Restorative Yoga: Restorative yoga features restful and semi-active poses aimed at restoring vital energy of the body, stilling the mind, calming the nerves, and boosting organic and immune function. The poses are held for the maximum amount of time to allow full circulation of blood flow through the body, usually between 3-5 minutes, but occasionally longer. In order to accommodate the long holds, the poses are supported and assisted as much as possible with the use of props. Although the focus of this type of practice is on resting and soothing the breath, nerves, and mind, some of the poses (even seemingly simple poses) present very real and very deep physical openings which can be intense and challenging. It is also not unusual to have strong emotional reactions to this type of practice. As with all yoga practice, but particularly with restorative yoga, it is important to learn how to stay with the pose long enough to figure out how to receive the benefits of the pose, but without causing injury. It is for this reason that it is very important to enter the poses so that they are only mildly challenging at the beginning. If after 2 or 3 minutes in the pose the challenge has dissipated or is insufficient, the pose can always be moved into a little deeper. As with all yoga practice, but particularly in restorative yoga, it is much better for the pose to be a little too easy at the beginning and held for the entire duration of time than to enter a pose that becomes too intense to bear after only one or two minutes; especially when the student is learning his or her limits.

Michael’s classes are based on and planned around a theme or related set of themes regardless of the particular type of class (explained below). The themes are usually established in the first centering pose and based on a physical action, an aspect of the movement of the breath, and/or a yogic principle. The class is built around a family of poses sequenced toward a “peak pose”, usually the most advanced pose of the day, and each pose reaffirms the theme. In this way, students begin to experience that the benefits of the various asanas can change depending on how they are sequenced and where and how attention is placed while in the poses. Often, the same pose or sequence of poses can be used for very different effects which change with the internal actions and emphasis, and even the speed at which the poses are moved into, held, and linked to the next posture. Occasionally, based on what is happening in the class that day, the plan changes to address the issues more relevant to the students in the class that day. Sometimes the theme is then dropped, and a new class plan emerges; at other times a connection is made between the intended theme and the “new” plan. Beginners and students new to Adaptive Yoga can expect this basic format in all classes, no matter whether it is a restorative, power, vinyasa, alignment, or hatha class.

Sanskrit names and English translations of the classical poses are used interchangeably throughout all of the classes to honor the tradition from which they come, and because many of the Sanskrit names have dual or triple meanings, which when explained, add a richness to the practice much in the same way that a musician uses Italian terminology, or a Karate adept uses Japanese. The use of chanting at the beginning and end of each class as well as the use of Sanskrit names for poses and movements throughout enlivens the history of the practice and is in no way intended to impose religious conversion, though it must be understood that as a living practice, these traditions give yoga a base from which to flourish in a modern world.

See the Schedule and Workshops pages to find Adaptive Yoga classes of all five types taught by Michael within Montreal, or contact to schedule Michael for a private session, workshop, retreat, or guest engagement.

Power Yoga: A fitness model term used to refer to a yoga practice that is very physically active and gives the body a full “workout”. This type of class can include long active holds of poses, repetitions, or several poses linked together in short holds and synchronized with the breath (vinyasa), and most often a combination of all three. Power yoga emphasizes strength and stability over flexibility, though the two poles can never be totally separated. Generally, Power yoga is intended for athletes and younger individuals who already have a fairly high level of fitness, but is also suitable for people of all ages in relatively good health who need strength and overall conditioning.

Vinyasa Yoga: This is a flowing style of class where any number of poses are linked together in short holds (sometimes as short as only part of an exhale or inhale) coordinated with the breath and develops a balance between stability and flexibility and tests the accuracy with which the body is able to execute the poses. Although Vinyasa yoga can be taught at any level, Adaptive Yoga reserves fully flowing classes for students who already have a clear and deep understanding of alignment and correct action, as the speed and repetition of vinyasa flow can leave one vulnerable to injury if a strong base has not yet been established. Vinyasa yoga is fun, though, and can break up the stagnancy of long hold practices, as well as invigorating the body/mind to defeat mental dullness and physical lethargy (see Ayurveda).

Alignment Yoga: All Adaptive Yoga classes focus on alignment, but alignment classes naturally emphasize it more fully. These classes can be seen as primers, and the principles learned can be applied to all aspects of yoga practice. Because alignment is the primary emphasis here, it is not unusual to stop and start, doing a pose once, watching a demonstration or listening to an explanation of an aspect of alignment and how that affects the body/mind, and then doing the pose again to experience and apply what has been seen or heard so that the principle is integrated and learned not merely intellectually, but also viscerally.

Hatha Yoga: In the west, Hatha Yoga is usually understood to mean gentle yoga. One translation of the Sanskrit word Hatha is a breaking up of the root words “Ha” and “Tha” which mean sun and moon respectively, and implies the bringing together and creating harmony of all opposites. This is a very suitable definition, as the word yoga itself means yoking or union. Thus, Hatha Yoga is the yoking of opposites to find union or oneness. As far as asana goes, that can mean bringing right and left sides of the body into unison, balancing vigor and rest, or merging of body and mind (seen as opposites in the modern and western world). Another definition of the word “Hatha”, however, is “force” and implies discipline and a certain degree of resistance against one’s will, physical or mental. Sometimes force is needed to create balance, since movement toward one pole of any opposite tends to continue in that direction and some will or force is necessary to begin movement toward the other pole to strike balance between the two. This could not be more true in the modern world, where the frenetic pace of daily life creates a situation where one “cannot relax” and it takes a certain degree of force or conscious effort to schedule time to rest and renew. Paradoxically, going to a gentle Hatha class will be an exercise in inducing force just to get there! That being said, Hatha yoga can be very vigorous, easy and gentle, or most often within Adaptive Yoga, a combination of gentle, vigorous, repetitions, long holds, and vinyasas within the same class.