Willow Street Workshops

Discover how yoga helps you to build strength and flexibility in your mind, body and spirit in this six-week introductory course. Intended both for raw beginners and those new to the Anusara style of yoga, Yoga Basics for Beginners introduces students to alignment principles, key yoga postures, and fundamentals of yogic breathing. Tuesday nights, February 23 - March 30.

Short course registration is open for the first two weeks of each course; tuition is $99 and may not be pro-rated. No drop-ins or make-ups are permitted, and regular workshop cancellation policies apply.

Susana Crespo is a graduate of WSYC's Teacher Training program and has a Masters' from Clark University in International Development and Social Change. Off the mat, she explores the geography of global problems through the use of GIS (Geographic Information Systems). On the mat, she explores the inner landscape of the body-mind with a sense of discovery, joy, and freedom. Brimming with enthusiasm for Yoga's power of transformation, she is half-Ecuadorian and speaks Spanish.

Students a bit reluctant to move beyond the comfort of Yoga I/II will build all the knowledge and confidence they need in this preparation for the leap to Yoga II! You'll spend each week progressively building into and through key intermediate yoga poses, including handstand, crow, wheel, and revolved standing poses (among others), giving you both an idea of what to expect in Yoga II as well as a refined understanding of how the principles will support you in your brave new world. Friday evenings, February 26 - April 2.

Short course registration is open for the first two weeks of each course; tuition is $99 and may not be pro-rated. No drop-ins or make-ups are permitted, and regular workshop cancellation policies apply.

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.

Discover how yoga helps you to build strength and flexibility in your mind, body and spirit in this six-week introductory course. Intended both for raw beginners and those new to the Anusara style of yoga, Yoga Basics for Beginners introduces students to alignment principles, key yoga postures, and fundamentals of yogic breathing. Saturday mornings, February 27 - April 3.

Short course registration is open for the first two weeks of each course; tuition is $99 and may not be pro-rated. No drop-ins or make-ups are permitted, and regular workshop cancellation policies apply.

Joe Miller draws upon his 20 years of yogic exploration and study of anatomy to recognize and celebrate our endless potential to align with the rhythms of nature and truth flowing within and around us. Joe uses his deep understanding of Anusara Yoga, Tantric Philosophy, and Ayurveda to support every student in connecting to their innate wisdom and discovering their own greatness. Joe has been teaching for over 10 years, is an integral part of the WSYC Teacher Training program, and continues to deepen his own practice by studying with his principal teachers, John Friend, and his amazing family.

Prana, meaning spirit or life force, was understood by the ancient yogis to have five main components representing upliftment (pran), grounding (apana), assimilation and digestion (samana), communication and speech (udana), and expansion (vyana). We will learn and practice meditations and asanas for each prana; learn where we are strong or deficient in a particular prana; and in the process develop the ability to direct our own power of awareness and spirit. A handout including the meditations on the five pranas will be provided, and the workshop will conclude with yoga nidra to seal the benefits. Level I/II and up.

Tyagan Scott Attaway is a Certified 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.

Get ready to grow, align, cultivate, and rejuvenate mind, body, and spirit with joyous anticipation of spring and the coming gardening season! Suitable for novice and experienced yogis and gardeners alike, this workshop show ways to align most optimally when digging into the dirt and also provide an opportunity for your true self to blossom. Elizabeth will donate a portion of her profits to benefit the Youth Garden at the National Arboretum. Everybody welcome.

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

Once you've become more adept at the basic arm and hand balances, it's time to really fly. Tap into your boundless potential to fly in this playfully challenging arm balance workshop. We'll use the foundations set up by basic arm balances like crow pose and handstand to soar to new heights. In order to truly delight in the more advanced arm balances, we'll break down the ways and means of achieving a smooth lift off. You'll learn new ways of getting into poses you've done before and even try poses maybe you've never seen before. Then we’ll learn how to sustain a sense of ease in each pose, as well as transition from one arm balance to the next! We'll also touch on good exit strategies for each pose, should the unexpected happen. Come with a playful spirit and leave with a deeper understanding of your own inner strength! For students Level II/III and up.

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.

Feeling mentally and physically exhausted? If so, it's time to restore your mind, body and spirit in this nurturing and therapeutic restorative workshop. Each pose uses many blankets and props to help you release physical and emotional tension. No yoga experience necessary; feel free to bring a friend or family member.

Karin Wiedemann is working towards Anusara Certification and has completed a Teacher Training with David Swenson in Ashtanga Yoga. She empowers her students to explore yoga off the mat by practicing breath, alignment and meditation in every day situations. She specializes in teaching stress relief through yoga at corporations in downtown DC. Please visit her Urban Yoga website, www.urbanyogastudio.com.

We live in challenging times in which many people feel out of balance. Yoga is a spiritual practice and technology for finding inner well being at the very ground of our human experience no matter how great the challenges in our world are. Betsey, at age 63, embodies great wisdom, humor and compassion and will inspire and empower you to meet and explore the challenges that your life and yoga practice present. Under her guidance you will learn to embrace change and uncertainty as the pulse of the Universe calling you forward toward your own evolutionary destiny -- beckoning you in your own journey -- toward great transformation amidst these unsettling times in which we live.

Embrace Challenge and Respond With Enthusiasm
A full-spectrum practice for students Level I/II and up.

Find Courage In Backbends
For students Level II and up.

Accept What Is: Seated Poses and Pranayama
For students Level I/II and up.

Create a Foundation for Balance: On Your Feet, Hands, and In Life
For students Level II and up.

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.

Why is it that most of us spend so much time feeling frantic despite our best efforts to stay centered? While it may seem as though being too busy is a very modern affliction, ancient Yogic teachings indicate otherwise, i.e., that humans have struggled with over-doing for centuries. In this workshop we'll explore the core beliefs that drive constant activity and keep us feeling overwhelmed and incomplete. What insight do Yogic teachings offer that could be relevant to your life and help you to find better balance? Come and find out! Join us for an afternoon of self-inquiry in which we'll employ journaling, discussion, and an iRest yoga nidra practice. This workshop will build on the Reclaiming the Human Being workshop from last September, but there are no prerequisites.

Robin Carnes discovered yoga at age 18, and it has gradually become the center of her life. Robin is a certified iRest yoga nidra instructor, yoga instructor and Kripalu DansKinetics instructor. Since 2006, Robin has become fascinated by how iRest yoga nidra meditation can help people in all walks of life experience greater health and well-being. Her passion is sharing yoga and meditation with military servicemembers and families, as well as others who have experienced trauma.

Anti-aging is a myth, but aging with grace and vitality is totally possible! Join Suzie and Marion (both 65+) to discuss the challenges (and myths!) of aging on four levels: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Then, learn how specific yoga practices, including asana and meditation, as well as what we eat, think and believe all affect our bodies and the aging process. Within this warm and supportive kula of golden goddesses, we will celebrate the ways in which age can lead us to be more fully ourselves. Everybody welcome.

Marion Griffin is both an Anusara and Kripalu certified teacher. Her first yoga teachers were Rikki Middleton and John Schumaker. She taught High School for 30 years, and is a water colorist and an oil painter. With love, a smile and inspirational words Marion invites her students to look at and enjoy the deeper aspects of their yoga practice.

Suzie Hurley is the founder and Director of the Willow Street Yoga Center, which she opened in 1994, and has been teaching yoga since 1981. Suzie is a Senior Certified Anusara Teacher and gives Anusara workshops and trainings nationally. Along with her extensive Anusara training she is an Advanced 500-hour Kripalu teacher. Her 28 years of yoga practice include 16 years of Iyengar study, principally with John Schumacher. She is a certified Phoenix Rising practitioner.