This 90 minute all levels workshop will cover the fundamentals of handstand. Topics include:

• Handstand related flexibility & strength

• Basic body positioning and alignment

• Balancing

• Kicking into handstand

The most important thing to remember when it comes to arm balances and handstand is that you have to keep practicing! You will learn different drills and strategies that you can play with on your own so you can continue to progress.

Class will include some vinyasa practice, strength & alignment drills, and time to play using the wall and hands on assists. Bring your questions and a playful spirit!

Pre-requisites:

This is an all levels workshop however familiarity with yoga is helpful. You should be able to hold a down dog comfortably for 8 - 10 breaths.

Investment: $30 by 6/30; $35 after.

The Summer Solstice is not only the first day of our favorite season, it's also one of the most energetically potent days of the year. After a cold and depleting winter, the Solstice marks the longest day of the year, a celebration of the solar energy that uplifts, energizes and fuels us.

Through a thoughtful combination of pranayama and asana, we'll stoke the flames of Agni, the inner fire, that resides within our Manipura (solar plexus) chakra to discover and tap into our unlimited potential and personal power.

We'll then balance things out by cooling the fire within and settling into Yin postures that will revitalize your body and mind. Finally, you'll drift into a blissful savasana under the trees.

After practice, stay for lavender cooling towels and fresh squeezed lemonade from Maggie's Muggs, the future generation of woman-owned small business. You'll head home with a special Summer Solstice Ritual gift so you can continue to reap in the benefits of this rejuvenating practice even after you've rolled up your mat.

Investment: $30 by 6/13; $35 after.

Join Ame Wren for an info session about our upcoming 2019 Boston Yoga School Teacher Training on location in Haverhill. Ame will be in Haverhill prior to the info session for a special 2hr Class on Thurs Sept 27 from 5:45-7:45. This is a great opportunity to experience Ame’s style of teaching and then stay to get your questions answered regarding our unique and exciting teacher training program.

The Yoga Tree and Boston Yoga School have teamed up to offer our second 200 Hour training, that is unlike anything else you will find on Boston’s Northshore! You have access to some of Boston and NYC's finest yoga teachers right here in Haverhill! This program is for more than just the aspiring yoga teacher. It’s for anyone in a transition, looking for direction, or simply searching for a deeper understanding of yoga and their practice. Students become part of a community of like-minded yogis looking to evolve their own personal practice and well-being. 

Join us for the class with Ame and stay for the info session, or just stop in for the info session at 7:45pm (registration below)! You will have an opportunity to speak with Ame who directs the program.

This class is intended for the curious and dedicated student and will approach more complex postures & themes. Experience with backbends, inversions at the wall and simple pranayama is encouraged. Not suitable for beginners. Expect a blend of vinyasa yoga and structural work aimed at creating clarity in asana and body mechanics.

Cost: $25 (by May 3; $30 after) (ONLY $15 for studio members by May 3;$20 after)

Twists are an amazing family of poses that can be explored for a variety of different effects. They are powerful tools that awaken the mid and upper back, and essential preparation for backbends and inversions. Conversely, they are also wonderful counter poses after these postures, and as such can have a cooling and neutralizing effect. We’ll look at standing, seated and supine twists and examine what they share, as well as their different energetic impacts. You’ll leave class refreshed and alert, with increased awareness and mobility in your thoracic spine.

About Natasha:

A former ballet dancer, Natasha Rizopoulos began practicing yoga in her 20s. Her teaching style combines an emphasis on precise alignment with a commitment to finding joy and ease in the practice. She is celebrated for her ability to communicate the essence of a pose or an action, exploring and explaining theory and practice in a manner that immediately connects students to their yoga in profound and transformative ways.

A dedicated Ashtanga practitioner who has studied in India with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, Natasha has also been very influenced by the Iyengar system. These two traditions form the basis of her teaching technique, combining the heat and energy of Ashtanga with the precision and attention to detail of the Iyengar method. In her teaching Natasha weaves these two styles together so that students can become fully alive to potential in their own yoga.

Natasha is the featured teacher in Yoga Journal’s Yoga Step-by-Step DVD series and has appeared in magazines and on television, as well as in the photo essay Yoga: A Yoga Journal Book. She is a contributing editor and columnist for Yoga Journal and writes the on-line column “Ask the Beginner’s Expert” for YogaJournal.com. In addition to her classes in Boston, Natasha travels extensively, teaching at conferences and leading workshops and teacher trainings around the world. http://www.natasharizopoulos.com/

Cost: $40 by April 19th, $45 after

Unfortunately this workshop has been cancelled and will be rescheduled for the very near future. Stay tuned for makeup date!

A Vinyasa intensive set to a very traditional tune. Explore the 4 Chapters of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali in vinyasa format. This two-hour journey will explore how we weave the 196 threads of this practice together to create internal and eternal happiness. How can we apply the teachings to every day life? A regular practice of healing poses, meditation, and various seeds/tools you can use and plant to help you live the rest of your days with freedom and ease. This class is set to the live music of the ethereal husband and wife duo, Erica and Andy Cahill! All levels are welcome

About Jacqui Bonwell:

Jacqui Bonwell-E-RYT, Director of the Sacred Seeds 200hr Teacher Training Program, Director of the Canton Yoga Shala in Canton, MA, Reiki Master, Mother of two and most importantly–a YOGINI! 

I have been highly influenced by David Vendetti, Johnny Gillespie, Rolf Gates & Sharon Gannon. I have spent time with each of them learning and am highly influenced by many, many more. My greatest teachers have been my two children, Lola & Wyatt.

Cost: $40 by March 22, $45 after
 

Often in our yoga and meditation practice there is an implicit bias against thinking. We compare our thinking mind to a wild monkey on amphetamines, swinging anxiously from thought to thought. We try to NOT be lost in thought. We try to focus on our body and breath.
But in practice, we don’t need to be at war with our minds. In fact, we can engage with our thoughts in more skillful ways that serve our development of peace and wisdom.

In this workshop, we will use the quiet spiritual practices of Yin Yoga and Seated Meditation, followed by reflective writing, to shed light on experience, to learn from that experience, and to promote an onward cultivation of wisdom.

All thinkers are encouraged to join. 

Cost: $45 before March 1st, $50 after

Join Roberto Lim, Prana Vinyasa yoga teacher from Boston, for an arm balancing workshop on bakasana (crow) and its related poses. You will learn about arm balancing by connecting to the element of fire, and by developing an understanding of the vayus of prana especially samana vayu which is important to arm balancing. All levels are welcome to this practice.  

About Roberto:

Roberto is a Prana Vinyasa yoga teacher and trainer who lives in the Boston area, and is an apprentice to Shiva Rea assisting her trainings and retreats since 2006. He has led teacher trainings in the US and Europe, and retreats in Mexico and Costa Rica. He is also a healer in the Modern Mystery School practicing Life Activation and aural healing. Roberto is a devoted student of living in the flow and believes that practice in all its forms is a way to embody the sacredness of life. // www.vitallivingarts.co

Cost: $35 before Feb. 15, $40 after

Connection. Support. Safety. Presence. Growth. A skilled and mindful hands-on assist can provide all of this and more within the yoga practice. Caroline and Checka are excited to share their experience in offering anatomically and energetically sound assists - an integral part of teaching for both of them! They will draw from their combined 16 years of teaching experience to offer practical guidance to help you enrich and deepen your teaching through simple but potent assisting techniques. The training will also address assisting in both Vinyasa or Hatha-style classes as well as slower-paced settings such as Yin and Restorative. This four-hour session will include:

-a brief practice to prepare you to give and receive assists
-demonstrations of a carefully curated selection of effective and accessible yoga assists
-partner practice and feedback ~ this is one of the very best and quickest ways to get comfortable with assisting! 

Teachers and aspiring teachers of all levels of experience are welcome (including those currently in training or accepted into an upcoming 200-hour teacher training). For those new to teaching and/or assisting, this is a great opportunity to increase your comfort level in a warm and welcoming environment. Experienced teachers, please join in to absorb some new ideas, grow your skill set, and connect with your teaching community. 

Hope to see you there!

Ring in the new year yogi style! Through asana, meditation, rest, and some writing, we will embrace the collective fresh energy that abounds at this time of year. Bring an intention for the upcoming year if that resonates with you, or simply show up and see what flows. A holiday practice always serves up something special; let's get the feel-good going for 2017! All levels warmly welcomed. 

*Please bring something to write with and a journal if you have one; we will provide paper as well.*

Cost: $30 before December 28th, $35 after
 

You’re reading these words because you’re curious about yoga. Perhaps, you’re a teacher who’s interested in an academic and educational approach to deeper learning; perhaps, the yoga profession intrigues you and you’re considering stepping on the path towards becoming a yoga teacher; perhaps, you’ve been an avid practitioner for years and you’ve decided that it’s time to take your practice to the next level and learn about the logic behind the poses you’ve fallen in love with. Whichever species of curiosity has led you to this moment in time, this monthly Yoga Study Group will provide you a chance to dive deep into a concentrated study of yoga’s vast background.

There’s a well-known saying: “Every journey begins with a single step,” which is an adaption of a Lao-tzu quote: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” This 2-Part Study Group for intrigued students + teachers represents a unique opportunity to take a step forward on your yogic path and explore the hidden realms of yoga practice. In this 6-month course of study, we’ll take a close look at the “behind the scenes” matrix that represents the backdrop of the physical practice that you already know and adore.

Each portion of this program is designed to challenge you and to expand your understanding of yoga’s bigger picture. Part 1 and 2 can be taken independently or sequentially. Here’s what you can expect:

Part Two: “Yoga’s Deeper Dimensions”

• Sat., December 10th, 12:30-5:30PM
• Sat., January 14th, 12:30-5:30PM
• Sat., February 18th, 12:30-5:30PM

The second portion of the Study Group will offer an introduction to yoga’s complex history and philosophy as we consider the big picture context of how the practice has evolved and developed over the millennia.

This Study Group is intended for sincere students and yoga professionals with a minimum of 1 year of regular yoga practice. It promises to be both Scholastic AND Fantastic!

Cost: $375 by November 15th, $400 after

Give your asana an upgrade! This monthly class will take a unique approach to advancing your asana practice. Each class will focus on detailing a single pose, and the poses we'll be working with tend to get described as "advanced." However: the aim of this class is to make these complex poses accessible - and enjoyable! - and provide you with the necessary tools in your pursuit of mastery. Our progressive approach to these poses will be methodical, integrated and insightful. Step-by-step progressions will (1) intelligently demystify these poses for you; (2) guide you towards a deeper understanding of accurate alignment; and (3) give you maximal access to these wondrous shapes.

Our time together will be both educational and highly experiential. Advanced asanas require much more than physical aptitude alone. In addition to exploring poses that require cultivated flexibility, increased strength, steady balance, and sincere stamina - we'll also practice the mental attributes of deep internal awareness, structural precision, and the potency of patience. Classes will cover a wide range of asanas, including: standing poses, balances, inversions, core work, arm balances, and backbends.

This class is intended for established, uninjured yogis with a sense of adventure and an eagerness to work hard. The content will be strong and is not appropriate for beginners.

Preregistration recommended!