“We don't take a trip... a trip takes us.” -John Steinbeck
"Every action in our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity."
- Edwin Hubble Chapin
“It is in giving that we receive.” -Francis of Assisi
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” -Mark Twain
“The main event has never been the manifestation; the main event has always been the way you feel moment by moment, because that's what life is.” -Abraham Hicks
Workshops & Retreats
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS - descriptions listed below
INTRODUCTION TO YOGA-
Embrace the Present Moment, Don’t Miss the Miracle!! Saturday, February 4th, 2 – 4 pm. The Yoga Effect, Grayslake. www.theyogaeffect.net $25.
This workshop will prepare you to attend drop-in yoga classes as well as deepen your understanding of fundamental yogic principles and philosophies which are not comprehensively covered in a drop-in environment. We will study:
What to expect when coming to yoga class
Yogic history and philosophy
Principles of alignment
Relaxation, mindfulness, stress reduction, being present
Taking your yoga “off the mat”
The only requirement is to come with an open mind, smile and willingness to have fun! This is too important to be taken seriously!! Check it out, it just might make you feel good.
Wear comfortable clothing that you can move and stretch in. We provide the rest – blocks, straps, mats, blankets, and instructional booklet.
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HANDSTANDS!! And other upside-down magic! Saturday, February 11th, 3 – 5 pm, Niyama Yoga, Wilmette. www.niyamayoga.com,
AND Saturday, March 3rd 2:30 – 4:30 pm, The Yoga Effect, Grayslake. www.theyogaeffect.net $25.
Want to take your inversion practice to the next level?
From swinging up to pressing up:
Handstands.
That's it. No extras.
Join AcroYoga Instructor Wendy Dahl, ERYT, for an afternoon of handstand insight, awareness, practice and upside down joy. Learn how the wisdom of the acrobats can inform your practice of not only handstand, but all hand balances. Acrobats specialize in handstands, so you are guaranteed to take your handstand to the next level.
There are three main elements of handstand training that we will explore, so wrists fear not, much of our learning will include techniques that do not require you to be on your hands. However, we will have a considerable amount of time upside down, followed by massage techniques that will prolong your hand balancing career and make any acrobat melt.
Appropriate for all- levels!
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THERAPEUTICS: Everything I need to know I learned in Tadasana.
Therapeutics - The key to self-healing. Saturday, March 10th, 3 – 5 pm, Niyama Yoga, Wilmette. www.niyamayoga.com $25.
Whether you want to burn more calories in your yoga practice, get insight into your self, cure an ailment, or something in between, alignment is the answer. Alignment is therapeutics. The body has an optimal energetic blueprint that is always present. You will embrace the tools to tap into the body’s natural ability to regulate and heal by uphold optimal alignment in all categories of asanas. You will deepen your awareness on how to prevent injuries as well as nurture an existing condition. Empower yourself by becoming your own healer.
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ACROYOGA FUNdamentals
Donation based AcroYoga Playshop - FIRST SATURDAY of EVERY MONTH! 1/7, 2/4, 3/3. 4:30 – 6 pm. The Yoga Effect, Grayslake. www.theyogaeffect.net
AcroYoga FUNdamentals Playshop. Saturday, January 14th, 1 – 3 pm. Pulsation Yoga, Arlington Heights. www.pulsationyoga.com $25.
AcroYoga FUNdamentals Playshop. Saturday, January 21st, 3:30 – 5:30 pm. Tula Yoga, Chicago. www.tulayoga.net $35.
Open your practice with the ease, comfort and the support of a partner. Grounded in the breath, we will draw upon the natural force of gravity to overcome fear and release tension.
PARTNER CONDITIONING & STRETCHING
For fitness buffs who want more flexibility and Yogis who want more strength. Powerful asana flow warms the body and builds core awareness and strength. Partner Stretching uses gravity, resistance and breath awareness to achieve the maximum range of flexibility.
INVERT, INVOLVE, EMPOWER
After solidifying spotting techniques, we will progress to basic partner acrobatics, cultivating trust, strength and flexibility while working as a team. A playful, safe, supportive environment will empower the whole room to be upside down! No inversion experience needed.
FLIGHT
The base is the partner that creates a stable platform for the flyer to explore inverted aerial asana flows. The flyer receives anti-gravitational spinal decompression and muscular release while the base is the recipient of Thai Massage.
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Redefining Balance Workshop with Kendra & Wendy - TBA
Redefining Balance, is an exploration into the core center of the body, the source of balance on and off the yoga mat. You will delve into your core and build strength as well as awareness. This workshop will link together vinyasa yoga, AcroYoga and Slackline Yoga (where balance is relative to what you are practicing on). AcroYoga uses the therapeutics of Thai massage alongside the strength and power of acrobatics. You will learn how to base, fly, and spot each other safely in yoga poses that transition the flyer through the air on the feet and hands of a partner. You will also learn the practice of “slackasana,” yoga poses on a slackline (a one-inch thick piece of tubular webbing, tied between two fixed points that creates something between a tightrope and a trampoline). Ultimately, you will discover that balance is the result of energy, focus, and the ability to connect to everything that surrounds you.
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Relax, Restore, and Rejuvenate: A Restorative Yoga Workshop -TBA
Just as our bodies need to be exercised in order to be fit and healthy, they also need to have time to rest and repair. Most of us could be called “human-doings”, as opposed to human “beings”. Discover the counterpoint to a busy lifestyle of doing, and connect with a deep state of presence and consciousness, a state of being.
As human beings we are naturally self-healing and self-regulating, if we allow our bodies time and space to work their magic. Discover the miracle of deep relaxation by opening the body, releasing tension and stress, and connecting with the space of tranquility and peace that resides inside.
During this restorative yoga practice, you will lie completely relaxed supported with blocks, blankets and bolsters which are used to position the body. The deep relaxation that restorative yoga invites triggers the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps to lower heart rate and blood pressure. It will also stimulate the immune system and ensures the healthy operation of the endocrine system, bringing the body into balance.
Other benefits may include:
Improved posture
Relief from back pain
Relief from physical exhaustion and fatigue
Relief from chronic stress-related conditions (such as insomnia, fatigue, headaches, digestive problems, etc.)
Better resistance to injury
Improved range of motion
Release of lactic acid and other toxins from areas of accumulation
Improved circulation, metabolism and immunity
Lower cholesterol levels
Greater sense of “calm focus”
A lessening of dependence on medication
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Therapeutic Flying and Thai Massage Workshop -TBA
Celebrate Valentine's Day with an old friend or a new one! Allow this day to be a reminder of love manifested in all of our relationships; family, friends, and community. Riding the wave of metta, loving kindness, we will combine gentle yoga, AcroYoga therapeutic flying, and Thai Massage.
You will learn how to give and receive Thai Massage and safely apply these techniques in the air through AcroYoga therapeutic flying techniques.
Realign yourself with the energy of connection and playfulness in remembrance and celebration of love.
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Invert, Involve, Empower -TBA
The mystery of inversions is no match for the wisdom of acrobatic training techniques! Students will learn the AcroYoga Asana sequence, which provides tools for the understanding and embodiment of headstand and shoulderstand (the King and Queen of Asansa), as well as forearmstand and handstand. After solidifying spotting techniques, we will progress to basic partner acrobatics, pyramids, and flying; cultivating trust, strength and flexibility while working as a team. A playful, safe, supportive environment will empower the whole room to be upside down and connect to the divine!
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YOGA RETREATS IN BRAZIL
Personalized retreats to beautiful beaches and organic farms. Destinations include Ilhabela, Rio de Janeiro and organic farms in Sao Paulo State. Visit www.fafbrasil.com and click on "Yoga Retreats-2008" to see our work!
Next Brazil Retreat: TBA
Below are photos and videos from previous retreats:
An Authentic experience of connection, healing, and discovery including:
- Morning and evening yoga
- Daily meditation
- 3 organic, farm fresh meals a day (veggie/meat options), snacks
- Hiking, biking and meditation walks
- Swimming in a freshwater pond
- Ecology tours and discussions
- Learn about organic farming (cheese, coffee, fruits, dairy, etc.)
- Crafts and shopping
- Kirtan, drumming, dancing, bonfires
- Massage
- Plant your own tree!
- Learn to live in more balanced, sustainable and organic ways
- All activities are optional so that you can cater your retreat to your personal healing.
Experience the rebirth of the rainforest in Tropical Brazil. Visit a small original forest, hug its hundred-year-old trees, and drink the pure water that springs from their roots. Hike through the trails that crisscross our secondary forest, and see nature recreating itself at different stages. Hike through our 2000-acre plantation, observing the variety of organic methods we are using: passive organic; active organic; planting coffee in the forest; planting a forest in the coffee plantation; starting from seeds or from seedlings. Watch the birds and butterflies living happily in a place with no chemical pesticide or fertilizer. Feel how care for the environment and agricultural science can complement each other through organic practice.
“Thank you for allowing me to come here, to teach the small thing that I know and learn the great and beautiful thing that you know.”
– Zoe Kaufman,Yoga teacher, FAF Yoga Retreat September 2005
When do you want to go? When do you want to truly connect, experiencing the experiencer, knowing the knower.
Let's go.