Join Dr. Ariele Foster for a weekend of anatomy-based yoga at Yoga Hive in Pittsburgh, PA:

Way of the Happy Fascia (Saturday Nov 10, 10am-12pm)

Posterior Chain Awakening (Saturday Nov 10, 2pm-4pm)

MASTER CLASS: The Goddess and the Grasshopper (Sunday Nov 11, 10am-12pm)

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Way of the Happy Fascia:

Using simply 2 tennis balls, learn to unravel tension from your toes to your ears along myofascial meridians (long fibrous pathways of connective tissue that contract and adhere from habitual movement and posture). Unwind and release muscle trigger points and fascial adhesions to experience profound freedom in your body as well as increased ease in your asana practice.

This workshop fuses trigger point release, fascial release, restorative yoga and meditative techniques that enhance our capacity to release tension, ultimately where no ordinary yoga practice will take you – deep into your fascial layer.

Please bring 2 tennis balls and a clean tube sock. (or at least a clean sock. I have spare tennis balls).

* Workshop participants receive a free self-myofascial release guide.

No previous experience is required. This workshop is open to all levels.

Registered Yoga Teachers and Yoga Therapists who complete this workshop are eligible for 2 hours of Yoga Alliance-approved CEU contact hours.

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Posterior Chain Awakening:

For too long, yogis have “softened” their backsides. “Softening the glutes” overrides natural muscular engagement, has created an epidemic of weak gluteal muscles in yoga practitioners, and contributed to hip pain and impingement.

Clinicians describe “posterior chain weakness” as overdominance of the quadriceps muscles and hip flexors, with poor strength in the gluteal muscles and hamstrings and sometimes the back. However, weakened glutes may even lead to back pain since the smaller muscle fibers alongside your spine must work so much harder to keep you upright.

Unfortunately most modern yoga asana threatens to reinforce exactly these patterns with its excessive quad and hip flexor strengthening.

Our task is to awaken all dormant glutes – medius, minimus and maximus. Once awakened, we will learn to engage them on the mat, and in our lives off the mat, using a series of drills, re-interpretation of asana and functional movement.

In the process, we’ll aim to discern between:

• Natural movement that doesn’t fit into the clean, geometric cues sometimes inherent to the study of asana
• and –
• Poor movement habits (from too much sitting!) that benefit from precision cues (and DO need over-riding)

Your teacher, Ariele, is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, a long time yoga teacher, and an advocate for depth and quality in yoga practice and instruction.

This workshop is open to all levels.

Registered Yoga Teachers who complete this workshop are eligible for 2 hours of Yoga Alliance-approved CEU contact hours.

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The Goddess and the GrassHopper

Two hours of joyful, deep, lateral hip opening, core-activating twists, sidebends and playful approaches to a surprisingly accessible duo of arm balances. To find Grasshopper Pose (and baby grasshopper) –  we must cultivate curiosity and a beginner’s mind. Goddess poses and qualities of the goddesses are embedded throughout to help us prepare our hips, our hearts and our tiger claws to ground and rebound in this awesome and beautiful asana sequence.

All postures and other cues are based on biomechanics and physiology to invite true opening, power, strength and grace.

Please have a regular yoga asana practice.