Come and join in community as we harmonize our voices and our auras for Peace, share a meal and conversation, and bring strength to our conscious community through our awareness and our togetherness. We will begin with a pranayam (breath awareness) and fifteen minutes of simple warm up yoga exercises to open the chakras and energy channels. Then we will chant for 31 minutes for the benefit of ourselves and for all of humanity. We will create peaceful minds and generous hearts, and pray for all of our divine qualities to be our constant guiding source. A healthy, delicious potluck lunch will follow. Please bring a vegetarian or vegan dish to share. This is a free event. Any tithes/love offerings received will benefit the scholarship fund at Miri Piri Academy, a Kundalini lifestyle based school in India.Call (754) 200-8255 for more information. Future events are scheduled for December 14th & 28th.

Yoga poses work by stretching your muscles. They can help you move better and feel less stiff or tired. At any level of yoga, you'll probably start to notice benefits soon. In one study, people improved their flexibility by up to 35% after only 8 weeks of yoga.

Some styles of yoga, such as ashtanga and power yoga, are very physical. Practicing one of these styles will help you improve muscle tone. But even less vigorous styles of yoga, such as Iyengar or hatha, can provide strength and endurance benefits. Many of the poses, such as downward dog, upward dog, and the plank pose, build upper-body strength. The standing poses, especially if you hold them for several long breaths, build strength in your hamstrings, quadriceps, and abs. Poses that strengthen the lower back include upward dog and the chair pose. When done right, nearly all poses build core strength in the deep abdominal muscles.

When you're stronger and more flexible, your posture improves. Most standing and sitting poses develop core strength, since you need your core muscles to support and maintain each pose. With a stronger core, you're more likely to sit and stand "tall." Yoga also helps your body awareness. That helps you notice more quickly if you're slouching or slumping, so you can adjust your posture.

Yoga usually involves paying attention to your breath, which can help you relax. It may also call for specific breathing techniques. But yoga typically isn't aerobic, like running or cycling, unless it's an intense type of yoga or you're doing it in a heated room.

You may feel less stressed and more relaxed after doing some yoga. Some yoga styles use meditation techniques that help calm the mind. Focusing on your breathing during yoga can do that, too.

Yoga has long been known to lower blood pressure heart rate. A slower heart rate can benefit people with high blood pressure, heart disease, and people who've had a stroke. Yoga has also been linked to lower cholesterol, triglyceride levels, and better immune system function.