Quieting the mind, restoring the body

Relaxation in the body and peace of mind are two things you might gain from attending a yoga workshop hosted by Moab Yoga.

Moab Yoga has invited Faith Lipori, a Carbondale, Colorado, yoga instructor with nearly two decades of experience in teaching yoga to host a weekend workshop on Nov. 16-18 that will feature three types of sessions.

Lipori is a ParaYoga Level II certified teacher, who has studied extensively with renowned yoga teacher Rod Stryker.

“[The] purpose of yoga is to bring our minds to a calmer, more balanced state,” Lipori said.

Lipori’s Inner Exploration Weekend Workshop kicks off on Friday, Nov. 16, with “Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra,” followed by different workshops on each Saturday and Sunday. While Friday’s class is full, there are still openings for the Saturday and Sunday workshops.

However, you might want to register soon. Lipori has a following of practicing yogis, said Moab Yoga instructor Star Kolb. Many of Lipori’s students are traveling from Carbondale and Aspen to attend the Moab workshop.

Yoga is about quieting the mind and restoring the body, Kolb said.

“Faith is a very graceful, gentle, mindful teacher,” Kolb said. “She’s very personable.”

While Lipori, 63, said she doesn’t teach difficult yoga asanas (poses), she said it is helpful to have some yoga experience for the Saturday and Sunday sessions. That’s because some concepts may be unfamiliar to people who are new to yoga. The exercises themselves are not difficult, though “awareness of breath is helpful,” she said.

“I can do less complicated asanas for the same benefit,” she said. “My greatest joy is teaching those who are brand new to yoga.”

Saturday’s session, “Connecting to the Light of the Heart,” will include the use of mantras, asana, pranayana (breathing practices) and meditation.

“On Saturday, we will connect to the inner light in the heart,” and the class will be more activating than Sunday’s session, which is called “Calm and Content,” Lipori said.

The Sunday session will include asana, breathing and meditation techniques to increase “inner stability,” she said.

The yoga workshop, held at the Moab Yoga studio located at 37 E. Center St., will conclude with a meditation to send out healing to the Earth and all beings, Lipori said.

Saturday’s class is from 3 to 6 p.m., and on Sunday the workshop is held from 1 to 4 p.m.

Moab Yoga was founded seven years ago by Angela Houghton. A dozen different teachers offer a variety of yoga practice styles and levels of instruction. Classes are taught weekly and specialty workshops are offered throughout the year, and the studio hosts one or two workshops taught by out-of-town instructors to add to its regular class offerings. Individuals of all ages and abilities attend classes at Moab Yoga — from teenagers to people in their 80s, Kolb said.

Moab Yoga hosts weekend workshops

“The purpose of yoga is to bring our minds to a calmer, more balanced state”

When: Nov. 16-18; Friday, 5-7 p.m.; Saturday, 3-6 p.m.; Sunday, 1-4 p.m.

Where: Moab Yoga, 37 E. Center St.

Cost: $35 on Friday; $40 on Saturday; $40 on Sunday; $100 for all three sessions

Information: Visit moabyoga.com/exploring-the-dance-of-prana-with-faith-lipori

Moab Yoga will offer a “Gratitude Yoga Practice” on Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 22, from 9 to 11 a.m. The cost is $20 in advance, or $25 at the door.