Yay! The Blog

Woman with hands in prayer position feeling content
Mindful Living

Boost Your Mental Health With Our Daily Yoga Class

We all agree: It’s been a crazy year and a quarter. Ever since the World Health Organization declared Covid to be a global health emergency in March 2020 and communities around the world went on lockdown, we’ve been living in “a fascinating laboratory,” says Rudy.

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Erin Schuster Kripalu Yoga Teacher Gentle Yogis Guest Faculty
Community

Meet Gentle Yogis Teacher Erin Schuster

When I think about how Yoga has profoundly influenced every aspect of my life, I am grateful for it – and for kind teachers like Rudy and Joyce. I have dedicated my life’s work to sharing this transformative practice with others. Before I found yoga, I did not feel fully alive due to years of numbing any real emotion. I was scared to allow myself to feel and to truly connect to others.

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Gentle Reading

Ground Yourself this Earth Day

The disconnectedness astronauts can feel from loved ones, from regular life . . . from the Earth itself, is not so dissimilar to the disconnectedness so many have felt over this last year.  Here’s a fascinating take on re-entry into life, whether from space capsule . . . or pandemic:

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Gentle Practice

A Student Asked…

This week a student in the Gentle Breath Practice / Chair Yoga class asked, “Why is Nadi Shodhana considered the most powerful yoga practice?” (Nadi Shodhana is a slow-paced breath practice where you alternate which nostril you are breathing through.) First of all, who is it that considers this true?

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Mindful Living

Self-Compassion is Required

Swami Kripalu liked to say that the most important part of a spiritual practice is self-compassion – that is, the discipline of self-observation without self-judgment. What is stunning about this teaching is that this yoga master’s observable practices were prodigious, involving hours of daily pranayama and meditation, years of practicing

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Gentle Yogis Sangha Quilt by Emily Eisen
Community

Voices of Gratitude

On Saturday evening, March 20, 2021, more than 90 Gentle Yogis gathered on Zoom to celebrate, having survived a very hard year…apart…together…and being better for it.  We enjoyed an hour of amazing and varied talent, presented rather professionally on Zoom, with great transitions by our Emcee, sang “Happy Breath-Day” to

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Rudy Peirce Joyce Peirce have heart for the Gentle Yogis community
Community

52 weeks…Rudy’s Introspective Retrospective

Regardless of the day before,in 2020we arise at 6 or maybe 7,and while the world is turned upside down, masked up, six feet apart and locked down, I sit with a dedicated community of breathers. Every morning, Joyce and I, start the day in a good way, expanding our lungs,

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Jenny Leopold, Kripalu Yoga Teacher
Community

Jenny appreciates Rudy’s approach to Gentle Yoga

Here is the final clip in this video series for our Countdown to One Year. Jenny Leopold has been a regular in our practice community and shares what she appreciates about Rudy’s gentle approach to yoga.  She has studied Dynamic Gentle Yoga with Rudy in the advanced teacher training program

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Community

Mary-Margaret enjoys a positive start to her day

As part of our Countdown to One Year, here is another short video clip from recent interviews of a few members of the Gentle Yogis community.  Mary-Margaret Kerns has been a pillar in our daily breath practice community, also frequenting the Tuesday and Thursday afternoon community-supported classes. She has enjoyed the

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Eliot Dalton Gentle Yogis Community Member
Community

Eliot enjoys better breathing and feels calmer

As part of our Countdown to One Year, here is another short video clip from recent interviews of a few members of the Gentle Yogis community.  Eliot Dalton has attended the breath practice since April 2020 and has inspired several family members to join in. He has done yoga in person

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