FEATURED WORKSHOPS
Yoga Nidra For Resilience - Fall 2024 with Carol Mermey
Sunday, December 15th (remaining) | 5:00pm - 6:00pm EST | Online | $20 per class or $70 for entire series
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 stability, clarity, and self-empowerment. This workshop is designed to help you release tension, calm your nervous system, and restore your energy.
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In each session, you’ll:
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Learn centering and relaxation techniques
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Practice gentle stretches for joints and muscles
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Explore mindful breathing practices
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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.
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About the Facilitator:
Carol Mermey (E-RYT 500, MPH) has been teaching yoga since 2004, guiding students of all ages and abilities to “start where they are, use what they’ve got, and do what they can.” Her classes emphasize healthy alignment to build strength, flexibility, and balance, promoting a sense of well-being and empowerment. Carol enjoys teaching students of all ages, and her teaching settings range from yoga studios and workplaces to health clinics and senior centers.
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Certified in ParaYoga Nidra, Yoga for Osteoporosis, and Yoga for Healthy Aging, Carol is also a Brain Longevity Specialist. She has completed iRest Yoga Nidra II and Integrative Yoga for Seniors, and she continues to study with Rod Stryker in ParaYoga. Currently, she is involved in a study on yoga for improving core strength and balance in older adults.
Radiant Rhythms Ecstatic Dance with Clara Fang
Saturdays, December 14th & February 1st | 7:00pm - 9:00pm EST | In-Person | $30/$150
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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.
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Suggested Arrival Time: 6:45PM
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Benefits:
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Stress relief and relaxation
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Somatic healing
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Self-expression
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Exercise and play
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Community connection
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.
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What to Bring:
Water bottle, loose clothing (expect to sweat!), optional yoga mat.​
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Note: Please refrain from bringing food or alcohol.​
Dharma Talk & Meditation: Ancient Tools for Modern Times with Joe Miller
Sunday, December 15th | 4:00pm - 5:30pm EST | In-Person | FREE EVENT
As the darkness of the winter season settles in, take time to nurture your heart, mind, and body with this special offering. Join Joe Miller for a free Dharma Talk and Meditation, where you’ll explore the timeless wisdom of yoga and discover how these ancient tools can support you in navigating modern life.
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This session is a great opportunity to learn more of the traditional teachings and practices of yoga that we teach here at Willow Street Yoga. It will include:
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Insight into the traditional teachings and practices of yoga.
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Practical ways to integrate yoga into daily life.
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A guided meditation for cultivating inner peace.
Together, we’ll reflect on how to quiet the mind’s and see our circumstances with greater clarity, even in the darkness of winter. This is a beautiful opportunity to connect with yourself and others on a deeper level.
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*Pre-registration is encouraged to reserve your spot. We look forward to sharing this transformative experience with you.
Nature Inspired Sound Bath and Meditation
with Maria Elena & Dante Baker
Sunday, December 15th | 1:30pm - 3:00pm EST | In-Person | Early Bird $35 before December 5th | $45 after
Join us for a deeply restorative 90-minute soundbath and meditation experience, inspired by the beauty and harmony of nature. This unique session is offered in partnership with the DC Bird Alliance, blending the healing power of sound with a celebration of our natural world.
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What to Expect:
Immerse yourself in a soundbath led by Maria Elena and Dante Baker, featuring nature-based sounds designed to resonate throughout your body and bring you into a state of deep relaxation and alignment.
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What is a soundbath experience? (Excerpt from Dante Baker's Website)​
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“Sound healing is the use of sounds and instruments to tune dissonant frequencies in the body and mind and bring them into harmony. Each tone and frequency affects us in a specific way–activating a different energy center, chakra, and organ system within the body. For inexperienced meditators, sound healing is more accessible than silent meditation because the sounds serve as focal points, making it easier to clear the mind.”
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About the DC Bird Alliance (dcbirdalliance.org):
The DC Bird Alliance brings people together through a shared love of birds across all eight wards of DC and with partners throughout the DMV. Our dedicated volunteers work on behalf of birds, their habitats, and the countless individuals who enjoy the healing power of nature and birds. Thank you for joining us in welcoming a new year with our Winter of Wellness series. drawing lessons from our beloved birds to fill your mind, body and spirit with song Visit us at www.dcbirdalliance.org to learn more.
Winter Solstice Forest Bathing with Susan West Montgomery
Saturday, December 21st | 3:00pm - 4:30pm EST | In-Person (Rock Creek Park) | Early Bird Rate: $50.00 until 12/1! $60.00 after
Come honor the longest day of the year with a guided mindfulness walk and fire meditation in Rock Creek Park. We will welcome winter by practicing Shinrin-yoku, forest bathing, a Japanese wellness practice that helps individuals access the healing properties of nature. Extended contemplative time in nature calms the mind, promotes well-being, and cultivates a profound sense of belonging.
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Our journey will end around a warm fire, where we’ll set intentions, meditate, and share in a sense of community—with hot chocolate to warm our hands and hearts.
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What to Expect:​
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A non-strenuous, mindful walk through the woods (1 mile on uneven paths, with some inclines)
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Moments of sensory connection, inviting you to touch, smell, listen, and observe nature with curiosity
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A grounding fire meditation to set intentions and celebrate the season
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Hot chocolate and meaningful time with like-minded community members​
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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
The Magic of Being Together: A New Year's Day Workshop with Claudia Neuman
Wednesday, January 1st | 10:00am - 12:00pm EST | In-Person & Online | Early Bird Pricing: $20 until 12/15! Reg: $40
Set the tone for your year with intention and clarity through a powerful practice that blends asana, pranayama, Yoga Nidra, and meditation. This session will guide you into a state of yoga, where we’ll reflect and set a personal theme for the year ahead. If you feel comfortable, you’ll have the opportunity to share your theme with the group, fostering connection and support as we give each other light and strength.
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Bring your journal and something to write with. These practices are suitable for all levels and are designed to clear the mind, energize the body, and awaken the soul.
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Workshop Details:
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Offered in person and online
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Early Bird Pricing: $20 (until 12/15)
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Regular Pricing: $40
*This workshop is designed to be accessible to all. If you find yourself interested but are restricted by financial circumstances, please email us at registrar@willowstreetyoga.com and we can offer a discount code on a case by case basis. ​
Winter Warmer Workshop with James Foulkes
Saturday, January 4th | 4:00pm - 7:00pm EST | In-Person | $60
During the winter months, our energies naturally turn inward as nature grows still, and the cold weather and long nights settle in. Yet, beneath this stillness, something deeper is at work.​
The water energy of winter is an expression of maximum Yin and responsiveness. Through a balanced blend of:
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Gentle Yin yoga stretches and breathwork to cleanse and ground,
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Dynamic Yang Qi Gong practices to invigorate and harmonize, and
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Meditation to sustain and strengthen our energetic fields, ​
​-we’ll nurture the active kidney and bladder energy that supports us during the colder months.
This time is also one of incubating ideas and intentions to manifest in the spring. We will establish multi-layered intentions to blossom in the forthcoming year by peering into the shadows of Winter through journeying.
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About James Foulkes:
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James is an instructor and practitioner of multiple awareness and body movement practices and healing modalities. Author of Principles and Themes in Yoga Therapy, creator of multiple movement, videos, podcast guest and more, he brings the benefit of decades of experience and compassion to every class and workshop.
Sankalpa Saturdays with Tuesday Irby
Saturdays, January 4th, 11th, 18th & 25th | 2:00pm - 3:30pm EST | Online | Early Bird Pricing: $100/4 sessions until 12/31! Regular Price: $115
Start your new year with intention and purpose in Sankalpa Saturdays, a four-part yoga workshop series led by Tuesday Irby. Designed to nourish your body, mind, and spirit, this series blends gentle movement, restorative yoga, meditation, and journaling to help you reconnect with yourself on a deeper level.
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Together, we will:
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Explore the concept of sankalpa (a heartfelt intention) and create one that resonates with your inner goals.
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Use SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goal-setting techniques to create actionable steps toward becoming your best self.
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Step away from the busyness of life and immerse yourself in a supportive, nurturing environment to recharge and refocus.
This workshop is perfect for practitioners of all levels. Whether you’re setting a sankalpa for the first time or refining your existing goals, Sankalpa Saturdays offers a peaceful retreat to guide your journey. Leave feeling grounded, inspired, and equipped with the tools to carry your intentions into the rest of the year.
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Reserve your spot today and give yourself the gift of time, intention, and transformation. We look forward to supporting you on your path!
Sundays, January 12th & 19th | 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST | In-Person | $80
Discover Tai Chi, often called “meditation in motion”—a gentle, low-impact exercise designed to harmonize body, mind, and energy. This practice promotes flexibility, balance, coordination, and pain relief while easing anxiety and enhancing mental clarity.
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Workshop Highlights:
In this workshop, Balanced Arts introduces Yang-style Tai Chi, covering seated, standing, and moving forms, as well as partner drills, Tai Chi ball, and Chi Gong exercises. Learn basic self-defense applications and Tai Chi principles for wellness.
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Learning Objectives:
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Fundamental Yang style movements (8 form and basic form)
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Partner drills (push hands)
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Practical life applications of Tai Chi
Benefits:
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Stress management and breathing techniques
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Improved focus and introspection
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Tools for mindfulness and relaxation
Instructor:
Robert Anderson, founder of Balanced Arts, is a seasoned martial artist, wellness educator, and certified fitness instructor with over 30 years of experience. Trained in multiple martial arts, Robert works with athletes, executives, active seniors, and teens, guiding them toward mindfulness and personal wellness.
Heartfelt Rest: A Restorative Yoga and Reiki Workshop with Kathy Rivera
Saturday, January 25th | 2:00pm - 4:00pm EST | In-Person | Early Bird Pricing: $45 until 11/1! Reg: $50
Embrace the Wisdom of Winter -- As winter draws near, join us for Heartfelt Rest, a restorative workshop inspired by earth-based wisdom and the season's call to slow down land turn inward. This session combines Restorative Yoga and Reiki to guide you into deep relaxation, allowing for a reset of body, mind, and spirit.
Workshop Highlights:
• Restorative Yoga postures to release tensior
• Reiki energy tor deep healing
• Embrace the stillness o- winter as an act of selt-love
About the Facilitator:
Kathy Rivera (she/they/ella) is a trauma-informed, queer Latine Energy Medicine and Yoga practitioner, certified in various yoga styles, breathwork, and Reiki. Kathy creates a compassionate space for healing and renewal.