BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.2.3.1//EN TZID:America/Los_Angeles X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/Los_Angeles BEGIN:VEVENT UID:5004586@anandaportland.org DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260206T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260206T120000 DTSTAMP:20251231T044656Z URL:https://anandaportland.org/events/gentle-ananda-yoga-with-melissa-2026 -02-06/ SUMMARY:Gentle Ananda Yoga with Melissa DESCRIPTION:This class is ideal for beginners\, those recovering from injur y\, or anyone seeking a deeply restorative practice. It’s less about “ doing” and more about “being\,” with props acting as companions to g uide the body into ease.\n\nClass Atmosphere\n\n Lighting &\; Ambiance : Soft\, warm lighting with calming music or silence to encourage relaxat ion.\n Pace: Slow\, mindful transitions with long holds to allow the bod y to settle.\n Focus: Creating comfort\, stability\, and spaciousness in each posture.\n\n\n\nProps &\; Supports\n\n Bolsters &\; Pillows:  Used to support the spine or to cushion knees in seated poses.\n Blanke ts: Folded for extra padding under joints or rolled to elevate hips.\n B locks: Provide height and stability in standing poses or gentle forward f olds.\n Straps: Assist in reaching without strain\, especially in hamstr ing stretches or shoulder openers.\n Chairs: Offer support for balance p ostures or seated variations.\n\n\n\nFlow of the Class\n\n Centering: Be gin by focusing on breath awareness.\n Gentle Warm-Up\n Ananda Poses: s upported standing poses like warrior variations with a chair or block.\n Relaxation: Savasana with props.\n Guided meditation with visualization\ n\n\nBenefits\n\n Physical: Relieves tension\, supports joints\, encoura ges gentle mobility.\n Mental: Reduces stress\, cultivates mindfulness\, enhances body awareness.\n Emotional: Creates a safe\, nurturing enviro nment for release and renewal.\n\n\n\n\nAnanda Yoga® is inherently gentle and our instructors encourage and support appropriate modifications so al l bodies can participate safely. Come early to class and speak with the in structor about your needs. \n$15.00 per class\n$10.00 per class:  Senior discount for 60 years old +\n\nDrop-ins welcome. Preregister and prepayme nt optional.\n\n********************************************************** ********\n\nPurchase a 10 class package and save!\n(packages must be purch ased on site)\n\n$15 per drop-in / 10 class package $135\, get 1 class fre e/$13.50 per class) good for 1 year.\n\n$10 Senior rate (10 class package $90\, get 1 class free/ $9.00 per class) good for 1 year.\n\n\n\nMelissa H eart has been teaching Ananda Yoga since 2012 as a certified Ananda Yoga i nstructor. She’s been with Ananda Portland since 2007 and has served in many capacities at the temple. Currently she serves as a member of the min istry team\, manager of the temple and coordinator for Education for Life Outreach Programs.\n\n**************************************************** ***********************\nTestimonial from Lori Arveson\, student:\n"I have been practicing Ananda Yoga for several years\, and it has become a deepl y inward and centering experience for me. The postures are held with mindf ul awareness\, each accompanied by a silent affirmation that gently guides my attention within. As I move through the poses\, my mind settles and th e practice becomes a form of moving meditation.\nMelissa brings a soft\, g rounded presence to each class. She begins by inviting us into stillness\, seated in meditation with uplifting Ananda music\, and gently leads us th rough pranayama. The class closes with a few moments of silent meditation\ , allowing everything to integrate. By the end of each session\, I feel bo th deeply relaxed and quietly energized\, carrying a sense of calm with me beyond the mat."\n \;\n\nReview of Ananda Yoga – Beaverton OR.\nFro m: Rick Cady - Tualatin\, OR. \n\n"As a current student of Ayurveda\, I ha d been looking to complement my studies with a Yoga tradition that would s upport the ideals espoused by the ancients related to the Yoga sciences. G iven that the Western model of Yoga tends toward only a focus on the physi cal aspects of the practice\, I was happy to find a more traditional pract ice of Hatha Yoga through the Ananda Temple here in Beaverton\, OR. Teache r Melissa Heart brings this practice to life with her unique and effective teaching style with an emphasis on being conscious and still as we move i nto poses\, hold the pose\, and come out of the pose. This practice emphas izes utilizing the poses to relax the body and be aware of our state of mi nd to ultimately prepare for meditation. Melissa is a gem that I am gratef ul to have met\, as you can feel her love for the practice and desire to s hare it with others. On a physical level\, I had been diagnosed many years ago with a Lumbar spine defect that had given me significant pain and lim itations for several decades\, and this practice has made me virtually pai n free in about 3 months. A true miracle. I am forever grateful and will b e a lifetime supporter of Melissa and Ananda Yoga." ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://anandaportland.org/wp-content/uploads/20 25/12/yoga-props.jpg CATEGORIES:Classes,Yoga LOCATION:Ananda Portland Temple\, 4855 SW Watson Ave\, Beaverton\, OR\, 970 05\, United States X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=4855 SW Watson Ave\, Beaver ton\, OR\, 97005\, United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE=Ananda Portlan d Temple:geo:0,0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Los_Angeles X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Los_Angeles BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20251102T010000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR