Join us for our 4th Eating Healthy seminar led by Bethanne & Kenny Kashkett. This great-tasting, foodie event focuses on the natural healing power of foods.
Hippocrates (460 – 370 B.C.), the great physician of ancient Greece often referred to as the ‘father of modern medicine’, once declared, “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.” Nearly 2500 years later, there is a growing movement rallying around this battle-cry.
Using whole foods, raw & cooked recipes, and heart-felt goodness, this all-vegetarian affair demonstrates the power of a healthy diet. Learn (and taste) which foods reverse heart-disease, diabetes, obesity, and more. And discover dietary habits that will keep you fit for life.
Try wonderful breakfast selections, soups, salads, entrees & of course desserts. The focus will be simplicity (easy-to-make), joy (tasty recipes), and community building (sharing with others). Discover practical ways to transform your kitchen and dining table into a dynamic force for keeping you healthy, day-in & day-out, for years and years to come. Many of the ideas and techniques shared echo the message of the film, Forks Over Knives.
This really is a great opportunity to re-create yourself and your loved ones from the inside out.
Note: (a) Do bring empty food containers; (b) do inform us of any special dietary needs; (c) sorry, no refunds 72hrs before this seminar.
Bethanne Kashkett is a vegetarian / vegan cook who specializes in creating simple, healthy dishes and raw foods. She does culinary demonstrations at MOM’s Organic Market (Jessup) and works part-time as a personal chef, teaches culinary courses, and caters small retreats and gatherings. She is also the founder of the Quaker project: “Cooking for Peace”, which raises money and awareness for social causes through cooking classes. Her husband Kenny too is an excellent vegetarian cook. Along his many great-tasting recipes, he is famous for his kindness and easy-going manner. Together they form a terrific team and lead fabulous seminars.
On this brilliant afternoon, we held our first-ever Herbal Remedies & Healing workshop, presented by Sharon Brewer.
And what a turnout we had – 28 total, not including Sharon & myself.
Sharon runs her own herb farm – Green Violet Herbs – out of her home in Fairhaven and truly speaking natural living and herbs are a big part of her life. So she really had a lot to share: Both in terms of knowledge and samples. The above photo, which shows herbs as well as a solid mass of bees wax to the right which we used to make a salve, represent just a few of the many samples Sharon shared with us.
After beginning with a few minutes of contemplation and gentle asanas we segued into our main herbal program. With Sharon’s breadth and depth of knowledge and her easy-going manner, the entire afternoon flowed very nicely. It was really more of an open discussion forum than a lecture per se. One Q & A led into the next as everyone who came had great interest and so many queries. Of note I might recognize Tina’s effusive, yet need-to-know, manner of rifling off queries to Sharon as well as Ms Ellie’s earnest interest in enhancing her current home gardening program. Ellie is just a few days into 6th grade.
Here is a sky-view of but some of the many herbs, oils and tinctures that Sharon had on display. She reviewed a wide array of herbs like calendula, nettle, sage, lavender, chamomile, and many others and then discussed their healing and energetic properties, uses, growing patterns and more. The information shared was extremely practical as Sharon would link each topic with daily living; Teas to calm the body and mind and reduce stress, herbs and creams for relieving insect bites and stings, herbs and spices used in cooking for both taste and health, and so much more.
After a very productive open dialog Sharon graciously invited us all up to make our own tea mixes. She had bags and a plethora of herbs and aromatic essences to share. Everyone quickly got up from their mats and crowded around the front tables. Here is a look at that scene! Plus check out the youtube clip below.
All in all it was a very productive afternoon. If you could not be there, we do have extra handouts available for $3, plus you can always find Sharon in one of our yoga classes during the week!
Here is what participants had to say in response to the query, “The best part of the seminar was…”:
- learning the benefits of each herb in a very friendly open manner.
- getting to make your own blends.
- interactive, I liked that she answered everyone’s questions – from the basic to the more advanced.
- seeing & touching.
- learning how to prepare, store, and use herbs and the ratio of ingredients.
Thanks Sharon for a great, great seminar!!
Here below is a very short 14 second action scene from the end of the seminar wherein all were making their own teas and herbal mixes…
Come discover the teachings of some of the great sages who helped shape the philosophy of yoga. Starting as far back as the time of Sadashiva and continuing forward to the present day, we will examine the major philosophical tenets and treatises including the works of Sri Krishna, Buddha, Mahaviira Jain, Maharishi Patanjali, Shankaracarya and Sri Ramakrishna.
This philosophical cum historical survey will review aspects of the Bhagavad Giita, the vedas, yogic sutras (aphorisms) and shlokas (verses), and other foundational teachings and stories. The aim will be to create a gateway into the vast arena of yogic thought and apply those principles to everyday life.
This will be a unique opportunity for dialog, questions, and the sharing of personal experiences and practices.
Herbs nurture the body’s innate healing capacity; they gently allow your body to heal itself and regain strength and vitality. Herbal medicine is the art and science of skillfully collecting, preparing and using herbs.
In this seminar you will learn about a variety of common, easy to grow herbs and their medicinal value, as well as the basics for growing, harvesting and drying your own herbs. Return home with calendula salve made in class and an herbal tea blend you put together yourself.
The yogis have long depended upon herbal treatments – along with asanas (postures), diet, and other natural remedies – to heal the body & mind of common maladies. In that spirit, this seminar will also feature a short gentle yoga and meditation session.
Sharon Brewer is a clinical herbalist with a masters degree in herbal medicine from the Tai Sophia Institute (Laurel). Sharon also runs a small business, Green Violet Herbs, in Fairhaven, and is a regular attendee of our yoga classes.
Today we held our first ever “Food, Fasting & Health” seminar. What could have been a weekend, we did in 2hrs! It was a big topic wherein we looked at our eating habits in broad, sweeping brush strokes – food timing, digestion, attachments, choices, & more – and then transitioned into fasting.
While there are many different types of fasts, we mostly looked at the strategy and benefits of managing a one day (24hr – 30hr) fast. And then we focused on a very unique and special way for how to break our fast.
The plan is to follow-up with an email forum for those who attended so we have a support group / community for those who wish to share their experiences, trials, struggles, and successes.
Here is what some had to say in answer the to question, “The best part of the seminar was…”
- The breaking fast information – this is key information that I have been missing – no wonder why I never fully cleansed!
- The introduction hearing other people share their personal experiences that are similar to my own.
- The stress you put on listening to your body and that what you eat or don’t eat is not a matter of [one's] personae being good or bad.
- I am very encouraged by the idea that fasting doesn’t have to be done too many days to be effective – very excited to try it.
- Feeling reinspired.
- This seminar came at the perfect time for me! Was hoping to gain knowledge on this subject and this seminar definitely helped. Now I feel more confident about incorporating fasting into my yoga practice!
- So easy to ask questions and getting everyone involved in the discussion.
Eating is a big part of human life. Proper food gives us sustenance. At the same time, the body greatly benefits from periods of fasting. It gives our organs that much needed rest, and also prevents and cures common ailments and diseases. Plus fasting helps calm the mind.
This is an open forum where we collectively investigate our personal food choices as well as why we eat. To what degree is our eating based on emotional desire rather than physical need. And how can we transition towards eating patterns and habits that better serve us, both physically and psychically.
Fasting has a long tradition in our human culture and indeed there are many types of fasts. We shall discuss this history – primarily from the yogic perspective – and apply it to our modern world referencing today’s medical literature. How do our food choices and fasting programs cleanse and detox our system. What are the mental benefits of fasting. And that all important question: How does one break a fast.
Maybe you have fasted many times, or maybe never before. This is a conversation along with practical guidelines for how you can safely transition into healthier eating patterns as well as periods of fasting.
Below is a short video from today’s live sitar and yoga seminar. Together we ventured deep into a meditative flow and engaged in basic movements as well. We had a solid turnout – and more than that – those who came fully invested themselves in the program. That made it an extra special afternoon. And indeed thanks so much to Anthony for his absolutely wonderful playing. More about the program is noted below.
The above scene is from the opening segment of the program wherein we were all attuning our minds to a more subtle and tranquil flow. It was a time of transition: A time to leave behind the rigors of worldly life, relax the body, soak up the sweet sounds, and introvert the mind.
(As the “videographer” was also the lead instructor, it was only really possible to film a scene with no movement and no speech – though there was plenty of both during the program.)
Thereafter we gently came to a seated position where did gentle neck stretches and explored aspects of the yogic breath. A few gentle seated poses got us loosened up and then again we returned to a seated meditative stance where we took our samkalpa (firm determination) embarked on our ideative journey using mantra.
With everyone’s deep involvement & Anthony’s seamless playing, the program only soared upwards from there. We went through some standing sequences accompanied by a narrative to keep us focused on the meditative journey. And indeed time and again we returned to that point of stillness within – in various ways and forms.
There is much more to tell – balance poses, relaxation, pranayama, guided meditation, reflection, story and more.
I certainly hope those who participated will share their tales and experiences.That will certainly help fill in the gaps.
As a co-presenter, all I can say is that I did not even look at Anthony once the entire afternoon. There was no need for even the slightest of gestures. The whole program flowed from an inner feeling and understanding the entire way through.
Thanks everyone for coming out and creating such a sentient atmosphere where the mind was easily able to slip into that peaceful, meditative state.
Yesterday we had a full house for our restorative yoga workshop – a way to go into deep relaxation and experience release. It is the type of program where everyone is asked to bring a modest, if not dramatic, laundry list of personal items (blankets, towels, pillows etc) and where we provide literally a car-full (& then some!) of yoga props.
Fittingly one person arrived literally with a laundry basket filled with her neatly folded towels and blankets for the program. Restorative Yoga is not the place where I generally take pictures – I feel people should be granted the personal privacy to bask within, unencumbered by the digital world. However seeing one of our participants arrive with “laundry-basket-in hand”, full of personal items, I was sort of wishing I had brought my camera. That picture I would have taken!
Great to have everyone out for the program. With your endeavor the hall transformed into an abode of peace and sanctity.
Here are but a few of the many things participants had to say about the restorative yoga workshop.
In response to the query, the best part of the seminar was…
- How I felt at the end – excellent workshop.
- The second strap pose I went into a trance, both body and mind. Not sleep but something like a conscious relaxation.
- The sandbags helps stretch out the spine.
- Being at peace.
- The support and getting lost in the moment.
- The teacher’s kindness, clear instructions and comments; the helpers’ assistance; and just resting and clearing a stressful thing that was bothering me.
- Wonderful, relaxing, nurturing – thank you!
Finally, a big part of the success of the restorative yoga workshop lies with our facilitators: Annie & Sharon. With their refined sense and gentle touch, they help many go deeper into the experience.
We look forward to offering this program again in the near future!!
Live Sitar & Yoga:
A Journey into India’s Mystical Tradition
Sunday, June 26, 2p – 4p
Galesville Memorial Hall
$20 by June 22 ~ $25 after June 22 Register Now
Journey into the mystical and the melodious world of India as you move through a multi-dimensional yoga practice with the awe-inspiring sounds of a live sitar to guide you along. Calm the mind with age-old meditative techniques, nurture the body with gentle yoga, lunge into a few challenging poses, and, above all, soothe your soul in this dynamic program. The sitar and yoga are natural complements, both stemming from the roots of Indian mysticism. And your hosts– Satyam & Anthony– have done extensive training at ashrams in India. This authentic and unique program is for anyone and everyone: Yoga enthusiasts and music lovers alike. Register early. Bring your yoga mat & eye pillow (if you have one).
Ease into life with a calm – come discover the wonder of restorative yoga. In this gentle and serene session we will use a variety of props to bask in supportive, relaxing poses which enable our bodies and minds to heal, restore and find balance. This a great way to center oneself: physically, emotionally, and mentally. Along the way we will also explore breathing & relaxation techniques, moments of silence, and so much more. This workshop is for everyone; no prior yoga experience is needed. Trained facilitators will be present to ensure personal attention, care and ease during the program.
Note: All participants will be requested to bring a pillow and a blanket. If you have an eye pillow then bring that as well, otherwise we will have one for you. All other props will be supplied.
As you all know, this year’s Eco Yoga Day program explores the field of biomimicry. But what exactly is bio-mimicry?
Well here in the below podcast, our eco presenter Karen McDonald tells us about biomimicry and its many benefits. She also reveals projects we will be doing on Eco Yoga Day. Please do listen to the below podcast to learn more about this fascinating field and great event.
All proceeds – every penny – from Eco Yoga Day go towards local green projects.
Come celebrate the Earth Day season with our 3rd annual Eco Yoga Day. This is a time to engage in plantings, participate in a community, and recognize our inherent connection to the earth. Along the way we will do yoga and meditation to attune our bodies and minds to nature’s calling.
This year our theme will be: Biomimicry. This is a pioneering field wherein nature serves as the inspiration for all kinds of human activity including building construction, technology and so much more. After discussion this emerging arena with Karen McDonald (Environmental Educator), we will plant some heirloom seeds in newspaper pots that we make. This would be mimicking nature’s process by using seeds that can be harvested again and again (not just store bought seeds). We may also plant flower seeds that could be germinated and then planted around Galesville Hall later.
We will begin the afternoon with a short yoga session. In past years, we have always done tree plantings as well. Our gratitude to both Exterior Image (Lothian) and Greenstreet Gardens (Lothian) for donating trees in years past.
So come on out for this great, local, community gathering.
We had a great turnout for today’s Yoga Anatomy: Neck & Shoulders workshop – 32 participants in all!
In a workshop like this one, so much of the success hinges on the participants. And really we had a very engaging team today. That made everything go well.
Basically the aim today was to present a comprehensive view of the shoulder & neck by employing the alignment principles of classical yoga and the anatomical precision of physical therapy. Shawn (Dr. Shawn O’Neill) did an excellent job of giving us insight into our poses as well as offering strength and conditioning exercises to prepare us for our practice and managing life.
Along the way we covered a number of topics including seated posture, alignment of the cervical spine, neck exercises, thoracic extension, the ins and outs of the rotator cuff, compression and impingement, range of motion, how to maximize shoulder strength and much, much more.
Plus it was all filmed – now the trick is to figure out how to best present this workshop in a video format. That is the next step as we now have two filmed Yoga Anatomy seminars.
Really – thanks so much to all for coming out and thanks so much to Shawn for his wealth of information and practical knowledge. And yes, the videography team did an A+ job as usual.
Here are some of the comments we received from the attendees in reply to the query, “The best part of the seminar was…”:
- “learning how I can combine this information about yoga anatomy with my yoga poses, so I can keep my shoulders strong and healthy.”
- “the professional knowledge and making it easy to apply to your own situation.”
- “explanations of problem/issue with suggestions for resolving, i.e. “this is why it hurts, this exercise will help that”.”
- “the neck demo and why the neck hurts due to poor posture.”
- “relating therapy to yoga positions.”
- “having both presenters speak to the same pose.”
- “learning to feel the strength center at the base of the shoulder blades.”
Here are further comments we received:
- “I tend to think of my ’shoulder’ as just the actual joint where the arm meets the collarbone, and it was very helpful today to be reminded of focusing on the muscles near the shoulder blade instead…also to be told that the shoulder is an unstable joint, and to be very aware of setting those shoulder blades before doing any weight bearing actions. I hope I can remember to apply this to plank type poses.”
- “Thank you so much, I would love for you to do another one on other parts of the body [such as] the knees, and the back and hip again.”
Once again, thanks so much to everyone for coming out and making this a dynamic afternoon.
Great having everyone out for the workshop this afternoon – what a great dynamic you all created! The cooperation and sharing was wonderful. And for those who did not get the chance to be there here’s some of the things we covered.
We started with a short overview and I told the story of this below player – doing it all on one leg. That is not to say we should do all our yoga on one leg – even though sometimes it feels like that is going on. The spirit is that we should not let our perceived shortcomings stop us from doing something that we can do. Here is that player:
Then we began our practice: A short meditation to focus and center and then a 20 minute moderate flow sequence to get warmed up.
Then we went into poses for detailed review, practice, and corrections:
Triangle & variations including revolved triangle; Warrior 2 refresher and reversal; Half Moon and revolved half moon. And then back to standard half-moon for the all-important “foot grab” variation. Everyone did extremely well in this series – the hips and shoulders did exactly what they were supposed to do.
Then we shifted to Warrior I -> Warrior III and thoroughly reviewed balancing and lengthening the body in Warrior III, including squaring the hips, and concluded with a quick turn into half-moon from Warrior III.
From there it was side-plank in all shapes and sizes – lots and lots to go around, followed by a critical look at chaturaunga dandasana. Then came everyone’s all-time favorite: crow and friends. Many made great progress in advancing their crow.
Next up: Pincha Mayurasana or forearm balance. Here again, many were able to kick up nicely into the pose. Then it was down onto to the back for shoulderstand, plow, fish & more.
Finally – ahhh – shavasana.
Of course what made the program was not the poses per se, but the interactive sharing and caring throughout the session. Lots of questions were raised, all took time to watch & support one another to learn and grow; it was a very open afternoon. In the end we all noted how the time literally flew by. I truly felt that we could have gone on for another 2 hours or more!!
Thanks to all for coming out and look forward to seeing you at the next one!!
Explore your anatomy – theoretically & practically – in this highly interactive workshop. Co-presented by Shawn C. O’Neill, D.P.T. (Bayside Physical Therapy and Sports Rehabilitation) & Satyam, this session will focus on developing a greater understanding of how our yoga postures (asanas) and related movements affect the health of our neck and shoulders. Particular attention will be given to the rotator cuff, thoracic extension, common shoulder injuries, as well as basic do’s and dont’s for keeping your shoulders mobile and strong. There will be maximum opportunity for dialog, inquiry, and modifications. While the class will address the “big anatomical picture” of the neck and shoulders, there will certainly be time to address personal health issues & concerns related with these areas. This is a unique opportunity to gain an expanded perspective of your yoga practice and enhance your ability to maintain proper care of your neck and shoulders. All are welcome – register early as we expect this to fill quickly.
Handouts given; please bring a pen; notebook, i-Pad or journal (optional).
Dr. O’Neill holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from University of Maryland – College Park, and a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from University of Maryland – Eastern Shore.
The Yoga Anatomy Back & Hips seminar in September filled quickly and we had to turn people away. Please do not wait till the last minute if you wish to attend.
Thanks to all who came out for Yoga Day this morning. What a spirited community turnout it was. After all, the temperature was hovering in the teens but that did not stop our yoga team from coming out in full-force.
We began the day at 8am with gentle yoga and a meditation – and the hall was full. 40+ people participated in that session. It was a mix of young and old, regulars and first-timers, the old faithful and new guard. We stretched and formed our bodies – leaving behind any and all stiffness. At the end we sat for a 10 minute meditation – expanding the mind, connecting within.
We concluded with a tale about a keen young man who overcomes the odds & escapes execution even when the king himself was the one who framed him. He thought (and ate) his way to innocence.
After class many stayed for tea and talk, seeing old friends and speaking with neighbors, and perhaps doing a bit of window shopping. And what about Kate’s homemade bread with blackberry jam – totally wonderful!
Soon it was time…
Fair warning was given accordingly but many brave souls attended Absolutely Abs, around 20 or so. And in a flash there we were working the abs in all kinds of ways. Everyone held steady in this fast-paced, core-kicker – save for a few moans and groans. And just as quickly as it started, we came to a peaceful halt, massaged the core and called it a session. Everyone promised to come back next week for more torture, I mean practice.
Shortly after 10am, Strength & Fitness was underway, with around 20 in the hall for this vinyasa experience. A gentle start and then we rallied our way through strength sequences, lunges, arm balances and so much more. Everyone had an energetic practice and a courageous outlook.
After S & F, people were kind enough stick around and chat about the comings and goings of life. All in all it was a wonderful yoga day – thanks to all of you for coming out!!
Eating for Healing & Health
On this brilliant afternoon, we held our first-ever Herbal Remedies & Healing workshop, presented by Sharon Brewer.
After beginning with a few minutes of contemplation and gentle asanas we segued into our main herbal program. With Sharon’s breadth and depth of knowledge and her easy-going manner, the entire afternoon flowed very nicely. It was really more of an open discussion forum than a lecture per se. One Q & A led into the next as everyone who came had great interest and so many queries. Of note I might recognize Tina’s effusive, yet need-to-know, manner of rifling off queries to Sharon as well as Ms Ellie’s earnest interest in enhancing her current home gardening program. Ellie is just a few days into 6th grade.
Here is a sky-view of but some of the many herbs, oils and tinctures that Sharon had on display. She reviewed a wide array of herbs like calendula, nettle, sage, lavender, chamomile, and many others and then discussed their healing and energetic properties, uses, growing patterns and more. The information shared was extremely practical as Sharon would link each topic with daily living; Teas to calm the body and mind and reduce stress, herbs and creams for relieving insect bites and stings, herbs and spices used in cooking for both taste and health, and so much more.
After a very productive open dialog Sharon graciously invited us all up to make our own tea mixes. She had bags and a plethora of herbs and aromatic essences to share. Everyone quickly got up from their mats and crowded around the front tables. Here is a look at that scene! Plus check out the youtube clip below.
Herbal Remedies & Healing
Today we held our first ever “Food, Fasting & Health” seminar. What could have been a weekend, we did in 2hrs! It was a big topic wherein we looked at our eating habits in broad, sweeping brush strokes – food timing, digestion, attachments, choices, & more – and then transitioned into fasting.
Food Fasting and Health
Yesterday we had a full house for our restorative yoga workshop – a way to go into deep relaxation and experience release. It is the type of program where everyone is asked to bring a modest, if not dramatic, laundry list of personal items (blankets, towels, pillows etc) and where we provide literally a car-full (& then some!) of yoga props.
Great to have everyone out for the program. With your endeavor the hall transformed into an abode of peace and sanctity.
Restorative Yoga Workshop – 
We had a great turnout for today’s Yoga Anatomy: Neck & Shoulders workshop – 32 participants in all!
