Discover Ways to Health and Happiness!!!

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There might not be anything new in the information or news on basics of staying healthy, but maybe there will be new thinking about the “how” to implement health in your life this New Year.

Recess or Play – Getting the exercise you want

Find an activity that you are passionate about…walking, swimming, hiking, yoga, SUP, or whatever.  We have so many options here on St. John or wherever you may live.   If you don’t have a passion, experiment, try a little of it all and see what sticks.

Maybe set a goal…if you are thinking about running, maybe it is too late for 2014’s 8 Tuff Miles, but you can start by getting involved this year with the event and plan to run or walk in it next year for 2015.  For 2014, we have the Beach to Beach swim over Memorial Day Weekend and the new SUP Competition (Stand Up Paddleboard) event with the Friends of the VI National Park.  You can even join the Friends to help as a volunteer. Through hands-on work, you’ll learn new skills, share your knowledge with others, gain a better understanding and appreciation for the Park and our community, and have fun.  You may fall in love with hiking.

Buddy up! Find a friend to join you on your journey for better health.  Studies show if you have a buddy, you will be more likely to keep the commitment to play.

Weight – Getting to comfortable

Instead of looking for a number on the scale, think about getting to a place where you feel comfortable in your skin and clothes.  Maintaining a weight where you feel freedom of movement, think moving is easy and walking is easy.  In this era of replacement, whether it be knee, hip or ankle, the additional weight on these significant joints can make a serious impact on their function and on your movement.

From a Yoga Journal article, a 2013 review of 17 clinical trials concluded that a regular yoga practice which includes asanas (poses), pranayama (breathing) and Savasana (deep relaxation) practiced for 60 minutes, three times a week, is an effective tool for maintaining a healthy weight.  Also, yoga helps with all these joint concerns too.

Here we go, you have already heard it…eating…you know it.

  • More veggies, less meat
  • More fresh and organic produce, less frozen, canned and processed foods
  • Less salt
  • Less alcohol…only one or two drinks a day for good health

So on our island, how to find good healthy options.

  • Josephine’s Organic Produce in Coral Bay.
  • Starfish and St. John Market both have organic options
  • Pickles in Paradise – almost everything on the menu plus their special nights including Vegetarian Dinners on Thursdays and Locally Sourced food on Saturdays.
  • Most restaurants have healthy options… so think salads (with dressing on the side) and baked fish…narrow your selection down so you are not tempted with the high fat selections.

Also have one or two large glasses of water before you eat.  Keep hydrated all day long.

If you are looking for something called a diet…think The Mediterranean diet.  This diet is a modern nutritional recommendation inspired by the traditional dietary patterns of Greece, Spain and Southern Italy. The principal aspects of this diet include proportionally high consumption of olive oil, legumes, unrefined cereals, fruits, and vegetables, moderate to high consumption of fish, moderate consumption of dairy products (mostly as cheese and yogurt), moderate wine consumption, and low consumption of meat and meat products. You can find details on the internet to help with this option.

Sleep – Getting the rest you need

Making sure you get at least seven or more hours of sleep every night.  Turn off the TV or the computer, and pick up a book or magazine instead.  Move away from the light…of the super stimulations of TVs and computers.

Use pranayama (breath control) to relax before sleep.  Many pranayamas cool down the nervous system making the transition into sleep easier.  One easy pranayama to remember is to inhale to a count of 5, double the number to 10, and exhale to the new number of 10.  You can pick any number for your inhale, just double it for your exhale.

Nap in the afternoon…take a 20 to 30 minute siesta in the afternoon.  Any longer, and it can impact your night sleep.  But at 20 – 30 minutes, the nap can re-energize you for the rest of the day.

HAPPY NEW YEAR…HAPPY NEW YOU!!!

New Yoga Classes in St. John

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Our yoga experience on our small and beautiful island continues to grow with the addition of three new yoga classes.

  • At Concordia, we now have Yin Yang Yoga on Sunday mornings at 7:30 with Heather .
  • At the Recreation Center in Cruz Bay, we have Power Yoga on Saturday mornings at 9:00 with Lindsey.
  • At Mongoose Junction in Cruz Bay, we have Yoga Exploration on Monday evenings at 5:30 – 7:00PM with Patricia and Andrew.

So let’s explore these new classes.

Yin Yang Yoga

Yin Yang Yoga is designed to offer the balancing effects of yin (passive) and yang (active) styles of yoga and allow you to reach deeper into your practice.  This class draws upon the more internal, quiet and longer held postures, balanced with the more active, moving and dynamic or heat producing yoga postures to create a holistic body experience.

So what is the Yin?  Yin Yoga is a slow-paced style of yoga with asanas that are held for comparatively long periods of time. It was founded and first taught in the US in the late 1970s by martial arts expert and Taoist yoga teacher Paulie Zink. Yin-style yoga is now being taught across North America and in Europe, due in large part to the teaching of Yin Yoga teachers Paul Grilley and Sarah Powers.

Yin Yoga poses apply moderate stress to the connective tissues—the tendons, fascia, and ligaments—with the aim of increasing circulation in the joints and improving flexibility. The practice of holding yoga poses or asanas for long periods of time has been part of traditional yoga practice, both in the Hatha yoga tradition of India and in the Taoist yoga tradition of the greater China area. Contemporary schools of hatha yoga have also advocated holding some poses for relatively long periods of time including BKS Iyengar.

And now for the Yang? We are more familiar with the Yang.  The typical vinyasa flow bringing us a more active asanas practice.  The Yang increases our flexibility and strength as we move through various asanas at quicker rate. This activity directs energy and flow into the muscles and superficial connective tissues. 

And coming together of the two? From an article by Sarah Powers in 2001, she describes Yin Yang yoga as reaching deeper both mentally and physically into a very integrated and satisfying practice.  The Yin part of the class comes first.  This holding of the asanas before the muscles are warm allows energy and prana to reach the deeper connective tissues of the joints.  Fluids have time to get to the joints and deep tissues allowing them to get “juicer” and stretch appropriately.  Then it is time for the Yang.  Once the muscles as well as the joints have awakened, the Yang brings in the more vigorous movements to build strength and challenge the body.

Power Yoga – Pushing your edges

Power yoga is a general term used in the West to describe a vigorous, fitness-based approach to vinyasa-style yoga and incorporates Ashtanga yoga. The term came into common usage in the mid 1990s, in an attempt to make Ashtanga yoga more accessible to western students. Its emphasis is on strength and flexibility.

For a brief view of the history behind Power Yoga, let’s explore its core: Ashtanga Yinyasa Yoga. Ashtanga is a style of yoga codified and popularized by K. Pattabhi Jois.  Pattabhi Jois began his yoga studies in 1927 at the age of 12, and by 1948 had established an institute for teaching the specific yoga practice known as Ashtanga (“eight-limbed”) Vinyasa Yoga. The term vinyāsa refers to the alignment of movement and breath, a method which turns static asanas into a dynamic flow. The length of one inhale or one exhale dictates the length of time spent transitioning between asanas. Two American yoga teachers are most often credited with the invention of power yoga: Beryl Bender Birch, based in New York, and Bryan Kest, based in Los Angeles. Not coincidentally, both these teachers had studied with Pattabhi Jois. Using the term power yoga differentiated the intense, flowing style of yoga they were teaching from the gentle stretching and meditation that many Americans associated with yoga.

Power Yoga has been argued to be the fundamental style of Hatha yoga that allowed for cultural acceptance of yoga in North America. According to the North American Studio Alliance, 30 million people are practicing yoga in the US. This includes practitioners not just of Power Yoga, but the entire practice of Yoga. Power yoga has been thought of as a physically demanding practice, which can be successful at channeling the hyperactivity of active minds. This system can also be used as a vessel for helping calm ongoing chatter of the mind, reducing stress and teaching extroverted personalities to redirect their attention to their internal experience. Power Yoga will most likely appeal to people who are already quite fit, enjoy exercising, and want a minimal amount of chanting and meditation with their yoga. Prepare to work hard and work up a sweat.

Yoga Exploration

The Yoga Exploration classes offer an organic, internal and exploratory approach to access your core energy, release internal holding patterns, and help you feel balanced, energized and refreshed. Invited by the breath, imagery and guided movement, these gentle-yet powerful classes will focus on helping you create more space, fluidity, and ease of movement. Patricia and Andrew will explore Asana from the inside out, meditation and the breath,

occasionally partner poses, and restorative poses. There is usually a short

Free Form Chapter, where they put on a music playlist to help you pause, listen and practice together what you feel guided to do. Classes start on Monday, January 13th.

Cobra

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Cobra

Start in table then slowly lower down to your stomach. Keeping your hands under your shoulders, elbows are bent into the body, shoulder blades melt down the back.  All ten toenails are pushing into the mat and your legs are zip together into a tail. Forehead on the floor.  Inhale and slowly lift your head, straightening your arms keeping your elbows tucked in at the side, continuing with lifting part of the chest off the floor.  Abdomen on the floor. Breathe.  Release back down slowly, exhaling, with control. Lowering your chest to the floor, then your head. Breathe.  Again. Inhale and slowly lift your head and chest, elbows tucked into the sides raise up into Cobra. Breathe here three breathes.  Then lower back down.

The Breath: Reduce Stress and Find Your Inner Peace

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The Breath: Reduce Stress and Find Your Inner Peace – Part 1

As we begin 2013, we look for ways to improve our precious life. In our busy lives, we need simple methods which we can apply each day. We know that stress can have a negative impact on our bodies and mind. We know that continued stress has a negative impact on our longevity. So what do we have that is simple and can be effective. The breath or prana, our life force or spirit-energy.

Pranayama, the fourth of the eight limbs of yoga outlined in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, can be one method to reduce our stress. Pranayama, defined by Wikipedia, means “to extend the vital life force”. Pranayama can vary in technique from complex to simple. Do Yoga St. John will explore pranayamas over the next several months.

Why Pranayama? Experienced yoga teachers have seen the impact of a pranayama practice. Pranayama can reduce stress and anxiety, help with sleeplessness, ease pain, increase awareness and enable one to find a calm, quiet, inner peace.

How to practice Pranayama? To start, become aware of your breath. Observe your breath without judgment. Find a quiet place to lie on your back comfortably, with one hand on your abdomen below the naval and one hand above the naval. As you inhale, feel the breath from the nostrils and then expansion and the subtle changes in the body. As you exhale, feel the contraction. Next, gently but actively expand the abdomen on the inhale letting all the abdomen muscles open up. Now on the exhale, contract the abdomen and at the very end of the exhale, slightly pull the abdomen muscles in to the center of the body. Repeat this practice for 6 to 12 breaths. We will call this method basic pranayama.

Another pranayama, the long exhale, involves gradually increasing your exhalation until it is twice the length of your inhalation. This pranayana relaxes the nervous system and can reduce insomnia, sleep disturbances, and anxiety. Again, begin by lying on your back in a comfortable position, place a few rounds of basic pranayama from above. Control your breath and get your inhalation and exhalation to be equal. Gradually start to increase your exhalation by 2 or 3 seconds with the contraction of the abdomen at the end of the exhalation. As long as the breath feels smooth and relaxed, continue to increase the exhale by 1 or 2 seconds once every few breaths. Next, start to count the length of the inhale, for example it may be the count of 5 and see if you can double the count and exhale for the count of 10 without changing the pace of the count. If your breath feels uncomfortable or short, reduce the ratio to a comfortable level. Try the long exhale method for 8 or 12 breaths. Then go back to your natural breath for 6 to 8 breaths.
Pause, check in with yourself, notice if you feel more relaxed and less stressed.

Check in with us in the next months for more pranayama practices.

The Breath: Reduce Stress and Find Your Inner Peace Part 2

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The Breath:  Reduce Stress and Find Your Inner Peace – part 2

As we continue our experiment with Pranayama, let us examine more deeply the benefits of reduced stress and the impact on our bodies, our psych and our lives.

From the Mayo Clinic and other medical reports, we learn that stress may be affecting our health without our awareness. There are many common effects of stress on the body including headaches, muscle tension, chest pains, fatigue and sleep problems.  Stress can have many negative impacts on our bodies and contribute to serious health issues like high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes. Our psyche, sometimes defined as our human soul, mind or spirit, is the reflection of our being in the universe. It is our mental state. Stress can cause many issues including anxiety, restlessness, irritability, sadness or depression. Our lives, which are always a challenge to keep in balance, can be thrown way off balance by continued stress. Stress can eventually lead to destructive life styles and behavior like over or under eating, drug or alcohol abuse, and social withdrawal.

So how can pranayama help with stress? Pranayama quiets the mind and allows the mind to rest. Through pranayama, one can experience an expansion of the mind and freshness in ones perspective. Pranayama keeps us focus on our life force, the breath, and keeps us in the present moment, which is all we truly have since the past is gone and the future is yet to be. A great deal of stress is generated from living in the past or the future.

So here is another pranayama to practice called four-part breathing. To start, find a quiet calm place to sit and begin to become aware of your breath.  Four part breathing consists of an inhale, a hold, an exhale and a hold. Observe your breath without judgment. Exhale all the breath out of the body. Inhale through the nose for a slow count of four.  Hold your breath in the body for a slow count of four.  Exhale through the nose for a slow count of four.  And then keep the breath out of the body for the same count of four. Repeat again with the inhale.  Repeat this four-part breath a minimum of eight cycles for optimal benefit.

You may find that the last part, the holding of the breath out of the body, to be the most difficult. Sit in the quiet with this difficult part and think about why you are experiencing these feeling.  Pranayama can open up blocks in our thinking and change the old thinking patterns that we are repeating.  After the pranayama, check in with yourself, become aware of your feelings and see if you feel less inner stress.

Workshops with Visiting Teacher Charmian Redwood

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Visiting spiritual teacher Charmian Redwood will be offering workshops at the People Moving Forward Foundation located behind Morgan’s Mango in Cruz Bay.

About Charmian Redwood: 

Charmian offers workshops and individual sessions guiding people to connect with their own Divine Essence and the Self who has already made the transformation into the Higher Self.  30 years ago Charmian had a Near Death Experience during which she returned to the Golden Light of the Source. There she was awakened to the consciousness of Herself as a God Presence. Her life purpose since that event has been to assist others to experience themselves as Divine Essence in the Golden Light of Home before they leave the body at the end of their lives.

She has written two books, both taken from hypnosis sessions. Coming Home To Lemuria, was written after taking many people back to the lost continent of Lemuria to remember how we lived in Oneness and Love. The second book, 2012 A New Earth Rising, was written after taking people forward through the dimensional shift of 2012 into the Healed Earth where we are living once more from our God Essence as we did in Lemuria.

Sunday April 14th
2 pm to 5 pm
Archangel Gabriel Connection to the Divine Within
at the People Moving Forward Foundation

Archangel Gabriel is the messenger who connects Heaven and Earth. At this event Charmian will play crystal bowls and guide us to connect with our own God Self. We will then create a ceremony to acknowledge ourselves and each other as Divine Beings. Bring something ceremonial, flowers, scarves, jewels for the ceremony.

Cost $ 50 ( sliding scale available) Space is limited RSVP Charmian 340-626-5443    or e mail  charmiangel40@hotmail.com

Saturday April 20th
10 am to 5 pm
Archangels Uriel and Raphael
at the People Moving Forward Foundation

A workshop with Charmian Redwood and her crystal singing bowls. Journeys of initiation and empowerment with Archangels Uriel, he is the overlighting Archangel of the Kingdom of Nature. All of the devas and elementals work under him. We will learn how to communicate with the plant spirits all around us and how to grow your garden in harmony with all kingdoms. Archangel Raphael is the head of the Healing Host. Wherever healing is taking place Raphael is there. We will receive initiation with this powerful Archangel and then practice our healing skills in a group.

Cost $100 (sliding scale available) Space is limited RSVP Charmian 340-626-5443  or e mail

charmiangel40@hotmail.com

Sunday, April 21st
2 pm to 5 pm
Sacred Feminine and Sacred Masculine in Perfect Balance
at the People Moving Forward Foundation

It is time now to heal the division between men and women that has resulted from thousands of years of patriarchy. Both men and women have been wounded so now we need to find the balance of the male and feminine within ourselves and then walk together as equals in sacred union. Charmian will play crystal singing bowls and lead a journey to bring in the sacred feminine and the sacred masculine and to find the point of balance in the heart.

Cost $ 50 RSVP Charmian 340-626-5443   or charmiangel40@hotmail.com space is limited

Full Moon Maho Bay Camps Yoga Celebration

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Full Moon Maho Bay Camps Yoga Celebration
Wednesday, April 24th
7 pm – 9 pm
Maho Pavilion
$25 or sliding scale. Limited yoga mats and blankets available.

Maho Bay Campground is officially closing on May 15. Maho’s yoga teachers, Suki, Joel and Jessa are hosting a Celebration of Maho, with Yoga Asana, Pranayama and Satsang.

Come join in Honoring the Beauty, Celebrate the Community, finding Joy and Celebration in all the wonderful memories of Maho Bay Camps!!

Suki has been leading her Heart-Centered Yoga classes at Maho Bay Camps since 1997 and has inspired 1000’s of people to begin or renew their yoga practice; giving guests at Maho their own private yoga retreat. Joel attended many of Suki’s classes over his years of working at Maho before traveling to New Mexico, India and Australia; for training and teaching. He has become a strong, well- loved yoga instructor. Jessa began her yoga practice in the Womb, took classes with Suki growing up and pursued yoga in college. She trained for her RYT at the Shoshoni Ashram in Shambhava Yoga and studied Anusara in Colorado. She has  developed a beautiful teaching style.

Come join us for this Full Moon Maho Celebration. All levels welcome.

Yoga Teacher Training on St. Thomas!

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Robin Buck of Jane’s House returns to St. Thomas to offer a three part yoga teacher training in the Dynamic Yoga Method

This training is not only appropriate for those who wish to become yoga teachers, but rather, is an opportunity for any practicing yogi or yogini to deepen his or her yoga practice and to delve deeper into the inquiry into the nature of self, its relationships with the totality of being, and surrender.

DATES:

The 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training will be provided over the course of four modules, with final testing upon the conclusion of the final module.  Each attendee will also receive a beautifully produced 200+ page training manual containing illustrations and professionally photographed Asanas.

Module #1 April 22-28
Module #2 July 8-13
Module #3 September 23-28
Module #4 December 2-8 (includes test-out)

Each module will take place Monday through Saturday, 8am-5pm, for a total of 40 hours.  (These dates may be adjusted depending on whether the minimum number of students is obtained. We will confirm these
dates as soon as possible).

CERTIFICATION BY THE NATIONAL YOGA ALLIANCE:

Successful participation in all training modules, passing a comprehensive final exam, and an assessment by the teacher training instructors that the trainee is able to competently and compassionately a basic yoga class will result in a 200-Hour certification by the National Yoga Alliance.

SPACE AND PAYMENT:

•    Space is limited to 10 participants.

•    Payment and a signed agreement are required to reserve your space.

•    Payment options

Option 1: 
One payment of $3,000

Option 2:    
Two payments of $1575 (for a total of $3150); First payment to reserve your spot in program and second payment due by the end of second module.

Option 3:     
Three payments of $1100 (for a total of $3300); First payment to reserve your spot in program, second payment due by the end of second module, and third payment due by the end of the third module.

*Please contact Jennie Alvarez at (340) 643-7758 or Laura Nagi at (808) 728-2800 to register.

JANE’S HOUSE

For the last decade, Jane’s House has had the privilege of developing teachers who are seen as the most competent of teachers in their markets  and have evolved a program over the course of that time that is equaled by none: there is a difference between training someone to be a teacher, and training someone to be an instructor. To be a teacher of Yoga is to be an example of the process of personal transformation, and a carrier of the ancient wisdom of self-inquiry, compassion and devotion: Jane’s House trains teachers.

ROBIN BUCK:

Much of the technical curriculum is derived from the work of Godfrey Devereux. Mr. Devereux teaches something called the Dynamic Yoga Method. The Dynamic Yoga Method is not to be understood as a new “style” of Hatha yoga. It is essentially a way to organize and experience the actions one takes within practice, a basic set of principles that can be taught to students in the beginning of their training to give them a way to gain autonomy in their investigation of Yoga. Within the realm of technique, trainees are taught to organize the many possible actions that the body can take within the rubric of three main areas: expanding actions (broadening actions), extending actions (lengthening actions), and spiraling actions (the basic medial and lateral rotations of the major joints).

The training is structured around several key elements:

•    Technical training: in asana, meditation, and pranayama.

•    Teaching skills: how to language and teach actions rather than guiding a class via practicing together; sequencing classes based on a deep understanding of the techniques and postures as actions rather than forms; hands-on adjustments, holding the space, and adapting to the needs of students spontaneously.

•    History and philosophy: The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, the Baghavad Gita, and the Gospels.

•    Anatomy and physiology: Joint mechanics, the reflexes, and the respiratory system as applied to the actions of practice.

•    The psychology of teaching: The training curriculum takes advantage of adult learning methods and places tremendous focus on character development. Yoga is a transformational practice and as such
requires teachers who can anticipate situations in which boundary or ethical issues may arise. Other topics of interest include, but are not limited to: Pregnancy and other special populations.

See www.dynamicyoga.com  for more information on Godfrey Devereux and the Dynamic Yoga Method.

Visiting Ayurveda Specialist Returns with a New Workshop – A Radical Journey in Self-Care

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Ayurveda- A Radical Journey in Self-Care
with Jessica Rhodes and Lindsey Chabot
March 22nd through 24th
Concordia Eco-Resort
$250, includes food!
$220 if paid before March 8th

To register, contact Lindsey at 340-201-6970 or ldchabot@gmail.com or sign up online at EventSpot.

Register for this Do Yoga St. John event with EventSpot and receive a gift card for one free yoga class at Concordia. The gift card is good for any regular class with any teacher and is transferable. Your card will be given to you at the event.

Join us at Concordia Eco-Resort, St. John, for a beautiful weekend of self-discovery through Ayurvedic traditions.  Ayurveda translates to mean the “Science of Life” and is truly a living experiential science that develops awareness and a deeper connection to self.  Through the use of foods, herbs, yoga asana, massage, and practices, Ayurveda guides us towards balance and optimal health.  This workshop will help you create a tool kit to maintain balance in your life and in your diet specific to your constitutional dosha (dominant elemental energies).  Your Ayurvedic guides will be Jessica Rhodes, Sacramento, California; and Lindsey Chabot, St. John, USVI – Certified Ayurvedic Practitioners and Yoga teachers.

THE WORKSHOP:

Friday, March 22nd–  5:00 – 9:00PM

  • Ayurveda revealed – introducing Ayurveda including breathing, elements and doshas.
  • Guided Yoga Asana – a cleansing evening practice
  • Dinner – Ayurvedic inspired with specific information about each dish and a discussion on food and recipes.

Saturday, March 23rd–  8:00AM – 2:00PM

  • Early morning Yoga Asana followed by tea and snack
  • Tools for YOU: Hot, Cold, Wet, Dry & gaining a deeper understanding of the doshas and the pulse as they relate to emotions you experience and problems you face
  • Lunch – Eating for your constitution, more learnings about food, preparation and recipes
  • Ayurveda explored – experiencing the senses…balancing your life with spices and essential oils

Sunday, March 24th–  8:00AM – 3:00PM

  • Early morning Yoga Asana followed by tea and snack
  • Ayurvedic practiced – learning about self care tools, oil pulling, salt scrubs & massage
  • Hike down to Salt Pond Bay: Scrub
  • Lunch – Sensing and Balancing: Come up with a practical set of ways to bring these tools to your life

You will be going home with:

Guided written instructions on balancing your life

Ways to incorporate yoga into your life, specific for your needs

Tridoshic recipes

Salt Scrub with essential oils

Resources for future needs

THE PLACE:

Concordia Eco Resorts

Surrounded by pristine US Virgin Islands National Park on the island of St. John, Concordia Eco-Resort overlooks the Caribbean waters of Salt Pond Bay, Drunk Bay, and the Drake Passage. A variety of accommodations are perched like tree houses along the hillside, connected by elevated walkways to minimize impact and engage the surrounding flora and fauna. Low-impact construction, an extensive rain-water collection system, photovoltaic electric generation, and its recycling program make Concordia the perfect retreat for the eco-conscience traveler.  For more information about Concordia visit their site by clicking here.

THE SPECIALISTS:

Jessica Rhodes

Jess’s classes will support and uplift you. Jess is an Ayurvedic practitioner and devotional teacher that draws from Pattabhi Jois’ Ashtanga, Sivananda, Power Vinyasa, Bhakti and Yin schools of thought.  Roll these powerful practices into a Yoga Therapy background, and she makes it accessible and available for all.

“Yoga isn’t elite,” she says,  “ Yoga is breath, yoga is life, and yoga is for all people – all faiths – all cultures – all sizes – and all bodies.” The same goes with Ayurveda. Jess started seriously practicing yoga when she broke her back and was bedridden.

During her stay in India, Jess lived in both the Sivananda and Hari Om ashrams. These experiences afforded her the knowledge of practice, daily observances, ayurvedic history, and legend that enrich her classes in Sacramento. Jessica has completed two 200-hour teacher training programs, one in Rishikesh, India focused on Pranayama, Chanting, Kriya, and Asana. She also completed a 200-hr Power Vinyasa Teacher Training in Sacramento. She will complete a supplemental 700 hour training in Yoga Therapy in the summer of 2013.

Jess is the Director of Development and Outreach champion at the Yoga Seed Collective, a non profit working to heal and unite the community through the power of yoga, meditation, and mindfulness.  She is also an Ayurvedic practitioner serving the Sacramento community with private consultations and group classes.

Lindsey Chabot

Lindsey went looking for something different after running a marathon in college. It was all over after going to her first Bikram yoga class. She immediately fell in love with the focused energy and self-discipline that yoga requires. The way that yoga makes you face yourself moment by moment has allowed her to know herself in great strength, and in moments of extreme weakness. She has since been exploring the many ways yoga changes….absolutely everything. Yoga quickly became something like taking a shower, you just DO IT. Having been lucky enough to practice in many different studios all over the country, Lindsey tries to absorb as much as possible and share it with friends, yogi’s and anyone who’s interested. She was trained and certified in Ashtanga by the late and great Larry Shultz and the amazing people at It’s Yoga, San Francisco in 2008. Also a certified Ayurvedic practitioner, Lindsey’s interest in wellness stretches way beyond the perfect pose. Well aware that her journey has just begun, she feels honored and blessed to be on it with the people of St. John. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about feeling good.

 

THE FEE:

This fee includes –  dinner on Friday, lunches on Saturday & Sunday, three yoga classes, salt scrub, written instructions and recipes.

Also available and highly recommended additional sessions and fees (limited space so reserved your times early):

Ayurvedic Birth Pulse Assessment: Discover your constitution  – 30 minutes – $40

Ayurvedic Nutrition and Wellness: Consultation including Birth Pulse Assessment and how to eat for your dosha – 60 minutes – $60

Chakra Reading:  Deepen your understanding of your emotions and how they impact your body – 30 minutes – $40

Personalized yoga plan: Customized yoga practice based on your body type, condition and wellness goals – 30 minutes – $40

Ayurvedic Package: Includes your choice of three of the above sessions:  90 minutes – $100

Ayurvedic Massage:  Specific to your needs for  90 minutes $125 or $250 for four hand massage (limited space available)

 

 

Yoga Seed Assist Workshop

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Yoga Seed Assisting Program
March 26th – 27th
3 to 9PM
at Villa Pelican Beach – Coral Bay
with visiting teacher Jessica Rhodes
$180

To register, contact Lindsey at 340-201-6970 or ldchabot@gmail.com or sign up online at EventSpot.
Register for this Do Yoga St. John event with EventSpot and receive a gift card for one free yoga class at Concordia. The gift card is good for any regular class with any teacher and is transferable. Your card will be given to you at the event.
Do you want to deepen your practice and understanding of yoga?

Do you want to experience loving-kindness in your life?

Do you need more massage?

As humans we seek one simple thing: Healing. That’s why we are here. We seek it through others and we seek it on a solitary journey.

Whether you are currently teaching, thinking about teaching, or new to yoga and  just wanting to learn more about the poses, this Kosha based assisting program will serve you well. You will learn how to practice Loving Kindness meditation, how to implement it when physically assisting someone in a yoga pose, and you will learn how to deepen your students’ practice with physical assists.

Yoga teachers, build confidence in your physical assists that will expand your class offerings in a whole new way!

Assisting is the ultimate way to deepen your understanding of yoga, to put loving-kindness into practice, and to experience safe and appropriate touch as a healing modality.

The Yoga Seed’s 25 hour Assisting Training has been condensed into 12 hours for the St. John program. It is a speedy and intimate program that  will teach you to use physical, energetic, mental, intuitive, and blissful levels of our-selves to teach hands-on assisting skills. During this training you will learn to:

-Observe Students, their practice, and find the assist that fits

-Understand the in’s and out’s of the physical poses

-Develop Skills for Safe Hands-on Assisting

The course also contains the following as it pertains to assisting:

-General Anatomy Overview

-Modifications for Bodies of different Shapes, Sizes & Ability Levels

Join Jessica Rhodes E-RYT  as they take you through the 5 Koshas, or energy bodies, and 50+ poses in two weekends. You will receive a book, 12 hours of hands on practice and recieving. This is a self-healing and community building workshop that will feed your soul.