Willow Street Workshops

Life is a magnificent gift of the Divine, and yoga encourages us to honor this gift by choosing to align with the intrinsic goodness of the Universe, while simultaneously supporting our own heart's desires. We yogis have a remarkable ability to accomplish this, and in so doing to become virtuosos of our own lives! Throughout the weekend, we'll explore Matrika Shakti, the inherent power of consciousness contained in the words, ideas, and concepts that we choose to frame and guide our lives. Join us to see how the choices we make can allow us to live with virtuosity, and to share a superbly empowering weekend of yoga!

Betsey Downing, Ph.D., RYT-500, has been a yoga practitioner since 1972 and a meditator since 1974. She is one of Anusara Yoga's senior certified teachers, and has studied with John Friend as her primary teacher since 1994. Her early influences were Sivananda yoga, Joel Kramer, and then Iyengar yoga for many years. Betsey leads workshops and teacher trainings nationally, including teaching at the Omega Conferences in Miami and New York.

Join Carrie & Natalie for a series of Postnatal Yoga workshops using the wisdom of Anusara Yoga to enhance your experience of new motherhood. Whether you're 4 weeks or 4 years postpartum, you'll find support for your hardworking body & spirit, learn practices to restore balance to your muscles and your life, and get to know other moms in the process! Workshops are designed to build upon one another, but may be taken separately, too. All levels welcome, but leave your babies at home!

Carrie Ganz loves to share her delight in Anusara yoga with her students. She is a recent graduate of the Willow Street Yoga Teacher Training Program and continues to study and learn with her teachers. Her classes emphasize empowerment and joy and are imbued with a sense of creativity, play and freedom.

Natalie Miller is new to the faculty, but not to Willow Street - after six years of study here, she found her yoga practice and her pregnancy to be so mutually transformative that she was inspired to learn to share Pregnancy Yoga. Natalie endeavors to offer her students what Anusara Yoga boundlessly gifts to her: a loving and supportive community, a reverence for the inherent wisdom of body, and ever-new revelations of the beauty within and around us.

Learn simple techniques you can use any time to feel more grounded and at home on earth, to let your sensuality and creativity flow, to embody your power, open your heart, speak your truth, access your wisdom, and connect with Spirit. Chakras are energy centers in the body that correspond to nerve plexuses, organs, glands, and levels of consciousness.; they affect how we manifest ourselves and relate to the world around us. In this session we will learn ways to balance chakras with yoga, meditation, vibrational kinesiology, sound healing, meridian tapping, affirmations, and other energy-based practices. All levels welcome. **Please note: this workshop has been cancelled, but will be offered in the Spring 2009 Session**

Kathy Carroll, an Anusara Affiliated teacher, has been Suzie Hurley’s student for almost 20 years. She is a professor in a MEd program, a writer of educational books and musical CDs, and a Vibrational Kinesiologist. A teacher and healer, Kathy helps students experience the joy that comes from integrating yoga into daily life.

Tight hamstrings getting you down or keeping you from "getting down"? If you've ever been in a yoga class and frustrated that you can't easily touch your toes, you are not alone! Spend an afternoon cultivating some love for your hard-working hamstrings, learning ways to lengthen and strengthen those muscles, which will in turn begin to free up your low back (not to mention your spirit!) Watch in awe as your fingertips get closer to your toes, and enjoy the sweet warmth of freedom in your frozen hamstrings. All levels welcome.

Naomi Gottlieb-Miller, RYT, began her study of yoga in 1999 to take the edge off of living in NYC. A graduate of WS YTT Program, she continues her yoga study with senior Anusara teachers. Naomi brings lightness and play to all her classes, encouraging students to invite a healthy dose of laughter into their practice. She is inspired by the joy her students bring to their mats and considers teaching yoga the best gig ever.

Learn how to give a wonderful, relaxing full body massage to your Valentine in this 4-hour workshop. We will cover a variety of bodywork techniques, including Swedish massage, trigger points, and some deep tissue applications. Professional massage tables, sheets, relaxing music, and lotion are provided. Just bring yourself: ladies, with a bathing suit (two piece preferred); gentlemen, with shorts. Everybody welcome - space is limited and this workshop fills quickly, so register now!

Eduardo Cortina has studied martial arts since 1990. He is a Certified T'ai Chi and Qi gong instructor, a Certified Alexander Technique Teacher and Massage Therapist and is trained in Craniosacral Therapy and Reiki. Eduardo's classes are geared towards health, improving coordination and balance, along with understanding body mechanics and how we can move efficiently and gracefully.

Kula is that fabric of friends, acquaintances, and family for whom we give encouragement and from whom we draw love and support. This Valentine's Day, bring a friend, spouse, partner, or family member to help each other create deep relaxation in body & mind. We will do a variety of stretches and yoga postures together to give and receive this support so crucial to enjoying life. Everybody welcome - no yoga experience required.

Kelly Fisher is a Certified Anusara Yoga instructor, and her teaching is rooted in 17 years of yoga and meditation practice. This practice is the foundation of everything she does -- from her ongoing yoga studies to her musical exploits, from getting the groceries to hiking in the woods. Her goal is to help each of her students develop a similar foundation so that they might flow with Grace in every moment.

Yoga Nidra is a profoundly transformative practice that leads to lasting psychological, physical and spiritual healing. This ancient tantric practice is suitable for everyone, regardless of previous yoga experience. We rest our bodies while our minds release the hidden tensions that prevent us from living our full potential. This workshop includes an overview of Yoga Nidra and how it works, special instruction on incorporating conscious intention with your practice to allow you to fulfill a major life goal with greater ease, and a full hour of in-depth Yoga Nidra practice which engages all levels of your being while you relax and rest.

Joy Kirstin has taught Yoga Nidra since 2003. Her 20 years of experience in earth-based awareness practices and 10 years as a holistic spirituality & life coach, bring a special flavor to her Yoga Nidra practices. She is currently in the certification program for Richard Miller's Yoga Nidra iRest training. www.joylifecoach.com.

"Open to the Universal?" "Soften into your back-body?" What do we Anusarans mean when we talk about accessing the power of the back-body? If you've ever struggled to understand and feel the powerful actions of pelvic loop, tailbone, outer spiral, kidney loop, or skull loop, please join us as we explore these actions and more! Through breath and asana, we will journey into the often-unexplored world of our back-bodies, going into the place where sweet surrender opens us to an ever more powerful experience of our inner strength. For students who have completed at least one session of Level I.

Lucy Lomax, RYT, a Certified Anusara teacher, credits yoga with keeping her balanced in a frenetic world. She retired early as a financial policy analyst to be a yoga teacher. Believing that yoga is a metaphor for life, she teaches the importance of moving from a position of strength and inner wisdom of the body/mind. Lucy infuses her teaching with a sense of lightheartedness and enthusiasm.

Maria Hamburger, RYT and Certified Anusara Yoga teacher, continues to be inspired by her first yoga teacher, Suzie Hurley, as well as John Friend and other senior teachers. She danced and performed professionally for many years prior to teaching yoga. With great enthusiasm and clarity, Maria helps her students find a place of love, acceptance and courage within each class.

The shoulders are often referred to as the "wings of the heart." Like birds, we too can find our own balance of effort and surrender and tap into the freedom that is ours. In this workshop, we will learn how to bring balance to the shoulder girdle using the Anusara Universal Principles of Alignment, and find ways to transform pain and limitation into an experience of greater freedom and joy. All levels welcome.

Kate Miller is a certified Anusara yoga teacher with over 10 years of teaching experience. Kate inspires her students to radically affirm and honor all that they embody, and believes that we can only grow and transform ourselves from a place of deep recognition and acceptance. Kate poetically weaves through her classes the philosophical teachings of yoga with precise alignment instruction that invites her students straight into their hearts. To learn more about Kate, please visit www.redmoonyoga.com.

Developed by kinesiologist Aaron Mattes, Active-Isolated Stretching is a system "for eliminating or reducing chronic pain and restoring lost range of motion faster than any other technique you've seen." It's used in everything from physical therapy to Olympic training: for yoga students and teachers (as well as other athletes, computer users, and health practitioners), AIS is an amazing way to break stubborn tension patterns and increase range of motion. In this workshop, you'll learn to create custom routines for your most challenging areas, maximizing joint movement and optimizing the Stretch Reflex in a safe, effective way. All levels welcome.

Judy LaPrade has been a massage therapist, mental health practitioner, and yoga teacher for many years. She holds MA’s in both Rehabilitation and Counseling Psychology as well as 1,000+ hours training in Connective Tissue, Neuromuscular Therapy, and Sports Massage from the Florida Institute of Natural Health. Judy loves to share her passion for extreme self-care with people at all levels of ability through humor and serious fun.

Get your mind, body and spirit aligned for the coming gardening season! In this workshop, you'll receive alignment instruction for enhancing your gardening posture and learn yoga practices for before and after a good session in the garden to ease the impact of enthusiastic gardening on your body. Suitable for novice and experienced yogis and gardeners alike. Elizabeth will donate a portion of her proceeds to benefit the Youth Garden at the National Arboretum.

Elizabeth is a certified Anusara yoga instructor. Her study of yoga is informed by her work as a government lawyer and her commitment to citizen advocacy and volunteerism. Her classes express her belief that the practice of yoga helps to bring us in alignment with our true nature, enabling us to be more compassionate and generous to our living planet, all other beings and ourselves. She was raised in a meditative tradition and took her first yoga class over 25 years ago. She is also a Reiki master. See more about Elizabeth at her website: rosegardenyoga.com

The iliopsoas is a complex of muscles involved in almost every move we make. Yet due to its deep position in the abdomen, many movement enthusiasts have understandably little means to uncover its strength and power. With attention to the psoas, we can bring positive changes in alignment and ease in the lower back, neck and shoulders. In this workshop, we'll explore the anatomy and function of the psoas using the technique of Body-Mind Centering. Breath, movement and sound will reveal a whole elegant system of fluid power within each of us, complementing our yoga practices and allowing us to experience our central cores in wonderful and long-lasting ways. All levels welcome.

Jeanne Feeney is a certified practitioner of Body-Mind Centering (tm) which is a transformational movement and hands-on modality that has invaluable anatomical embodiment principles. Jeanne is a dancer, choreographer and has a private bodywork practice in Takoma Park, MD. Learn about her at www.movementlaboratory.org.

"You contain unimaginable magnificence inside of you and that magnificence must reveal itself. Practice the great path of return. Practice the great journey of ascension. Practice the great crossing. Merge with the transformative grace of the divine Shakti." To learn to locate the thrilling inner current of divine Shakti, to align ourselves more and more with its liberative power: this is the true work of Yoga. When we cultivate a profound understanding that is made immediate and real by profound experience, then the great Eye of Wisdom opens for us. Thus we begin to drink the fiery nectar of Consciousness and our daily world becomes illuminated by the extraordinary. In this powerful weekend immersion, renowned scholar and teacher Paul Muller-Ortega will take us on a journey of experiential discovery into the core teachings of Tantric Yoga. The focus will be the fundamental principles of Svatantra: the Tantric teaching of the ultimate freedom of Consciousness, as well as a simple set of practices that will help us incorporate these principles into daily life. During the weekend we will mediate, chant, and delve deeply into essential themes including: * How can I attune myself to the inner pulsation of the Shakti? * How can I transform and transmute suffering into bliss? * What is adult spirituality? * How can I release energies of contraction and limitation that may be blocking me from having deeper and more profound experience? * How can I make every day an occasion for growth, service and fulfillment? * How can my spiritual practices make a real contribution to the enlightenment of the planet? Whether you are already a practitioner of Yoga and meditation, or are simply interested in learning more about the path of spiritual growth, join Professor Muller-Ortega for this dynamic and inspiring weekend experience.

Paul Muller-Ortega, Ph.D., is recognized internationally as one of the world's most highly respected scholars in the field of Indian Religion and Hindu Tantra. and is the author of The Triadic Heart of Shiva. He received his Ph.D. from The University of California at Santa Barbara and currently teaches at the University of Rochester. Dr. Muller-Ortega is known for his unparalleled scholarly authenticity and for being a charismatic and eloquent teacher with a unique capacity to convey esoteric truths in ways that create profound shifts in his students. Integrating this with the wisdom gained from forty years teaching and practicing meditation, Dr. Muller-Ortega will take you on a guided tour of consciousness that will be inspiring and enlightening

In Yoga, one size doesn't fit all - all bodies, all levels of experience, all moods. Learn from a leader in the field of yoga and mental health how to assess the mood - yours and your students' - and design a menu of practices to meet you where you are. LifeForce Yoga is an evidence-based protocol that interweaves the power of an ancient discipline with current scientific findings. In a safe and accepting environment, you'll learn yogic strategies that can help you mantain your optimum mental health and methods to safely release chronically held tension and repressed emotion in the physical and emotional body. We'll practice: * Pranayama and kriya breathing techniques that regulate the emotions * Mediations that lift the mood * Creating affirmation (Sankalpa) * Guided visualizations (Bhavana) * Tones that regulate the emotions (Mantra) * Hand gestures that affect different areas of the chakra system and the body (Mudras) * Yoga asanas suitable for all levels You'll leave feeling refreshed and renewed, with strategies to revitalize your practice and manage your mood. Psychotherapists, health professionals, and yoga teachers will learn techniques they can use to help their clients focus, relax and have greater access to their feelings. Yoga Alliance CEU's.

Amy Weintraub, MFA, E-RYT 500, author of Yoga for Depression and founder and director of the LifeForce Yoga Healing Institute, is a senior Kripalu teacher and Mentor and serves as the LifeForce Facilitator for the Psychotherapy Networker Symposia. She leads workshops and professional trainings in LifeForce Yoga internationally, and writes frequently on the subject of yoga and mental health for national magazines. Learn more about Amy at www.yogafordepression.com.

Sankalpa is the Sanskrit word describing a call for change that springs from within. Come and explore your heart's deepest longings and how they point you toward your True Nature: loving, spacious awareness. Through simple self-reflection exercises, movement, and discussion, we'll explore how to discern between the relentless wants of the ego and the desires that draw us Home spiritually. Finally, we'll cultivate this sankalpa in a deliciously long yoga nidra meditation practice together. You'll leave the workshop with a sankalpa, a specific statement of growth that can serve you as a guiding beacon in daily life. Suitable for novices as well as experienced yoga nidra practitioners.

Robin Carnes discovered yoga at age 18, and it has gradually become the center of her life. She completed her Anusara teacher training at WSYC and is also a certified YogaRhythmics and Kripalu DansKinetics instructor. As a life coach, Robin loves working with groups and individuals to help them create more joy, passion and purpose in their lives.

Open hips make everyday life more easeful: physically, sitting and standing become more comfortable; mentally & emotionally, energies that have become bound or stuck over the years can be released. The elegance of Anusara Yoga's Universal Principles of Alignment, together with a heart-filled light of inquiry and awareness, will guide us in a handful of simple yet powerfully effective techniques to feel more Hip and Holy. These techniques will be presented systematically and in an experiential format that will enable you to feel, understand, and recreate their benefits. Also included will be a handout summarizing key physical and mental alignment principles and offering an efficient, effective home practice. The workshop will conclude with Yoga Nidra, a guided deep relaxation. All levels welcome.

Tyagan Scott Attaway is an Affiliated Anusara teacher and loves the spiritual teachings of Swami Satchidananda. He believes that a good yoga class leaves students feeling better about themselves. Tyagan, his spiritual name, means unconditional love and is a helpful reminder that the key to happiness is to serve and love all life.