Hello Everyone!! I trust that you have had a wonderful sun filled summer, and yes, it is that time already... to be getting registered for fall yoga and pilates classes.

We, at Yoga by Sarah have been working hard this past month on our fall programming and scheduling.. and finally everything is in order. There is a lot of new information and updates in this newsletter, so the newsletter may be slightly lengthy (gee, what a surprise??). So, I have broken all the information down in sections that should be easier to peruse, or skip if it is not a topic of interest for you.

All of our Pre-registered classes are commencing the week of September 15, 2003. Our website www.yogabysarah.com is now updated with the fall information and has a comprehensive list of all the Yoga by Sarah happenings. As well, be sure to pick up your copy of the fall schedule available today at the studio. Registration is now open, so be sure to register early to confirm your spot in the class!! Registration can be done online www.yogabysarah.com , via telephone 905 682-4469 or in person at the studio. As always, we accept, cash, cheques, Visa, MasterCard or Debit.

Pre-Registered Beginner Yoga Classes

Our 8 week Beginner Hatha Yoga Course will be running Thursday evenings at 8:10pm. This as always, is a great course for those brand new to yoga and want a complete beginner class. In these 8 weeks, the basics of Hatha yoga will be explored in a progressive and logical manner. Great for those new to yoga as well as those wishing to explore/understand form and alignment.

Our 8 week Beginner Power Yoga Course will be running Tuesday evenings at 8:10pm. If you have ever even thought about starting Power Yoga, this is by far the best way to go. It is well worth the time and commitment. Power Yoga is a much more quick paced, choreographed, flowing style of yoga. Historically, we have much better retention rates in the Power Yoga for those who have completed this course, as it is very detailed, logically broken down and we take the time to troubleshoot and teach modifications as necessary.

We have added on a new program, taught by Cathy Hayes, Pranayama (Breathing), Meditation and Yoga Philosophy. This pre-registered 6 week course will run Sundays at 10:50am commencing October 5. We have had several requests for a specific "meditation only" class, so this should fill that void. For those interested in learning some basic as well as more advanced breathing techniques, meditation techniques and a hint of yoga philosophy. This is a great class for yoga students of all levels (or non-yoga students interested in meditation).

Prenatal Yoga

Our 8 week Prenatal Yoga Course will be back at its usual time slot of Saturdays at 12pm. I love this class!! It is gaining rapidly gaining in popularity, and the last couple sessions we have had a waiting list, so be sure to register early. We welcome women at all stages of pregnancy... I always say, it's never too soon and it's never too late. Yoga during any stage of pregnancy can help to increase flexibility, improve circulation, and relieve common problems and discomfort associated with pregnancy.

Pilates Classes

Since the addition of Pilates classes to our studio in January, they too have grown in popularity. We have expanded the pilates schedule slightly, bringing us up to 7 classes a week. The latest additions for the fall are a Teen Pilates class running Wednesday at 4:30pm, a Fundamental/Transition Pilates class running Monday at 6am (for you crazy people), as well as an extra Transition Pilates class running Wednesdays at 6:50pm. A full list of the pilates classes can be accessed on our website www.yogaybsarah.com or by picking up a new schedule at the studio. As a side note, people who hold a current yoga membership will now receive a 10% discount on Pilates classes.

For those who have been missing their Pilates since our summer session ended a couple weeks ago, we have a couple Drop-In Pilates classes running over the next week or so. They are Tuesday August 26 and Tuesday September 2 at 5:30pm. These classes are on a Drop-In basis (so just show up, no pre-registration necessary) $12 + gst each.

Congratulations to our Pilates instructor, Sarah Hill, who was married August 16 in Niagara-on-the-Lake. She of course, was a stunningly beautiful bride, and the ceremony and reception were exceptionally picturesque. I must say that it was one of the nicest weddings I have ever attended!!

Our regular Drop-In Yoga Schedule

For the most part, these classes are tried and true, so you will find that the fall yoga drop-in schedule will remain similar with a couple minor changes.

Jo's Monday 8:10pm class is now going to be a Hatha Level 2 (instead of All Level). Please don't let this scare you away!! We feel that it is time to have an extra Level 2 class (other than just the Saturday morning one). As long as you have some yoga background you will be more than fine here. As always, you will be encouraged to work at your own pace, and to modify things as necessary. I wouldn't attend this class if you are brand new to yoga, as we are going to assume that you know some of the basics. For those newer to yoga, a more appropriate drop-in class would be one of our Level 1 or All Level Hatha classes. If you are unsure, by all means, feel free to call us or ask one of our instructors.

You will also notice on our fall schedule, that the Wednesday 6:50pm Power Yoga class has been cancelled. The class attendance in this particular time frame has been low for several months now. My best guess is that is due to the back-to-back Power Yoga classes on Wednesday (5:30pm and 6:50pm). The 5:30pm time frame is always well attended, with 6:50pm having very low numbers. So, to make the best use of the time and space, as you may have read above, we have changed that time slot to a Pilates class. This was a very hard decision for me to make, as I know that we have some long-time members who have been regularly attending that class for years (even in the Bodymax days!). For those yoga members who are concerned, please rest assured that we will NOT be taking any other yoga classes away. If you examine the schedule, you will note that we still have a Power Yoga class running every evening, not to mention the Tuesday and Thursday morning ones.

So, to counterbalance that decision, we have added on a Sunday 9:30am Power Yoga Level 2/3. Finally!! This class will be taught by Allison Noble and Lisa Holman (formerly Propper). Please note that this is going to be an advanced class, so experienced Power Yoga practitioners only please!! Of course, you are encouraged to work at your own pace or take a break when you need one, but... not a good place to be learning the basics of Power Yoga. So for those of you who have been waiting for a weekend Power Yoga class, here you go!!

Coming Soon - Baby and Mom Yoga Classes!!

This is very exciting!! We are planning to have this class up and running by mid-November. Final details have not been worked out yet.. but we are hoping to run this class during the week, either late morning or early afternoon. Myself and Angela Sacco will be going to Toronto in October to do a training program for this class. Angela has been studying yoga with us for a number of years now, and is a RMT (Registered Massage Therapist), RN (Registered Nurse), and a doula. We are both very excited about getting this program up and running. If you are interested in these Baby and Mom yoga classes, call me or e-mail me, so I can keep you posted as we get closer to that time. I am also welcoming any suggestions for best day and time frame to suit the new mother's schedule!!

Guest Workshop Presenter

We are running two workshops, one in October and one in November, with Kevin Grodesky of the Downward Dog Yoga Centre in Toronto. Kevin is a St. Catharines native who has been living and studying yoga in Toronto for the last 10 years. He will bring with him a fresh perspective and some new life to our yoga centre and your yoga practice. More details about the workshops and Kevin can be found on the workshop page of our website www.yogabysarah.com

Miscellaneous Gossip and Tidbits!!

Please note that we are closed on Labour Day, Monday September 1 (already??!!) so no classes are running that day. All other classes remain as scheduled.

Please don't forget to notify us if you have moved, or have a new telephone number or e-mail address. We love to keep in contact with you!!

As I noted earlier, the website has been updated this past weekend with the current fall schedule and information... however you may notice a few typos which we are working on and will have corrected by Wednesday morning.

I have had a few requests for yoga at 6am or yoga at midnight (ha ha)... which I would love to entertain all ideas of possible class times. So the more I hear from you, the more I will consider addding these classes on. So feel free to drop me a quick e-mail or give me a quick phone call to let me know your thoughts. We are in the process of having a suggestion box built and installed at the studio, so look for that in the coming few weeks.

In an effort to conserve energy, and at Ernie Eve's request, I have been keeping the lights and A/C off as much as possible this past week and a half. I know it has been an extremely hot week (of course), so thank you for putting up with the high temperatures in the class. For those of you who know me well, I will use any excuse not to turn the A/C on as I love to sweat throughout the class!! For those of you who have been avoiding class because of this, please don't worry, I have decided commencing this week that the A/C will go on while we are there and I will turn it off when the studio is not in use.

You will also notice on the fall schedule that I am alternating Monday 6:50pm Power Yoga now with Lisa Holman. I will teach it one week and she will teach it the next. I have found the need to cut back my actual "teaching" schedule slightly by 1 1/2 classes a week. As the studio is growing, so is the "behind the scenes" work. I always said that teaching class, was for me, the fun and easy part of this business. Teaching on my little stage in front of the class, is one of the few places that I have ever felt completely at home. However, there are countless other management/ownership tasks that require my attention every day, which take up the bulk of my day, and help to keep me grounded. By cutting back my teaching schedule, I am assuring that I will still keep up the high quality and integrity of the classes that I do teach, while ensuring that the studio is managed with the utmost efficiency and that the little "details" are taken care of. Luckily, our staff of amazing instructors is growing, who can add to the diversity of our yoga and pilates centre.

As many of you are aware, my home was broken into while I was away on vacation last month. As horrifying an experience as that has been, I also feel extremely blessed for the amazing outpour of love and support from our community. All the visitors, phone calls, e-mails and warm words were very much appreciated during that time. My life has settled down again, and I am back into my regular work routine. It was a challenging couple weeks trying to get my house back in order, dealing with the insurance company, dealing with the emotional aspect of it, burglar proofing my house, and still trying to run the business. So, thank you, I couldn't have made it through with you.

We look forward to seeing you in the coming time....

Always...

Namaste