Info on our classes

As of January 2012, all our classes are 75 minutes unless noted otherwise on the class schedule.

When you are coming for your first time, you can just show up - but we'd love the opportunity to talk (or email) with you to address any questions you have and to make sure the classes you are considering are appropriate for your level of practice.  We do try to learn about any injuries or health issues in advance as it helps us better prepare for your first class with us.

We provide a scent-free environment.  Many people are allergic or have a reaction to scents of any kind, so please refrain from applying scents when coming to class. 

It is important that you try to arrive 5-10 minutes before the start of class so that you have time to get your props and set up your space; if you arrive after class has started, it may be disruptive to others - so if you are late, please be mindful of the quiet in the studio. 

If there is an earlier class still in session or just letting out, please allow all students and the teacher to vacate the studio before you enter.  We do need a few minutes to clean the floor before the next class enters the studio to set up.  Your instructor will let you know when the studio space is ready to set up for class.

Generally, classes start with a quiet centering to guide you to transition from the busy-ness of your day to being present and ready for your practice.  Centering and warm-ups are usually done sitting and/or lying done on mats, kneeling and standing.  Warm-ups are based on Yoga postures and are intended to gently stretch muscles and prepare your spine for Yoga postures.  Yoga postures are guided for various positions: standing, kneeling, sitting, supine (lying on your back), prone (lying face down), and lying on your side.  Any posture can be modified to suit your specific needs, and nothing should cause pain or discomfort - so if you find yourself in a posture that is painful, keep breathing and slowly come out of the posture - the instructor will offer modifications for you or will guide you in an alternative posture.  Each class ends with a period of relaxation, generally about 10-15 minutes where you are lying on your back, you can have a cushion under the backs of your knees to relieve strain on the lower back, there are neck pillows and eye bags if you choose to use them (NOTE: make sure you place a folded tissue over your eyes before using an eye bag, and there are blankets to cover you as you cool down.

Preparing for your class

Dress comfortably - in layers if you tend to get too warm to cold.  The studio is heated and air conditioned and temps should be like a home environment (we do not have 'hot Yoga').  Standing postures are best done in bare feet, and you can put socks back on for other postures if your feet are cold. 

Avoid eating for 2-3 hours before class unless it's something light and easily digestible.  We recommend you bring your own water - we do have small bottles available for a $1 donation to the Serenity Angel Fund which helps students who would otherwise have to drop out of their class; and there is a water fountain in the hall near the studio. 

Please arrive a few minutes early

If it's your first class with us, there is paperwork to fill out, so plan to be there 10-15 minutes before the start of class. 

And each week, plan to arrive a few minutes early to settle in so that the class can start on a quiet note with everyone settled in on their mats.  Most classes start with a few minutes of quiet, so late arrivers can be disruptive.

Props

We do have mats, blankets, cushions, and all the props you'll need for your practice.  But I do encourage people to bring their own sticky mats.  Our props are available for use by the student population.  We cannot clean mats after each class - they are thoroughly cleaned monthly.  There is cleaning spray (non-toxic, unscented) for students to use to lightly spray a sticky mat before and after use, and paper towels are available to wipe it down.  We appreciate your help in keeping our props neatly stored.

If you are sick...

If you are sick, especially if you have a fever, are coughing and sneezing, please consider that you might be contagious and should not come to class.  Purel is available to everyone before/during/after class.  Remember, our props are available to the student population, so please use common sense if you are going to use them.

Cost and payment

We have defined a new set of sign up and payment options - all effective as of January 2012.  For anyone new to Serenity Yoga Center, or who has not come for a while, we have a very special offer starting in January 2012 that allows you to sample a number of classes and come as often as you like - 30 Days for $30.  This offer is available one time only to any individual.  After sampling classes for a month, please consider purchasing one of our class packs. 

We will be offering Class Packs for those who plan to attend regularly.  Each pack is good for 3 months, and can be purchased for 5 classes ($90), 10 classes ($150) or 20 classes ($280). There are also two unlimited class options: a monthly auto-renew contract for $108 (our best buy) and a monthly unlimited for $150.  Cost for single class drop-in is $20.

And we will be accepting credit cards at the studio, as well as online.  Online credit card payment is currently done through PayPal.  We will soon be integrating with Mind-Body Online to manage our online sign-up and payment – we will send a newsletter out when we are ready to make this change.  We also accept checks (made out to Serenity Yoga Center) and cash (exact change appreciated).

Canceled classes

Winter weather may warrant cancelling a class. We try to avoid canceling any class if at all possible - but safety is the deciding factor. We do not tie our cancellations to those of our school system, so we have a procedure for you to find out if we have canceled any class due to weather by calling in and listening to a recording of the status of classes that day.  The recording is updated at least 90 minutes before the start of a class, and we also send email notices as well.

Parking

Park anywhere in the lot except in the spaces along the front of the building which are set aside for short term retail customers.  If you arrive for a class and you find the lot completely full, there is overflow parking right next door at the American Legion - please watch for the signs of the entrance and exit to their lot so you don't drive in the wrong direction.  Our spaces are in the row that abuts our building.

Directions & Entering the Building

We are located at the intersection of the Great Road, Shawsheen Road and Pine Street.  Check our directions page or contact Toni if you need more info on how to find us. We're on the second floor - enter building by the glass door that is at the intersection where the 2 sections of the L-shaped building meet, to the left of the frame shop.  Come up the stairs (or use the elevator), go left at the top of the stairs - our door is the 2nd door on the right (the 1st door is our emergency exit). If you need additional info for directions, just contact us and let us  know where you are coming from.

Info we would like to get from you before your first class

Please let us know if you have any health issues, injuries, chronic pain, etc, that affect your ability to move freely and without pain; also if you've had surgery in the past 6 months.  If you are pregnant, please let us know - we will need a doctor's note; and we do refer to other places that offer prenatal Yoga classes until we restart ours.

It would be helpful if you could send us your day/evening/cell phone numbers.  We only use them in case of an unforeseen need to cancel a class due to a teacher's illness (very rare) or if there is a time-critical need to contact you. 

Please join our newsletter list (link is below) - I do not send newsletters often, and only when there is important information about the studio that all students need to know, and if we have upcoming workshops and events that are of general interest.

And 'like' us on Facebook!