Equipose Yoga Studio

02/16/2026

Dear Yogis:

Since my friend Eugene Spence, a fifty-year practitioner and teacher of Kundalini, has begun teaching again at Equipose, I wanted to share a few thoughts about the lineage of Kundalini this week.

First, the scholars are still not in agreement about the whole process of this practice, probably because Sanskrit is a very difficult language to translate from the Upanishads. The word Kundalini does mean coiled, but through the ages, the word has taken on the meaning of a coiled serpent lying dormant in the base of the spine. Looking at the ancient beginnings of this practice, Kundalini was first mentioned in the Vedic Upanishads in 1000 BCE. This is referred to as the ancient Tankrit (Ta***ic) tradition of Kundalini, which was a very secret and guarded practice, known only to mystics. In the 15th Century, Kundalini became a more physical than mystical practice in its Hatha Integration. Then jumping ahead, in 1969, Yogi Bhajan brought his "science of energy" practice to the West as a way to "uncoil the innate intelligence of embodied Consciousness and Shakti or divine feminine energy." This Shakti or feminine serpent energy was actually called the "Coiled One." Yogi Bhajan used mantras, breath and movement in his teachings as a way to break down internal barriers to allow the higher self to overcome the limitations of the ego.

Because the word Kundalini is also translated as sprout or flame, possibly this is where the idea of a dormant coiled snake came from.

Although Hatha Yoga Kundalini teaches that one needs to raise energy from the lower chakras to the crown, Ancient Ta***ic sources tell us that the primordial "Coiled One " Is fused with the sun (the pingala channel on the right side of the spine), the moon (the ida channel on the left side of the spine), and fire (the central or susumna channel which corresponds to the spine). According to the Ta***ic tradition, one must experience all three of these energies in the heart where the channels converge. It must also be embodied as well as transcendent, meaning the energy must move upward through compression and contraction as well as downward.

I found it very interesting that a pause at the top of the inhale and at the bottom of the exhale capture the energy of the divine which coils up in anticipation of the next breath cycle.

Eugene's Kundalini classes will continue through February on Saturdays at Equipose Studio at 10am until 11:30am. No experience needed. Show up if you are interested, no registration necessary. Please bring cash or check. Drop-in fee is $25; a 5-class pass is $100. You may Zoom these classes by paying online at equiposeyoga.com. Go to Zoom classes on the website, and use the pay button at the bottom of the page. Please let Lee know if you want to Zoom this class. Thanks to Steve #1 and Steve #2, Elaine, Becca, Kathy D. and Evelyn for attending Eugene's first session.

The next ball class will meet the first Saturday in March.

Regular Class Schedule

SUNDAY:
10AM Yin Yoga
MONDAY:
10:00AM Yin Yoga
4:30PM Vinyasa Flow Yoga
TUESDAY:
12 PM Lunch Break Yoga, All Levels, 1 hr
6:00-7:30PM All Levels Flow with Wes
WEDNESDAY:
10AM Vinyasa Flow
5:30PM Yin Yoga [ZOOM + IN-STUDIO]
THURSDAY:
5:30 Yin [ZOOM only}
6-7:30pm All Levels Flow with Wes
FRIDAY:
10AM Vinyasa Flow Yoga

No need to register for classes—just come! Drop-ins are $20, and you can purchase class passes.

https://equiposeyoga.com/classes-props

02/09/2026

Dear Yogis:

Last week we talked about the importance of foot massage; this week it's the hands. The ancient practice of hand massage was refined by Dr. Fitzgerald as discussed last week. He used clothespins on the fingertips to deaden pain in minor surgeries. HIs "zone therapy" was later expanded by Dr. Joe Shelby Riley in the 1920's. Riley added horizontal zones t create the first detailed maps of reflex points on the hands and feet. Also discussed last week was the work of "The Mother of Reflexology," Eunice Ingham. She is credited with further refining those maps in the 1930's when she discovered that pressure on the hands and feet was more effective for stimulating healing than the constant pressure that was often applied during anesthesia.

The chart above is more detailed to glands and organs. Ther following information focuses on the 8 essential pressure points in the hands that are more generalized to overall physical and mental health.

HEART 7 Find the crease of the wrist in line with the space between your ring and pinkie. This point is rubbed to relief anxiety, insomnia, heart palpitations. and depression

SMALL INTESTINE 3: Go to the outside of the hand, right on the edge in the depression of your wrist just below the pinkie. "Thumbwalk" this area for neck pain, earaches, and headaches.

LUNG MERIDIAN: Find the tip of the thumb and move down along the side of the hand, ending at the wrist crease. Release any soreness along this line to address cold symptoms like chills, sneezing, runny nose, and sore throat.

IINNER GATE POINT: Find the crease of the wrist right in the middle. Massage to relief digestion issues, nausea, and stomach pain.

OUTER GATE: Rub between the two tendons on the backside of the wrist, moving two fingers width away from the wrist to create an energy rush.

WRIST POINT; Run your finger down the pinkie to the wrist crease, staying in line with the finger to stimulate serotonin and other mood elevators.

BASE of THUMB POINT: Run the finger down the thumb to the wrist to the base of the thumb to address respiratory and breathing issues.

HAND VALLEY POINT: Find the firm skin between the thumb and index finger. Massage this area to address stress, migraines, toothaches, shoulder tension, and neck pain.

Carter, Mildred. Hand Reflexology: Key to Perfect Health, 1975.
Wilson, Debra Rose, PhD, MSN, RN, IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT.

Eugene's Kundalini classes will begin February 14th at Equipose Studio at 10am until 11:30am. Show up if you are interested, no registration necessary. Please bring cash or check. Drop-in fee is $25; a 5-class pass is $100. You may Zoom these classes by paying online at equiposeyoga.com. Go to Zoom classes on the website and use the pay button at the bottom of the page. Please let Lee know if you want to Zoom this class.

Also, if you are interested in an introduction to Shodo Tai Chi, simple daily exercises to support health and well-being, please come at 9:00 on Sunday mornings. Kathy Campbell will be leading these sessions beginning Feb.8th.This class will end in time for Yin at 10am. Thanks to all those brave souls who tackled the wind and cold to attend ball therapy yesterday. The next ball class will meet the first Saturday in March.

Regular Class Schedule

SUNDAY:
10AM Yin Yoga
MONDAY:
10:00AM
4:30PM Vinyasa Flow Yoga
TUESDAY:
12PM Lunch Break Yoga, All Levels, 1 hr
6:00-7:30PM All Levels Flow with Wes
WEDNESDAY:
10AM Vinyasa Flow
5:30PM Yin Yoga [ZOOM + IN-STUDIO]
THURSDAY:
5:30 Yin [ZOOM only}
6-7:30pm All Levels Flow with Wes
FRIDAY:
10AM Vinyasa Flow Yoga

No need to register for classes—just come! Drop-ins are $20, and you can purchase class passes here:

https://equiposeyoga.com/classes-props

02/08/2026

KUNDALINI YOGA IN WARRENTON VA

Eugene's Kundalini classes will begin February 14th at Equipose Studio, from 10-11:30am. Show up if you are interested, no registration necessary.

Please bring cash or check. Drop-in fee is $25; a 5-class pass is $100.

You may Zoom these classes by paying online at equiposeyoga.com. Go to Zoom classes on the website and use the pay button at the bottom of the page. Please let Lee know you want to Zoom!

Eugene has an acupuncture practice in Warrenton, VA, and is accepting new patients .

540-341-4149

https://eugenespence.com/

02/02/2026

Dear Yogis:

I have been thinking about feet a lot lately! I think it's because I have been following The Walk for Peace and watching the monks' feet trudge along mile after mile. I hope they are getting reflexology along the way at their stops. It is also a good time to focus on the feet because the next ball therapy class is coming up next Saturday at 10am. The therapy balls we use are a cheap and effective substitute for professional reflexology.

There are specific points in the feet, hands and ears that are believed to correspond to specific organs and systems in the body; they are called reflex points. Think of these points as a remote-control for your internal health. Nerve endings are stimulated at these precise points to balance energy in the body. The body is thought to be divided into 10 vertical energy zones, with the hands and feet containing reflex points for all major organs and glands in the body. Press into these points with your thumb, called "thumbwalking," or use your finger, and then rotate around the point. If you feel pain or a strong sensation, you probably have some blockage in that organ or gland.

Dr. William Fitzgerald, in the early 1900's, introduced Zone Therapy and is called "The Father of Reflexology." In the 1930's, Eunice Ingham, called "The Mother of Modern Reflexology," refined Fitzgerald's work to map the feet specifically to internal organs and glands. Her Ingham Method is still used today, and the charts reflexologists use are her original work.

Evidence of reflexology goes back 4,000 years as observed in pictographs in the tomb of Ankhmahor in Ancient Egypt. In Ancient China, The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine (c. 1000 BCE) has a chapter on "Examining Foot Method." In ancient India for 5000 years, an Ayurvedic tradition, called padabhyanga (foot massage), has been practiced to balance body energy.

Finally, what are the specific benefits from working these reflex points in the feet? First, this work relieves stress and anxiety; second, it may reduce the pain of headaches and migraines; third, circulation is improved because it enhances blood flow and lymphatic drainage; fourth, it may help with asthma, sinus issues, and cardiovascular or neurological issues, and last, it can aid in recovery from foot and ankle injuries, as well as promoting the general health of the feet. When pressure is applied to the points, waves of energy stimulate the release of pain-relieving chemicals or endorphins and promote nervous system balance.

Often in ball therapy sessions, clients feel a strong release up the legs after they have rolled the balls on the bottoms of their feet, and they are able to feel a deeper and more relaxed forward fold.

Eugene's Kundalini classes will begin February 14th at Equipose Studio at 10am until 11:30am. Show up if you are interested, no registration necessary. Please bring cash or check. Drop-in fee is $25; a 5-class pass is $100. You may Zoom these classes by paying online at equiposeyoga.com. Go to Zoom classes on the website and use the pay button at the bottom of the page. Please let Lee know you want to Zoom!

The next ball therapy class will meet on Feb.7th. Also, if you are interested in an introduction to Shodo Tai Chi, simple daily exercises to support health and well-being, please come at 9:00 on Sunday mornings. Kathy Campbell will be leading these sessions beginning Feb.1st. They will end in time for Yin at 10am.

Regular Class Schedule

SUNDAY:
10AM Yin Yoga
MONDAY:
10:00AM
4:30PM Vinyasa Flow Yoga
TUESDAY:
12PM Lunch Break Yoga, All Levels, 1 hr
6:00-7:30PM All Levels Flow with Wes
WEDNESDAY:
10AM Vinyasa Flow
5:30PM Yin Yoga [ZOOM + IN-STUDIO]
THURSDAY:
5:30 Yin [ZOOM only}
6-7:30pm All Levels Flow with Wes
FRIDAY:
10AM Vinyasa Flow Yoga

No need to register for classes—just come! Drop-ins are $20, and you can purchase class passes here:

https://equiposeyoga.com/classes-props

01/26/2026

Dear Yogis:

More about our fascia this week! When we inhale, a ripple of pressure extends throughout our body into our piezoelectric tissues, creating an electrical current or bioelectricity. This pressure or piezoelectricity, from the Greek piezein meaning to squeeze or compress, moves through all the crystalline structures of all our cells, most importantly our fascial network. All our cells are arranged in a liquid crystal uniform structure, like quartz crystals but in liquid form. Our fascia is actually piezoelectric tissue which produces an electrical current when pressure is applied.

Our collagen-rich tissues respond to pressure, like breathing or movement that causes stretch, which causes a mechanical deformation. This deformation generates a small electrical charge or signal. The stronger the deformation on the crystal structures of our fascia, the greater the bend and the greater the electrical field. When you inhale, the diaphragm descends, the ribcage expands, and fascia, tendons, ligaments, fascia in the bones, and all the collagen-rich tissues stretch. We are electric beings healing through this electric charge. We heal because this charge or electrical current tells the cells of the body to create new cells, flush old ones, and regenerate the ones that are still viable, slowing down the degeneration of existing cells. Yoga, walking, weight-bearing exercise, and movement in general all communicate this signal to the cells through deformation or the bending pressure that is piezoelectricity.

A study in 2025 by Dr. Catherine Clinton found that the stem cells in fascia can also regenerate blood vessels. This happens when the oxygen-sensing pathways of the fascia are signaled through piezoelectric charge. Fascia is a living conductor, an active regulator of regeneration!

Clark, Bernie. The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga (Oregon: White Cloud Press, 2012).
Oschman, James. Energy Medicine: The Scientific Basis (Philadelphia: Churchill Livingston, 2000).

Eugene's Kundalini classes will begin February 14th at Equipose Studio at 10am until 11:30am. Show up if you are interested, no registration necessary. Please bring cash or check. Drop-in fee is $25; a 5-class pass is $100. You may Zoom these classes by paying online at equiposeyoga.com. Go to Zoom classes on the website and use the pay button at the bottom of the page. Please let Lee know you want to Zoom!

The next ball therapy class will meet on Feb.7th.

Also, if you are interested in an introduction to Shodo Tai Chi, simple daily exercises to support health and well-being, please come at 9:00 on Sunday mornings. Kathy Campbell will be leading these sessions beginning Feb.1st. They will end in time for Yin at 10am.

Lee's classes are not meeting Jan.23-26

Regular Class Schedule

SUNDAY:
10AM Yin Yoga
MONDAY:
10:00AM
4:30PM Vinyasa Flow Yoga
TUESDAY:
12 PM Lunch Break Yoga, All Levels, 1 hr
6:00-7:30PM All Levels Flow with Wes
WEDNESDAY:
10AM Vinyasa Flow
5:30PM Yin Yoga [ZOOM + IN-STUDIO]
THURSDAY:
5:30 Yin [ZOOM only}
6-7:30pm All Levels Flow with Wes
FRIDAY:
10AM Vinyasa Flow Yoga

No need to register for classes—just come! Drop-ins are $20, and you can purchase class passes.

https://equiposeyoga.com/classes-props

01/23/2026

Reminder: Lee’s classes will not meet January 23-27.

01/19/2026

Dear Yogis:

Kundalini Yoga is an ancient yoga practice that was introduced to the west in1969. It has evolved into an international yoga movement that has become a science backed practice that has benefited many people in every aspect of life including fitness and emotional and physical health along with spiritual uplifting.

We are constantly being assailed by an endless stream of doom and gloom, and we are overwhelmed and overstimulated in almost every aspect of our lives. Our overall mental health is declining at alarming rates. There is substantial evidence that Kundalini Yoga is uniquely designed to address many of these issues and more. Kundalini stimulates and balances the energies that flow through our bodies in a very dramatic way. It precisely engages the flows of energy or Chi that are related to acupuncture meridians.

Eugene Spence, who is a licensed acupuncturist, has been practicing and teaching Kundalini Yoga for most of his adult life. His acupuncture practice spans 25 years. He has found over the years that the ancient healing arts of Kundalini are the perfect self-help antidote for the stresses and burdens overwhelming us at this time in history.

Eugene will introduce students to the principles of acupuncture energetic healing that each Kundalini exercise can provide. The energetic transformation of a Kundalini practice can provide a more balanced and harmonious sense of wellbeing and calm but also will provide powerful energy.

Eugene's classes will begin February 14th at Equipose Studio at 10am until 11:30am. Show up if you are interested, no registration necessary. Please bring cash or check. Drop-in fee is $25; 5 class pass is $100.

The next ball therapy class will meet on Feb.7th. Also, if you are interested in an introduction to Shodo Tai Chi, simple daily exercises to support health and well-being, please come at 9:00 on Sunday mornings, J Kathy Campbell will be leading this session. It will end in time for Yin at 10am. Lee's classes are not meeting Jan.23-26.

Regular Class Schedule

SUNDAY:
10AM Yin Yoga
MONDAY:
10:00AM
4:30PM Vinyasa Flow Yoga
TUESDAY:
12PM Lunch Break Yoga, All Levels, 1 hr
6:00-7:30PM All Levels Flow with Wes
WEDNESDAY:
10AM Vinyasa Flow
5:30PM Yin Yoga [ZOOM + IN-STUDIO]
THURSDAY:
5:30 Yin [ZOOM only}
6-7:30pm All Levels Flow with Wes
FRIDAY:
10AM Vinyasa Flow Yoga

No need to register for classes—just come! Drop-ins are $20, and you can purchase class passes on the website.

https://equiposeyoga.com/classes-props

01/12/2026

Dear Yogis:

The body has an amazing ability to heal itself! Tapping is a way to:

1. Send immediate signals of safety to the brain, calming the stress response in real time.
2. Help the body release stored emotional charge
3. Regulate the amygdala (your alarm center) so your body stops reacting as if the threat was still
happening.
4. Bring you out of survival mode and back into the present, grounding, orienting, and stabilizing the
nervous system.
5. Gently rewire old threat -based patterns, creating new associations of safety and neutrality.
6. Increase the vagal tone and nervous system flexibility, helping you move more easily between
activation and calm.
7.Give you a simple, embodied tool you can use anywhere, restoring a sense of agency, control
and self-trust.

EFT is the acronym for Emotional Freedom Tapping, the ancient combination of Chinese acupressure and modern psychology. You are tapping on the endpoints of meridians in the body that send a common signal to the amygdala in the brain which processes the fight or flight signal. Tapping desensitizes and turns off that signal, rewiring the way the brain and the lymph system work.

As you tap, you focus on anything that is stressful for you, pain somewhere in the body, anger, frustration, finances, weight loss, whatever! Then you give yourself a level of pain or stress from 1-10.

First, start on the side of the hand (doesn't matter which hand). This is called the karate chop. As you go back and forth into the side of the hand, repeat 3x a statement like this one for stress, "I have stress in my body, but I deeply love and accept myself." Your statement needs to fit your intentional focus.
Second, go to the inside of the eyebrow, both sides together or separately, saying something like, "I release my stress (or the pain in my back, etc.).
Third, go to the sides of the eyes, repeating, "I release..."
Fourth, Under the eyes.
Fifth, Under the nose.
Sixth, Below the lip but above the chin.
Seventh, go an inch below the collar bone with both hands tapping.
Eighth, Go three inches under the armpit.
Last, tap the top of the head.
Take a deep breath and let it go. Drink lots of water because you just released a lot of toxins!

Most of my tapping work has been through studying and practicing Nick Ortner's The Tapping Solution.

The next ball therapy class will meet on Feb.7th.

If you are interested in an introduction to Shodo Tai Chi, simple daily exercises to support health and well-being, please come at 9:30 on Sunday morning, January 18th. Kathy Campbell will be leading this session. It will end in time for Yin at 10am.

Lee's classes are not meeting Jan.23-26.

Regular Class Schedule

SUNDAY:
10AM Yin Yoga
MONDAY:
10:00AM
4:30PM Vinyasa Flow Yoga
TUESDAY:
12 PM Lunch Break Yoga All Levels-1 hr
6:00-7:30PM All Levels Flow with Wes
WEDNESDAY:
10AM Vinyasa Flow
5:30PM Yin Yoga [ZOOM + IN-STUDIO]
THURSDAY:
5:30 Yin [ZOOM only}
6-7:30pm All Levels Flow with Wes
FRIDAY:
10AM Vinyasa Flow Yoga

No need to register for classes—just come! Drop-ins are $20, and you can purchase class passes below.

https://equiposeyoga.com/classes-props

01/05/2026

01/05/2026

Dear Yogis:

This week I am "borrowing" from the words of Matt Licata because I can find no words. These are excerpts from the two works cited below and more recent postings of his. I, too, am overwhelmed by our country's recent chaos. I hope his wisdom brings you hope and healing.

Thank you for being here-on this mailing list and in this shared field. "...something real lives here. A warmth. A presence. A felt resonance that forms organically and mysteriously when we come together in a shared love of what's most true. Everything in our modern world, when things are moving so fast, when we've lost contact [comes with] grief, fatigue, or a sense of not knowing how to orient forward. Often, it's all of that at once."

"...wisdom lives inside our vulnerability, when we meet it with kindness rather than urgency. When we stop trying ...to rush toward improvement and instead turn toward our lived experience...with gentleness, and presence, something begins to reorganize from the inside out."

"How do we stay close to what we feel without becoming overwhelmed by it? How do we allow intensity, uncertainty, and tenderness to move through us without collapsing...?"

"There is a living intelligence woven into our emotions, our symptoms, and even in our places of fracture." Slowing down and listening to the body, the heart and the nervous system, not just the mind "cultivates a grounded intimacy with life..."

"As we move into this new year-within a larger collective moment that continues to feel unstable... [there is] an invitation to remember what matters. How present was I to this life, to this moment...?"

"Each day offers ...a chance to feel a breath move through the body, to notice the light on the trees, to be touched by music, to sit with another person... without turning away from beauty and sorrow."

To close, these are the words of Rebecca Solnit in "Credo," her last essay in No straight Road Takes You There. "There is no alternative to persevering, and that does not require you to feel good. You can keep walking whether it's sunny or raining. Take care of yourself and remember that taking care of something else is an important part of taking care of yourself, because you are interwoven with the ten trillion things in this single garment of destiny that has been stained and torn, but it is still being woven and mended and washed."

I hope these thoughts help you keep walking "whether it's sunny or raining."

Licata, Matt. A Healing Space: Befriending Ourselves in Difficult Times (Sounds True,2020). The Path Is Everywhere: Uncovering the Jewels Hidden Within You (Wandering Yogi Press, 2017).
Solnit, Rebecca. No Straight Road Takes You There: (Chicago, Il, Haymarket Books), 2025.


Regular Class Schedule

SUNDAY:
10AM Yin Yoga
MONDAY:
10:00AM
4:30PM Vinyasa Flow Yoga
TUESDAY:
12PM Lunch Break Yoga, All Levels, 1 hr
6:00-7:30PM All Levels Flow with Wes
WEDNESDAY:
10AM Vinyasa Flow
5:30PM Yin Yoga [ZOOM + IN-STUDIO]
THURSDAY:
5:30 Yin [ZOOM only}
6-7:30pm Flow with Wes
FRIDAY:
10AM Vinyasa Flow Yoga

No need to register for classes—just come! Drop-ins are $20, and you can purchase class passes below.

https://equiposeyoga.com/classes-props