Title: Kriya Yoga Workshop
Description: This workshop will teach the science of yoga to build self awareness, self responsibility, and self correction skills to help us embrace life fully. Based on an ancient method of Hatha Yoga.

Babaji Kriya Yoga Ashram
Contact: Sheree Johnson: gctiaa@aol.com
Start Time: 19:00
Date: 2012-02-10
End Time: 21:00

Title: Drop-In Transformational Breathwork Session
Description: Instructor: Frank Levey

$25 (sliding scale available)

This powerful healing tool opens and corrects restricted breathing patterns, allowing for the experience of physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Start Time: 09:30
Date: 2012-01-03
End Time: 11:00

Title: Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
Description: Mindfulness meditation has been practiced for thousands of years as a way of connecting more deeply with the present moment and oneself. A significant amount of research indicates that cultivating mindfulness is beneficial in coping with pain, anxiety, depression, and stress, and enhances immune responses and healing.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a secular 9-week course, which teaches how to practice mindfulness in a variety of ways, including in everyday life. Through a weekly two-hour class with mindfulness exercises and discussion, and daily meditation practice, participants will learn and practice a number of methods for fostering mindfulness. The course fee is $350 (negotiable with multiple registrations or low income) which includes CDs with guided meditation, handouts and a day-long retreat.

Libby Robinson has been practicing mindfulness meditation since 1979, was trained in MBSR by Jon Kabat-Zinn and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts, and has been teaching MBSR since 2003.

9-week course begins with a free introduction and orientation on January 16, 7-9 pm, at the Lotus Center, 2711 Carpenter Road, Ann Arbor. Registration for this talk is requested.

For full details and registration, contact Libby Robinson, Ph.D., MSW
Phone: 734.476.3070 • email: libbyrobinson7@gmail.com

Start Time: 19:00
Date: 2012-01-16
End Time: 21:00

Beginning Yoga for Women
A Six-Part Hatha Yoga Series
Wednesdays: October 12 – November 16
12:30-1:45pm at the Lotus Center of Ann Arbor

Register for this six-part series of yoga classes designed to comfortably, casually, compassionately, and informatively cover fundamental principles and poses (asanas) of the hatha yoga tradition.

Mats, blankets, and props are provided. Please dress comfortably, bring a water bottle, and refrain from eating an hour before class.

This class will be slow-flow and gentle in its pace, although beginners and intermediate students alike will find it soothing, educational, flexibility- and strength-building.

Recommended Reading: The Secret Power of Yoga by Nischala Joy Devi

Register by 10/10 for the six classes at a discounted rate of $60. $70 thereafter. Drop-ins welcome ($12/class). To register, or for more information, contact Heather at heatherhigdon@tlcaa.com.

Maximum: 8 students

Instructor: Heather Higdon, Certified Massage Therapist, Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher, and Astrologer (www.dharmaworksastrology.com)

The Lotus Center is located at 2711 Carpenter Rd in Ann Arbor, MI. Read more about TLC at www.tlcaa.com.

6-week course starts October 25th, 7:30PM-8:30PM

“What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
- Mary Oliver

“Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment.”
- Tao Tzu

This meditation course reveals an ancient pathway to knowing your authentic self and being at peace with what you find. To this end, we will use the vehicle of meditation in the following ways:
cultivating deep inner connection and meaning
increasing access to our intuitive nature
reflecting upon our personal values and priorities

Much of this course involves discovery, but more profoundly, it’s about consciously creating an extraordinary life.

Schedule of Topics Covered

Week 1: Meditation Fundamentals and Explore Intuition
Week 2: Why am I here? (purpose & meaning)
Week 3: What are my interests and passions? Where do they come from?
Week 4: How do I plan to live? (system of living, code of conduct)
Week 5: What legacy do I want to leave behind? (ultimate vision)
Week 6: Collective Share and Moving Into Action
*There will be daily journaling, a short assigned reading, and 5-page reflection paper.

Cost
Adults: $150
Students: $90
*Scholarships available to those in need!

Registration
Register by October 15th and receive a $20 discount!
Please email chris@mindfulmuscle.com or call 734.389.5011

Title: 6-Week Fiction Writing Workshop with Alexander Weinstein
Description: Every writer has a meaningful story to tell. The art is to let the stories speak through one’s writing. This 6-Week Fiction Workshop will help writers of all genres strengthen their prose and produce powerful work.

The 6-week Fiction Writing Workshop will run from from May 1- June 12th (no class June 5th). The workshop will be held on Sundays from 6 pm-8 pm at The Lotus Center (2711 Carpenter Road) in Ann Arbor, MI. The cost for the series is $150 and due to necessity, the class size will be limited. All Lotus Center clients receive a 20% discount.

This will be a workshop based course, its main focus will be on producing and editing your short stories and novel chapters. The first class will cover fiction writing techniques including narrative voice and tone. The subsequent classes will be devoted to workshopping your short stories and novel chapters. If class time allows I will cover other craft-based topics that arise in our discussions.
In order to register for the course, please email Alexander Weinstein at mvicwdirector@gmail.com so I may confirm that there are still space available in the course. I hope you’ll be able to join us, and I look very much forward to working together!

Alexander Weinstein is the Director of The Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing. He has been working as a Creative Writing teacher and freelance editor for the past ten years and holds a MFA in Creative Writing from Indiana University and a BA in Fiction from Naropa University’s Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics. He leads fiction workshops in the United States and Europe and teaches Creative Writing at Siena Heights University. His short stories have appeared or are forthcoming in Pleiades, Notre Dame Review, Rio Grande Review, Hawai’i-Pacific Review, Sou’Wester, Zahir, and other publications.
Start Time: 18:00
Date: 2011-05-01
End Time: 20:00

with Janine Polley RN, RYT

GENTLE YOGA CLASS
Tapping into the body’s natural healing  responses, this  gentle  and  basic hatha yoga  class blends focused breathing with movement to  promote  muscle  relaxation, stress reduction, flexibility,  strength and  mobility. participants  will learn specific techniques designed to help relieve chronic pain.

This class is beneficial for those  with  fibromyalgia, arthritis, headaches, back pain and generalized stiffness as well as anyone searching for a  soft and balanced hatha yoga class.

Thursdays  1:00-2:30 p.m

Sept. 8th – Oct.27th (8 weeks)
Nov.3rd – Dec.15th (6 weeks)

Fee: 10:00 per class or 70.00 / 8 week session – 50.00 / 6 week session
Class size is limited, pre-registration preferred.
To register or for more information, contact Janine at jdpolley@comcast.net.
Please wear loose fitting, comfortable  clothing. All yoga equipment is provided.

Janine Polley is a Registered Nurse and Registered Yoga Instructor. She is a skilled teacher, combining over 20 years of nursing experience with her Hatha Yoga expertise to facilitate healing for a wide variety of health related challenges. Janine softly integrates her extensive background as a healer into her classes, emphasizing the many health benefits of Yoga. She individualizes her Yoga instruction using innovative modifications, gently and safely guiding her students towards pain relief and increased mobility.

Janine teaches workshops and classes including Yoga for Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Osteoporosis and Better Backs as well as Integral Yoga, Vinyasa Flow and Yoga Nidra.

Title: Integrating Acupuncture with Manual Medicine
Link out: Click here
Description: Dr. Jay Sandweiss will present several approaches for treating acupuncture points and their associated channels before and/or after the insertion of acupuncture needles. Attendees will learn through lecture, demonstration, and practice how to release tissue restrictions at key areas of the body that initiate and perpetuate Qi flow disturbances.

5 NCCAOM PDAS (pending)
cost: $155.00 (course materials included)
Register now class size is limited 734.975.2745
Start Time: 12:00
Date: 2011-02-05
End Time: 17:00

Mindfulness meditation has been practiced for thousands of years as a way of connecting more deeply with oneself. A significant amount of research indicates that cultivating mindfulness is beneficial in coping with pain, anxiety, depression, and stress. It also enhances immune responses and healing. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a secular 8-week course, which teaches how to practice mindfulness meditation in a variety of ways including in our everyday lives. Daily practice and a weekly two-hour class with experiential exercises discussion make this a potentially beneficial experience for health and well being. The class includes CDs with guided meditation, handouts and a day-long retreat. Libby Robinson has been practicing mindfulness meditation since 1979, was trained in MBSR by Jon Kabat-Zinn and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts, and has been teaching MBSR since 2003.

For full details and cost, contact Libby Robinson, Ph.D., MSW

Phone: 734.476.3070 • email: libbyrobinson7@gmail.com

Monday evenings, late September through mid-November, 2010, at The Lotus Center, 2711 Carpenter Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48108

MIND-BODY HEALING FOR CHRONIC PAIN
a holistic approach to pain & stress management

This new weekly gathering offers participants a dual objective:

- An opportunity for people living with chronic pain and other ongoing illnesses to share struggles, successes and concerns in a confidential, compassionate setting.

- Individualized, gentle yoga instruction and therapeutic breathwork for pain and stress relief.

Each meeting is divided into two segments. The evening begins with a support group where members openly discuss an assortment of issues. After a short break, the group transitions into personalized, relaxing yoga instruction providing a healing mind-body experience for all.

When:

Wednesday evenings 6 – 8 PM

This group meets weekly

Where:

The Lotus Center of Ann Arbor

Cost:

$15 per session*

*A 10 fee for those who choose to attend ONLY one hour of the group (either the support group OR the gentle yoga instruction).

Please wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing that will allow you to move without restriction

Facilitated by:

Jody Kohn, M.S.W., M.A. (Support Group)

Janine Polley, R.N., R.Y.T. (Yoga Instruction)

Information and Registration:

Jody – seekinghealth@comcast.net or (734) 646-9690

Janine – jdpolley@comcast.net or (734) 747-9635

About the group’s facilitators:

Jody Kohn holds two Masters Degrees – Social Work (M.S.W.) and Guidance and Counseling (M.A.). She is a local psychotherapist, in private practice, and has many years experience working with chronic pain and chronic illness-related physical and mental health issues. Additionally, Jody has been living with chronic pain, after severe injury, for more than 25 years. Her experience as patient and healer uniquely qualify her to facilitate this holistically-oriented support group.

Jody is a Michigan State Leader for The American Pain Foundation Action Network – http://www.painfoundation.org/

Janine Polley is a Registered Nurse (R.N.) and Registered Yoga Instructor (R.Y.T.). Janine has needed to re-align her work and life activities to accommodate ongoing challenges after being diagnosed with a debilitating chronic illness. While searching for pain relief she began to integrate Yoga into her daily routine. Having found respite from her pain, along with countless other benefits in her own Yoga practice, Janine ventured on a new path and trained to become a Yoga instructor. As a Yoga teacher she adds her many years of experience as an R.N. to bring the benefits of Yoga to others with chronic pain and illness.

Testimonial:

I find that Jody’s Chronic Pain Support Group is a safe, caring place to share challenges and triumphs while giving and receiving information and support. Jody is a compassionate and skilled facilitator who keeps the discussion lively and pertinent. Best of all, I feel understood and accepted, which is helping me understand and accept myself. I love this group! — Lori

Initially, I was very resistant to yoga, due to years of chronic pain. The first time I tried it, Yoga for Chronic Pain was a confidence-boosting revelation, mainly because of Janine’s gentle, individualized approach. I am able to do much more than I ever realized. Each week, I see progress, which is something I never thought would happen. After class, my spirit is uplifted, and my body actually feels good! — Lori