Details and cost information for each session is below. We do suggest that you RSVP if you are interested, and please note that RSVP is required for some programs. We reschedule workshops if we do not have some indication of attendance.

POSTURE CLINIC - DOWNWARD DOG

Saturday, March 10, 2012 Noon to 2:00 pm (2 hours)
COST: $20

Does downward dog baffle you?  Are you confused when other people sigh with relief when teachers return to the pose in class?  Do you find downward dog to be just plain uncomfortable?  Let's explore downward facing dog and make it more enjoyable.  This two hour workshop will feature a combination of asana and discussion, as well as partner work, modifications, and adjustments.  Some of the concepts we will cover include internal vs. external rotation, finding a comfortable distance between hands and feet, how the pose should feel in your body, and how to modify it to make it work for you.  Come with questions, an open mind, and a healthy curiosity!  This workshop is suitable for practitioners of all abilities, and will offer modifications.  Please let us know of any injuries ahead of time.

About the instructor: Kayleigh Miller came to Yoga in 2007 as a way to balance the stress of her classical music career.  What began as a curiosity became a serious passion, and a salve to performance related injuries, competitive stress, and assault.  She completed her 200-hour teacher training in 2011, under the tutelage of David Vendetti and Todd Skoglound at South Boston Yoga, and has studied in the vinyasa, yin, forrest, anusura, and iyengar traditions.  Her classes fuse a keen attention to alignment and injury prevention, as well as a playful and fun approach to building strength, opening the heart, and building awareness.

iREST© YOGA NIDRA

Sunday, March 18, 2012 11:00 am to Noon (1 hour)
COST: $15

Tap into 4000 years of knowledge and learn the ancient practice of Yoga Nidra.  iRest© Yoga Nidra is a gentle approach to meditation. Research shows that iRest©:

• Decreases insomnia
• Neutralizes stress and negative feelings
• Overcomes anxiety and fear
• Reduces perceptions of chronic pain
• Restores the experience of joy and inner peace

This one hour class begins with 15 minutes of gentle stretching. This is followed by a guided iRest© meditation which can be experienced lying down with props (pillows, blankets) to ensure your comfort, or sitting in a chair.

iRest© has been developed by Richard Miller, PhD, a clinical psychologist, and is uniquely suitable for Westerners. iRest protocol has been taught to thousands of individuals including college students, seniors, the homeless, veterans and people experiencing issues such as sleep disorders, PTSD, and chronic pain.

About the instructor: Peggy Albrecht is a certified Kripalu Yoga Instructor and a member of the Kripalu Yoga Teacher's Association. She is passionate about teaching and sharing yoga’s benefits with others. She focuses on helping students develop breath and body awareness, inner strength, and confidence. Her teaching style gently encourages students to work to their edge by offering posture variations for all body types and fitness levels. Her classes focus on real and practical benefits and frequently include a theme that connects yoga practice to the various situations that arise in our daily lives.

DANCENERGY

Saturday, March 24, 2012 Noon to 2:00 pm(2 hours)
COST: $35

DancEnergy is a multi-level class in a non-competitive environment, exploring elements of ballet, modern, and jazz dance with aspects of Yoga, Pilates, belly dance, Bollywood and more. Come join us and dance into spring with DancEnergy!

About the instructor: Lindsay Zullo is a dancer, choreographer and teacher of modern and jazz dance in Cambridge and Harvard, MA. She is a former member of Airborne Dance Company and of DPW Dance Company. You can contact her at lindsayzdancing@charter.net or call 617-549-0511.

NUTRITION & HEALTH SERIES

This series of nutrition and health workshops deals with how we eat, helps us understand why we eat the way we do, and teaches us how to improve our attitude and relationship with food. See the Topics and Schedule below.

COST: $30 per session
**NOTE: PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Transformational Weight Loss
Sunday, January 22 2012 3:00 - 4:30 pm (90 mins)
On a diet… again? Perhaps it's time to try a new approach, a dramatically new approach, in which you give yourself permission to fully enjoy food without guilt, fear or shame, and still lose weight. Sound too good to be true? Come find out for yourself!

Sugar Blues & Deconstructing Cravings CANCELED
Sunday February 12, 2012 3:00 - 4:30 pm (90 mins)
Are you constantly craving sweets and want to understand why? You will gain an understanding of the causes of your sugar cravings and receive practical tools for dealing with them. It's not about deprivation, it's about freedom – the freedom to eat foods you love and have sweetness in your life without the side effects or the guilt.

Seasonal Eating will be rescheduled
Sunday, March 2012

Why do we crave hot soups in the winter and cool salad in the summer? Eating in accordance with what's in season in your particular region has many advantages. "The closer we eat to the source, and the less processing and shipping, the more nutritional value we can access. "Every season has a specific health focus, with seasonal foods and cooking methods that support the body during that time. The body naturally needs different foods during specific times of the year—foods that protect us from the effects of seasonal change.

Spring Cleanse
Sunday, April 2012 (check back for date) 3:00 - 4:30 pm (90 mins)
As a side effect of modern living, most of us have fallen out of alignment with nature and our optimal state of health and happiness. Spring is the perfect time for clearing away the sluggishness of the winter season. If you suffer from headaches, indigestion, frequent colds, constipation, acne, bad breath, disturbed sleep, PMS, or low energy, a spring cleanse could be just the thing to get you back on track.
Contact us to hold your spot.

Raw Food 101
Sunday. May 2012 (check back for date) 3:00 - 4:30 pm (90 mins)
Have you been curious about all the buzz on the “raw food diet”? In this workshop, we will talk about what the raw food diet actually is, the benefits of eating raw, sample tasty raw food dishes, and receive some easy recipes to try at home.
Contact us to hold your spot.

About the instructor: Charlotte Ott is a Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner and graduate of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. She practices health coaching and leads workshops on whole foods nutrition. She is a regular instructor at Serenity Yoga Studio, and has Yoga teaching certifications from Kripalu and Shiva Rea. She also has certifications in Circus Yoga, Yoga Ed, Thai Yoga Massage, and Reiki Level I.

SERENITY COMMUNITY GATHERING

Sunday, April 1, 2012 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm (2 hours)
NOTE: There is no gathering in March
COST: $20

Please join us for an inspiring, enlivening, heart-opening all-community gathering for Yoga-twisting, spiritually-minded, evolutioneries.

Monthly 'Meeting in Truth' for all Serenity students, friends and family. The first Sunday of each month. Please join the growing community of Yoga practitioners and Meditators interested in exploring the infinite aliveness, and transformative power of living consciously in Presence. We will engage in the Kripalu Yoga practice of 'Meditation in Motion'; then be guided in a deeply-relaxing Meditation practice; and together we'll explore the timeless inquiry of 'What is True Freedom?', 'How can we find Lasting Peace?'    

The next Buddha will be the Sangha (Spiritual Community)  

~Thich Nhat Hahn  

We plan to hold these gatherings the first Sunday of each month. Check the website for any date changes for future Satsangs.

 

About the instructor: Nina Carmel, MSW, RYT, teaches Yoga and Meditation classes at Serenity Yoga Center'. Nina shares her unique insight into the psychology of the spiritual and the spiritual reality encompassing every individual ego and its search for wholeness and happiness. Asked to teach by both Eastern Buddhist Masters and Western Awakened colleagues, Nina is happy to be available for these Satsangs to guide serious seekers of Truth to awaken to their essential nature, and to integrate this clarity of seeing with their very human experience.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program

9 weeks
This program is currently ongoing and cannot accept new registrats. We offer this program several times each year, so please contact us to find out when it will be offered again, or keep checking the website.

COST: $350 if registration is completed by _______; $375 after that date
For more information about this program (including FAQs), please visit Cindy's website: sunrisemindfulness.com

Is stress affecting your life? Would you like to learn easily accessible methods of increasing well-being and decreasing stress? Come explore the connection between mind and body in this highly engaging and supportive program, originally developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn. This is the exact same program that is taught at the Center for Mindfulness at UMass in Worcester.

The MBSR program includes guided instruction in mindfulness meditation practices, gentle stretching, group dialogue, daily home assignments, and home practice materials, including guided mindfulness practice CDs. MBSR is both challenging and life affirming, and involves a commitment to practice at home every day between classes.

There is a significant body of research supporting the benefits of the MBSR program. People who engage in mindfulness-based stress reduction can experience:

• A decrease in physical and psychological symptoms
• An increased ability to relax
• An enhanced ability to cope with pain
• Greater energy and enthusiasm for life
• An ability to cope more effectively with both short and long-term stressful situations

TESTIMONIALS FOR THIS PROGRAM:

"I came away from Cindy's class with a firm understanding of the principles of mindfulness practice and a renewed sense of my own responsibility for self care. She is a nurturing and patient teacher who models the basics of mindfulness meditation and empowers her students to develop their own practice." - Teacher

"Cindy's course in Mindfulness had a major impact on my state of mind. I went from always feeling frazzled to feeling calmer, more attentive and focused. I procrastinate less and get difficult tasks handled with more efficiency. I even lost some weight with mindful-eating." - Psychotherapist

About the instructor: Cindy Gittleman, MA. MA, CAGS, is a Licensed Educational Psychologist who holds graduate degrees from Columbia University and City University of New York. She undertook additional graduate training in psychology at Adelphi University and earned a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies from the University of Massachusetts in Boston.

She completed the Stress Reduction Program, the Practicum in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, and the Teacher Development Intensive training for experienced MBSR teachers at the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society, affiliated with the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester. She has appeared as a guest on the cable television programs "Shrink Rap" and "Where's Wilmington," and has presented workshops on Mindfulness-based stress reduction to various organizations and groups.