Satsang: Bringing Yoga to Life

Please register in advance, a Zoom link and passcode will be provided via confirmation email.

By donation $0, $5, $10, $15 sliding scale, pay what you can.

 

We may think of Yoga practice as something we do for ourselves to promote wellness, relieve stress and improve concentration. It surely has these effects, but a complete Yoga practice is a way of life that reveals our innate connection to each other and inevitably inspires us to act in ways that serve the well-being of all.

In this Satsang, we’ll explore how our personal practice and our daily actions support each other in awakening the inner Light that dwells in everyone. We’ll discuss how serving others with genuine care is also healing for our hearts and can bring spiritual meaning to every aspect of our lives. Ultimately, we are all learning, one act of kindness at a time, that loving each other and loving ourselves are actually the same thing.

Satsang, a special time for us to come together as a community. In Sanskrit, Sat means truth and Sangha means community. Satsang offers an opportunity to come together to share spiritual teachings. The philosophy of Integral Yoga is explored, often through an informal discussion. Although spiritual paths may diverge, the act of sharing spiritual teachings with others is inspiring and creates a solid foundation for continued practice.
People of all faiths are welcome.

Swami Ramananda is the Executive Director of the Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco and a greatly respected senior teacher in the Integral Yoga tradition, who has been practicing Yoga for over 45 years. Ramananda offers practical methods of integrating the timeless teachings and practices of Yoga into daily life, and transforming the painful aspects of human experience into steps toward realizing one’s full potential.
He leads beginner, intermediate and advanced level Yoga teacher training programs in San Francisco, and offers a variety of programs in many locations in the U.S., Europe and South America. Ramananda co-developed the Stress Management Teacher Training program with Swami Vidyananda, has trained many teachers to bring Yoga into corporate, hospital and medical settings, and has taught mind/body wellness programs in many locations. He is a certified Yoga therapist and founding board member of the Yoga Alliance, a national registry that supports and promotes yoga teachers as professionals. He is a co-founder of The Spiritual Action Initiative (SAI) which brings together individuals committed to working for social justice for all beings and for the care and healing of our natural world. His warmth, wisdom and sense of humor have endeared him to many.

 

Inner Geography – Stillness in Meditation & Practice

$5, $10, $15  | Online | Please register in advance, a Zoom link and passcode will be provided via confirmation email.

Please join our special guest David Doyle, a Qi Gong master and yogi, in the exploration of meditation and spiritual practice leading to awakening.
Stillness in Meditation & Practice.
In this workshop an in-depth review of meditation will be offered, the often misunderstood concept of Stillness, the subtle mechanics of meditation, and practice tips for an awakening life. Includes a guided meditation practice.This workshop is suitable for complete beginners and very advanced practitioners alike.

 

About David Doyle

At the age of 17 David embarked on the study of eastern teachings and soon found the Way of traditional Yoga. His practice began initially in Hatha Yoga and then moved to Raja Yoga. His practice inclined toward long meditation (sometimes 18 hours in a single sitting) and opened many siddhis and extraordinary experiences, however these were not goals; they were merely byproducts along the Way. In the 50+ years hence, his practice has taken many forms, though Yoga never left him.
In 2012, during many months of sustained inner work and 3-6+ hour meditations in the evening and early morning hours, the seeker fell away. In the following years of abiding Awakening a great deal of astonishing changes have continued on a daily basis. The unfolding has not ceased though a settling has taken place.
For quite some time words did not come easily and teaching had not yet come – it is only now emerging. David enjoys speaking about the basics of Practice on ‘The Way’, the foundation of all deeper transformation. David is also a Qi Gong Master, teacher, and Deputy Director of the US Regional Department of Shaolin Fohanmen. Monkwithfamily.org, Shaolinmaster.org

 

 

2022-02-23T15:03:58-08:00January 31st, 2022|Tags: , |

The Agony of “DE-Feet”: Yoga for Cranky Feet

This program has been cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience.

$40 | Online | Please register in advance, a Zoom link and passcode will be provided via confirmation email.

Leonardo da Vinci stated that “the human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art.” Yet each day we take this masterpiece and stuff it into a shoe and forget about them until there is a problem. Feet get tight, toes start to gravitate into claws and then we wonder why our hips are tight. Releasing the feet can make your legs and hips more fluid and learning to stand on your feet more efficiently helps to support the pelvic floor and spine. Join Leslie in this fun and informative workshop. You will leave with ways to strengthen and release the feet and have a new appreciation for these two masterpieces.

During this workshop, if possible, please have the following props available:
A few blankets, tennis ball, a stretchy band (theraband), or a small hand towel, a chair, two blocks, a belt, a yoga wedge/small paperback book/extra mat.

 

About Leslie Howard, C-IAYT

As a yoga practitioner and teacher, I specialize in the use of yoga for many issues but specifically for pelvic floor problems. After suffering from hypertonic pelvic syndrome, I found relief from my symptoms by a careful application of Iyengar-style/influenced yoga and breath work and since then I have continued to refine and develop the application of yoga for the pelvic floor for myself and others. To this end, for the past twelve years, I have taught women of all ages to practice yoga to alleviate pelvic floor conditions, including urinary incontinence and pelvic pain, through a combination of small group teaching, public workshops, and national conferences. I call my approach Pelvic Floor YogaTM

A few times a year I teach a twenty hour teacher training for therapeutic application of yoga and pranayama to help alleviate symptoms for pelvic floor issues. There is an optional certification process available after the training. I am currently the director of the Piedmont Yoga 200 Hour Teacher Training program. My courses are approved as continuing education with Yoga Alliance and the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork. I am a certified Yoga Therapist through the International Association of Yoga Therapists.

2022-03-11T15:22:34-08:00January 10th, 2022|Tags: |

Healing Power of Yoga Nidra

$20, $25 | Please register in advance, a Zoom link and passcode will be provided via confirmation email.

Yoga Therapy Clinic presents the Healing Power of Yoga Nidra

Experience the ancient practice of Yoga Nidra and its profound healing effects throughout the mind, body and spirit. Learn how to access a profound state of awareness through this mindfulness meditation. In this workshop you will learn the origins and science of Yoga Nidra, practice some gentle movement and finally relax into a 40-minute guided Yoga Nidra session. Learn how to tap into your body’s own relaxation and restoration response via the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). Some of the physiological benefits of evoking the PNS include slowing heart rate, dampening of the “fight or flight” hormones, profound sense of relaxation, and improved sleep. In this state, the body is able to do what it is wired to do: rejuvenate, repair, and restore at a cellular and energetic level.

Please wear comfortable, loose fitting clothes. We will be lying down on our backs for 40 minutes. If coming to the floor is not available to you a folding chair will be provided. Please bring a blanket to cover the body, a pillow to support the head and an eye pillow or scarf to cover the eyes.

No experience is necessary.

 

Heather Sevika Ford, C-IAYT, RYT-500, MFA Design, has been teaching yoga since 2008. Her extensive training and experience allows her to work safely and therapeutically with a wide range of clients who are experiencing conditions that include chronic pain, arthritis, stroke, cancer, post-op, depression, PTS, anxiety and limited physical mobility.

With a collaborative approach, she leads individuals towards greater health and wellness through mindful movement, restorative postures and subtle practices such as Yoga Nidra, Pranayama and meditation. She designs sequences for mat, wall, chair or bed, in order to strengthen the body, increase flexibility, optimize the immune system and soothe the nervous system.

She has designed and led classes for Integral Yoga Institute, Stanford University School of Preventative Medicine and Graduate School of Business, Alta Mira Recovery Center, United Studios of Self Defense and Mercy (senior) Housing.
Learn more at sevikayoga.com

2022-02-04T21:33:04-08:00December 31st, 2021|Tags: , , |
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