Yoga

Domonick’s Yoga Library

Below you will find a list of class titles for various yoga themes so that you can pick a class that fits what you need today.  Each item denotes a clickable link that will download the class from my DropBox.  Once downloaded, you can replay the class as many times as you wish.

Class Donations

The library works on a donation basis. You may opt to donate for an individual class ($5 suggested donation), or for a monthly pass ($25 suggested donation) taking as many classes as you want for the month.  This is all up to you and done completely on an honor system.  If you are experiencing financial hardship, you can use this library for free or donate a nominal amount to honor our exchange.

I appreciate your support, as your donations help pay to maintain this site, the DropBox account that houses these videos, and my own continuing education as I pursue my doctorate in Clinical Psychology.

You can Venmo (@Domonick-Wegesin), PayPal using the link below or send a check to Domonick Wegesin @ 12 Shetland Ct., Oakland, 94605.  


 

Yogic Styles

There are two primary styles included below.  

Mindful Yoga Flow classes incorporate the tools of mindfulness into breath-based asana practice.  Some flows include the use of music and yogic choreography.  Body-wise, these classes help build your strength, balance and flexibility, as well as provide some cardiovascular toning.  Psychologically, these practices provide reminders of your mindfulness toolbox to help you feel more centered, calm and accepting of yourself, others, and your experience.

Gentle Yoga classes include restorative, hatha and yin approaches. The focus is on developing a gentle relationship with your body and the present moment.  Mindfulness and pranayama are key elements in these gentle classes.   

Mindful Yoga Flow Classes

Appreciation Yoga

Being in Flow

Yoga Tango

Shoulder Freedom

Shoulder and Hip Opening with Binds

Post-Travel Yoga

Lasso for Shoulder and Thoracic Mobility

Yoga for Hands and Wrists

Moon Salutation Flow

Strong Triceps and Shoulders

Thich Nhat Hanh Tribute Class

More Yoga with Abdominal Bracing 

Abdominal Bracing for Balance

Apana Vayu Grounding Yoga

Birthday Holiday Flow

Breath and Heart Flow

More Breath and Heart Flows

Dealing with Difficult Emotions

Limber Legs

Happy Hamstrings and Hips

Heart-Opening: Working into Wheel Pose

Ocean Flow

Let Go My Ego

Balance

Glorious Glutes

Working with Wrists

Impulse Control

Free Your Heart: Thoracic Opening

Triceps and Shoulders

Gentle Yoga Classes

Breath-Based Gentle Yoga for Relaxation

Deep Shoulder and Hip Opening with Binds

Gentle Approach to Breath Retentions

Stretches for Easy Breathing

Belly Breathing

Ujjayi Breathing

Back Chain: Hamstrings, Glutes and Low Back

Heart Opening

Neck and Shoulders

Building Concentration

Softening the Boulders in your Shoulders

Freeing Your Shoulders

More Shoulders

Thoracic and Shoulder Opening

Treating Trauma

Wrists and Hands

Happy Hips

Easy Twists with Calming Flows

 


Though I am no longer offering group yoga classes,
I continue to offer private sessions.


Benefits of Private Yoga Sessions with Domonick

Many of us start with group yoga classes, and find them beneficial.  However, there are times when private instruction is more helpful.

1. Focusing on Personal Goals

Private yoga lessons offer you the ability to focus on your personal concerns and goals.  Instead of following along with a genereal plan designed for a group setting, private lessons allow an individual to set specific goals and plans, such as your personal goals for flexibility, strength or stress reduction.

Domonick will assess your goals during the first session and create a personalized routine based on the information you provide.

2. Overcoming Health Concerns

Injuries and health concerns may make a normal yoga class impractical.  Domonick has a deep understanding of anatomy and physiology to help create a yoga program to help you deal with your injuries or limitations and to help avoid further complications or injury.  When rehabilitating an injury, you will often need to practice more than once a week to gain traction on the issue.  Domonick will help you design an appropriate sequence to practice more regularly at home.

3. Creating a Personalized Schedule

Yoga can only help us when we practice, but fitting group classes into our busy schedules can be a real challenge.  Private sessions with Domonick work around your personal schedule to allow more consistency in your practice.  You will also have the option of developing easy-to-follow sequences for home-practice, that you can fit in between your family, work and social obligations.

4. Developing Greater Mindfulness Through Yoga

Group classes usually lean towards more physical practice, but the greatest benefits of yoga come through the mental and emotional training of mindfulness.  In private sessions, Domonick will take more time to explore with you how to apply the tools of mindfulness into your physical practice to reap greater benefits in reducing your stress and anxiety.

5. Learning to Practice Safely

In private sessions, you will receive more hands-on adjustments to get the feeling of the proper alignment for each pose.  This reduces the risk of injury from repeated misuse or misalignment, as well as enhances the efficacy of the pose.

60-Minute Private Sessions are $100.  You can pre-pay with Paypal.


Abdominal Bracing vs. Abdominal Hollowing

For years, I learned (and taught) abdominal hollowing techniques. Abdominal hollowing engages the core by drawing in the rectus abdominus and transverse abdominus muscles to hollow out the belly area.  However, in the last year I discovered that sucking in the gut with strong abdominal engagement can actually decrease core stabilization. The act of hollowing will create an oblique position of the diaphragm and pelvic floor, increases lumbar lordosis and creates hyperactive spinal erectors and stresses the psoas. 

Instead of hollowing, I now teach abdominal bracing.  In abdominal bracing, you start with an inhale to engage the diaphragm, which pushes down into the abdominal cavity. Combine this with the resistance created by lifting the pelvic floor, and adding a moderate contraction of the entire abdominal wall, including front and side belly and low back. The key muscles of the abdominal wall are the obliques, transverse abdominus, rectus abdominis, spinal erectors, pelvic floor, and the lats.

Together, you create Intra Abdominal Pressure that acts like an air-filled mattress to support your low back.    

Remember that the diaphragm has to contract first and the abdominal wall second and not the other way around. Contracting the abdominal wall too early or too strongly prevents the diaphragm from descending and is therefore counterproductive to creating the abdominal brace.

This link will take you to a Zoom class I taught on applying the abdominal brace to create a stable and happy back.  


Online Zoom Teaching Schedule

Wednesday – 9:00 – 10:15 – Mindful Flow

Friday – 9:00 – 10:15 – Gentle Yoga

Saturday – 9:30 – 10:45 – Mindful Flow

$5 Discount – Please feel welcome to apply the code OPENER5 if it helps make the class more affordable for your current financial situation.
We will get through this TOGETHER.

Feel free to email with questions or to schedule an initial session.

Click here to fill out and send the First Session Form.