The Brooklyn Papers / Greg Mango

Tools

Print this story

Facebook this

Tweet this

Digg this

Del.icio.us

Email to a friend

Your name

Your email address

Recipients’ email addresses (Up to ten, separated by commas.)

Teachers at DUMBO’s new Noodle Yoga want you to experience the mind and body benefits of yoga for yourself - and they’ll let you do it for free on April 6 in their 1,700-square-foot facility.

The hour-long class, taught by creative director Nadia Block (pictured in the Sirsasana pose), is specifically designed for those with little or no yoga experience and also for individuals interested in learning more about the Noodle Yoga philosophy and facilities.

A native Park Sloper, Block told GO Brooklyn that "yoga is a great counter to our busy New York lifestyle."

"Our philosophy is to offer non-competitive, safe, fun, creative and challenging classes," said Block, 38, who started practicing yoga in 1990, at the age of 23, when she was living in California.

"I was curious what this thing called yoga was all about," said Block, adding that she was initially embarrassed to do some of the poses. "But I could not believe how great my body felt afterwards," she added.

After studying yoga for close to a decade on the West Coast with distinguished teachers like Shiva Rea and Seane Corn, while pursuing a career in graphic design, Block relocated back to New York to teach yoga full time. A certified instructor and a registered Yoga Alliance professional, she teaches vinyasa yoga, a style that combines breathing and movement. The postures are connected through breathing, creating strength, flexibility and balance.

"Yoga strengthens the whole body by using its own weight to build strength," said Block.

"I used to be all about cardio," she said. "Now I am all about yoga. I rarely do anything else."

But she added that the stretch benefits of yoga are a great counter to cardiovascular training and partner up well with exercises such as running, which compress the body.

"I have students who say that [yoga] has helped them with tennis or their golf game," Block said.

The free "Fundamentals of Yoga" class will be offered on April 6 at 6:30 pm at Noodle Yoga, located on the second floor of 31 Washington St. at Water Street, in studio No. 4. For further information, call (718) 624-5525 or visit www.noodleyoga.com on the Web.

©2005 Community Newspaper Group