Pour + Restore
What is pour + restore? So glad you asked!
It’s a candle workshop at your favorite West Branch candle studio, plus a gentle restorative yoga class in the National State Park down the street. You’ll gain the basics of candle making and create a custom 9oz candle in the first hour, plus a gentle outdoor yoga session during the second hour. And, it’s all lead by me (Erika) at the same price as a typical Candle Pour Bar!
So if you don’t know my background… Movement had always been an important part of my self expression. I had received my BFA in dance before attending grad school for education. Then in 2012, I trained to become a 200 RYT which stands for 200 hour registered yoga teacher. Those letters are a certification designation meaning you have gone through the proper coaching to teach others. At the time, we were living and working in Missouri and on the side I was teaching ballet at a local performing arts center and had been a certified Barre instructor. I began teaching yoga at the sweetest studio, and continued teaching yoga when we returned to Iowa. I’ve always been a fan of teaching a very simple series of movements for a gentle yoga class. It’s one you can modify if you need some adjustments, or add to and make more challenging for your own practice. It focuses on breathing and calming down your nervous system, while allowing the individual to choose how they want to approach the sequence.
So while I love moving, the last few years have been quite challenging for my body and mind. After an EDS diagnosis in 2017 then two pregnancies, my focus had to go towards pain management. After my youngest was born, I could barely walk up the stairs and I was looking at a hip surgery. I gained strength with physical therapy, but I cut out all yoga for fear of over stretching and tearing. The last year has been a weird road. My movement journey is still just that. A journey. Some days are really good, and others I sublimated and pop a rib out of place because of my hip positioning and core. The physical pain ebbs and flows. The mental limit and fear of injuring myself again has been the more difficult hurdle. But I began to move again. Not like I use to. Modified to what feels good to me at this stage. And I began using my yoga sequence. And I feel ready to share it with you.
I had been talking to our wonderful State Park rangers about trying yoga in the park, and we are going to give it a go! We’ll do one try in June and one try in July. If you like it, maybe we’ll add some more while the weather is beautiful. Or go all in and just do a fall yoga series. I love to experiment and try things out, so let me know what you think.
And as a side note - if the weather stinks during our class, the rain plan is that we will stay in studio and have fun. We can move a bit (I have lead chair yoga) or just enjoy our time together.
What questions do you have about pour + restore? Let me know!
Pour + Restore | Friday, June 28 6-8pm
@turaluraco | 109 N Downey St. in West Branch, IA
