Most people treat recovery as the absence of training. A rest day is just a day you didn't do anything. But the body doesn't work that way. Recovery is active. It's intentional. And when you do it right, it's what allows you to keep training — week after week, year after year — without breaking down.
At Yoga House, recovery isn't a separate category. It's woven into the schedule. Here's how to use it.
THE RECOVERY CLASSES
FUNDAMENTAL MVMT
This is the most important class on the schedule that most people skip. FUNDAMENTAL MVMT works through myofascial release, joint mobility, and postural correction — the three things that accumulate damage fastest when you train hard and recover poorly. Taught by Laurie Orlando, it's methodical, evidence-based, and genuinely uncomfortable in the way that productive work always is.
If you have a nagging hip, a tight lower back, shoulders that don't move the way they should, or you've been told you have "bad posture" — this class is where you start fixing it.
- — Non-heated
- — Myofascial release and joint mobility
- — Posture and spinal decompression
- — Low intensity, not low value
- — Taught by: Laurie Orlando
FOUNDATION TRAINING
Foundation Training is a specific methodology built around decompression breathing, posterior chain activation, and spinal integrity. It was originally developed for people with chronic back pain — but it's become a staple for athletes, desk workers, and anyone who wants to move better and hurt less. Laurie is one of the few certified Foundation Training instructors in Southwest Florida.
- — Non-heated
- — Posture, breathing, and posterior chain
- — Particularly effective for lower back issues
- — Taught by: Laurie Orlando
SLOW FLOW YOGA
On a hard training week, Slow Flow is your active recovery. Long holds, steady breath, and deliberate movement give your nervous system a chance to downregulate while your connective tissue gets the attention it needs. It's not passive — you'll still work — but the pace and temperature (non-heated) make it genuinely restorative.
- — Non-heated
- — Long holds and breath focus
- — Ideal for active recovery days
- — Great teachers: Missy Anzivino, Bonnie Bee, Rob Spinelli, Jacqueline Bingham
The body you want is built in the work. The body you keep is built in the recovery.
HOW MUCH RECOVERY DO YOU ACTUALLY NEED?
It depends on your training volume, sleep quality, stress load, and age. But a general rule: for every two or three hard sessions, you need at least one session that's genuinely restorative. Not lighter — restorative. There's a difference between a "light" workout and one that actually helps your body repair.
FUNDAMENTAL MVMT and Slow Flow both qualify. Foundation Training qualifies. A hot class at reduced intensity does not — the heat alone is a physiological stressor.
SIGNS YOU NEED MORE RECOVERY
- — You're sore more than two days after a class
- — Your joints feel stiff in the morning
- — You're losing motivation to train
- — You're getting injured more frequently
- — You feel tired even after a full night of sleep
If any of these sound familiar, the answer isn't to push harder. It's to add a FUNDAMENTAL MVMT or Slow Flow session to your week and see what changes.
BUILDING RECOVERY INTO YOUR WEEK
- — After every 2–3 hard sessions: 1 Slow Flow or FUNDAMENTAL MVMT
- — Weekly: Foundation Training if you have back or postural issues
- — Monthly: A 1-on-1 consult with Laurie to reassess and adjust
Want to see how recovery fits into a full weekly plan? Read: How to Build a Week That Actually Works →