Our Approach to Classes at Sellwood Yoga

We offer a diverse range of classes so every student can find what supports them best. Our instructors bring their own perspectives, training, and life experience into their teaching, creating classes that feel authentic, approachable, and personal. Classes draw from both traditional and contemporary yoga methods, blending breath, movement, strength, alignment, and mindfulness.

Most classes are taught in a hybrid model — join us in the studio, on our outdoor yoga deck (weather permitting), or via livestream from wherever you are. Explore the class descriptions below, and check our schedule to find what fits your day.

Class Descriptions

Functional Strength & Yoga

Functional Strength & Yoga is a dynamic mixed-level class that incorporates a mindful progression of poses to build muscular strength, endurance, flexibility, and focus. Clear, precise guidance helps students refine their form and find their optimal alignment. Each class includes yoga as well as functional strength movements to support overall fitness and mobility, leaving you feeling energized, focused, and strong.

Happy Hour Vinyasa Flow (Fridays)

Shake off the workweek and flow into the weekend! This Friday evening class begins with an energizing Vinyasa sequence, then slows down with tension-relieving stretches and grounding poses before ending with a restorative finish.

Come solo or bring a friend—it’s a fun, feel-good way to say TGIF. Use your existing Sellwood Yoga pass or purchase a discounted Happy Hour Drop in.

Hatha Yoga

This class draws from Iyengar, Vinyasa, and classical Hatha yoga principles. Hatha classes move through a variety of postures, themes, and focal points. Slower paced than Vinyasa Flow, these classes are suitable for both beginners and experienced practitioners. Expect attention to foundation, alignment, and the subtleties of each posture, with options to personalize the practice to your needs.

Morning Yin Yoga

Morning Yin Yoga keeps you mostly seated or lying down, settling into simple, passive stretches held for 3–5 minutes. These longer holds help your muscles relax and allow the practice to reach deeper tissues such as fascia, ligaments, and joints.

Perfect for beginners and seasoned practitioners alike, this class helps you “find your edge,” breathe with more awareness, and experience the calming power of stillness. Morning Yin creates spaciousness in the body and supports a balanced flow of energy throughout your day.

Morning Yoga

Morning Yoga blends mobility, balancing, and strengthening movements with Vinyasa Flow inspired sequencing. Variations are built into the plan so students of all experience levels can find the version that works best for them. Expect moments of quiet, stillness, and dynamic movement to start your day with clarity and steadiness.

Restorative Yoga

Restorative Yoga is a restful, prop-supported practice designed to help you slow down and fully unwind. Using blankets, bolsters, sandbags, and blocks, you’ll settle into passive poses held for 5–10 minutes with minimal movement. This class emphasizes the meditative aspect of yoga and supports the nervous system, encouraging profound rest and stress release.

Saturday Yoga (mixed levels)

Saturday Yoga is adaptable for a wide range of students, from beginners to more seasoned practitioners. Classes emphasize alignment, skillful instruction, and exploration—helping you sense and understand how poses function and feel in your body. Many classes include a theme or “mini-workshop”, focusing on specific poses or concepts. Every session concludes with time for relaxation, breath awareness, and stress reduction.

Slow Flow

Slow Flow moves at a gentler, more relaxed pace than our Vinyasa Flow classes, making it a great option if you’re newer to yoga or simply wanting a slower practice. You’ll have more time to settle into each pose, focus on your breath, and explore what feels right in your body. Each class is a little different and may draw inspiration from Hatha yoga and other healing or creative practices.

Stretch and Strengthen

Strength training is for everyone! Each Stretch and Strengthen class begins with a warm-up and progresses into exercises targeting major muscle groups. Classes are designed so regular students can progressively build strength over time. Clear instructions, demonstrations, and options support all levels, from those new to strength training to experienced lifters. The class ends with guided stretching and relaxation, making it a fantastic complement to a yoga practice.

Vinyasa Flow

Vinyasa Flow is an ever-evolving, creative style of yoga that integrates breath and movement, awareness and alignment. Classes link postures in a logical, mindful sequence influenced primarily by Hatha traditions and enriched by other healing and expressive arts. Each class is unique and supports both strength and fluidity.

Vinyasa Flow to Yin Yoga

A Vinyasa to Yin class offers a creative blend of dynamic movement followed by a grounding sequence of yin yoga poses. The practice emphasizes breath (pranayama) and spinal mobility, using an uplifting playlist and a joyful vinyasa flow to build strength, flexibility, and ease.

The second portion of class shifts into yin yoga, guided by the principles of edge, stillness, and time. Moderate, intentional stress is applied to the connective tissues to support circulation and maintain range of motion. Classes may also incorporate meditation, visualization, and yoga nidra to help regulate and balance the nervous system.

Yoga Basics

Yoga Basics is a slower-paced class suitable for beginners and seasoned practitioners alike. With an emphasis on alignment and clear instruction, you’ll build a strong foundation for your practice. Expect time for relaxation, breath awareness, and stress reduction. Instructors offer modifications and variations so you can tailor each pose to your body and experience level.

Yoga for a Healthy Spine

Yoga for a Healthy Spine focuses on practicing postures in ways that support the health of your back and spine. Suboptimal postural habits in daily life can create pain, sensitivity, and long-term strain. This class helps you bring more awareness to those patterns and explore healthier options.

You’ll learn how to relieve tension in the back body, from the neck to the sacrum, and strengthen your core to support proper alignment, especially in the lower back. Suitable for all levels — whether you’re working with current back issues or building a preventative practice.

Yoga for Healthy Aging (for all ages)

Yoga is a powerful way to maintain and build vitality as we age. In studio classes are a great opportunity to connect with others and meet new friends.

This slower-paced, accessible class supports balance, flexibility, mobility, and overall well-being. Each session includes traditional poses, stretching, and breathwork, with props available to support proper alignment and comfort. Class ends with a restorative or resting pose to leave you feeling grounded and refreshed.

Welcoming to all ages, bodies, and experience levels, this class is a wonderful way to connect with others while supporting healthy aging through mindful movement.

Yoga Nidra