Classes

Downtown Iowa City Yoga Classes

Classes are offered for all experience levels, ages, and fitness levels. Our studio is based on 10 week sessions, however walk-ins are always welcome in any class.

If you’ve never done yoga before, please enroll with our Brand New Beginners Series!

• Heartland teachers are skilled in offering modifications so all participants in the class can have a fulfilling practice. We believe you should listen to the wisdom of your own body and approach classes at the pace, and with the props, most appropriate for you.
• All of the classes currently offered are all levels classes, meaning they are appropriate for all students, not matter ability level or experience. Modifications are provided so both beginners and experienced yogis alike are able to have a deep and fulfilling practice.

Heartland Yoga Studio offers a variety of yoga styles, some of which are not available at other local studios.

We hope you join us for a class! Following yoga, sip tea and meet others to help build and support our yoga community in the heartland of Iowa City.

For accessibility, we have provided two free guided practices on relaxation, breath & movement below. Password “Namaste”.

Relaxation: https://vimeo.com/340708497

Breath & movement: https://vimeo.com/340708866

Cost is $49 for 4 classes. We recommend trying to take the classes 4 weeks in a row. However, if you miss one of the weeks, you can make up that class anytime during the next month.

Breath + Movement 

Come as you are to this alignment- oriented class. Explore the relationship between your breath and movement while finding your center through Yogic philosophy. Pranayama (breath work). Free form movement and meditation will be incorporated in this 75 minute class. Bring respect for the sacredness of your body and this community.

No experience necessary. All levels welcomed.

Alignment Flow

Flow through poses at a slow to moderate pace with specific focus on alignment as a way to safely attain balance, strength, and flexibility.

Props may be used as a way to open and increase your body’s potential.  Each class tends to work with a theme and/or a focus on a specific aspect of the practice (such as hip openers, twists, inversions, backbends etc).

As you learn the basics of alignment, you can experience greater stability and comfort, not only in the body, but also the mind.

Para Yoga

ParaYoga is a holistic and authentic approach to modern yoga. Rooted in Tantra, Ayurveda and Classical Yoga, ParaYoga was founded by Yogarupa Rod Stryker.

In class, dynamic asana is woven with pranayama, chanting, visualization, bandhas, and meditation as a way to increase the flow of prana (vital life force), shift your mind state, and bring you more into balance.  The goal in each ParaYoga class is to cultivate energetic balance, illumination and inner brilliance, and a remembrance of your True Nature.

Fannie’s classes are physically challenging, but modifications are available for all levels.

Community Yoga

The class is donation based…pay what you can.

“Recovery is the bridge between who you were and who you are.”

There are multiple ways to check-out from the present moment (caffeine, sugar consumption, over/under eating, drugs and alcohol, Facebook, gambling, sex, shopping and/or continuous connection to your phone).  Checking-out causes a sense of separation from ourselves and others. Addiction is the ultimate form of disconnection and separation.

Yoga, on the other hand, is about connection. Through the exploration of breath, meditation, and movement this class will offer the opportunity to reconnect to yourself within a community of folks who desire the same.

This class is open to all body types, recovery paths, and abilities. Donation based. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Q-munity Yoga for LGBTQ Community

With Natalie Fixmer-Oraiz and Leah Allen.  Engage in community building and self-care while practicing all levels, life affirming yoga with other queer, radical, gender creative, and otherwise non-conforming folk. As an offering to/for our community, a sliding scale donation is requested of those who are able ($5-15 per class.)

Ananda Yoga

Ananda Yoga for Higher Awareness is classic mediation & yoga teachings brought to the West by Paramhansa Yogananda in 1920.

With a focus on relaxation and meditation one can expect to leave class:

• Feeling centered and energized
• Develop a personal practice and understanding of traditional yoga teachings
• Learn to use breath and yoga postures to improve concentration
• Positively change your brain

This class combines Restorative postures in a calming and rejuvenating practice. It is ideal for stress relief, provides an excellent balance with other forms of yoga and exercise, and is effective in preparing practitioners for meditation. It is appropriate for beginning and seasoned yogis alike, as all postures can easily be adapted to fit the individual.

Breath + Movement

Come in for a 60 minute mid week boost. Class will be a blend of gentle movement, flow, breath work (Pranayama), restorative poses and savasana.  Leave feeling rested and refreshed. All levels are welcomed.

Slow Flow & Restorative

This class—set to healing music—will flow through sun salutations, standing poses, seated poses, and end with a soothing restorative pose. You will work your entire body, clear and calm your mind, and leave feeling more balanced and refreshed for your day. This is the perfect fun noon activity to slip into your day! All levels of students are welcome.

Gentle Yoga & Restorative

Half gentle yoga and half restorative yoga. This is a great class if you need to learn how to slow down; or if you have fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, or an injury. It’s also just a FEEL GOOD yoga class to relax your body and mind. You will feel nourished and cared for from head to toe!

Mindful Flow

Mindful Flow is a moving meditation, helping students to link breath with movement, deepen bodily awareness through good alignment, and build strength and flexibility. Pranayama (breath work) and seated meditation may also be included.

Class begins with centering followed by warm up with floor postures and then working into sun salutations and standing poses, including inversions and balance postures. We wind down with seated and supine poses, and end with a long savasana. The class may include guided visualizations, pranayama, or both.

All levels of students are welcome.

Sound Bath & Restorative Yoga

The stress-melting sound bath will include various instruments. After gentle and restorative yoga to help you settle, you will relax to the healing frequencies and vibrations of Tibetan Singing bowls and gong, frosted crystal bowls and tuning forks. This class will release deep layers of tension in your physical and energetic body, helping you to return to a calmer, clearer state.

Vinyasa Flow

The first half of class will be an inspiring vinyasa slow-flow that will build on traditional Sun/Moon Salutations. As always, modifications will be offered, and creating your own flow, at your own pace (i.e. skipping plank, cobra, etc. in favor of something more nurturing for your own body) will be encouraged. Class will flow to music and gentle adjustments will be offered.

This will prepare us for the second half of class, where we’ll settle into stillness, using supportive props for maximum relaxation. An eclectic mix of meditation, mudras, and breath work will also be included.

Who is this class for?

This class is well suited for anyone interested in a well-balanced, 75-minute retreat, with openness to a physical and mental challenge. This class will leave you feeling like you accomplished a sufficient physical practice, while also feeling rested, refreshed, and focused to smoothly transition into your week.

Kripalu Yoga and Meditation

Jennifer infuses her signature gentle yoga with clear instruction, humor, community, and the never-ending invitation to listen to Self. Trained in the Kripalu tradition, she believes that “The highest spiritual practice is self-observation without judgment.” You are your own greatest teacher, and yoga is your opportunity to reconnect to this wisdom.  Each class will be twined with a guided meditation.

Gentle Hatha

In this gentle class based on Classical Hatha Yoga theory and practice, we will take time to slow down. Pausing to center ourselves and practice with full awareness, we will build flexibility, strength and balance of not only body, but mind.

Classes will include pranayama (breathwork), joint opening stretches, asana (postures), relaxation and meditation. We will also explore how to apply yoga’s ancient wisdom to modern life. Appropriate for all levels.

Kundalini Yoga

Currently, our Kundalini teacher is not teaching weekly classes but will continue teaching workshops and playing gong baths at our special events.

Like other yoga classes, a Kundalini class challenges you in the studio to better enable you to face the challenges in your life off the mat, but a Kundalini class may include breath-work, mudras, mantras, and postures that you may never do in any other yoga class.

How is it different from other types of yoga?

It is known as the “Mother Yoga,” as it contains all aspects of yoga, including: postures, breath, mantra, meditation, and relaxation. In Kundalini Yoga all kriyas and meditations have been time tested by ancient yogis – the teacher is not making it up on their own! There are over 5,000 kriyas and over 8,000 meditations so you may never have the same class twice!

Why does my teacher wear white and cover their head?

White contains all colors and causes the aura or the energy body that surrounds us to expand by 8 feet, so in each class, you will notice your teacher typically wears white.  Kundalini yoga teachers also wear something on their head to protect the 7th chakra or energy center at the crown of the head.  Most of you know that by covering your head in the cold you trap the heat from escaping out of your head, and this is a similar concept.

What should I expect from a Kundalini yoga class?

Come prepared for a class of movement, chanting, breathing and meditation.  Classes can be anywhere from soothing and relaxing, to vigorous and energizing – you will never have the same class twice!

Do I have to be experienced to take a Kundalini class?

No previous yoga experience necessary, beginners are welcome in any class.