Barre vs. Ballet

I grew up taking ballet lessons. I truly enjoy the elegance and stability of ballet. When I first heard of barre classes, I thought, “perfect, I like ballet and have experience in that, so I’d probably be good at it”. Then I took a class and realized first hand, nope, not ballet at all. However, it did rock my world.

Parkinson's Awareness Month

Hot Yoga vs. Vinyasa Flow: What to Expect

I’ve done both Hot Yoga and Vinyasa for over ten years. I cannot imagine one without the other. I was fortunate to acquire a taste for both - and they are acquired tastes. I enjoy warm rooms and hot rooms, never cold rooms – that’s where I draw the line. Fortunately, Sunstone offers hot, warm and ambient classes! Here's some of my take-aways:

Yoga on the Road

Even dedicated yogis struggle to maintain their practices when they travel. Most of us only manage a quick standing bow for a photo! It’s a shame, because time away is often when we need our practice the most:

Calm Flow: Finding Mindfulness

Exciting news: as of August 8th, our new Calm Flow class, formerly offered only at the Southlake and Alliance studios, is available at McKinney, Frisco, Mockingbird, Preston Forest, Prestonwood Place, and Uptown! Calm Flow is a moderately paced, restorative 60-minute vinyasa class practiced in 90 degree heat. The class combines the flowing connectivity of Power Flow with the deliberation and static sequence of Hot Yoga, helping you control each thoughtful movement. Not only is Calm Flow a great counterpart to more demanding classes, it is also an opportunity to listen to your body. Your teacher will encourage you to stay with your breath and to focus on recovery instead of full exertion in every posture. With no expectations and nothing to prove, you are free to simply explore.

Yoga vs. Fitness

Get out of the box: Yoga vs. fitness – Are you achieving your absolute best?

If you would have asked me ten years ago – “Do you prefer yoga or fitness?” I would have said, without hesitation, “yoga”. That’s it, end of story. Fitness wasn’t even on my radar (Ok, maybe for a little while in college I got into circuit training, but it never got very serious.)

Personal Transformation Through Yoga

I lived with depression, anxiety and poor health throughout my teenage and most of my adult life.  Even through all of that I knew that I needed to make positive changes in my life but I did not know what, where or how to begin to make those changes.  Yet this unexplainable feeling deep within me knew that I needed to start this journey as soon as possible. I was guided to a lady who practiced yoga and meditation and she shared with me the benefits that she had gained from years of practice. So I began to research both subjects

Student to Student: Just Keep Coming Back to the Mat!

Streams of sweat run off my nose as I move into a Balancing Stick yoga pose, my body looking vaguely like a capital “T” from the side. When I tip forward standing on one leg with my arms above me and the other leg tipping up behind, it’s as if I’m a tea kettle and I am pouring a cup of hot water off my nose. You see, I am exercising in a 98.6^oF room with 60% humidity, and I can produce copious amounts of sweat. It is January and new faces crowd the room, ready with their New Year’s resolutions to get healthy, and it is clear that the newbies are struggling in the heat. How can I tell them that I was one of them some years ago, overweight, out-of-shape, and unable to make it through a class?

45 Minute Pilates Makeover

You might be aware, our Pilates class (previously called Metal) got a 45-minute makeover for the New Year! What you might not know is the how, why, and who behind the change. Lots of things remain the same with this class. It's still on the mat - no reformer machines makes it an easier point of entry for most students. Unlike at other studios, it's still in a warm room - 90° with 60% humidity so you'll get a good sweat in. Lots of great movements are at the core of this class to challenge your "powerhouse" muscles - abs, back and glutes. But we knew it was time to give Pilates a fresh start at Sunstone!

2016 Class Names

When our studio schedules change on Monday, January 4, 2016, so will our class names. After many years with our yoga classes named for different "elements" such as Fire, Earth, Wood, Water and Metal, we are making a change.