Classes/Workshops © Maha Yoga Center, Bridgewater, MA 2011 Classes Classes Classes!!! Yoga Introduction to Yoga Series   $40/4 classes  A gentle introduction to the stretching, strengthening, breathing and relaxation exercises of Yoga. This class will give you the basic building blocks of a yoga practice. Tuesdays, Jan 10-31 (Sylvia)    6pm Saturdays, Feb 25-Mar 17 (Steve) 11am The Asana (MYTT)   $25   A workshop for only those in the Maha Yoga Teacher Training. Diane Lagadec Part 1 Sunday, Jan 29  9-12 am Part 4 Sunday, Feb 5   9-12 am Part 2  Sunday, Mar 4  9-12 am Part 5 Sunday, Apr 15 9-12 am       Kundalini Kundalini with Guruatma Singh Khalsa Meditation and Mantra $25/class Meditation may be considered to connect one to the spiritual essence that exists within us all. The spiritual essence is already there, behind all the barriers, without acceptance of religious principals. Mantra, a word or vibration when repeated produces a quieting of the mind, and can combine with meditation to produce wonderful states of peace, deep reflection and creative process. Come learn and practice mantra and meditation in a relaxed atmoshpere. Friday, Feb 24 7:30-9pm Apr 13 7:30-9pm       Native American Flute Seminar $140 In all schools and paths of wisdom, one truth is a staple: “Everything flows from the breath”. Experience this for yourself on one of Odell Borg’s amazing cedar flutes. No heavy, complex theory or intimidation; you’ll leave playing and enriched. (Price includes the flute, an instructional tape, and a booklet on additional flute techniques). Note: You must pay for this seminar by Jan 15th. Sunday Feb 5 1:00 pm Jerry Lagadec                  Meditation (Please note: If you are considering bringing a child to meditation, please contact The Center before you come. Thank You.) Meditation Classes $40/4 week This class is designed for those who wish to begin a meditation practice. It will consist of instruction, practice, and discussion. Diane Lagadec   Sundays  Jan 8 - 29 6pm Open Meditation Donation Practice meditation with the aid of group energy! All are welcome, and no previous meditation experience required! Diane Lagadec 1st Friday of each month 7:30 pm Steve Coburn 3rd Friday of each month 7:30 pm   Change Your Relationship to Food $60/series Are you ready to make lasting changes in your life in regard to food and lifestyle choices? If so, join with a community of women who have a similar vision in order to explore, discuss, and create your personal vision of health and well being. During our time together we will identify what supports and undermines our health and well-being, and discover ways in which we can make positive changes in all areas of our life. This group will be facilitated by Joanna Silverman, and educator and Certified Health Counselor. The group will meet for a total of four one hour sessions. Thursdays, Feb 16, Mar 1, Mar 15, Mar 29 7:30 pm Joanna Silverman     Nutrition and The Brain: Where did I put my keys? $20 Eating well means thinking well. Nutrition and some foods have been shown to improve general brain health and others can help prevent or at least slow down the effects of certain brain deseases. In this workshop Bob Burton, Ph.D. in Nutrition, from the Bright Morning Star Center for Healing will share what he has learned from years of study in the area of nutrition for maintaining optimum brain function. Saturday April 8 2 pm     The Barefoot Concert Series presents - Aoife Clancy Aoife Clancy returns to The Barefoot Concert Series! Aoife’s songbook ranges from traditional Ireish songs to ballads and contemporary folk. She comes from the small town of Carrick-on-Sur, in Co Tipperary, Ireland, where her musical career began at an early age. Her father Bobby Clancy of the legendary Clancy Brothers, placed a guitar in her hands at age ten, and by age fourteen she was playing with her father in nearby pubs. If you were lucky enough to hear her last year at her sold out performance at The Center, you know that you don’t want to miss this concert! Saturday Jan 28 730pm   Book Discussion In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto by Michael Pollan $10 Michael Pollans’s last book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, launched a national conversation about the American way of eating; now In Defense of Food shows us how to change it, one meal at a time. Pollan proposes a new anser to the question of what we should eat that comes down to seven simple but liberating words: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Pollan’s bracing and eloquent manifesto shows us how we can start making thoughtful food choices that will enrich our lives, enlarge our sense of what it means to be healthy, and bring pleasure back to eating. Joanna Silverman Saturday Feb 4 2 pm An Afternoon of Restorative Yoga $25/class Restorative yoga has been called “the antidote to stress.” This form of yoga consists of supported poses that lead to deep relaxation and profound openings. By relaxing deeply into each of the poses physiological changes occur that are beneficial to health and that can reduce the effects of stress related diseases. No yoga experience is necessary.     Reiki 1 $150 ($25 deposit) Learn the history of Reiki and how to complete a healing for yourself and others. Please bring water and a snack! Dress comfortably. Saturday Feb 11 11am - 4pm Saturday Apr 14 11am - 4pm Olga Garriga     Reiki 2 $200 ($25 deposit) Learn and practice 3 Reiki symbols; powerul tools that will enhance you healing abilities and allow you to send distance healing. Pre-requisite is Reiki 1. Saturday Feb 4 11:00 am - 4:00 pm Olga Garriga Reiki Share Donation Reiki is a gentle, non-invasive energy based healing tradition that is thousands of years old. Reiki Share is exactly what is sounds like. Whether you are a Reiki Practitioner, or would just like to receive a treatment to see what this healing practice is about, this is a chance to come together in a warm, peaceful environment to experience the healing energies of Rei(spirit) and Ki(life force). All are welcome! Friday Mar 9 7pm       Reiki: is an energy based healing tradition that is thousands of years old. Rei (spirit) and Ki (life force) is a laying-on-of-hands method where the practitiner seves as a conduit to channel universal energy to heal and restore balance. It is a holistic practice that balances all levels - physical, emotional, mental and spiritual - to promote healing. Sunday, Jan 1-3 pm Sunday, Mar 18  1-3 pm Sunday, Apr  15 1-3 pm Diane Lagadec and Pam McGoodwin Diane Lagadec An Afternoon of Yoga for Kids $10/class Sundays, Jan 22, Feb 12, Mar 18, Apr  15 1-3pm   Melissa Oddi-Morrisn Introduction to Vinyasa Yoga $25 The focus of Vinyasa yoga is on the sequencing of postures with the breath. Each posture is linked to specific breath and counterbalancing movement. If you’ve ever been curious about our Vinyasa class, this is the perfect opportunity to see what it is all about! This workshop is open to beginning students as well as students wishing to re-energize their existing practice. Cindi Assad Saturday, Jan 21 1pm Restorative Yoga and Singing Crystal Bowls $30 Join us to unwind, relax and restore, with the support of yoga props and the lovely sounds of the crystal bowls. Enjoy a powerful, transformative experience in sound healing and meditation. No yoga experience is necessary. Saturday Feb 18 3pm Diane Lagadec, Pam McGoodwin and Steve Coburn  Introduction to Ashtanga Yoga Workshop $25 In Ashtanga Yoga all asanas are synchronized with the breath, giving the practice a very powerful organic effect. In this introductory workshop you will learn the Standing Sequence of Asanas which includes Sun Salutations and standing postures. It will also give you the background that you would need to take the Ashtanga Yoga classes. All levels are welcome. Wednesday Jan 25 6-8pm Saturday Mar 24 1pm Diane Lagadec and Steve Coburn Tight Shoulders? $20 Inactivity, over activity, computer work- these can all lead to shoulder and upper back stiffness and pain. This class will address ways to alleviate these problems. Sunday Feb 12 1pm Nancy Brady Cunningham Sunday,  Chair Yoga $20                                                                        Stretch, breath and relax with the aid of a chair! Learn how to adapt classic yoga poses for those who aren’t comfortable standing for long periods or for those who are limited to sitting.                  Saturday Jan 28 1pm                                                                                                  Nancy Brady Cunningham   Hip Openers $20 It is common to have stiffness in the hips because we sit so much! Tight hips can lead to such problems as lower back pain and problems in the knees, ankles and feet. This class will address ways to stretch that will free and open the hips. Saturday Feb 11 1 pm Nancy Brady Cunningham  The Yoga Sutras   $10 The Yoga Sutras form the basis of classical yoga; they provide the philosophy behind the practice and are a necessity for any  serious student of yoga. Study of the sutras will help deepen your personal practice and make you teaching more informed. To prepare for this discussion, please study any Sutra that you would like to discuss in either Book 1or Book 2. Saturday, Feb 25    1pm Introduction to Karma Yoga: Theory and Practice                     $25 This class is an introductory discussion of the Bhagavad Gita's account of mindful action, karma yoga, with relevant commentary from the medieval Vedantin Ramanuja. It emphasizes the importance of re-seeing the world through the categories of yoga philosophy in the process of uniting yoga and action. Taught by Matthew R. Dasti, PhD, assistant professor of Philosophy at Bridgewater State University, in Bridgewater MA. His specialty is classical Indian philosophy, particularly the Hindu tradition including Nyāya, Vedanta, and Yoga. Saturday, March 17 2pm Yoga of Breath $20    Focusing on pranayama, this workshop will cover various yogic breathing exercises and let you experience the relaxing and harmonizing effect that these practice can have on mind and body alike. Explore the relationship between the breath and your body’s energy and nervous system. Please refrain from eating immediately before class. Sunday Apr 22 3pm Change to Diane Lagadec Yoga Nidra Series: The Peaceful Yoga Practice $40/4classes Yoga Nidra translates as “Yoga Sleep” or Wakeful Sleep”. It is a practice that induces physical and mental tranquility thereby ridding the mind of chronic tension and inducing deep relaxation, inner knowledge and meditation. Each class will include a yoga sequence followed by guided Yoga Nidra. Appropriate for all levels. Tuesdays Mar 6 -27 6pm Diane Lagadec,   Finding the Missing Peace: A Yin Yoga Workshop $40 The spiritual journey promises a movement from noise to silence, from agitation to calm, from complexity to simplicity. But, ultimately, it is our inner orientation to that journey, not the practices themselves, that determines whether or not we will reach our destination. Within the contemplative practices of Yin Yoga and Buddhist Insight Meditation, Josh will offer clear guidance for directing one's attention and energy towards serenity and peace in the here and now regardless of the chaos in the world around you. Josh Summers Saturday, April 28  1 - 4 pm Josh Summers* Kundalini Workshops $35 Clearing the Chakras and Finding Deep Peace In order to awaken Kundalini, or consciousness, we must be able to direct prana, or life force, through the charkas, which are the energy centers of the body. In this class we will integrate movement with breathing to clear the charkas and to facilitate a state of deep meditation.  Saturday, Jan 28   2pm Kundalini Yoga and Gong Meditation $35 It has been said that the sound of the gong is the original sound of creation. It has the ability to help those who hear it release deep seated tension and allows a very deep relaxation. This workshop will consist of a yoga set, the Gong and meditation.  Guruatma S. Khalsa, M.Ed., D.Ay. Saturday, Mar 3  2 pm Add Meditation: Deepen Your Practice          4weeks/$40 Revitalize or sharpen your meditation practice with this series of classes. Learn new breathing techniques, strengthen your ability to concentrate, expand your use of mantra and bring the mindfulness and benefits of meditation into your daily life. (Prerequisite: 4-week Meditation Series) Sundays, Mar 4-25 6pm Diane Lagadec Kirtan with Shubalananda Donation The singing of kirtan goes back thousands of years in India. Created by ancient rishis from the seed mantras of the Vedas, the sounds are designed to resonate with the chakras. As powerful as it is, kirtan is effortless and incredibly enjoyable! Come and experience this joyful but deep form of practice.  Saturday, Jan 7 7:30pm Saturday, Feb 4  7:30pm Saturday, Mar 10  7:30pm Saturday,  Apr 14 7:30pm Kirtan   Body Mind Spirit Come to the Quiet $20 In the winter all of nature whispers, “be still…be still…”. Gather with us for an afternoon of meditation, ceremony and sharing of bread (baked by Nancy) - all in silence. After the holiday hubbub, this contemplative experience will allow you to deepen with the season. Sunday Jan 29 2pm Nancy Brady Cunningham.   Introduction to Tai Chi                                                         $40/Series Originating in China, Tai Chi is a graceful form of martial art that today is practiced primarily for its health benefits, which includes relief from stress and anxiety, increased flexibility and coordination. It is often referred to as "Meditation in Motion" as it works toward harmonizing mind, body and spirit. It is based on the concept of "chi"- the life force that flows thru the body that at  times can be blocked. In Chinese Medicine it is believed that illness can arise from such blockages. Tai Chi is recognized as one of the means for releasing the free flow of chi within us. Friday Jan 13 - Feb 3 6pm Edward Roselli, Certified Tai Chi and Kung Fu Teacher   Nutrition Yoga Therapy” A Guide to the Therapeutic Use of Yoga and Ayurveda for Health and Fitness by A.G. Mohan In this book A.G.Mohan explains how to put together appropriate yoga sequences and breathing techniques. Mohan details how to correctly move into, hold, and move out of poses, how to breathe during practice to achieve specific results, and how to customize a yoga practice by creating sequences of yoga poses for a particular person. Richard Ely Friday Mar 30 730 pm   Reiki Barefoot Concert Series Yoga Philosophy   $20 The perennial insights of yoga psychology offer a simple but profound understanding of human nature and the universe in which it  exists. Explore yoga psychology and its parallels to modern psychology in this two-part class.  Part 1 Sunday Jan 15   3pm Part 2 Sunday Mar 25 3pm Susan Nisenbaum-Becker Yoga for Depression   $40 In the wintertime, we often feel depleted of energy. It is also a common time for SAD (seasonal affected disorder), depression and anxiety to set in. This workshop, taught by Robyn Parets, will combine lecture, experiential movement and breath work. The specific pranayama techniques, flow sequences, and posture holds will help show you how to lift your spirits. This workshop is geared to everyone as it offers tools to help both you and/or those you love and care about. Some knowledge of the chakras, basic yoga philosophy and pranayama is helpful but not necessary. We hope you will join us! Sunday Jan 8   1 - 4pm Robyn Parets   Yoga for the Mind                                                        $20/class $35/both classes The benefits of science are undeniable. Scientific objectivity separates fact from unfounded superstition and erroneous assumptions; but it is particularly ironic that the study of particle physics indicates that ultimately, we can not separate ourselves from the very things we are studying. Consciousness colors everything. There is no “perfect objectivity”, try as we might. For centuries it was assumed -erroneously- that conciousness was an evolutionary product of matter; evidence now indicates that it is the other way around. Here spirituality and science meet; we will examine this nexus in two seminars which will consist of short videos, short background lectures and lots of animated discussion. A reading list will be provided for those who wish to pursue this subject in greater depth. This is yoga for the mind! (Suggested reading: Science and the Re-enchantment of the Cosmos by Laszlo) Sundays Mar 4 and Mar 11 3 - 5pm Jerry Lagadec     Journey into Spring                                                        $25 As the chill of Winter begins to lift and the frost recedes from the landscape, we bein to prepare consciously and unconsciously, internally and externally for the coming of Spring. Traditionally a time of procreation and the planting of new crops, it is also a time for us to till our menta soil so that new intentions we create can flourish and grow in anticipation of a bountiful harvest. In this workshop we will use the beautiful sounds of Crystal Healing Bowls and the power of our deepest intentions to assist us in preparing our seeds for a successful planting. We will explore how we can use the compassion in our hearts for ourselves as well as for others. We will also discuss the chakra enrgy system and use the breath and Crystal Healing Bowls to bring about internal balance, mental reaxation, and healing where it may be needed in our lives. Saturday Mar 31 1pm Steve Coburn   Valentine’s Massage for Couples                                                        $60/couple Bring your significant other for a truly unique date that will leave you both relaxed and rejuvenated...and the best part is that you both take home the knowledge to stroke each other into bliss when life does its best to beat you up! Saturday Feb 18 7pm Catherine Balaschi, C.M.T.     The Power of Forgiveness $20 “We are given as many opportunities to reconstruct the nature of our lives as there are moments in a day.” Marianne Williamson This class will use basic yoga postures to open the heart to forgiveness. Forgiveness allows you to move forward and begin a healing process. The ability to forgive releases cycles of negative energy and anger, allowing peace into your life. All are welcome. No yoga experience necessary. Sunday Feb 26 2pm Judy Prisco      back to top) (back to top) * Josh Summers is an Acupucturist and a Yin Yoga and an Insight Meditation Instructor. He holds a Masters in Oriental Medicine  from the New England School of Acupuncture and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University. After college, Josh spent  several years living in India, Taiwan and Burma, where he studied both yoga and meditation. As his interest in Vipassana  developed, so did his interest in contemplative forms of yoga practice. With a professional background in Oriental Medicine and a  personal passion for the dharms, Josh fell in love with Yin Yoga as a beautiful synthesis of these two interestsl His Yoga classes  emphasize safe alignment, the cultivation of moment-to-moment awareness and the potential for freedom in the here and now. Yoga Kundalini Mind/Body/Spirit Meditation Nutrition Book Discussion Kirtan Barefoot Concert Series This afternoon class will offer kids (7 years and older) a chance to stretch out and relax. It is an opportunity for those who studied yoga this past summer to continue. Those new to yoga are also welcomed. Yoga instructor, Melissa Oddi-Morrisn will lead the class through a traditional yoga session and relaxation (back to top) (back to top) (back to top) (back to top) (back to top) (back to top) (back to top)