Vegan Cooking & Yoga Retreat

What a wonderful time we had on retreat at the beautiful Stronghold Retreat Center in Oregon, IL held from Friday May 20 through Sunday May 22, 2011! Despite the prediction of storms, the weather was perfect and our diverse group of both the yoga- and vegan-curious assembled for a weekend of fun, connection, and delicious vegan food! It was a wonderful time with a great balance of free time and activity with lots of opportunities to ask questions about cooking, yoga, and more. Many wonderful connections were made and I hope to see you all again in the future! This retreat could not have been possible without the dedication of my fellow retreat hostess, Chef Kim Gracen, of the world-famous Chicago Diner. I hope that we can do it again sometime! (See more photos on Facebook!)

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your inspiring talk during the retreat.... linking yoga with veganism! You did this in such a sweet, gentle way... I know everyone agreed with your approach and loved it! It was a Treat of a Lifetime to be there!" - Tina C.

Yoga for Students at OPRFHS

One of my regular yoga students, who is a high-school teacher, kindly invited me to give a yoga demonstration and class to the World Cultures class at Oak Park River Forest High School. Having almost no experience with teaching a classroom full of teenage boys (which this class mostly consisted of), I as unsure about how the day would go and was actually pretty nervous. In the end, we all got along great and had a great time, even doing a partner pose together without too much resistance!

Before Savasana (final resting pose), I advised the students that this would be the most difficult pose, as it requires complete surrender of the body and the mind. After a fully silent 5 minutes, we released the pose and the difference in the students (and the surprise of their teachers) was evident! What a fun group! Thanks so much to Marci for giving me the opportunity to come out and share yoga with the students!

Doga at Dog Day on the Green

On Sunday, August 29, 2010, I had the opportunity to share the practice and teachings of yoga with the attendees of Dog Day on the Green, a yearly event sponsored by the Chicago City Clerk's office. The event was a huge success and was a great time for both dogs and their human caregivers alike! The event works well to promote responsible pet-ownership as well as rescue, which is a cause that is close to my heart as my own beloved mix dogs (as well as the resident cats) are all rescued.

Our Doga class was near the beginning of the day and was immediately followed by a great Q&A with members of Safe Humane Chicago as well as John Garcia from Best Friends' Dog Town in Utah (pictured)! It was such a treat to be surrounded by inspiring, dog-friendly folks and hope to seize the opportunity to get involved with even more positive volunteer activities in the future. I also hope to continue to offer regular Doga classes as an opportunity for you to reconnect with your canine companion and to offer you both some coveted one-on-one time!

One-Day Retreat at Wedrose Acres

Despite the rainy forecast, on September 19th, we arrived at Wedrose Acres Animal Sanctuary in Gridley with sunshine in our hearts and were soon joined by nearly 100 others who each contributed their own light. We enjoyed a lovely reception from Tobein, the selfless caregiver at Wedrose Acres, as well as a delicious vegan lunch provided by Upton's Naturals. There was time for a few hours of relaxation and visitation with the animals before a fun-filled asana practice in a pasture full of singing crickets surrounded by the sounds of nature (with the occasional donkey chiming in). From the experienced to the brand new, all of the yogis dedicated their efforts that day to something meaningful to them and in the end, we raised $1000 for the continued care of the animal residents of Wedrose Acres! A great success and we hope to return in the spring (and hope that you will join us)!