In all Yoga, we turn our senses inward and focus on our breath, shifting our focus to the present. This provides relaxation by bringing our nervous system to the "rest and digest" state rather than the "fight or flight," decreases heart rate & blood pressure, and slows down our breath. This helps restore our body, bring calmess to our mind. We also bring awareness to how our body feels. We may notice we have a lot more tension in our body than we realize that could be causing us pain. Do you ever notice if you clench your jaw, tense your shoulders foward, grab the steeringwheel too tight? This can contribute to not only muscle fatigue, but doing this chronically can contribute to increased stress and pain. Yoga allows us to focus on releasing that tension in each class, and provide techniques for being aware of our habitual tension tendenacies, to provide relief on a daily basis...not just in yoga class!

Increases strength Improves balance, posture and flexibility Prevents disease Improves lung capacity Prevents and improves digestive problems Builds awareness and mindfullness and compassion Improves sleeping habbits/problems with sleep Reduces anxiety/stress/depression and increases overall happiness Improves your focus Lowers blood sugar and blood pressure Helps to maintain a healthy lifestyle Improves immune system Betters your blood flow Prevents disease

Yoga slows down the mental loops of frustration, regret, anger, fear, and desire that can cause stress. Stress is implicated in so many health problems—from migraines and insomnia to lupus, MS, eczema, high blood pressure, and heart attack-. Yoga can provide relief from the hustle and bustle of modern life. Turning inward of the senses in yoga provides downtime for the nervous system. Another by-product of a regular yoga practice, studies suggest, is better sleep—which means you'll be less tired and stressed and less likely to have accidents. One study found that a consistent yoga practice improved depression and led to a significant increase in serotonin levels and a decrease in the levels of monoamine oxidase (an enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters) and cortisol. As you practice yoga, you begin to notice where you hold tension: It might be in your tongue, your eyes, or the muscles of your face and neck. If you simply tune in, you may be able to release some tension in the tongue and eyes. With bigger muscles like the quadriceps, trapezius, and buttocks, it may take years of practice to learn how to relax them. Yoga encourages you to relax, slow your breath, and focus on the present, shifting the balance from the sympathetic nervous system (or the fight-or-flight response) to the parasympathetic nervous system. The latter is calming and restorative; it lowers breathing and heart rates, decreases blood pressure, and increases blood flow to the intestines and reproductive organs

It seems these days everyone has digestive problems! With the amount of additives, processing and "bad stuff" in our food, digestive problems have become extremely common. Aside from cutting out these foods from our diet, yoga is a fantastic way to provide relieft to our overworking digestive system. For starters, all yoga classes usually combine some form of twisting poses and compression poses to the digestive tract. By constricting blood flow for a moment or two, and then allow blood to rush back quickly, we help increase the digestive tract to get rid of waste products quicker. Other poses, such as Balasana (Childs Pose) are great for relieving gas! And all forms of physical exercise increase motitily through the diegestive tract, helping to relieve constipation. As well, we know ulcers, constipation, diarrhea and even IBS can be exacerabted and caused by stress. If you stress less, you suffer less! And since yoga is such a fantastic stress reliever (see section titled 'Stress Relief'), it can be great at helping to relieve or even get rid of these symtoms and suffering!

Yoga contributes to building stronger muscles and preventing cartilage and joint breakdown. Improving our muscular strength can protect us from conditions like arthritis and back pain, and help prevent falls. Joint cartilage is like a sponge; it receives fresh nutrients only when its fluid is squeezed out and a new supply can be soaked up. Yoga asanas take your joints through a range of motion to help bring fresh nutrients to those joints and cartilage. Yoga improves poor posture that may be contributing to back, neck, and other muscle and joint problems. As you slump, your body may compensate by flattening the normal inward curves in your neck and lower back. This can cause pain and degenerative arthritis of the spine. Yoga can prevent and even help correct this. Yoga can help ward off or slow down osteoporosis. Most yoga classes throw in some weight-bearing postures that can help build bone strength. Yoga may also lower the stress hormone cortisol thereby helping keep calcium in the bones. Yoga can decrease blood clots that may contribute to DVT's, risk of stroke and risk of heart attacks. Yoga improves entire body blood flow and circulation (especially to extremeties), as well as boosting levels of hemoglobin and red blood cells, which carry fresh oxygen to the tissues. Certain postures such as inversions can help bring venous blood from the legs and pelvis to flow back to the heart, where it can be pumped to the lungs to be freshly oxygenated. Yoga can help boost immunity to prevent sickness and disease. Yoga increases the drainage of lymph fluid, thereby disposing of toxic waste products quickly. As well, yoga can help reduce the amount of cortisol in our blood (a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands in response to stress) If your cortisol levels stay high regularly,it can compromise the immune system. High cortisol levels have also been found to cause certain food seeking behaviors that drive you to eat when you're upset, angry, or stressed. The body takes those extra calories and distributes them as fat, contributing to weight gain and the risk of diabetes and heart attack. Regular yoga can lower blood sugar levels by lowering cortisol and adrenaline levels, and improving sensitivity to the effects of insulin, thereby reducing our risk of diabetes, or even helping to maintin proper insulin levels in those who already have diabetes. Yoga encourages a healthy lifestyle in general. As stated, regular practice will get you moving and burn calories. The spiritual and emotional dimensions of your practice may inspire you to become a more conscious and mindful eater, thereby improving the nutrients, vitamins and minerals in your body to help fight disease and infection. Diet is a major contributor to overall disease and bad health. Yoga also can lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol and boosts HDL ("good") cholesterol, contributing to better overall cholesterol levels. Are you one of many who suffer from high blood pressure? High blood pressure increases our risk to heart attacks, strokes and blood clots. Yoga can help with that too! The focus on the breath, and relaxation found in yoga classes helps reduce blood pressure. You may also learn relaxation techniques in class that you can bring into your every day life to help reduce your blood pressure even more! Yoga can help prevent and reduce depression! Regular yoga can lead to a significant increase in serotonin levels (hormones that tend to make us happy) and a decrease in the levels of cortisol (as explained above). Yoga also employs techniques for self-forgivness, focusing on the present, and relaxation, which all contribute to improving and preventing negative mental health. Our mental health is just as important as our physical health, and can easily be overlooked until it's too late (anxiety attacks, etc). Yoga is fantastic therapy! Yoga improves lung function and increases the excretion of toxins through our perspiration and increased breathing. You may find your allergies don't bother you as much with regular yoga practice. We practice deep breathing which helps contribute to the increase the maximum volume of the breath and the efficiency of the exhalation. Yoga also encourages exhalation through our nose which filters the air, warms it, and humidifies it, removing pollen and dirt and other things you'd rather not take into your lungs.

We may not think of this often, but mental health is just as important as physical heath. We really should practice on training our minds and our bodies. We may exercise to streghthen our heart and lungs, we stretch to streghten and relax our muscles, but what do we do for our mind? Anxiety: Yoga provides our mind with a rest from stimulation. It allows us to focus on our breath, and be in the present moment...this is a start to meditation. Yoga can be your meditation. Yoga can help our mental health in just as many ways as it can help our physical health. Yoga quiets the fluctuations of the mind by slowing down the loops of frustration, regret, anger, fear, and desire that can cause stress and anxiety by showing us how to quiet the mind. Depression: Regular yoga can lead to a significant increase in serotonin levels (hormones that tend to make us happy) and a decrease in the levels of cortisol (hormone released during stress). Yoga also employs techniques for self-forgivness, focusing on the present, and relaxation, which all contribute to improving and preventing negative mental health. Our mental health is just as important as our physical health, and can easily be overlooked until it's too late (anxiety attacks, etc). Yoga is fantastic therapy!

Yep, you heard me! Hard to believe that you can lose weight without running yourself dead tired...but it's true. How? Regular yoga builds muscle strength, which increases your body's ability to burn more calories while at rest. Certain Yoga classes help elevate your heart rate! An elevated heart rate while doing activity means your body is working harder than normal and needs more energy. Your body will use more calories as it's energy and continue to burn them after your heart rate has returned to it's resting state. Regular yoga can lower blood sugar levels by lowering cortisol and adrenaline levels, and improving sensitivity to the effects of insulin, thereby encouraging weight loss. Yoga encourages a healthy lifestyle in general. As stated, regular practice will get you moving and burn calories. The spiritual and emotional dimensions of your practice may inspire you to become a more conscious and mindful eater, and even encourage you to address any eating and weight problems on a deeper level. Yoga also can lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol and boosts HDL ("good") cholesterol, contributing to weight loss and maintaing healthy weight. Regular practice will help you sleep better! A restful sleep for longer periods can contribute to weight loss! Yoga encourages a turning inward of the senses, which provides downtime for the nervous system, helping to improve your sleep. When we are sad or depressed, our serotonin levels decrease and our cortisol levels increase (cortisol leads to fat production). Regular yoga practice has been shown to increase happiness and positivity, decreasing our cortisol levels and increasing our serotonin. Corisol is also secreted by the adrenal glads during stress. High cortisol has been found to cause certain food seeking behaviors that drive you to eat when you're upset, angry, or stressed. The body takes those extra calories and distributes them as fat, contributing to weight gain and the risk of diabetes and heart attack. Certain medications can cause weight gain. Regular yoga practice could solve many of your health problems that you take medications for, allowing you to be able to reduce the amount of medication you take (please consult with a health care practicioner before changing/reducing medications - this is not to be used and professional medical advice against your perscribing physcian) Do you have any weight concerns you are wondering if Yoga can help you with? Send me and email with your question and we can discuss!

There is ample, free parking in the driveway or on the street - please email for more specific information. Please try not to park in a neighbors driveway, or block anyones car :) Any questions, just ask!

First time students will need to arrive at least 15 minutes before hand so we can have an opportunity to make sure you are set up to have an amazing first class. We aim to start class on time, and it helps us out if our students arrive with time to spare. Otherwise for all returning students, the door to the studio opens 20 min before class and closes on time for class. You only need to arrive in enough time to change if need be, set up your mat and relax for a few minutes before we start. The studio is locked when class starts so unfortunately we can not admit late comers.

Our change room is equipped with shelves for you to leave your bags and coats but no lockers. We ask you to leave any valuables you are worried about in your car or at home. We have no showers, but a bathroom is available. There is a lost and found at the studio. We keep all water bottles, yoga mats and clothes for 4 weeks. Any items not claimed are donated.

We recommend familarizing yourself with our "New Student" section of our website Aditionally, please read through the FAQ If you would like any additional info for have any questions, please feel free to contact us anytime! Remember, it's just Yoga! Come join us for a class and have some fun and relax!

Wear clothing that you will not find restrictive. Shorts and tops designed for sport are best. Over time you will find what works best for you. We are barefoot in the studio, so no need for socks or shoes. We have a change room, and a place to leave your belongings, but not showers.

Email us to book your class, or just drop in! No need to buy memberships or packages! info.summairuyoga@gmail.com We save spots for drop in's at every class, and we allow you to book a class 1 week prior to class and up to 1hr before class. Drop In's: Please arrive 10 min before start of class Payment upon time of arrival by cash or email transfer only please Feel free to email studio to ask if space available, however this does not guarantee a spot. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Book Ahead's: 1. Email studio with class type, time & date you are wanting to attend 2. Studio will respond if space available in class, and information for payment ~Classes can be booked 1 week prior to class and up to 1hr before class ~Payment by email transfer only for pre-booking to guarantee spot ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *Please read terms and conditions of Summa Iru Yoga*

Our classes our slightly warmed (no don't worry, this is not hot yoga), as we want you to have a little detox, and get your body warmed for the poses, however our classes are great for most everyone with no medical conditions that could stop you from doing yoga. (Please read our Terms and Conditions and Liabilty Waiver first) As always, it is very important to speak to your physician prior to undertaking a new exercise program to make sure you do not have any underlying medical reasons that would restrict you from taking part in a heated class.

Please email us for address and specific directions :) info.summairuyoga@gmail.com

You are welcome to attend any one of our classes for your first time. We believe that we learn best from others, so every class will have a mix of brand new yogis to those who have been practicing for years. To have a great first class, prevent injury, and get the most out of it, please let the instructor know prior to class that it is your first class! If you are nervous about your first class, we have all been there! The Gentle Flow Class is ideal for those of us who are a little nervous and want to take things slower, spend more time in each posture, and just try things out! That being said, ANY class is great for beginners, it's just Yoga! Show up and have fun! Remember, everyone in the room has had that ‘first class’ experience, so we know what it is like! Sometimes, it may even be our first time trying certain poses together! There are always firsts to be had, you will never be the only one! Our classes also encourage a turning inward of the senses, therefore we attempt to remove factors that may contribue to our senses. We do not have mirrors in our class, we dim our lights, and we ecourage our students not to compare yourself to other students. New students may find solace in this for their first class :)

A large towel Water. Come hydrated to class Yoga mat Yoga block if your practice includes these If you are missing any or all of these we have limited supplies available at the studio. Each rental is $1.00 (proceeds go towards a new charity each month)

Please turn off cell phones and keep with belongings in change room. We observe silence in our studio before class starts, so please respect this. Please respect your fellow students space, and place your yoga mat at the provided spots. Please only come to class if you can stay for entire class, so as to not disrupt class to leave If you need to use the washroom during class, please make eye contact with instructor to ensure you are OK, and leave the room quietly so as to not disturb others. Please note, the studio is locked at the start of class, so late comers cannot be accomodated.

We have an age limit of 14 and above. We want everyone to be old enough to stay focused for the entire class so as not to distract other yogis. Anyone 17 years of age and younger will need to have a parent or guardian sign our liability waiver.

If you would like to get in touch with your instructor and provide a review, or any type of feedback, simply Contact Us, or email, or send us a message on Instagram or Facebook, and let us know! You can also post on our Facebook site :) We want to create a positive and compassionate community, and communication is a big key to this! If you enjoy your yoga classes and the studio, but feel you are missing something from your practice that you would like our studio or intructor to provide, please let us know so we can make your practice more benefical to yourself and others! Open communication is a top priority for us. And of course, if you have any positive feedback, please do tell us! We would love to hear from you!

Some may choose to have private yoga classes for a number of reasons! If you want to get a firm foundation and want one-on-one training, a private class is great for this. Others prefer to do Yoga in their own home on their own schedule, and can't always make it to a class, so a private yoga class that can come to your home is a bonus! Some business may want to offer a Yoga class to employees as part of a "stress reduction" program. Others have hosted parties or get togethers with friends and wanted to do yoga!

Of course not! We only need as much space as it takes to put down a yoga mat for the number of people doing yoga! In the summer we can even go outside! It's up to you! If you request a private class at our studio, we can only hold a max amount of 8 people comfortably. However, we have a big back yard in the summer and can host more!

The bonus of a private class is you can work with the instructor to decide what type of class you would like, and when. If you aren't sure what you are looking for, that's no problem! We can communicate and figure it out!

Private classes will generally be one hour in length, but this can be negotiable depending on what you are looking for and what your time constraints are!

It is best that only those participating in yoga be present in the area/room where yoga class is going on. Exception being young children. We just ask that the children be as quiet as possible.

We have a very limited supply of extra mats, props and towels. It is best if you have your own equipment to use, however if you are looking to try yoga before committing to the cost of set up, please let us know before class so we can bring a mat for you. It is best to supply your own water and towel. Each rental is $1.00 (proceeds go towards a local charity each month).

Nope! However it is important that the area be free from as many distractions as possible to allow yourself and your mind to be free of distractions and present in the moment. We bring you music, but if you prefer to play your own music thats fine too. You may set up the area/room in any way that suits you to be as comfortable and relaxed as possible.