Workshops & Events
Ayurvedic
Winter Solstice Potluck
with Allison Smith
December 14, 5:30PM
Join us for an evening of Ayurvedic cuisine with Ayurvedic practitioner Allison Smith. Allison will be cooking up a pot of Kitchari, balancing for all the doshas. We will discuss the benefits of Kitchari and how Ayurveda supports seasonal transitions. Side dishes are welcomed (vegetarian and nut free). Bring a notebook and pen to take notes!
Pre-registration is encouraged. $10/person. Payment can be made directly to Allison through Venmo @MahaVeda
Prenatal Yoga
with Rebecca Weisman
Tuesday, 9-10:30 am
November 19, 26, December 3, 10
In-person + online
The Iyengar approach to yoga for pregnancy is a safe, effective, and empowering experience for birthing parents in any state of pregnancy. Gain strength, confidence, awareness, and freedom in your practice and in your body as you prepare for the challenges and joys of childbirth and parenthood. Our classes focus on supporting you as the birthing parent and your growing baby in a nourishing and warm group environment.
In our class you will learn:
-
In-depth knowledge of the poses appropriate for all three trimesters
-
Breath work and poses specific for labor and delivery
-
In-depth knowledge of contraindications with a focus on safety
-
Steps for practicing at home
-
Special topics like back pain and balancing hormonal shifts
-
A supporting group environment to help you navigate all the ups and downs of pregnancy!
For info about scholarships or for any questions or concerns email Rebecca@iycvt.com
Breath and Vitality: An Introduction to Pranayama
with Kara Rosa
Friday, December 6
5:30-7:30 pm
Through anatomy, posture, and breath gain a deeper awareness and understanding of how pranayama brings clarity, vitality and rejuvenation to the body and mind. This workshop will support a deeper understanding of how to use pranayama to gain balance even during times of illness, injury, and physical and mental exhaustion. We will learn how breathing practices can calm the nervous system and help revitalize our whole embodiment.
This is an all levels workshop. The workshop will be held both in-person and online and a recording will be made available to all students.
Fee: $35/45/55
Embodying Om: Experiencing Divine Vibration
Weekend Workshop with Mary Reilly, Bob Gilbo, and Leslie Freyberg
Friday-Sunday
February 7-9, 2025
In the Yoga Sūtras, Patanjali affirms that the repetition and contemplation of OM results in freedom from all disturbances and ultimately the realization of the source of consciousness itself. Join Senior Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher Mary Reilly for a special weekend of devoted practice, joined by Bob Gilbo who will present on yoga philosophy, and Leslie Freyberg who will lead us in chanting. Together we will embark on an embodied exploration of the sacred syllable OM using asana, pranayama, and chanting as a gateway towards the divine. We will be using several texts to guide our study, including verses from the Upanișads, some of the oldest texts on yoga. If possible, please bring a copy of the Upanișads (we recommend Oxford World's Classic translated by Patrick Olivelle).
The bow is OM, the arrow's the self,
The target is brahman, they say.
One must strike that undistracted.
One will then be lodged in that
Like the arrow, in the target.
Muṇḍaka Upanișad, 11.2.4
Schedule:
Friday, February 7:
4-5:30pm: Philosophy and chanting with Bob and Leslie
An Introduction to OM in the Mandukya Upanisad
5:30-7:30pm: Asana with Mary
Cultivating Alertness in Standing Asanas
Saturday, February 8:
9am-12pm: Asana with Mary
Discovering the Brilliance of Backbends
1:30-2:30pm: Chanting with Leslie
Verses from the Upanisads and other mantras
2:30-4:30pm: Asana with Mary
Deepening Quietude in Forward Bends
Sunday, February 9:
9-10am: Philosophy with Bob
Exploring Om in the Upanisads and other texts
10am-1pm: Asana with Mary
Ascending into Silence: Inversions, Restoratives and Pranayama
About Mary Reilly:
Mary Reilly began her studies of Iyengar Yoga in Ann Arbor in 1978 as a University of Michigan graduate in Biology. She was among the first yoga teachers in the Midwest to be Iyengar certified and was granted an Intermediate Senior II certificate personally by B.K.S. Iyengar in 2012. Mary has directed North Woods Yoga, the B.K.S. Iyengar Center of Northern Michigan in Petoskey, Michigan since 1986. She served as Chair of Certification of the Iyengar Yoga National Association from 2000-2014. Mary studies regularly at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Institute in Pune India. Her teaching lets her love of yoga shine through with enthusiasm as well as clarity and precision. Her goal is to help students overcome their obstacles to achieving their full potential in their yoga practice.
About Bob Gilbo:
A longtime Iyengar yoga practitioner, Bob Gilbo studies Hindu philosophy under Satya Narayana Das, mahant of the Jiva Institute in Vrindavan; Ravi Ravindra; and Edwin Bryant at Rutgers University. Bob edited Dr. Bryant's landmark translation and commentary on The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (North Point Press, 2009). He has studied Sanskrit since 2004. Drawing on his pilgrimages to South Asian sacred sites and immersion in India’s classical and folk art forms, Bob uses puranic narratives and traditional imagery to illuminate the philosophical contexts of the yoga tradition. He develops philosophy curricula for yoga teacher training programs and leads yogic studies at studios in New York and nationwide, both in-person and online.
About Leslie Freyberg:
Leslie began studying the Sanskrit language with Vyaas Houston of the American Sanskrit Institute while undergoing her training as a Certified Iyengar Yoga teacher. She discovered a profound joy in producing the vibrations of Sanskrit while chanting the alphabet of this ancient language. She furthered her studies with Dr. Ram Karan Sharma and Thea D’Alvia (Manorama) at the renowned Ananda Ashram in upstate New York. Leslie has served on the faculty of Patricia Walden’s Teacher Training programs, teaching the chanting of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Leslie recently completed a year-long course of study in Vedic Chant with Shantala Sriramaiah.
All classes are in-person only and geared to those with an established practice of asana and pranayama. Early bird registration is open for those registering for the whole weekend. Individual classes will open for registration on January 1. Chanting and philosophy portions are included with the purchase of any class. For questions email Rebecca@IYCVT.com
