Dreamcatcher Movement and Wellness

6-week Spring to Summer session, Muscle Memory, In-person Farm Yoga, Yoga with Cats, Yoga with Possums, and Yoga on the Magnolia Terrace

The next 6-week Spring to Summer Session, May 13 - June 28

 

I hope each of you is enjoying the Spring season wherever you are in the world with the blooming trees, beautiful flowers, and warmer weather.

 

This week is the sixth week of our current 8-week Winter to Spring session that ends on May 3. I am enjoying seeing many of you from all over the world in our 'live' virtual and 'on demand' classes as we meet together on Zoom. As a reminder, every student receives the recording of each of their classes so they can be enjoyed as many times as desired for two weeks as your schedule allows, whether you attend the class 'live' virtually or 'on demand'.

 

After this week, there are only two weeks remaining in the current session so we need to begin thinking about our next 6-week Spring to Summer session which will be May 13 - June 28. If you plan to join me for the next 6-week session, please register as soon as possible to secure your spot.

 

Our 6-week Spring to Summer session will have 3-weeks of 'live' virtual and 'on demand classes from May 13 - 31. There will be an 'off' week in the middle of the session, June 3 - 7, and everyone will receive 2-weeks of all of the class recordings (14 classes total) to enjoy during this 'off' week. After the 'off' week, there will be 3-weeks of 'live' and 'on demand' classes from June 10 - 28.

 

Enjoy a variety of classes from anywhere in the world from the comfort and convenience of your home or workout space. You can join us at any time within a session and the cost will be prorated based upon the number of weeks remaining. The 6-week session of a class is $60 and includes a video recording of each class.

 

To register for any class or classes, as either a 'live' participant, as an 'on demand' asynchronous participant, or to purchase a flexible class pass for any number of classes for the next 6-week session, please email me: angela.irtci@verizon.net.

 

Here is the schedule of weekly classes:

 

Tuesdays - 7:00 am - Sunrise Yoga Chakra Flow

Tuesdays - 9:00 am - Row & Restore

Tuesdays 10:30 am - Chair Yoga for Longevity

Wednesdays - 9:00 am - RowFlow

Wednesdays - 10:30 am - Vinyasa Flow Yoga

Thursdays - 9:00 am - RowFit

Thursdays - 10:30 am - Surfset

 

All of the class times above are Eastern Time Zone (USA)

Muscle Memory ~ What does it mean and how can you use it?

 

It is not a fitness myth. There really is such a thing as muscle memory. Many of us refer to never forgetting how to ride a bike, spin a hula hoop around your waist, or throw a baseball as examples of 'muscle memory', but those skills actually stem from 'motor memory' which is another learning process. When you learn how to perform these movements well and can do them automatically without conscious thought, that information becomes encoded in the brain so that you still have the fundamental coordination that you initially learned.

 

When exercise physiologists talk about muscle memory, they are referring to the phenomenon where previously trained muscles acquire strength and size after a time period of disuse much more quickly than never-trained muscle do when starting from scratch. Research has shown that the changes actually persist in the muscles themselves and that, after nuclei in muscle cells multiply in response to training, those extra nuclei aren't lost during periods of inactivity. They're stored and retained in muscle fibers, waiting to be reactivated with the return to a movement pattern, workout, or exercise.

 

When you exercise, it's normal for muscle fibers to experience minor damage. This is how a muscle gets stronger since specialized dormant cells called satellite cells move to the site of the damage and insert more nuclei into the muscle fibers. These nuclei are the brains of the cells which allows the muscle to grow in size and strength. Even if you stop exercising for a significant period of time, the nuclei stay in place and accelerate the return to muscle growth with retraining and the restarting of your exercise or favorite movement practice.

 

The more you exercise, the more muscle memory savings you will have. Once you have those additional nuclei, they will remain in reserve and serve an an instruction manual for your muscle growth in size and strength. Researchers believe muscle memory is long lasting, and may even be permanent, with no age where it stops. Even in individuals, age 55 - 85, less than ten weeks of retraining are usually needed for the muscles to reach their maximum strength after three months of inactivity. How quickly you regain your former fitness depends on how fit you were initially, how long the inactive period is, how old you are, and how long you had been exercising to establish your muscle memory. The principles of muscle memory apply to both strength training with weights and aerobic endurance training such as rowing, cycling, or walking. Remember, it is never to late in life to begin exercising and establishing muscle memory.

 

If you ever need to experience a period of inactivity due to illness, injury, travel, or some unexpected life event . . . this should be encouraging since it means you're not starting from scratch when you begin to exercise again. You will immediately reawaken your muscle memory when you begin exercising and moving. Be sure to ease into your workouts, starting at a level of effort below what you were accustomed to doing, and then gradually increase duration, frequency, and intensity. You can regain your fitness with a moderately challenging effort. Don't try to go from zero to max effort too soon or you might injure yourself or burnout physically, mentally, or emotionally. Trust that your muscle memory, and the extra cellular nuclei in your muscle fibers, are still available for you as you return to exercise and movements you enjoy and bring you happiness.

 

To improve your skills with a particular sport such as rowing, tennis, or golf, focus more on how you can take advantage of the motor-neuron process using mental imagery to send messages to those neurons in the brain that activate when you enjoy that specific movement pattern. It can be helpful to watch videos of yourself or others enjoying the sport or activity since this will activate the mirror neurons in your brain. When you watch movement patterns, neutrons in your brain will activate as if you were enjoying the movement yourself. This means that watching Yoga pose flows, rowing, or any sport will turn on the neurons in your brain that activate when you yourself are enjoying the movement.

 

Think of muscle memory as the payoff for all of the past work you have put into learning a movement pattern, a specific exercise, activity, or sport . . . boosting your aerobic capacity and endurance, or building muscle and strength. The best way to tap into your muscle memory is to just move or exercise again and remember to be patient and safe while easing back into a routine that feels good for your body.

Hope & Serenity Farm Sanctuary Yoga ~ Friday, June 14 ~ 10:00 am

 

Join me on Friday, June 14 for Yoga at Hope & Serenity Farm Sanctuary in Nokesville, VA at 10:00 am. Enjoy an amazing Yoga class with a variety of incredible and sweet animals . . . pigs, donkeys, cats, llamas, guinea pigs, bunnies, chickens, horses, turkeys, alpacas, dogs, cows, cats, sheep, and goats.  Our Yoga class will be on a gorgeous grass area, under shade trees overlooking the rolling fields, with the animals visiting us as they wish to benefit from our peaceful Yoga energy and mindful movement linked to our breath.

 

This beautiful farm sanctuary is the perfect place to enjoy Yoga, mindfulness, and the peaceful presence of these wonderful animals who have been given a chance to live their best lives surrounded by love and compassion.

 

The cost is $30 which includes a 1-hour Yoga class, a 2-hour tour of the farm with animal education, and free time to enjoy interacting with the animals with lots of cuddling, petting, and love. Your registration supports the mission of the farm sanctuary and helps cover the costs to provide continuous care for the animals. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy an amazing time on an incredible farm sanctuary.

 

Free childcare with fun activities on the farm will be provided for children age 3 and above.

 

The class size is limited and pre-registration is required. To register and secure your spot, please email me at: angela.irtci@verizon.net 

 Yoga with Cats ~ Friday, July 19 ~ 10:30 am

 

Join me for our next Yoga with Cats class at Patriot Pawsabilities, a cat lounge near the GMU campus in Fairfax, on the morning of Friday, July 19 and enjoy time with lots of cats and kittens.

 

The cost of the class is $20 and includes a wonderful 1- Yoga class with cats and kittens cuddling with you and playing around our mats as well as an hour after class to continue enjoying time with the cats and kittens while socializing with the other participants. Feel free to bring a snack or packed lunch and your favorite beverage to enjoy as you play and cuddle with the cats and kittens while socializing with the other participants.

 

Your registration supports the mission of Patriot Pawsabilities to provide love, care, feeding, and veterinary services to the cats and kittens being fostered there while they await their forever homes. Space is limited to only 12 students so please be sure to secure your spot as soon as possible.

Yoga with Possums ~ Friday, August 23 ~ 10:30 am

 

Join me for our next Yoga with Possums class at Possum-bilities, an adorable shop and gallery, as well as the home of Awesome Possumz, in downtown Fredericksburg, VA.

 

The cost of the class is $20 and includes a wonderful 1- Yoga class with a focus on the powerful opossum symbolism within the Powhatan tribes who first lived in Virginia, a meet and greet with an ambassador opossum, and a door prize raffle ticket. Several other animals will likely be present during our Yoga class.

 

Your registration supports the mission of Awesome Possumz to provide rescue, rehabilitation, feeding, and veterinary services to the many opossums being cared for. Space is limited so please be sure to secure your spot as soon as possible.

Yoga on the Magnolia Terrace ~ Saturday, April 27 and May 18 ~ 8:00 and 9:30 am

 

Join me for Yoga on the beautiful Magnolia Terrace at the historic Carlyle House in Old Town Alexandria on one Saturday each month.

 

Enjoy a 1-hour outdoor Yoga class overlooking the beautiful historic gardens at either 8:00 am or 9:30 am on Saturday, April 27 and Saturday, May 18.

 

There is an amazing Farmers Market every Saturday morning until noon at the Market Square across the street from the Carlyle House in the heart of Old Town Alexandria and free parking is available in the parking garage under the Market square.

 

Pre-registration is encouraged since the classes usually fill to capacity. The cost is $10 and you can register at: https://www.novaparks.com/parks/carlyle-house-historic-park/events

Please visit my website here
angela.irtci@verizon.net
571-225-2397

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