Although various class names may be noted on the Class Schedule (“Gentle Yoga,” “Mindful Yoga”) Ananda Yoga is the primary tradition taught at East Sac Yoga.
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Ananda Yoga
Sandi Russi, E-RYT, is the owner and primary instructor at East Sac Yoga. In December 1999, at an all-day meditation at the Sacramento Ananda Center, she received a clear message to pursue the Ananda Yoga Teacher Training program. Sandi is so grateful that she heeded that call: through both teaching and practice, she has received so many blessings over the years.
Initially, Sandi trained locally earn her initial certificate with teacher/mentor/Ananda Yoga instructor and minister, Maria McSweeney, and received her full RYT certification in 2001 through Ananda’s Expanding Light in Nevada City, California.
Ananda Yoga is traditional hatha yoga designed to strengthen & stretch the body, release stress, calm the mind & enhance self-awareness. The practice facilitates breath, body and energy awareness through the use of distinct rest periods in between postures as well as affirmations held mentally while in the postures. Students are encouraged to listen to their bodies, notice the effects of the poses and with practice, become aware of the energy within, especially as it moves through the “inner” spine.
Ananda Yoga emphasizes:
- Safety and correct alignment
- Relaxation, even during effort
- Working with the body’s energy for harmony and balance
- Using the postures to refine self-awareness and experience inner
peace and joy - Modifying each yoga posture to fit the needs of the individual
student
Ananda Yoga is an expression of the Raja and Kriya Yoga precepts taught by Paramhansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi. Yogananda was the first great master of yoga to make his home permanently in the West (he became a U.S. citizen in the 1930s). Ananda Yoga arose from his training of close disciples and was later developed from that training into its current form by his direct disciple, Swami Kriyananda, the founder of Ananda, and by those yoga teachers whom Kriyananda commissioned to do so.
You will leave class feeling relaxed, uplifted, re-energized and more aware of your own inner peace! Suitable for all experience levels and body types.
Yoga Nidra
Perhaps you’ve heard of Yoga Nidra, yogic sleep, or non-sleep deep rest (NSDR). Unlike asana or meditation practice, Yoga Nidra is completely effortless. You simply get comfortable in shavasana with props, close your eyes, and listen to the facilitator. Although you are encouraged remain conscious throughout the practice, you may drop in and out of sleep — if that is what your body needs.
When practiced with intention, Yoga Nidra is a powerful tool to shift your consciousness — and in turn, your outward experience of life. It is also deeply relaxing, healing and restorative — the perfect antidote to stress!
Before practicing Yoga Nidra, it is helpful to release tension from the body and mind. So in our regular ongoing classes, first, we practice Ananda Yoga for about 45-50 minutes.
Deeply relaxing, Yoga Nidra connects you to the subconscious mind facilitating the healing powers within your own being. Benefits include:
- Improved memory, problem solving, creativity and learning capacity
- Reduced feelings of stress and tension
- Improved sleep, less insomnia and fatigue
- Strengthened immune system
- Relief from depression, anxiety, headaches, cravings
- Relief from chronic pain
- Relief from symptoms of trauma and addiction
- Strengthened meditation
- Improved sense of joy and well-being
Whether you are a beginner or an experienced practitioner, Ananda Yoga + Yoga Nidra is designed to shift and uplift your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Restorative Yoga
Stress. We’ve all felt it. If you experience stress over a prolonged period of time, it could become chronic, contributing to various debilitating diseases and medical conditions.
You may feel stress in both your mind and body. And although we rarely need the actions the automatic response was developed for (say, to outrun an attacking animal), we do confront multiple challenges every day, such as meeting deadlines, paying bills and juggling childcare. This makes your body react the same way. As a result, your body’s natural alarm system — the “fight or flight” response — may be stuck in the on position. And that can have serious consequences for your health.
The antidote to stress is relaxation.
Restorative yoga is very gentle. It focuses on relaxation and renewal, using blankets, bolsters, straps, and other props to safely support the body in various postures for longer durations, gently releasing and balancing the body and mind.
Often, this class will include bringing pure, therapeutic grade essential oils into the practice to further enhance and deepen the effects of restorative yoga, helping to:
- Soothe your nervous system;
- Quiet your mind; and
- Release deeply held tension, with ease & comfort in a supportive environment.
No experience necessary. Gentle & accessible to all; practiced on the floor.