Yoga first came into Jeff Boyd's life as a way to rehabilitate from injuries. Although he was born with a clubbed foot, Jeff was highly active in rugby in his youth, until a ruptured Achilles tendon on the field forced him to slow down and listen to his body. During his recovery process, Jeff found yoga, and soon thereafter began his path towards becoming a teacher. Jeff's combination of yoga and personal training certifications allows him to bring a unique and holistic perspective to his fitness classes.
High Intensity Interval Training
Timer-based sessions that include elements of both cardio and strength. Designed to get the heart rate up and challenge the whole system!
-----
In the past few years, I have really come to love formatting my own workouts in this fashion. On days when it is a bit harder to muster up the motivation to count reps and get through a program, I can instead pick how long I want to work for, blast some tunes, and pound out my workout. I find having the clock running really helps me push through to the end and get the most out of my time.
Yoga
A combination of yoga flow (dynamic, fast-paced movement practice; best for experienced yogis) and gentle yoga (emphasis on breath-work, flexibility, and safe body mechanics). Accessible movement practices for all levels.
-----
When I get onto my mat for a yoga practice, it really feels like my time for ME. I get a chance to tap into my breath, and it always serves as a chance to check in to see how I’m really feeling, to meet myself where I am at any given day. I’ve tried to include a variety of the modalities of yoga styles that I enjoy myself. Yin classes are time for stillness, a chance to revel in doing less. Hatha normally means that our pacing is fairly steady; you’ll have lots of time to get into poses, and stay and figure them out for a bit (this is where I started when I first discovered yoga). Anything labelled Flow may move fairly quickly, and is a better option once you’ve gotten used to pose names and transitions. Anytime you are doing these though, take what works, leave the rest. My goal is to teach you to be your own teacher; you are the one who knows you best.
Instructional Videos
Short videos to discuss proper technique and common errors for a variety of yoga poses and exercises.
-----
In these videos, I’ll try to offer some insights I’ve picked up over the years. I’m not really a fan of absolutism, and don’t think there is only one way to do any given thing; every body will look different in every yoga pose or through any exercise. So I’ll often discuss what the intention is, versus what it's supposed to look like.
Strength Training
Workouts designed for those with access to equipment, including but not limited to sandbags, kettlebells, dumbbells, and bands.
-----
Balance in all things is something I really strive for, and my shift into strength training and becoming a personal trainer stemmed from a lack of this. Something I really noticed as a full time yoga instructor was how so many people fixated on how flexible they were, yet despite their diligence in their stretching, they were still getting hurt. I was one of those people. Now I know that the body needs both mobility and strength to function optimally (ie. to enjoy living in your body). Strength training is a great way to correct muscle imbalances that occur from day-to-day living, and an essential practice for healthy aging.
Stretch, Restore, Meditate
A collection of self-care practices, including guided meditation, yin-style stretching, and instructional videos for the use of therapeutic tools such as foam rollers and trigger point release balls.
-----
Slow down. No, seriously... slow down. I’ve always found that if I don’t slow down by choice, something will happen to make you slow down. In any given hour, day, week, etc, you need to take some time to recuperate. No training program is complete without its recovery periods. Here’s a collection of videos where I’ll try to help guide you through some of the ways you can help yourself. Sometimes a slow stretch session does the trick, sometimes it's a meditation (I’m no expert meditator, but we can all try a little bit). Other times it’s some self massage with trigger release. But taking some time out will really help you maximize your overall well being.