5 things to expect from a yoga class at Downward Doulas

​(and one that you should not.)

Outdoor yoga?  On a farm??  What in the world?  Here at Downward Doulas, we believe that people should reconnect with their surroundings and truly experience our environment.  Doing yoga outside connects us with yogis from centuries past.  

1. Rain and Shine!  

We will practice under clear skies, as well as during rain showers.  We have a gorgeous deck for fair weather practice and space in our greenhouse high tunnel for rainy days. When truly appreciating nature, you have to love her in the beautiful days and the not so pretty ones.  Each type of weather brings with it different blessings and we want you to embrace those with us!

1. You Will Feel It!

If we do our job right as your yoga instructors, you should feel it the next day, or two, even if just a little bit.  Whether we went through a super-stretchy practice, or a challenging long pose holding one, your body might feel a little looser or maybe slightly sore in those quads. Yoga is a practice that requires you to acknowledge your limits and then try to push past them just a bit; this is growth!  We will encourage you to stretch a little further if you can, but never to the point of experiencing pain.

1. Laughter!

We know that you’ve seen the very swami like yoga instructors online.  That’s not us!  One thing we love about yoga is that you can’t take it or yourself too seriously.  Try doing happy baby or puppy pose without laughing at how silly you feel.  And laughter has lots of positive benefits too, like reducing stress and releasing endorphins.

1. Bugs...ugh!

One thing about nature that we cannot control are the bugs.  We are doing yoga at a farm.  There will be flies, bees, ants, etc.  We don’t spray the bugs, but we will spray ourselves if they are too much.  Feel free to bring your favorite insect repellent if you are like us, a mosquito's favorite snack.  We will also use tiki torches if that seems appropriate.

1. Anointing!

When learning about yoga, my first yoga instructor ended every class by anointing us with lavender oil.  I actually did not love doing yoga right from the beginning - but I did love being anointed.  I have had many students tell me that they will do any pose I tell them to if I promise that there will be anointing at the end.   We promise you won’t be attacked by lavender oil.  We’ll casually mention during final relaxation that we’ll be going around and if you don’t want to be anointed, to just lay your hands on your belly.

The one thing that you will NOT find at Downward Doulas is competition.  We are happy that  you have taken the time to work on yourself.  Each of us is on our own journey and we want you to come to yoga wherever you are on yours.  We are here to support you and build you up on your path.  We want to celebrate with you as you reach your personal goals.

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