do you love the intimate bond of gathering in a circle for rich and meaningful conversations?
Do 60-minute classes sometimes feel rushed? Would you like to linger longer in Savasana and stay to meditate in the prayerful atmosphere created by that hour of breathing and moving together as a group?
Are you a seeker who loves to evolve and live your Yoga?
If you said YES, this 3-hour practice is for you!
Our time together will be divided into three parts:
Part 1: Group centering in a circle, lecture on the theme of the class, contemplation, and discussion.
Part 2: Asana practice. A blend of Alignment-based Hatha, Yin and Kundalini yoga, based on the class theme. Accessible posture variations and alternatives will be offered.
Part 3: Relaxation, Breathwork, Meditation and Integration.
When you think of the word Yoga, Asana (Postures) practice and Pranayama (Breathwork) probably come to mind first.
These are important aspects of Yoga and yet, Yoga is also so much more!
As well as a physical practice, this 3-hour deep dive into Yoga includes:
Sangha: communing with other spiritual seekers
Yamas and Niyamas: Codes for living soulfully in alignment with peace, joy, harmony and freedom
Pratyahara: Withdrawl of your senses or interoceptive awareness
Dharana and Dhyana: Concentration and meditation respectively
Yoga Nidra: Yogic sleep - a state of consciousness between waking and sleeping
Brahmacharya is often narrowly defined as celibacy but what it really teaches us is to treat our energy as sacred and express it in ways that bring us closer to our spiritual self.
When you learn to align your energy with the Divine and be wise and intentional with it, your whole aura changes.
You start to:
Feel stronger
Stand taller
Exude radiance and dignity
Set clear boundaries with confidence
Attract differently
Reach higher states of consciousness
Live in peaceful communion with life, the divine and your spiritual self
Melanie Richards is the founder of Yoga HappyTree Inc., creator and leader of Yoga teacher training programs, and a mental health advocate. For ten years (2007-2017), she owned and operated HappyTree Yoga Studio, known for its vibrant community and regularly voted one of Montreal's top five yoga studios by Cult Mtl.
Recently, Melanie received a Builder of Hope Award from The Douglas Foundation, recognizing her efforts and contribution toward establishing The Rebecca Joy Richards Award for Research in Eating Disorders. She also received a Quebec Notable Award for Social Entrepreneurship and has a TEDx talk with over 60K views on the power of intention setting (2014). In 2012, she was recognized by CTV's The Power of One for her work in the community with cancer patients and underprivileged youth.
Melanie is a 500-hour certified Hatha teacher, 200-hour certified Kundalini yoga teacher, and has sat multiple 10-day Vipassana silent meditation retreats over the past decade. Her teachers include Barrie Risman, Nischala Joy Devi, Nubia Teixeira, and her spiritual mentor, Lisa Lajoie.
Melanie shares Yoga from her heart with relatability, compassion and enthusiasm, fostering a warm and inclusive learning atmosphere. She empowers people from all walks of life to take the path of Yoga back home to their hearts.
To learn more about Melanie, visit https://happytreeyoga.com/about