WORKSHOPS

Willow Street Yoga is excited to offer a variety of special events and workshops that expand the practice of yoga. Our teachers and world-renowned guests specialize in a variety of topics that encourage our community to learn and grow. Members receive 20% off workshop registrations!

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FEATURED WORKSHOPS

Four Seasons of Forest Bathing with Susan West Montgomery

Saturdays, June 21st, September 20th, & December 20th | 3:00pm - 4:30pm EST | In-Person (Rock Creek Park) | $55 per session

Follow the Wheel of the Year through four seasonal forest bathing sessions in Rock Creek Park. Rooted in the Japanese wellness practice of Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing), these sessions invite you to slow down and connect with nature’s healing presence—especially during the powerful moments of seasonal transition.

Each walk offers a unique route and a fresh perspective on a familiar landscape, allowing you to experience the park’s beauty and energy throughout the year. You’ll be gently guided to tune into your senses—touching, smelling, hearing, and seeing nature with more depth and curiosity. Walks are not strenuous, but participants should be comfortable walking about a mile on uneven terrain.

WHERE:
Each session will take place at a different meeting point in Rock Creek Park. Exact location and parking details will be emailed one week prior to each walk.

WHEN:
- Spring Equinox – Saturday, March 22 | 3:00pm–4:30pm
- Summer Solstice – Saturday, June 21 | 3:00pm–4:30pm
- Fall Equinox – Saturday, September 20 | 3:00pm–4:30pm
- Winter Solstice – Saturday, December 20 | 3:00pm–4:30pm

About Susan:

Susan is long-time member of the Willow Street Yoga Community and a Kripalu certified Outdoor
Mindfulness Guide. She provides customized outdoor mindfulness excursions in the Washington DC
region and beyond. She is also a passionate advocate and non-profit consultant who is committed to
leveraging natural and historic places to connect citizens, promote social justice, and foster health and
well-being. Learn more at www.susanwestmontgomery.com

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Four Seasons of Forest Bathing

Yoga Nidra For Resilience - Summer 2025 with Carol Mermey

Sundays, June 22nd, July 27th, & August 24th | 5:00pm - 6:00pm EST | Online | $20 per class/ $55 for all 3 sessions

Resilience -- Returning to the wisdom of your body & mind to deal with life’s challenges.

Strengthen your ability to bounce back from life’s challenges by reconnecting with the inner resilience of your body and mind. Through the guided meditation practice of Yoga Nidra, discover a deep source of internal stability, clarity, and self-empowerment. This workshop is designed to help you release tension, calm your nervous system, and restore your energy.

In each session, you’ll:

Learn centering and relaxation techniques
Practice gentle asana stretches for joints and muscles
Explore mindful breathing practices
Experience a complete Yoga Nidra session

Yoga Nidra is practiced lying down or seated comfortably. No experience is necessary—everyone is welcome.

*All registrants will receive recordings of these practices.

About the Facilitator:

Carol Mermey, E-RYT 500, MPH, brings over two decades of experience teaching yoga with an emphasis on alignment, balance, core strength, and functional movement. She is certified in Yoga for Osteoporosis, Yoga for Healthy Aging, ParaYoga Nidra, and is a Brain Longevity® Specialist. Carol has also completed iRest Yoga Nidra Level II and the Duke/Kripalu Integrative Yoga for Seniors Professional Program. Her teaching draws from working in diverse settings, including yoga studios, schools, health clinics, and community centers.Carol invites her students to “start where they are, use what they’ve got, and do what they can.” Her approach helps students cultivate strength, flexibility, balance, and a deep sense of well-being and empowerment.

Yoga Nidra

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Practical Tools for Neck & Shoulders with Joe Miller

Sunday, June 22nd | 2:30pm - 4:30pm EST | In-Person | Cost: $40

Long hours at a desk? Scrolling on devices? Carrying stress in your shoulders?
You’re not alone — and this workshop is here to help.

Join us for a focused, hands-on session designed to release tension and restore mobility in your neck and shoulders. Whether you’re managing chronic tightness or just looking to feel lighter and more open, this therapeutic workshop offers tools you can return to again and again.

Guided by evidence-informed yoga practices, you’ll explore:

Mindful movement and stretching to gently unwind stiffness
Breathwork to calm the nervous system and support release
Self-massage techniques to ease muscular tension
Practical posture tips to reduce strain in daily life

What You’ll Walk Away With:

- Simple, effective strategies to ease neck and shoulder discomfort
- Better understanding of postural habits and how to shift them
- Tools for integrating more ease into your daily movement
- A sense of relief, relaxation, and renewed awareness

Who It’s For:

This workshop is great for yoga students, desk workers, caregivers, creatives — anyone ready to feel better in their upper body without invasive treatments or endless stretching.

**All levels welcome. Your body will thank you.

Practical Tools for Neck and Shoulders

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Tai Chi Basics with Robert Anderson

Sundays, June 1st, 8th, 22nd, & 29th | 11:30am - 12:30pm EST | In-Person | Cost: $79

Rooted in ancient wisdom and aligned with modern well-being, this workshop series introduces (or deepens) your practice of Tai Chi—a powerful moving meditation that builds strength, focus, and inner calm. Open to beginners and experienced practitioners alike, you’ll explore fluid movements, breath awareness, and the practical, self-empowering aspects of Tai Chi as a martial art.

Classes will include:

Gentle yet powerful movement flows
Self-defense applications inspired by Chi Na, Shaolin & Wing Chun
Mind-body awareness that complements yoga & meditation

If you're looking to complement your yoga practice, relieve stress, or explore a new movement tradition, this workshop maybe for you.

Instructor

Robert Anderson is an executive, educator, author, and a life-long student and practitioner of the martial arts. He is the Founder of Balanced Arts, an education company specializing in wellness, self-care, and personal development. He has spent over 30 years providing fitness and wellness instruction as a certified personal trainer, a decorated martial arts instructor, an adjunct professor, and a researcher/writer specializing in the topics of health, fitness, business, and personal development. His clients include athletes, executives, human resource teams, mental health professionals, active seniors, teens, special populations, and social emotional learning programs.

Tai Chi Basics

Tai Chi for Mental Health with Robert Anderson

Sundays, June 1st, 8th, 22nd, & 29th | 1:00pm - 2:00pm EST | In-Person | Cost: $99

In this workshop, experienced and beginning students learn Tai Chi’s four core mental health benefits: calming, grounding, letting go, and creating. Through slow, mindful movement and breathwork, Tai Chi helps ease stress, anxiety, and depression while building emotional resilience and physical balance. It’s a powerful practice for cultivating inner peace, clarity, and strength.

*An e-workbook is included to support your learning at home.

Balanced Arts workshops introduce students to the Yang style of Tai Chi. Using seated, standing, and moving forms, the workshops leverage partner drills (push hands), as well as some Tai Chi ball and Chi Gong. Workshop participants experience introductory basics as well as advanced movements and exercises in order to gain a full understanding of Tai Chi’s philosophy so that they can begin to incorporate it into their everyday wellness practice.

Tai Chi is a gentle, low-impact practice suitable for all levels. Whether you're new to Tai Chi or deepening a current practice, you'll find guidance, growth, and connection in every session.

Instructor

Robert Anderson is an executive, educator, author, and a life-long student and practitioner of the martial arts. He is the Founder of Balanced Arts, an education company specializing in wellness, self-care, and personal development. He has spent over 30 years providing fitness and wellness instruction as a certified personal trainer, a decorated martial arts instructor, an adjunct professor, and a researcher/writer specializing in the topics of health, fitness, business, and personal development. His clients include athletes, executives, human resource teams, mental health professionals, active seniors, teens, special populations, and social emotional learning programs.

Tai Chi MH

Cacao & Sound: A Journey with the Energy of Keme with Johanna Olivas

Saturday, July 12th | 3:00pm - 4:30pm EST | In-Person | Cost: $40

Join us for a heart-opening ceremony that blends the sacred medicine of cacao with a restorative sound journey, guided by the energy of Keme in the Mayan Cholq’ij calendar- a day of ancestral connection, release, and spiritual renewal.

We’ll begin with a ceremonial cup of cacao to soften into presence, followed by intention setting and gentle movement. We'll then flow into an immersive sound bath using crystal alchemy bowls and other instruments, supporting deep rest and emotional release.

Keme reminds us that healing ripples across time. Together, we honor what we carry, what we’re ready to release, and the wisdom waiting to be remembered. All are welcome.

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Cacao & Sound

Tools for Inner Peace with Joe Miller

Sunday, July 13th | 2:30pm - 4:30pm EST | In-Person | Cost: $40

In the busyness of daily life, finding moments of calm isn’t just helpful, it’s essential. Tools for Inner Peace is a supportive and nurturing workshop designed to help you reconnect with your inner stillness, release tension, and create simple, lasting practices for emotional balance.

Through a thoughtful blend of gentle movement, breathwork (pranayama), guided meditation, and reflective journaling, you’ll explore accessible tools you can return to—on or off the mat—whenever you need to come back to center.

This workshop will support you in:

Releasing physical and mental stress
Cultivating mindful awareness and self-compassion
Exploring grounding practices for anxiety and overwhelm
Creating a personal toolkit for inner peace in everyday life

**All are welcome, whether you’re new to yoga or a long-time practitioner. Come just as you are and leave feeling grounded, restored, and empowered to carry peace with you.

Tools for Inner Peace

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Radiant Rhythms Ecstatic Dance with Clara Fang

Saturdays, July 12th, August 23rd, October 4th, November 15th, December 27th | 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST | In-Person | $30/session

Break free from screen fatigue and daily stress with ecstatic dance—a wellness practice that encourages free expression through movement. In an immersive, interactive space, participants can release tension, gain mental clarity, and connect with others through nonverbal expression.

Whether you feel like twirling gracefully, stomping with power, or simply swaying to the rhythm, there are no rules—only movement that feels true to you. Together, we create a safe and supportive space where you can let go, release emotions, and reconnect with yourself

Suggested Arrival Time: 6:45PM

Benefits:

Relieve stress & tension
Cultivate mindfulness & relaxation
Unlock self-expression & playfulness
Experience deep emotional & somatic healing
Find connection in community

No experience is necessary! We’ll start with an opening circle to share intentions, followed by a 75-minute playlist of non-lyrical, new age, and tribal music arranged in a “dance wave.” We’ll close with reflections, creating a meaningful and often trance-like experience.

What to Bring:
Water bottle, loose clothing (expect to sweat!), optional yoga mat.

Note: Please refrain from bringing food or alcohol.

Radiant Rhythms Ecstatic Dance

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Summer Expansion with James Foulkes

Saturday, July 26th | 4:00pm - 7:00pm EST | In-Person | Cost: $60

As we move past the Summer Solstice and into the height and heat of the season, nature walks a delicate line between full bloom and burnout. This is a time of peak energy — passion, expression, and connection — yet it also calls for discernment, balance, and rest.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), summer is associated with the Fire Element, which governs the Heart and Pericardium meridians and holds the emotional spectrum of love, joy, jealousy, and meanness. This workshop invites you to explore and transform these energies through a deeply embodied experience.

Through yoga asana, Qi Gong, meditation, and guided journeying, we’ll nourish the organs and meridians of the Fire Element, and align ourselves with the vibrant, expansive spirit of the season.

What you’ll experience:
🔥 Practices to awaken and balance the Heart and Pericardium
🔥 Tools to transform emotional patterns into love and joy
🔥 Movement and breathwork to embody the full expression of Summer’s Yang energy
🔥 A space for reflection, rejuvenation, and conscious connection

Join us to honor the radiance of summer, and reconnect with the fire within.

Summer Expansion

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Full Workshop Schedule

Workshop Schedule