Affordable Yoga Classes in Orlando

               (class descriptions by Candice Mitchell)

Don’t let this picture fool you! Nobody wants you to tie yourself into a pretzel (unless you’re a hopeless show-off like me, of course… then we have options for you).

And no, yoga doesn’t have to be expensive–community centers make it possible.

I’m doing nothing but yoga to stay fit. But this is not your run-of-the mill yoga class! I think it’s working so well for me because we’re always addressing different muscle groups with targeted strength and stretch exercises.

Right here in downtown Orlando, at the beautiful Marks Street Recreation Center, we have a great location, and a wonderfully talented, compassionate teacher in Candice Mitchell.
You just walk in, drop your ten dollar bill on the table, and you’re good to go. If it’s the first time, please come in a little early to fill out a release form.

Evenings: Mondays and Thursdays 5:45-7pm
Mornings: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, 9:15-10:30am.

One of the best decisions in my life was to block my schedule for the morning classes at Marks Street, three times per week.
Today I’m more strong and flexible than when I was 18!

 

Here is an overview of Candice Mitchell‘s yoga classes at Marks Street, written by Candice herself.

These classes are all levels, all ages, which means that ALL ARE WELCOME.
It’s best if you’re able to get on the floor and back up again without help, but that’s pretty much the only requirement. To truly meet the classification of “all levels”, Candice provides modifications for those with health concerns and variations for those who wish for more challenging options. We had a class with a 17-year-old next to a 90-year-old!

No class is ever so rigid that we are unable to refine our course, but each class has a certain theme.
The themes help you choose which classes fit your current needs.

Though the concepts remain the same each month, every class is different so that your physical practice continues to improve and your mind is interested.

No prior yoga knowledge is necessary. If you don’t have a mat, don’t let that stop you! All props will be provided and you will be advised on how to use them. Please dress comfortably. All fitness levels and ages are welcome and encouraged.

Strength-Building Mondays 5:45-7 pm:

Mondays are dedicated to confronting our complacence. We might work toward an intermediate/advanced pose or we might focus on strengthening a specific area of the body. This class is designed to challenge its participants, who leave perhaps a little more “glowing” (read: sweating!) than they arrived.

Tuesday and Thursday Intensives 9:15-10:30am:

Tuesday and Thursday morning classes at Marks Street are adventurous and intensive explorations of the following topics: Hips, Core, Retraining the Glutes, Endurance, Flow, Flexibility, Balance, and Using the Wall.

Here’s a more detailed description on what you encounter once each month on a Tuesday or Thursday morning:

Hip Hip Hooray!

We address the three compartments of our hips: Front (psoas), Inner (groin), and Outer/Back (hip rotators). The class is a combination of stretching and strengthening to improve the integrity and function of our hips and to encourage a full 360-degree range of motion.

Finesse Your Core

First and foremost, we develop core AWARENESS. Using breathing and visualization techniques, we learn to activate without gripping and release without neglecting. We explore the utilization of core activation in yoga poses: When do we use our core and to what degree? And then, I’m not going to lie: We. Work. Our. Cores. Obliques, Rectus Abdominalis, Lower Abdominals, Psoas… they’re all going to feel it.

2-Minute Yoga

Endurance in yoga is developed in one of two ways: Either you hold the pose for longer than you’d prefer to or you perform a sequence of poses for a progressively longer number of repetitions or minutes. In 2-Minute Yoga, we develop our endurance by holding strength-building poses for up to… you guessed it… 2 minutes! As there are a great number of poses to choose from, you’ll never see the same class twice, but you will find your strength and impulse control markedly improved over time.

Go With The Flow

And the other side of the Building Endurance coin: Two-Minute Yoga’s partner-in-crime Go With The Flow. A Sun-Salutation-based class, we weave through strong standing poses, fun sequencing, followed by a cool-down with seated stretches, relaxation and breath work. Spoiler Alert: You may see some yoga breakdancing and even take home some party tricks!

Butt Yoga!

Ahem… the official name of this class is “Retraining Your Glutes”. But it IS affectionately known as “Butt Yoga”. Through these classes, (while perking up our backsides as an added… asset), we discover the role of our gluteals in standing, walking, and yoga. Instead of knowing only an “on” and “off” function, we retrain this muscle group by focusing on “the bottom of the bottom” and “the top of the hamstrings”. Intrigued? You should be…

Functional Stretching

To truly build flexibility, we must hold poses for longer than just a few breaths. In this delightfully introspective class, we go the extra distance and hold each pose for one, two or three minutes. Sometimes the class is Yin Yoga-based, sometimes it will focus on one tight area, and sometimes we work in dynamic stretching for an all-around toes-to-nose stretch fest. Ahhh!

Improve Your Balance

“Am I supposed to use a chair when I balance?” “Is it normal for one leg to have better balance than the other?” “What if I have weak ankles?” All the questions you ever wanted to ask in a yoga class when the teacher said, “Tree Pose!” but were afraid to ask. We’ll talk about the roles of your feet, your eyes, your internal awareness of where you are in space, your core and MORE when it comes to balance.

The Wall Is Your Friend

Walls: They’re for more than hiding our Upward-Facing behinds from the general public while in a yoga class. In this class we see in them the qualities we see in good friends: supportive, providing a frame of reference, and providing a healthy sense of opposition when we need one. Though they won’t pick up the phone in the middle of the night after you’ve been stood up on a blind date, you WILL discover that walls can make your Crescent Pose feel grounded and more effective in stretching your psoas and that they help create even more back strength in Cobra. So, yeah. Almost exactly like a good friend.

Stress-Relieving Thursdays 5:45-7pm:

Ahh… an oasis to replenish your energy as you near the end of the workweek. You’ll be recharged with non-demanding floor stretches, breathing, and meditation, but also find some blood-pumping challenges!

Flow Saturdays 9:15-10:30am: It’s a yoga party!

Rise and Shine! We’ll have you glowing and flowing by lunch. These fun and playful classes use Sun Salutations to link standing and seated postures, sometimes accompanied by upbeat music.

What an invigorating way to start the weekend!

 

 

And now it’s your turn: What is your favorite yoga studio in Orlando? And why? Who is your favorite teacher? I’m always grateful for recommendations for my clients, so please leave a comment.

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