What we’re about
# FOR OVER SEVEN YEARS, WE’VE OFFERED NO-COST YOGA IN COMMUNITY FOR EVERY BODY.
Community Yoga Initiative is a grassroots, volunteer-driven wellness movement dedicated to improving the physical, mental, and emotional health of human beings through the practice of yoga. In 2023, initiative volunteers offered over 500 free and inclusive opportunities to practice yoga in commUNITY.
All these yoga offerings are open to everyBODY - folks of all faiths, cultures, ages, genders, physical abilities, and financial resources. These free yoga offerings help a growing number of people access the therapeutic and self-revelatory benefits of yoga - allowing people to experience how yoga strengthens, stretches, and destresses the body; soothes, relaxes, and decompresses the mind; and opens the heart.
These yoga offerings also contribute to the creation of conscious community and recognition of the truth of interconnectedness. Initiative volunteers are known for nurturing inclusive community and co-creating space for connection and refuge by emphasizing collective collaboration, where everyone is an important part of the group yoga experience. The volunteers honor the infinite aspects of individuality and welcome all bodies, backgrounds, traditions, and situations. They adapt yoga practices to meet individual needs and encourage personal responsibility and intuitive direction.
All these yoga offerings are provided solely through voluntary giving - at no cost to participants. The giving of many is what allows the practice opportunities to be offered so freely. In giving, we loosen the grip of our greatest source of suffering - self-absorption. We expand our hearts in a way that recognizes we are not actually separate from others. Giving is a letting go of a sense of separateness that’s based in ignorance. When we practice giving, we feel into how we all depend on one another - how we are all part of the whole. In this way, giving is the natural response of the awakened heart.
# WE ARE COMMITTED TO EXPANDING YOGA ACCESS AND INCLUSIVITY, CHALLENGING DELUDED CONCEPTS ABOUT WHAT YOGA IS AND DOES, AND SHARING YOGA IN WAYS THAT HONOR THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF ALL.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- The Art of Vinyasa with Hannah & CatherineCommunity Yoga Center, Riverside, CA
YOU'RE INVITED TO JOIN US AT COMMUNITY YOGA CENTER FOR THE ART OF VINYASA WITH CATHERINE MURRAY & HANNAH CHU!
BREATHE. BALANCE. FLOW.
Experience energetic balance and vitality with Catherine Murray and Hannah Chu in this art-full yoga practice that integrates a dynamic sequence of yoga movements and breathing. Catherine and Hannah are known for facilitating yoga with creativity and love where the whole practice feels like art itself - an engaging play of perception and expression. This is a beautiful opportunity for you to open your body, mind, and heart through the practice of yoga. ♥️
The Art of Vinyasa is vitalizing postural practice that optimizes energetic activation. It engages muscles and the cardiovascular system through rhythm and repetition. It’s a movement-oriented asana practice that builds strength and increases stamina. It can ease body tension and calm mind stress through synchronized movement that allows the body to release gross and subtle energetic blocks.
This sharing of yoga is offered freely every Saturday morning at Community Yoga Center from 7:30am-8:45am as part of Community Yoga Initiative's efforts to expand yoga access and inclusivity. We hope you consider practicing with us in commUNITY.♥️
We practice indoors, in a large room. We recommend wearing comfortable layered clothing to help regulate preferred body temperature. If you have postural practice supports like mats, blankets, bolsters, blocks, and straps, please bring them with you. We have community practice supports for you to use as well. Feel free to borrow any community practice support to facilitate and enhance your practice.
We also suggest bringing water to maintain hydration after practice.
No experience is necessary and there is never a cost. We welcome everyBODY.
A NOTE ABOUT YIN & YANG ENERGIES IN YOGA
In Taoist philosophy the yin-yang symbol represents the interconnectedness of contrary forces and the archetype of unity in diversity. These two energies are relative to each other - one cannot exist without the other. The two seeming opposites are interdependent - contained within each, is a piece of the other. Yin and yang energies are present in everything. The ancient yogis even referred to right-half and left-half of the body as “ha,” and “tha,” Sanskrit terms that can be translated to English to mean “sun” and “moon.” Yoga invites us to balance these energies of the body-mind, understanding these seeming polarities as a natural part of life and always in flux.
Yang energy is bright and warm like the daytime sun. It invites us into alert, focused, pervading, and active spaces. Yang energy is overt, open, obvious, and direct. It likes “to do” with effort. Yang is masculine, with an external gaze. Its air and fire elements allow it to bloom and lift, like a hot-air balloon. Its seasons are spring and summer – birth and the beginning of life – our first inhale. Its direction is south.
Yin energy is dark and cool like the nighttime moon. It invites us into calm, receptive, yielding, and passive spaces. Yin energy is covert, concealed, discreet and indirect. It likes “to be” with ease. Yin is feminine, with an internal focus. Its water and earth elements allow it to ground and root, like a lotus in mud. Its seasons are autumn and winter – the end of life and death – our last exhale. Its direction is north.
Some asana practices are more yin in nature, while others are more yang. Fast, moving, dynamic asana practice that straightens and squeezes the body embraces yang energy. It works muscles and the cardiovascular system through intense rhythm and repetition. Asana practice based in yang energy builds strength and stamina. Slow, still, quiet asana practice that rounds and softens the body embraces yin energy. It reaches the deep, dense tissues of the body (joints, ligaments, tendons) through long-held poses. Asana practice based in yin energy grows flexibility, patience, and open- heartedness.
Asana practice provides an opportunity to feel into the aspects of yin and yang energy, noticing our preferences for one energy over the other, and balancing into energy that we may be resisting.
WE ARE BUILT ON GIVING
Our practice opportunities are provided solely through voluntary giving. The giving of many is what allows the practice opportunities to be offered so freely. Anyone who’s experienced benefit from our offerings is invited to give for the benefit of others.
In giving, we loosen the grip of our greatest source of suffering - self-absorption. We expand our hearts in a way that recognizes we are not actually separate from others. Giving is a letting go of a sense of separateness that’s based in ignorance. When we practice giving, we feel into how we all depend on one another - how we are all part of the whole. In this way, giving is the natural response of the awakened heart.
You’re invited to give according to your volition and means - in whatever ways resonate with you. You might like to make monetary donations, contribute to our collective resources, or dedicate your time and skill to assist the community.
You may use this link if you’d like to make a donation.
https://communityyogacenter.com/checkout/donate?donatePageId=64edff1e1d03bf14149cc0a7 - Yin Yoga with KristinCommunity Yoga Center, Riverside, CA
YOU'RE INVITED TO JOIN US AT COMMUNITY YOGA CENTER FOR YIN YOGA WITH KRISTIN!
PAUSE, RELAX & OPEN
Yin yoga is a gentle, slow-paced postural yoga practice where poses are held for extended periods of time. Three-minute holds are not uncommon. Most yin yoga poses are seated or supine, and engage the lower half of the body, opening and releasing tension the lumber spine, pelvis, hips, hamstrings, and thighs. Postures engaging the upper body are less common, however shoulder openers can be adapted for yin asana practice.
The sustained traction of yin yoga reaches deep connective tissue, stretching and stimulating fascia, tendons, and ligaments – especially when muscles are not engaged. With muscles relaxed, the connective tissues around joints can be accessed without interference at a deeper level, allowing them to be remodeled and revitalized.
Because muscles are relaxed in yin yoga, it’s important to use supports like blocks, bolsters, blankets, and straps to protect joints, ligaments, and tendons from overstretching. The supports allow the body to surrender to gravity without causing any injury or pain.
We practice indoors, in a large room. We recommend wearing comfortable layered clothing to help regulate preferred body temperature. If you have postural practice supports like mats, blankets, bolsters, blocks, and straps, please bring them with you. We have community practice supports for you to use as well. Feel free to borrow any community practice support to facilitate and enhance your practice.
We also suggest bringing water to maintain hydration after practice.
No experience is necessary and there is never a cost. We welcome everyBODY. We so hope to practice with YOU in commUNITY!
WE ARE BUILT ON GIVING
Our practice opportunities are provided solely through voluntary giving. The giving of many is what allows the practice opportunities to be offered so freely. Anyone who’s experienced benefit from our offerings is invited to give for the benefit of others.
In giving, we loosen the grip of our greatest source of suffering - self-absorption. We expand our hearts in a way that recognizes we are not actually separate from others. Giving is a letting go of a sense of separateness that’s based in ignorance. When we practice giving, we feel into how we all depend on one another - how we are all part of the whole. In this way, giving is the natural response of the awakened heart. Every act of giving is an opportunity to feel into the lack of separation between the one who gives and the one who receives.
You’re invited to give according to your volition and means - in whatever ways resonate with you. You might like to make monetary donations, contribute to our collective resources, or dedicate your time and skill to assist the community.
You may use this link if you’d like to make a donation.
https://communityyogacenter.com/checkout/donate?donatePageId=64edff1e1d03bf14149cc0a7A NOTE ON THE GIFTS OF YIN YOGA
Injury, inactivity, and aging tends to bind connective tissue together, creating adhesions that restrict movement between the surfaces of muscles and bones. These adhesions block the flow of nutrients and energy through the body, causing pain and limiting mobility. Tenderly holding poses applies mild stress that breaks up adhesions. This can result in measurable increases in physical flexibility without compromising stability.
Long holds also increase circulation and lubrication at the joints. Deep connective tissue is softly squeezed, twisted, and compressed, becoming hydrated and more pliable. With age, the body becomes drier and less elastic. Stressing the connective tissues at the joints increases the production of hyaluronic acid and synovial fluid that nourishes the body.
Tenderly softening the body in yin yoga soothes the nervous system, especially when combined with slow, deep belly breathing.
Practicing presence and being with “what is” develops patience, clarity, and the capacity to be with a wide range of experience. All types of asana practice can heighten our moment-to-moment awareness. However, resolving to remain still in yin yoga practice provides an opportunity to stay with experience and surrender any need to manipulate and control. This can create conditions for clear perception, about ourselves and the nature of reality – yinsight! - New Skool Ashtanga with ScottCommunity Yoga Center, Riverside, CA
YOU'RE INVITED TO PRACTICE NEW SKOOL ASHTANGA WITH SCOTT AT COMMUNITY YOGA CENTER!
SENSITIZE TO SUBTLE ENERGY
New skool ashtanga is not your 90’s ashtanga. Poses are not “earned.” Practitioners are not “held back.” Obedience to an “ideal” is not rewarded. Perfectionism is recognized for what it is - a construct that kills creativity and love.
New skool ashtanga values the genius of primary series ashtanga poses, sequencing, and intentionality of breath - without the old school asana fundamentalism that fuels insidious competition around physical abilities and perpetuates shame when dictated expectations are not met. New skool ashtanga emphasizes the joy of practice - the creativity, love, and self-realization that’s cultivated in an atmosphere of infinite possibilities.
New skool ashtanga emphasizes subtle energy experiencing not only by linking ujjayi breath with a dynamic sequence of asanas, but also through pranayama interludes that punctuate parts of the practice. New skool ashtanga follows the same sequence of postures practiced in primary series ashtanga - about 75 incredible poses that are repeated during every practice session - with a few additions and modifications - including back-bending postures that balance the forward-folding bias of primary series ashtanga.
No experience is necessary and there is never a cost. EveryBODY is welcome.
Please consider practicing new skool ashtanga with Scott!
WE ARE BUILT ON GIVING
Our practice opportunities are provided solely through voluntary giving. The giving of many is what allows the practice opportunities to be offered so freely. Anyone who’s experienced benefit from our offerings is invited to give for the benefit of others.
In giving, we loosen the grip of our greatest source of suffering - self-absorption. We expand our hearts in a way that recognizes we are not actually separate from others. Giving is a letting go of a sense of separateness that’s based in ignorance. When we practice giving, we feel into how we all depend on one another - how we are all part of the whole. In this way, giving is the natural response of the awakened heart.
You’re invited to give according to your volition and means - in whatever ways resonate with you. You might like to make monetary donations, contribute to our collective resources, or dedicate your time and skill to assist the community.
You may use this link if you’d like to make a donation.
https://communityyogacenter.com/checkout/donate?donatePageId=64edff1e1d03bf14149cc0a7
