Elements Chair Series
Sundays April 2nd – 30th, 2023
12:45pm-2:15pm ET
THE Pearl Modern Spa and Boutique
10275 Little Patuxent Parkway, Suite 102
Columbia, Maryland 21044
Week 1 – Earth 4/2
Week 2 – Water 4/16
Week 3 – Fire 4/23
Week 4 – Air and Space 4/30
*No class 4/9 – Easter Sunday
Welcome to the five elements chair series! My name is Natasha and my hope is that over the next several weeks you enjoy a practice that brings strength, stability, flexibility, freedom, relaxation and non-attachment to the status quo, as well as focus and meditation. These are themes that will lead us each week when we’re together.
Week 1: Strength and Stability
Asana Practice – Click Here to View Practice
This video was from a series I did with Spirit of The Sun, an organization in Denver, CO. It’s connected to Earth / Root Chakra.
What are Koshas?
The koshas form a map of understanding all the dimensions of ourselves (various layers of our being).
What are Prana Vayus?
The prana vayus are currents of subtle energy that nourish the systems of the body (breath work).
Asana Group: Standing
Element: Earth | Root Chakra – Solidity, stability, immobility and density. Earth is related to our sense of smell. It is also reflected in the poses as grounding.
Koshas: Annamaya – The Physical Layer (Anna=Food, maya=consists of, kosha=sheath)
The Annamaya kosha is the material dimension of our being that is sustained by food. It encompasses the anatomy and physiology of the body, as well as the five elements – earth, water, fire, air and space/spirit. They form the matrix of our body and all of creation. Balance at the physical level lays a firm foundation for integrating the other subtler dimensions of our being.
Prana Vayus: Apana Vayu – This is a downward moving current that originates at the naval and moves downward on the exhalation to nourish and purify the pelvis and pelvic floor. Its essential function is to support all processes of elimination, including the eliminatory and urinary systems, as well as menstruation.
Systems: Skeletal and Eliminatory – The skeletal system consists of bone. It is related to the Earth element and the qualities of solidity and density. The skeletal system provides the structure of the body, organized to provide protection and movement. It is an important source of minerals. As we exert pressure on the bones in all forms of movement we’re supporting optimal circulation and bone density. The eliminatory system consists of the large intestine and anus. It is one of the channels for removing waste products. The stress reduction provided by particular poses is key for the health of this system.
Facilitator: Natasha Chaoua
Natasha is the descendant of two Jamaican parents, born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. She moved to the United States in her early twenties and is married with three children. She’s had a personal practice since 2000 and began teaching in 2018. She offers trauma informed hatha and accessible yoga, is passionate about disabilities, mental health and mindfulness practices being readily available for all, most importantly Black, Indigenous, People of Color.
Prior to teaching Natasha spent several years working with those who have developmental disabilities. She eventually became a CNA and had the pleasure of working at Craig Hospital with those who experienced a spinal cord injury and/or traumatic brain injury as well as the neurosurgical ICU at the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus. Natasha later became a certified hatha yoga instructor and alumni of Satya Yoga Cooperative, an Accessible Yoga teacher and ambassador as well as a registered yoga teacher (RYT500) with Yoga Alliance. She completed Skill in Action – Yoga + Social Justice 300hr and 75hr yoga teacher training, as well as level 1 and 2 adaptive yoga training with Mindbody Solutions. Natasha became a certified LoveYourBrain yoga instructor, facilitator and joined their training team in 2021 supporting and sharing the benefits of yoga and meditation with the TBI community. She contributes to their yoga teacher trainings as well as their six week Mindset programs for those who have experienced a traumatic brain injury and their caregivers.
Currently, she is an oncology pharmacy technician trainee with Johns Hopkins Hospital and leads yoga classes in-person and online.
Natasha founded Dubwise Yoga in 2018 and currently resides on Susquehannock, Nentego (Nanticoke) and Piscataway Territory, known as Columbia, Maryland.
Dubwise Yoga 