Phoenix Rising Yoga and Meditation Series

Dates

Mondays, 7-8:30p; February 13 / 20 / 27 / March 5

With

Nick

Cost

$95 includes home practice CD

Phoenix Rising is an approach to yoga that emphasizes inner awareness over external accomplishment.  Simple yoga postures serve as vehicles for befriending and exploring the body and mind, rather than striving to change them.  The rich sensations, emotions and thoughts that arise become the fuel for self-exploration and change.  We will consider such questions as: How does the way I am in this posture reflect the way I am in my life?  What would it be like to accept myself in this posture?  In my life? What would it be like to make choices in alignment with what I really desire?

Each class will consist of:

• A centering process that helps you become more present to yourself
• A series of basic yoga postures that can be modified for a wide range of abilities
• 15-30 minutes of meditation which can be done on the floor or in a chair
• An integration process that connects your yoga experience to your life

This series will be useful for beginners and advanced yogis alike.  Individuals with movement limitations are welcome, and encouraged to contact Nick ahead of time to discuss how the work can be adjusted for their needs.

Nick and Lela weave a Phoenix Rising perspective into all their classes, but this series will offer the work in its most direct form.  It is similar to what Nick teaches in his 8-week groups, but in a more compact format that does not require the same time commitment.  Alumni of Nick's previous groups can use this series to refresh their connection to the practice.

Participants will receive a CD and printed materials to continue their practice at home.  If you would like to go even deeper, consider signing up for the Phoenix Rising Yoga and Meditation retreat on Sunday, February 26.  Learn more about Phoenix Rising here and on Nick's blog.

Himalayan Tradition Book Club

 

Dates

February 26, 7-8:30p (future sessions will take place the last Sunday of each month)

With

Joan Anundson-Ahr of Meditation for Inner Peace and Self-Mastery

Where

Grateful Yoga, 1108 Davis St, Evanston

Cost

$10 suggested donation goes to the charitable works of the Himalayan Institute

Register

Call Joan at 847-312-5156 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Curious about what’s behind all those downward dogs and mountain poses? Join Joan Anundson-Ahr, a student in the Himalayan lineage, a monthly meeting for lively discussion of the science and philosophy of the Himalayan Tradition of Yoga and Meditation.  Explore the message of the Himalayan Sages with a cup of hot tea, a friendly group and a spirit of adventure for traveling the path of self realization.

The featured book  for January 29th is A Practical Guide to Holistic Health by Swami Rama. Here's a summary:

Mom & Baby Yoga Workshop

Dates

Sundays, 2:30 - 3:30p

Upcoming dates: Sunday, February 26, 2012

With

Lela

Where

Grateful Yoga

Cost

$25 for 1-2 adults and one baby (if you have multiples, please contact me)

This workshop is for you and your new little one to bond through yoga, breathing and massage. You, and your partner - if they can make it - will have your first experience of family yoga. Topics will include:

• Doing yoga postures for yourself in a way that entertains and engages your baby
• Core strengthening exercises for new moms

• Yoga for your baby: relieving gas, calming and playing
• Basic infant massage for bonding with and soothing your baby

Coming with your partner is a good idea in case your baby is being fussy or needs to be changed, then you can still participate. However, it is not required to bring someone else with you. This workshop is unlike any other yoga class you would ever go to, as you might imagine. You are free to nurse, walk around, go outside- whatever you need to do. You will be among friends. Even if your baby sleeps or cries the whole time, you are still welcome!

This class is appropriate for babies ages 12 weeks to active crawling. If you were in Lela's prenatal yoga class, please try to come! It would be great to reunite with fellow participants.

Limited to 12 families.  Please register soon!

Mom & Baby Policies

This tends to be a class with a lot of last minute cancellations. The following policies are set to ensure this workshop is worthwhile for everyone:

• All participants are required to pay for the class in advance by credit card online (or check in the mail)

• If I don't have at least 5 people paid 2 days in advance for the class, it will be canceled and everyone will be refunded (or full credit applied to next workshop).

• If you have paid and can't come, but give me more than 24 hours notice, you can have a full refund (or full credit applied to next workshop).

• If you cancel at the last minute (less than 24 hours), you can have a $10 credit towards your next mom & baby workshop.
• If you don't show up without any prior notice, there will be no refunds.

Labor Comfort Class

Dates

Bimonthly Fridays, 6:30 - 9:30p

Upcoming one day workshops: March 16, April 27, June 8, July 27, Sept 7, Oct 19, Nov 30

Please note this class is a one-time class, not a multiple-day series.

With

Aimee Clark

Where

Grateful Yoga, 1108 Davis St, Evanston

Cost

$95 per session for 2 adults

Childbirth is a natural, normal event in a woman's life.  But this doesn't mean it isn't hard work!  This hands-on class will give couples specific tools to manage their labors more comfortably and efficiently.  We will practice comfort techniques to ease labor pains, discuss where they come from, why we experience them, and how to work with and not against them during labor.  This class will help you gain confidence in your body's natural abilities and feel prepared as your due date approaches.

Specific topics covered include:

• the birth environment
• using your breath
• sensory awareness: sights, sounds, smells, taste, and touch
• water for comfort
• relaxation
• positions for laboring
• the role of the birth partner
• coping techniques as labor progresses
• ... and much more

This is a great class for first time parents, anyone looking for a refresher class or wanting to supplement a traditional hospital childbirth class with more hands-on practice.  The class meets one time for 3 hours.

Aimee Clark

Aimee Clark first started working with pregnancy, birth, and newborns in 2002 as a Peace Corps Volunteer where she spent two years supporting and educating pregnant women and new mothers in a rural village in Guinea, West Africa. Since 2009 she has been working in and around Chicago as a birth doula and childbirth educator.
As a mother of two, one born at a hospital and one born at home, Aimee knows how important and effective proper labor support can be.  Aimee trained both with DONA and ToLabor to become a doula, ultimately certifying through the latter. Her childbirth educator training is through ALACE. She is a member of Chicago Doula Monatrice Associates.
Aimee uses her knowledge of yoga, Pilates, physiology, acupressure, aromatherapy and massage to customize how she meets each of her clients' individual needs. Aimee believes that every woman deserves physical and emotional support during her childbearing year and the knowledge to make decisions that are right for her to achieve the birth she wants.

Yoga and Your Pelvic Floor: A Workshop For Women

Dates

Sunday, March 18, 2:30-5:30p

With

Marlene McGrath

Where

Grateful Yoga

Cost

$45 by March 11 / $55 after

A healthy pelvic floor is crucial to the health and balance of the body, but for many it remains mysterious. This safe, honest, and fun workshop is designed to introduce you to this powerful region of your anatomy.

First, we will map out the three layers of the pelvic floor and study a 3-D model. Then you will learn to sense and engage your pelvic floor muscles, first in isolation and then in a series of active and restorative yoga poses. The practice will encourage both strengthening and releasing your pelvic floor, assisted by your breath. Marlene can suggest poses for specific issues such as incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, or sexual/pelvic pain. The workshop will conclude with a grateful meditation on the sacred nature of the female pelvis.

Participants receive a detailed handout with photos and descriptions of the postures.  Women only.

Meet the Instructor, Marlene McGrath

I've been studying yoga, mostly Iyengar, in Ann Arbor for over 20 years and teaching for 14 years. I currently teach at Yoga Focus, Inward Bound Yoga, and the Women's Health Center at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital. My special interest is teaching pregnant and postpartum women for the last 11 years. I also teach gentle, beginning, and intermediate level hatha yoga.

In the last few years, I developed an interested in the issues women face in relation to the functioning of the pelvic floor, and have been studying everything I can get my hands on to develop a yoga practice to honor this area which is mysterious to many. I study with Leslie Howard, who has been teaching nationally on yoga and the pelvic floor.

I have had great response from participants in these workshops. It is accessible to those with little to no yoga experience, but I have also had a number of yoga teachers attend who find it very valuable and a great reference for their own practice and teaching.

Refunds

For cancellations at least two weeks prior the start of the event, you may request a refund minus credit card fees.  For cancellations less than two weeks prior to the start of the event, you may request Grateful Yoga credit for your total payment amount, less credit card fees.  For cancellations 24 hours or less before the event, no refunds or credits will be given.