6-Week Specials (formerly known as Short Courses)

Join Rebecca for a lighthearted, rejuvenating class for adults plus not-quite-crawling babies: in addition to yoga posture, breathwork, and meditation for parents, we'll also integrate poses to do with your baby in class and at home. Students also have the opportunity to connect with other parents, building community while doing yoga with the babies. Open to moms, dads, and caregivers with all levels of yoga experience and their pre-crawling babies. Parents are invited to meet baby's needs first, then to participate in class - breastfeeding is welcome! 6 Mondays, 4/16-5/21.

Rebecca Gitter, RYT, is delighted to share the wonders of yoga with the littlest yogis and their caregivers. After training with Itsy Bitsy Yoga founder Helen Garabedian, Rebecca became a certified instructor for Babies, Tots and Tykes. She completed her 200 hour teacher training in 2006, and recently received additional certifications in pre- and post natal yoga. She continues her study of yoga with many teachers in the area. Her classes create an environment where kids can safely discover yoga through age appropriate poses, songs and play. As the mother of 2 school aged children, her first yoga students, Rebecca understands the challenges of parenting and knows yoga can bring balance and support in raising healthy and joyful kids.

Discover how to develop your core strength and find length and tone in your body through a low impact exercise sequence intended to use your own resistance and power to build strength. In this 6-week introductory class we will progressively learn the basic Pilates sequence using breath, rhythm, flow and the power of the core to prepare the student to move seamlessly into our Pilates I class. Offered twice this Spring: 6 Mondays, 4/16-5/21 and again 5/28-7/2.

After over 20 years of dance training and performing, Pilates seemed a natural progression for Laura Grace to dive deeper into her awareness of the body and its strength. Laura Grace believes that Pilates can build core strength, create length and tone all while enhancing confidence in the ability of the body. A 2nd Generation Romana trained teacher, Laura Grace is dedicated to teaching authentic Pilates and is grateful for the training of her primary teacher Roberta Stiehm Allen. Also a dedicated Children's Yoga teacher, Laura Grace believes that yoga can draw in, nurture and deeply impact the energy that children create and offer to their own world; she brings to her kids classes enthusiasm for movement and play and a sense of nurturing for their own creative spirit.

Do you find yourself surfing the internet mindlessly? Sensing a subtle dissatisfaction or restlessness below the surface at times? Feel you are losing touch with what really matters in the multi-tasking of everyday life?

Yoga Nidra (a guided meditation practice based on ancient teachings) is one of the most effortless ways to soothe the chronic anxiety of our nervous system, and connect us more fully with the authenticity and wholeness of our deepest selves. Each session features a 50 minute Yoga Nidra practice, accompanied by complementary journaling meditations designed to help ripen the fruits of this ancient practice. Beginners and experienced practitioners welcome; no movement involved. 6 Tuesdays, 4/17-5/22.

Joy is a Certified iRest Yoga Nidra teacher, and created the popular Yoga Nidra CD, Deep Relaxation and Personal Transformation. www.joykirstin.com

Ever wondered why Shiva Nataraj, the statue you see in most of our studios, has four arms? And why does Ganesha have an elephant head, anyway? In this short course, we'll explore the rich tapestry of Indian mythology, with our on-the-mat practice inspired by a new character each week. Philosophy scholar Douglas Brooks teaches that "you are every character in the story -- all of them are some feature of yourself." Uncover the many facets of yourself and how you navigate the world, as these stories offer insight to inspire and inform your life -- complete with a backdrop of good old intrigue, kingdoms at war, a few well-meaning demons, and enduring love. For students Level I/II and up. 6 Tuesdays, 4/17-5/22.

Katie Myer, RYT-200, is an Anusara-Inspired yoga teacher committed to helping you create the life you love. Katie approaches yoga from both an intellectual and creative perspective, infusing her classes with mindfulness, a playful spirit, and a connection to the heart. Anusara yoga has helped Katie uncover her most joyful, most authentic version of herself; her classes inspire others to consciously reveal their most authentic selves, while having a blast on the mat. Katie's teaching is informed by her recovery from a back injury using the Anusara Universal Principles of Alignment, and she delights in empowering students to free themselves from pain. Katie's thirst for knowledge drives her to advance her understanding of yoga through regular studies with senior Anusara teachers. She is thankful for their unbounded generosity in sharing the gift of yoga. Learn more about Katie at www.yogakatie.com

Intended for mothers from 4 weeks to 2 years post-partum, this course introduces students to yogic practices that restore both strength and serenity to hardworking bodies and spirits. A sustained emphasis on shoulder openers, abdominal and pelvic floor work, and restorative yoga practices is complemented with special attention to finding balance in breastfeeding bodies, making time for yoga at home, and even a session on integrating your baby into your yoga practice. All levels welcome. 6 Saturdays, 4/21-5/26.

A graduate of Willow Street Yoga's teacher training program, Mary Barnes' Yoga for Two Pre and Postnatal teacher training, and Kripalu Yoga teacher training, Marianna has taught prenatal, postnatal, yoga for labor and delivery, and regular yoga since 2000 (E-RYT 200, RPNYT). She has studied with many senior Anusara teachers, including John Friend, Moses Brown, Betsey Downing, Suzie Hurley, and Maria Hamburger. Her classes invite students to playfully connect to their innate strength and goodness. For expectant mothers, she focuses on harnessing that strength to sweetly guide the mother along the journey to childbirth. Marianna is the mother of two daughters and, during their infancy, was a La Leche League leader, counseling mothers in the art of breastfeeding. She has two granddaughters and, in 2007, had the honor of being present for the birth of her first granddaughter.

Discover how yoga helps you to build strength and flexibility in your mind, body and spirit in this six-week introductory course. Intended for beginners, this course introduces students to alignments principles, key yoga postures, and fundamentals of yogic breathing. Offered twice this Spring: 6 Sundays 4/22-5/27 and again 6/3-7/8.

Katie Myer, RYT-200, is an Anusara-Inspired yoga teacher committed to helping you create the life you love. Katie approaches yoga from both an intellectual and creative perspective, infusing her classes with mindfulness, a playful spirit, and a connection to the heart. Anusara yoga has helped Katie uncover her most joyful, most authentic version of herself; her classes inspire others to consciously reveal their most authentic selves, while having a blast on the mat. Katie's teaching is informed by her recovery from a back injury using the Anusara Universal Principles of Alignment, and she delights in empowering students to free themselves from pain. Katie's thirst for knowledge drives her to advance her understanding of yoga through regular studies with senior Anusara teachers. She is thankful for their unbounded generosity in sharing the gift of yoga. Learn more about Katie at www.yogakatie.com

Discover how to develop your core strength and find length and tone in your body through a low impact exercise sequence intended to use your own resistance and power to build strength. In this 6-week introductory class we will progressively learn the basic Pilates sequence using breath, rhythm, flow and the power of the core to prepare the student to move seamlessly into our Pilates I class. Offered twice this Spring: 6 Mondays, 4/16-5/21 and again 5/28-7/2.

After over 20 years of dance training and performing, Pilates seemed a natural progression for Laura Grace to dive deeper into her awareness of the body and its strength. Laura Grace believes that Pilates can build core strength, create length and tone all while enhancing confidence in the ability of the body. A 2nd Generation Romana trained teacher, Laura Grace is dedicated to teaching authentic Pilates and is grateful for the training of her primary teacher Roberta Stiehm Allen. Also a dedicated Children's Yoga teacher, Laura Grace believes that yoga can draw in, nurture and deeply impact the energy that children create and offer to their own world; she brings to her kids classes enthusiasm for movement and play and a sense of nurturing for their own creative spirit.

The body-mind holds innate wisdom that many of us have barely begun to discover. There is a universe inside us just waiting to be explored. In this short course, we will practice some basic meditation techniques to relax and release tension and stress and uncover hidden secrets of your soul. Each class will begin with some light asana and pranayama, then proceed to guided and silent meditation. Bring a journal or something to write down your experiences. Suitable for all levels. 6 Tuesdays, 5/29-7/3.

Kelly Fisher, E-RYT 500, teaches a grounded style of yoga that is both challenging and calming at the same time. Her instruction is rooted in her many years of meditation practice and her study of Anusara Yoga, tantric philosophy, and ayurveda. She emphasizes proper alignment so that her students can efficiently release tension while also building energy and strength. The human body contains an innate wisdom that we each have an ability to access if only we have the right tools to unlock it. Through practice of yoga asana and breath work, her students are gently guided to deeper and deeper places within their own hearts, bodies, and minds so that underlying knowledge can manifest in their daily lives. The subtlety of creative power is enchanting, and in Kelly's classes, thoughtful sequencing enables students to open to new poses as well as new levels of awareness within themselves. It is at once empowering and fun. This embodiment is a gift of the universe and in Kelly's classes, students have a safe space to celebrate that gift.

Students a bit reluctant to move beyond the comfort of Yoga I/II will build all the knowledge and confidence they need in this preparation for the leap to Yoga II! You'll spend each week progressively building into and through key intermediate yoga poses, including handstand, crow, wheel, and revolved standing poses (among others), giving you both an idea of what to expect in Yoga II as well as a refined understanding of how the principles will support you in your brave new world. 6 Tuesdays, 5/29-7/3.

Naomi Gottlieb-Miller is a Certified Anusara Yoga teacher. She began her practice of yoga to take the edge off of living in New York City, upon moving there in 1999. It was yoga that chose her path, taking her from NYC back to Washington, D.C., her hometown, to study how to teach yoga to others. She continues her yoga study with John Friend, the founder of Anusara Yoga, Amy Ippoliti and Ross Rayburn, focusing specifically on the Therapeutic benefits of yoga, as well using yoga to help an already healthy body become even more fit. Naomi infuses her classes with lightness, spirit and a great sense of play, encouraging her students to invite a healthy dose of laughter into their practice. Every class invites her students to play their personal edge and empower themselves to do things they never thought possible. She is inspired by the courage and humor her students bring to their mats and considers teaching yoga the best gig ever.

Discover how yoga helps you to build strength and flexibility in your mind, body and spirit in this six-week introductory course. Intended for beginners, this course introduces students to alignments principles, key yoga postures, and fundamentals of yogic breathing. Offered twice this Spring: 6 Sundays 4/22-5/27 and again 6/3-7/8.

Katie Myer, RYT-200, is an Anusara-Inspired yoga teacher committed to helping you create the life you love. Katie approaches yoga from both an intellectual and creative perspective, infusing her classes with mindfulness, a playful spirit, and a connection to the heart. Anusara yoga has helped Katie uncover her most joyful, most authentic version of herself; her classes inspire others to consciously reveal their most authentic selves, while having a blast on the mat. Katie's teaching is informed by her recovery from a back injury using the Anusara Universal Principles of Alignment, and she delights in empowering students to free themselves from pain. Katie's thirst for knowledge drives her to advance her understanding of yoga through regular studies with senior Anusara teachers. She is thankful for their unbounded generosity in sharing the gift of yoga. Learn more about Katie at www.yogakatie.com