Yin Yoga, Breathwork & Meditation – exploring the wisdom of the Meridian system or finding balance through the Meridian system
The meridian energetic system is a map of awareness. Each meridian correlates to a season, physical balance & imbalance, organ, mental, emotional, spiritual qualities and more. Through the practices of Yin Yoga, Meditation, Breathwork we will dive into, explore and nourish each of these sets of meridians, energetic channels. Yin Yoga is a balancing practice for our active yoga and life. The longer relaxed holds in Yin Yoga allow for sitting more comfortably for extended periods of time in meditation. It also stimulates prana, energy, chi through the meridians or channels of the body. This influx of energy affects the nervous system as well and the practitioner becomes calmer and more focused. Attention is drawn inward, inviting a quieting of the mind and the entire mind/body, energetic system. In so doing, this practice becomes a marriage between meditation and asana. By turning attention inward the practitioner is invited to become intimately mindful of the moment to moment experience of the impermanent conditions of body, mind and emotions.
This inward turning and mindful attention to the changing conditions invites the direct realization of the universal law of impermanence. The universal law states simply that all conditions of body, mind, emotions and environment are changing. While in the Yin poses the whole being is open to listen and receive dharmic teachings as well as to have direct experiences that lead to deep recognitions of truth. As in all yoga practices listen to your body and allow its wisdom to guide your movement.
Each session will focus on a particular set of meridians with corresponding Yin poses, breath work, meditation & teachings. All levels are welcome. Each session can stand alone, however you are encouraged and welcome to join all of them.
Sunday
Liver / Gall Bladder – Spring, element of wood
“The liver is ruler over the spring. It is the root of life’s ultimate action…” Chinese Folk Medicine
Monday
Heart / Small Intestine – Summer, element of fire
“The Heart is the root of life. It is the seat of the spirit.” The Chinese classics
Tuesday
Spleen / Stomach – Late Summer, element of earth
“The spleen and stomach are sentries guarding the governmental storage rooms.” Chinese Folk Medicine
Wednesday
Lungs / Large Intestine – Autumn, element of metal
“The lungs are the rulers over autumn. The lungs are the stronghold and the root of the breath. Their condition manifests itself in the skin and body hair.” Chinese Folk Medicine
Thursday
Kidney/ Bladder – Winter, element of water
“(In winter) people should retire early at night and rise late in the morning and they should wait for the rising of the sun.” Nei Ching
Friday
Integration & bringing it home
Brahmani Liebman MSEd ERYT is co- creator of Journey Into Yoga Teacher Training RYS and retreats as well as the CD Journey Into Yoga: Awakening the Spirit. On faculty of the Kripalu Yoga School of Yoga, she brings over 40 years of studies and experience teaching classes, training teachers, and leading worldwide teacher trainings and retreats. Strongly influenced by her studies in Yoga, meditation, Buddhism, the integrative healing arts and where they intersect informs her life & teaching as she invites her students to use these wisdom traditions to live their true, authentic life. Believing in people’s ability to access healing and inner knowing, Brahmani offers tangible and sustainable ways to live a spiritual life.
YouTube: Brahmani Liebman @The BrahmYoga
Michelle Dozois, a certified fitness, nutrition and life coach, believes in the transformative power of living life fit. Her DVDs have sold over 4 million copies and she has trained instructors in more than 14 countries. She has been a trusted voice for major health brands like Nautilus, Prevention, Shape, Jenny Craig & Weight Watchers.In 2010, Michelle co-founded the groundbreaking Break thru Fitness, a haven for fitness and innovative programming. Transitioning her magic online, Michelle’s BeFIT Studio and The Peak Fit Challenge make fitness globally accessible.With a range of certifications from numerous organizations such as ACE, NASM, Stott Pilates and more, Michelle infuses her coaching with boundless energy, fun and passion. Her decades of experience in health and fitness have transformed millions of lives, empowering each individual to live a fit, healthy and happy life.
Sandy Kessler is an experienced Feldenkrais practitioner and a therapeutic riding instructor. She has developed a unique method called BUZZ, based entirely on Feldenkrais with the addition of rhythm, energy and vibrations to improve bone density and enable each participant to work at their own pace and be creative with their movement. She has worked with riding instructors, teaching them to move more easily with their mounts. She lectures on ergonomics, including a dynamic BUZZ lesson sitting on chairs. She works with school children, as well as senior citizens and office workers, teaching them to become “vibrant” even while sitting in one place.
Lindsey Hethcote, originally from St. Louis, Missouri, currently works as the Regenerative Agriculture Conservation Planning and Education Program Manager at The Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems (CRARS) at California State University, Chico. After graduating from the University of Denver with a B.A. in Environmental Science, Lindsey spent time in the States and in Peru working in environmental education and protection, and community development. Her year in Peru reignited the passion for ecological agriculture that she originally discovered while in Nicaragua, taking a short course on agricultural production in Latin America. On a scholarship from the Organization of American States, she moved to Turrialba, Costa Rica to earn her M.S. in in Agroforestry and Sustainable Agriculture from Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE). During her two years at CATIE, Lindsey worked with various farmers of different types of production systems to integrate agrobiodiversity into their systems and measure the social, ecological and economic results. After leaving Costa Rica, Lindsey returned to Missouri where she worked managing an organic elderberry farm and later as an Agronomy and Horticulture Specialist for the University of Missouri Extension. Before moving to Chico, CA, Lindsey spent 4 years as the Education Director of Tres Estrellas Organic Farm and Garden at Rancho La Puerta where she helped develop and manage an educational program in ecological agriculture and environmental conservation.
Krista Tippett is a Peabody Award-winning broadcaster, National Humanities Medalist, and New York Times bestselling author. She created and hosts the public radio show and podcast “On Being” and curates the Civil Conversations Project, an emergent approach to the differences of our age. In 2013, Krista spun her project off from American Public Media and became CEO of the new, non-profit production enterprise, Krista Tippett Public Productions (KTPP). She grew up in a small town in Oklahoma, attended Brown University, became a journalist and diplomat in Cold War Berlin, and later received a Masters of Divinity from Yale University. Her books are Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living; Einstein’s God: Conversations about Science and the Human Spirit; and Speaking of Faith: Why Religion Matters and How to Talk about it.
Barry Shingle is the Director of Guest Experiences at Rancho La Puerta and greatly enjoys his interactions with the guests and staff. Barry has taught fitness classes for over 20 years and has been at the Ranch since 1999. He enjoys being a father to his daughter, staying fit, music, and spending time with people. Listen wherever you get your podcasts:
Nancy Cetel, MD, is an engaging and passionate physician, author and professional speaker. Following her graduation from the New York University School of Medicine, she obtained her postgraduate training in Reproductive Endocrinology at the University of California, San Diego, and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Southern California. Her pioneering research in hormonal issues led to numerous publications and awards. Dr. Cetel is often referenced in books and journals, and is a frequently invited lecturer nationally and internationally. Live appearances and interviews have brought her acclaim as an accomplished communicator and advocate for an informed public. She is the author of Double Menopause: What to Do When Both You and Your Mate Go through Hormonal Changes Together. Her passions include her family, vegetarian cooking, dancing, and the joys of being a grandparent.
Jennifer Berezan is a unique blend of singer/songwriter, producer, and activist. Over the course of ten albums, her music has been shaped by her lifelong involvement in environmental, women’s, and justice movements as well as Buddhist practice.
Dr. Randy Kamen is a psychologist, life coach, educator and author of her bestselling books, Behind the Therapy Door: Simple Strategies to Transform Your Life and The Gratitude Effect Positivity Journal: 90 Days to Rewire Your Brain. She pioneered new territory in mind-body medicine at Boston University’s School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Kamen leads global online programs, workshops and retreats for families, corporations, hospitals and academic institutions. She weaves together researched based skills and strategies for mind management, self-regulation, healthy relationships, personal leadership, and living your vision in her unique systematic and transformational approach.
Samara Bay is the author of 
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After spending a couple of decades doing biological research at Harvard (studying silkworms), Grace Dane Mazur became a novelist, essayist, and short story writer. She has been on the fiction faculty of the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College and has also taught the Masters Degree Fiction Workshop at Harvard Extension School. Her published books include the novels, The Garden Party and Trespass; the story collection, Silk; and a book of essays, Hinges: Meditations on the Portals of the Imagination. For more information, please see