where yoga, mindfulness and creativity meet
Our true wealth is our HEALTH - the saying goes. And isn't it true that when we struggle with health problems our quality of life suffers. The best investment one can make is investing in one's health, making SELF CARE a DAILY PRACTICE. Good health and vitality should not be a luxury. There is a lot we can do in every single moment of our life to support our amazing body/mind in its functioning so we live a happier, healthier and more peaceful life. Something magical happens when we begin to pay attention to our experience in a kind, non-judgmental and curious manner. There is nowhere to get to in our yoga practice; the invitation is to stay fully present with each breath and movement and to experience the natural quieting of the mind as it unfolds spontaneously. Join a group of women who practice for the same reason: loving self care and reap the many benefits of a committed practice. Let your yoga mat be your sanctuary as you ease and release pain, stiffness and fatigue from your body/mind and nourish your inherent ground of wellbeing. Classes are held on Zoom on Monday and Wednesday evenings @ 6:45 - 7:45 pm EST and on alternating Friday afternoons @ 4:30-5:30 pm EST and Sunday evenings @ 7:30-8:30 pm EST. Each class is recorded and the recording link is sent out to members for later practice. Investment: $32.00 / month or $10.00 drop-in fee. A monthly iRest Yoga Nidra Meditation is also included in the monthly fee. Contact me through my website for further information. Upcoming workshops in the fall: Our Healing Breath: Breathing to Balance, Breathing to Calm, Breathing to Uplift and Energize; Ayurveda 101: The Science of Life and Longevity - Lifestyle tips for each dosha; Mudras: The Healing Power of the Hands
"Instead of asking. 'Have I worked hard enough to deserve rest?' I have started asking, 'Have I rested enough to do my most loving, meaningful work?'" -Nicola Jane Hobbs Join me in person or on Zoom from the comfort of your home to rest deeply and to restore with this ancient healing practice. In the safe container of the practice, you are provided with tools to help you relax deeply, to release stress and to increase resiliency. Integrative Restoration, or iRest Yoga Nidra Meditation is a modern-day secular adaptation of the ancient healing practice of Yoga Nidra. iRest is a form of meditative self-inquiry that research shows effectively REDUCES PTSD, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, INSOMNIA, CHRONIC PAIN AND CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY while INCREASING HEALTH, RESILIENCY and WELL-BEING and providing one with a GREATER SENSE OF CONTROL and SKILLFULNESS in Life. It is a body centered, guided meditation practice for SELF-REGULATION and SELF-CARE that nourishes qualities such as JOY, PEACEFULNESS and LOVING-KINDNESS toward yourself and others. iRest meditation can be practiced in a group or individual setting and is most often practiced lying down, however, one is always invited to find the most supportive position for the meditation. Contact me for a private or semi-private session.
Did you know that our hands and fingers are full of meaning and potent healing energy waiting to be tapped into? Mudras are ancient healing hand gestures that work on our energy body that underlies our physical body and ensures its health and vitality. As you place your hands and fingers into specific positions you engage and tap into circuits of energy that have a profound effect not only on your experience of the moment but on your overall well-being as well. Mudras help release blocked negative energy that causes imbalance and disease and activate a vibrant, healthy energy flow. They strengthen the immune system, balance emotions and aid in mental focus and clarity. They are simple to do, promote self-empowerment and are always at your fingertips. They can be effortlessly incorporated into your moment to moment day-to-day life and are a beautiful testimony to our inherent wholeness. Contact me about private, semi-private or upcoming group sessions.
Ease and release tension, stiffness, and pain from your body/mind with gentle movement. Learn breathing practices and yoga hand postures to support your sense of vitality and wellbeing. Experience deep rest and relaxation in the nervous system with yoga nidra meditation. Place: the Community Room of the Sydenham Public Library Two 6-week sessions (a morning and an afternoon one): Tuesday mornings 9:30-10:45 (October 10 - November 14/23) Thursday evenings 6:30-7:45 (October 12 - November 16/23) ) Investment: $90/6 classes
“My work is loving the world ... which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished ... which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart and these body-clothes, a mouth with which to give shouts of joy to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam, telling them all, over and over, how it is that we live forever." -Mary Oliver We do not need studies to prove that engaging our hands in a creative activity is deeply healing. Be it preparing delicious meals, digging in the soil in the garden, sewing, knitting or some other creative process - we come away feeling calmer and more grounded. Looking back on my life, I see how I always turned to a hands-on activity whenever there was a transition, a big change in my life. Hand-stitching, embroidering, painting , drawing and now felting have helped me navigate challenging times. To see the result of our work blossom from our hands is beautiful, grounding, balancing and deeply healing. Also, the observation that I felt intuitively drawn to self-expression through a creative process is proof again that something deep down inside of us is whole, complete and perfectly fine. It is our inherent wisdom, the aspect of ourselves that knows the right response to every situation in life and quietly guides us towards it. So I embroider, felt and draw and all the while stay amazed at the source of it all. Please check out, even Like or Follow, my Facebook Page Design by Marika. Why Marika? That is what I am called in my native language of Hungarian, That is what my Mom and friends in Hungary call me. It has all the warmth, familiarity and comfort one's native language naturally offers.
This 6-week session combines the art of hand embroidery with mindfulness exercises. Stitching by hand is calming and meditative in itself. The way the breath flows in and out, so does the needle move through the fabric. And just like attention coupled with a quiet rhythmic breath creates a peaceful inner landscape, so does the patient movement of the needle give birth to something beautiful right under your hands. This session will introduce participants to mindfulness exercises with mudras (hand gestures), poetry and song as well as fun and pretty projects (bracelet, phone case, felt flowers) created with a selection of basic embroidery stitches. All material is included in the registration fee. Where: This class is offered in my cozy home studio/workshop. Maximum number of participants is 4. Investment: $108/ 6-week course. Dates and time TBA.
I also like to draw in my own simple meditative style and I call my drawings meditation in ink - they engage me with a gentle focus and gift me with a sense of calm and contentment. All my drawings are filled with hearts, flowers and creatures from Nature reflecting the inherent simplicity of Life and its abundant offering of simple pleasures, blessings, and joy. Some of my drawings are printed as cards and are available for purchase at my home studio.