Yoga in the Foothills of NC

Foothills Yoga represents a rural, yoga sangha (community) located in the beautiful and rolling hills of Western North Carolina. The focus is on teaching yoga that is based on natural alignment of the human body, popularized in the United States by B.K.S. Iyengar.

Mr. Iyengar of Pune, India has made the study of yoga and the human body his life’s work for the past 75 years. Due to very poor health as a child, he came to yoga out of necessity for his own well being. Having almost immediate results, he continued to study yoga and the effects various postures had on the body. He began to systemize hundreds of traditional yoga postures (asanas) and breath exercises (pranayama) to uncover the anatomical principles on which they were based thousand of years ago. That body of work is compiled in his first book, Light On Yoga . It was originally published in 1966 and has become the primary reference book for many serious yoga students. His teachings are known for the use of props, such as belts, blocks, blankets, and chairs, all of which are used to help orient students into proper alignment and thus educate the body. This is why yoga is said to be for all ages and abilities!

At Foothills Yoga, students progress at their own pace, in a supportive learning environment. Magi teaches by demonstrating the pose first, and then likes to roam around the room to see that students are “getting it”. When difficulty arises, she tries making use of the various props or making gentle, hands- on adjustments when necessary.

The classes follow a natural progression of warm up, deeper intensity, and then a final relaxation at the close of each class. A restorative yoga class is offered every 6-8 weeks. Restorative yoga uses lots of blankets to support the body lying in various ways to reach deep levels of relaxation.