In today’s experience-crazed society, a trendy playlist and an inviting space may not be enough to make a yoga class stand out.
Instructors all over the country are finding increasingly creative ways to teach the practice, by pairing the workout with modern art, beer, animals and now, needles at a hybrid yoga and acupuncture class, called yogapuncture.
“The reason why we chose to start this program was to find a way to introduce the community to acupuncture and the concept of well-being,” said John Yoo, chief executive officer at Virginia University of Integrative Medicine (VUIM) in Fairfax, Virginia.
“We’re giving [yogis] an opportunity to practice what they may have already been experiencing in the past and then introducing them to a brief session of acupuncture.”
On Saturday, Aug. 17, the folks at VUIM will host their third yogapuncture workshop with Northern Virginia yoga instructor Erin Sonn. The yoga portion of the program will consist of an hourlong vinyasa flow, followed by a brief acupuncture session.
Sonn said each participant can expect to receive a few needles during an extended savasana, which is the relaxation pose at the end of a yoga practice.
“The yogis are reporting, after the experience, that they’re feeling empowered and enlivened, but incredibly relaxed,” said Sonn, who also teaches yoga at breweries, wineries and rooftops around the D.C. area.
Jeff Millison, academic dean at VUIM, said the two practices are complementary. Similar to yoga, he said acupuncture helps “an individual to ultimately feel more balanced within themselves.” Yoga and acupuncture also have similar intentions, such as promoting greater alignment and better circulation.
“Both modalities — yoga and acupuncture — are filled with healing qualities,” Sonn said.
Tickets to the Aug. 17 yogapuncture workshop are $20 and are available on the event’s website.
Can’t make it Saturday? Other local studios/instructors, including Washington Yoga Center and Beth Wolfe, offer similar sessions.
