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GYROKINESIS® (Yoga in Motion~ by the Sea) 
Tuesday mornings 8:30 - 10:00am
Class is held at Pahoehoe Beach Park 
This amazing class is a unique blend of three of Laura's
favorite disciplines: Kundalini Yoga, dance and Tai Chi/Chi Gong. This
flowing "Yoga in Motion" class is designed to awaken your senses, help you move energy, mobilize
your spine, lengthen your muscles, build strength without bulk, and find
beauty, grace and ease in movement. Each class has flowing movements
combined with the breath and a focused intention on freeing, cultivating
and moving life force energy (chi or prana) along with creating more
spaciousness within the body, joints and muscles and moving with grace
and ease.
"Laura: You are a beautiful person, strong & wise. You are a great teacher. Thanks for all you have shared with us. Most of all, you are an inspiration. It's incredible to see someone living in dharma and making their dreams coming true. May much more joy come to you in the years to come." -- Bethany D.
The first part of class is generally taught seated on stools (although
it can be adapted to begin on the floor). The stools allow for ease in
the hips as we mobilize our spines, shoulders, and legs. The second part
is more like traditional Kundalini Yoga performed kneeling, seating,
standing or laying on a mat. An experience not to be missed!
Check out this article in Prevention Magazine on GYROKINESIS® exercise!
This class is appropriate for people of all ages and
abilities with a reasonable amount of fitness. This class is not recommended for
those just returning to exercise, for those rehabilitating an
injury, or for those with limitations (e.g., cannot kneel, cannot move arms above the head). For those new to or returning to exercise, we recommend beginning with the core strengthening and stability of our Pilates sessions (especially where pain or limitation exist).
All one needs is an open mind and the willingness to get into "Yoga in
Motion." Unlike traditional Hatha Yoga, GYROKINESIS® poses are not held. Rather we
move from one pose to another, mindfully, focusing on the breath and
energetic movement in the body. Modifications for the various movements
are offered so that the work may be adapted for each individual's needs.
Important: Please call or text Laura at 808.756.1628 and let her know if you are planning on attending class. Also in your message, let Laura know how tall you are so she can bring the appropriate sized stool for your use. Please bring a yoga mat. If you do not have one, we have mat rentals for an additional $1. Mahalo!
Rates: $15 drop in, packages also available.
Mat rental $1
What are the benefits?
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A natural way to counterbalance the stress associated with today's way of life
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Improves overall well being
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Improves posture
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Helps to control body weight and sculpts the body
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Increases strength and flexibility
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Releases stress and tension while energizing the body and clearing the mind
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Is fun to do and everyone can do it!
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Improves joint mobility and range of motion
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Increases circulation, energy and cardiovascular health
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Increases awareness of mind-body connection
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Freedom and joy of movement
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Focus is on the energetic perspective of the body
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Follows the natural energy lines (meridians in the body) building internal and external strength through organic motion
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Rehabilitates injuries and their compensation patterns and is useful as injury prevention
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Increases stamina, immune system function, and helps to arrest the aging process
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Builds functional strength which leads to improved athletic performance
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Improves coordination and balance
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Complements physical therapy and rehabilitation programs
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Harmonize body, mind and spirit
GYROKINESIS® ("Yoga in Motion") classes are a great complement to our GYROTONIC® and Pilates programs as well as other movement arts (especially Yoga and Dance) and even Massage. Learn about the History of GYROKINESIS.
"Magical Bubbles at the Beach"
photo by Amanda Gisele
Private Yoga Lessons/Yoga Therapy
Creating Harmony of Mind, Body & Spirit
It is widely known that yoga can contribute in many
ways to good health. 
Some of the best known benefits include:
- reducing stress - helping to control back and neck pain
- increasing flexibility, strength, and balance
What is less well known is that the therapeutic use of yoga for a full range of health problems has had a long and successful history, especially in the East.
Yoga Therapy is derived from the tradition of Patanjali and the Ayurvedic system of health.
Yoga therapy treats the whole person, not just the disease. It is based on the fact that, despite the success and undisputed value of modern medicine, most healing results from the body’s remarkable resiliency and natural recuperative powers.
The body’s recuperative powers and immune system can be supported or inhibited by our behavior and attitudes. Yoga Therapy seeks to identify and correct unhealthy habits and conditioning. This may be as simple as improving your posture or as complicated as healing a relationship.
Even in cases where the
underlying disease (dis-ease) cannot be cured, yoga therapy can still make a
valuable contribution to the physical, emotional, and spiritual health of the
person.
Is Yoga simply a physical workout?
As our certified Yoga Therapist, Laura teaches more than the physical aspects of yoga. The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word Yuj (to unite). The original goal of yoga is to prepare the body (via physical practices) for meditation where the uniting our small ego-centered self with our true nature (our divine Self) can occur. For some of us, the real challenge is to be still, quiet and simply be with ourselves. Vinyasa Flow gives you the tools to help balance the demands that are put upon our body, mind and spirit. Replenish the source and you can live in a state of inner peace, vibrancy, health and harmony. This is truly the heart of yoga.
Yoga Therapy session is
designed to align, strengthen and stabilize your body, focus and calm your
mind, so that you may connect with your divine Self. Evolving from an esoteric
blend of traditional Hatha Yoga, Viniyoga (the Krishnamacharya lineage), and
Jivamukti® Yoga, Vinyasa Flow focuses on integrating breath and movement,
awareness and alignment, self-study and deep listening, strength and
flexibility in all realms (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual). Vinyasa
Flow Yoga is likened to a beautiful and dynamic dance as the postures and asanas
are connected through breath and awareness.
Core Benefits
- Promotes strength and flexibility of mind and body
- Build core strength and awareness
- Heightens coordination and balance
- Helps to create mental focus, while calming the mind
- Integration of all body systems: muscular, skeletal, respiratory, circulatory, nervous, energetic, emotional, psycho-spiritual
- Reduces and prevents pain and illness
- Heals and rehabilitates through a gentle and methodical approach to the body
- Complements and enhances any sport or activity
Our
Private Yoga Therapy Lessons are a Holistic practice for Every BODY!
Each 60 minute session is designed with your personal needs and goals in mind. ptions include: opening with chanting, setting intentions and breathing techniques. Sessions can include gentle opening sequences, a variety of sun salutation series, and varying additional sequences. We then softly unwind and close with deep relaxation and meditation. Each session is an opportunity to nourish mind, body & spirit while sharing in the support of skilled teacher.
Many beginning students ask if they should get in shape first before beginning yoga, or bellydance. Or wonder if they will have enough flexibility, balance, or grace to do yoga or dance. To this we say...
... if you are breathing and moving your body mindfully, with intent and focus, you are doing yoga & dance beautifully.
Join us on the Path of Yoga and/or Dance today....
All of our Yoga & Dance offerings are also available at your home or "sacred site." An additional fee for travel time and distance will be added to our regular private lesson rates.
Laura is available to teach these classes as workshops, six-week series, or even single classes for small groups. If you are interested in booking Laura to teach for your group, please email Laura directly at Laura [at] KonaPilates [dot] com Mahalo!
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Tribal Fusion Belly Dance "Bootcamp"
(Where Yoga, Dance Conditioning, Belly dance and Bollywood converge into one amazing workout!) 
Express Your Inner Goddess. Elevate your Vibration. Embody your Temple. Explore your Realm. ~ JourneyDance
Tribal Fusion Belly Dance "Bootcamp" is a unique program (designed by Laura) combining elements of Yoga, Pilates, Dance Conditioning, Tribal Fusion Belly Dance and Bollywood Dance.
As a Professional Belly Dancer, Laura continues to study with the top Tribal Fusion Bellydance instructors in the world (as well as being a Pilates Master Trainer, Certified Yoga Therapist, and professional dancer for over 20 years), and brings this world-class experience here to Kona...for YOU!
"As wrapped up as we all are in the patented images of beauty versus ugliness...belly dancing comes as an antidote to these poisons, asking us to discover the intrinsic value of our bodies just as they are."
~ The Secret Language of Belly Dancing
Tribal Nouveau FIRE Belly Dance style)
I enjoy Laura's class so much. Her joy of dance shows through and her professional instruction makes sure I get the most benefit possible from each exercise. I've been taking bellydance for a little over a year and my body is in the best shape ever. Her classes are super fun & a super workout! Dionne
Each class opens with a centering breathwork exercise, moving into a
dynamic dance conditioning warm-up. Together, we'll gain flexibility and
awareness of our bodies, strengthen our core muscles and learn how to
create strong precise
muscular isolations using proper biomechanics (one of the hallmarks of
Tribal Fusion Bellydance). We'll then learn to layer simple (and complex)
foot patterns with hip work, ribcage/chest movements, and/or flowing
graceful arm movements (another hallmark of this style), all set to
infectious world beats. You'll finish class Smiling, Learning and
Channeling YOUR Inner Dancer™ (no previous bellydance experience
necessary). Depending on the "mood" of the class, we may then vamp up the music, and our smiles, and get
our Bollywood fun on. Finally, we’ll finish with gentle flowing yoga to
bring your body back to neutral and help you transition to the rest of
y
our weekend.
Whether you’re a seasoned dancer or have two left feet, join Laura for a creative, refreshing way for you to feel fabulous as you channel your Inner Dancer while toning and strengthening your entire body.
I have been bellydancing in Kona for over two years. When I first started with Laura over a year ago I was already dancing regularly around the Big Island and I thought that just because I had enthusiasm that I had dance skills. I didn’t realize until I took Laura’s class and started applying her techniques that my dance skills were remedial. In Laura’s class, I have gone from daycare to high school with bellydance. This applies not only to movement but costuming, musical interpretation and detailed specifics on taking your dance level from that of an enthusiastic beginner to that of a paid professional.
It has been over a year that I have been taking Tribal Nouveau Bellydance with Laura Crittendon and I have never received more compliments on my dancing, especially from people who knew me when I first started dancing. This class has been the pivotal point in my career and I wholeheartedly recommend it for anyone who wants to learn bellydance as an art form, who enjoys any kind of dancing or who just wants a great workout! Laura Crittendon’s Tribal Nouveau Bellydance training has taken my career to the next level and I could not be more grateful to my loving, gifted mentor!
~~ Lili Alba
No need to bare your belly if you don't want to. And with these classes, you may find yourself wanting to show off your belly's awesomeness!
Benefits:
- No-impact cardiovascular exercise
- Sculpt your thighs, buns, hips, waist, and calves
- Strengthen your core abdominal, pelvic, and back muscles
- Create sexy shoulders and arms
- Build supple muscles, lean lines, and graceful posture
- Find muscles you never knew you had
- Get fit and feel great
- Replace stress and tension with Freedom and Joy!
- Improve self confidence and coordination
- Connect to your Inner Dancer and dance to your own inner rhythm
- Move beyond the ordinary and Be Extraordinary!
About Laura: Laura is a life-long dancer and passionate movement and healing arts educator with over 25 years of professional experience. What adds to her uniqueness as a bellydance teacher, is that she is also a licensed massage therapist, certified Yoga Therapist, Pilates Master Trainer, Dance/Movement Therapist, Professional Belly Dancer (Tribal Nouveau), as well as a Principal Dancer with Hands of Fatima ~ Hawaii.I recently tried the Tribal Nouveau Bellydance class, and I love it! The combination of stretchy warmup, skills, and aerobic sections really made this an incredibly well rounded workout and experience. Way too soon, class is over and I leave floating out of the studio. I've just recently gotten in to dancing, and Laura has a great way of gearing the class so there's something for the beginningest beginner to the advanced performer. The body awareness (move THIS muscle) combined with the super fun Bollywood dances and traditional belly dance all make this class one of the best I've ever taken! ~~ Teri
Laura is highly skilled at bringing her students both the biomechanics of each movement (working the proper muscles, rather than simply shaking your hips), a somatic experience (a felt sense or embodiment of the movement and awareness in the body), along with providing modifications to accommodate injury or limitation when necessary, while also creating a welcoming space that allows for safety, community, growth, exploration, collaboration, and FUN!
Laura credits her main Tribal F
usion Belly Dance
teachers (Rachel Brice, Deb
Rubin, Zoe Jakes, Kami Liddle, Sabrina Fox, and Mardi Love) along with over 15 years in Halau Hula Na
Pua
U'i 'O Hawai'i, who have given her so much and encouraged her to create
her
own uniquely inspired style of Tribal Fusion Belly Dance that
incorporates Laura's other talents as a mind/body/spirit educator. A
perpetual student, Laura is continually studying this amazing art form
with her teachers and bringing this newness to each class. FAQ: I'm not familiar with Tribal Fusion or other "styles" of Bellydance. What's the difference?
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Yoga Flow for Your Soul™ (Vinyasa Flow Yoga)
Please note: Class is currently on hiatus. Yoga Flow for Your Soul can be booked as a private class for you and your friends. Simply inquire with Laura. Mahalo!
Open your heart, connect to Spirit. gain flexibility, strengthen your core, focus and calm your mind, and feel incredible!
Yoga Flow for Your Soul ~ All Levels is Laura's unique synthesis of yoga styles including Jivamukti, Kundalini Yoga, Vinyasa Flow, and Viniyoga.
Transcend the boundaries of "static" Yoga by joining one of our unique flowing classes. Each class is taught to music (to stir the soul), evokes a sense of the sacred (move from ordinary to extraordinary), focuses on the breath and energetic movement, and incorporates flowing movements to offer the mind, body and spirit a life-changing experience as we step out of our old energetic patterns and open and create new beneficial ones.
~ Plato
Each class opens with breathing exercises, centering, setting intentions, and chanting. We then move into groups of flowing Vinyasa sequences (linking intention, breath and movement) set to music (designed to stir your soul). Each asana we move into and through can be modified so that your body, mind, and spirit experience the opening and grace of Yoga (sukham = ease) versus straining (dukham = dis-ease) your own personal limits for a particular day***. These classes include a variety of Sun Salutations, standing poses, core strengthening, and more! Classes complete with a total relaxation experience and easy centering meditation.
Classes are appropriate for all levels of Yoga practitioners from those new to the practice and for those who have been on the path for years. No two classes are the same, as each day we ourselves are different and Laura teaches from an intuitive place allowing this ancient wisdom to flow through guiding each class.
"The gift of yoga and body awareness that I have received from Laura is a joy to experience. T
hank you for being a true teacher." -- Lisa K.
All of the Yoga that I teach is centered upon four main principles: focus your mind, listen to your body, honor the present moment, and BREATHE. I do not teach power yoga or gnarly physical grueling yoga. I see Yoga as a pathway to connecting with your inner self, your inner wisdom, and calming the chatter in our minds.
Rather than relying on Yoga props or eliminating asana (postures), I believe in teaching you how to adapt each Yoga Pose to suit your needs in the present moment and to learn which asana and other yoga practices best serve you and your needs. Learning to be in the present moment and experience the wisdom of your body is one of the amazing gifts of Yoga, and turns your Yoga practice from a physical workout to a moving meditation and way of living your life. Learn more about Laura's Philosophy on Yoga.
***While I do not consider my yoga classes to be "easy" I also do not teach a "gentle" yoga class. With this is mind, this class is NOT appropriate for those students with an active injury or with a limitation (e.g., cannot kneel, no pressure on hands/wrists, limitation in range of motion due to an injury or illness). If you aren't sure, please contact Laura at 756-1628 and together we'll decide if this class is an appropriate choice for you!
Many students, who are new to Yoga, have begun their yoga journey with a single private lesson with me. We'll go at your pace, explain things in greater detail than a group class, answer your questions, modify the poses just for you, and create a strong and confident foundation for your yoga practice.
Notes: Please bring clean feet, a yoga mat, small hand towel, and water bottle (with lid) for your personal use. (We offer complimentary borrow mats and towels as well as fresh filtered water.)
Class begins on time and the front door will be locked once class has begun, so please plan on arriving 5-10 minutes early.
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Laura is a member or certified instructor of the following organizations and programs:
