• Reduce stress, anxiety and depression. Deadlines, financial worries, relationship issues, traffic, the holidays, getting your kids to school on time: it’s all stress. Stress is stored in our musculature and other body tissues (i.e. irritable bowel) and disrupts our hormonal balance. By reducing muscle tension you can reduce your stress levels, stimulate hormone production and feel like a new person.

• Lose weight, permanently.  One study has shown that people who do yoga in their 50’s lose weight as opposed to their non-yoga counterparts who tend to gain weight. Yoga can help you lose weight in more ways than just by burning calories. It helps your hormonal balance, reduces food and alcohol cravings, and builds muscle. Yoga has helped me lose 25 pounds and it can do the same for you! For more information on how yoga can help you lose weight click here. If you are looking to shed unwanted pounds after having a baby, please check out Postpartum Yoga.

• Increase your mobility in shoulders, hips and other joints. Your range of motion tends to decrease, as you get older. It’s: use it or lose it. Yoga takes all your joints through their full range of motion, increasing your mobility over time. You’ll be amazed at how much easier everyday activities like walking or running can become when you increase the range of motion in your joints. 

• Improve your energy level. You have to expend energy to gain more energy. But some types of exercise can get you feeling more energized immediately and this is one of them!

• Strengthen, lengthen and tone your muscles. Yoga creates long, strong and lean muscles, from head to toe. Enjoy powerful muscles without adding bulk!

• Step right in. You don’t need to be flexible, strong, thin, young or in shape to do start doing yoga. Yoga will benefit Any Body and the further you are from that ideal body, the greater the benefits you are going to reap! If you can breathe you can do yoga. Promise.

My name is Marleen Stam-Gibbs and I am a Registered Yoga Teacher ®  teaching private yoga sessions in around Benicia, including Vallejo, American Canyon, Martinez, Concord, Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek.

“Marleen's private classes are a gift… one you should give yourself.”
- Barbara F.

You are a unique individual and so the particular stretches and exercises you need to release tension and invigorate your body are unique. Every student I work with is on their own path to reach their own goals. In each situation the first step is the same: Call me.

"You couldn’t have given me a better gift than your yoga
instruction. I thank you for helping me stay healthier"

- Kimberlee (breast cancer survivor)

Because you are the focus of these lessons, we start exactly where you are and we let you set the pace: Babysteps or strides – whatever feels best.

I encourage you to listen to your body, because we never do anything your body is not ready for. I will encourage you to challenge yourself, but pushing you beyond your abilities can be counterproductive and may aggravate existing problems. You didn't get stiff in a week, so it's going to take a little longer than that to undo it and fully develop your body's potential, but develop it will! I promise you progress will feel better than you thought possible.

What your yoga sessions are like
When I come to your house or your office for a private yoga session all you need to do is wear comfortable clothes. I will bring a mat and all necessary props that you need to be comfortable and safe.

I will explain and demonstrate all poses for you. I will guide you into the poses and make sure you get it right, so you will experience the full benefits of each pose. I will explain these benefits, so you know why we’re doing it. You will be able to get into each pose, because we gently work your muscles according to your level of strength and flexibility, increasing those levels gradually. I will take my cues from you as to what does and does not feel good and adjust your practice accordingly. You are going to be feeling good during and after class and start looking forward to our sessions. If weight loss is a concern for you, our sessions will create the optimum environment to shed unwanted pounds and I will encourage you to make positive changes in your life. You’ll feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment as you notice your strength, ability and range of motion increase, as you daily aches and pains diminish, your mind becomes calmer and more focused and your mood improves. You will never regret doing yoga with me!

Take the first step towards improving your body and your life: call me at 707-747-5103 to discuss your needs and goals and to schedule your first class at a convenient time. Whether you want to work with me once a week, or more often, make the call!

707.747.5103