First Class Free

NOVEMBER 19, 2010.  Dreams do come true!!  Kathy Harold just told me on TBY facebook that TBY was featured (briefly) on Oprah's Favorite Things show today. When she showed the Groupon site TBY coupon was on it! I am just stunned and amazed! I always wanted to be on Oprah. I love her and of all the things we've done this made it! Yup only 1,040 TBY Groupons SOLD, and sold out!

Why did we do it? Well, really after giving away $141,000 of free classes in 8 years we thought what else can we do?  All of us at TBY want everyone to practice yoga. No kidding. Everyone.  And this was our contribution to helping make the yoga more accessible for every "body"  And once you start changing someone's life with yoga it never stops.  

Thank you all for your love and energy!  Stay stoked! Love yourself, love your day, love your life! Silvia

SEPTEMBER 27, 2010  Yoga is one of my most important Rituals.  Actually the first time I understood what the word "practice" really meant the lightbulb went off and I realized oh yeah, "something I practice repeatedly over a long period of time".  Well that is a ritual too.

Within my yoga life the ritual I have especially on Monday's is to do a balancing of my energies related to the elements.  Before I believed in Chakras, I did believe in Earth, Water, Air, Fire.  Then eventually I started to understand that all of the elements are within and outside us. And even beyond that the concept of Doshas and Chakras. And all of it got less intimidating. Two easy ways for me to stay connected to the elements and through that discover where I am excessive or deficient and do something about it are:

1.  Each finger represents an element so I pray, meditate, focus on bringing my thumb to each finger.

2.  I sing a song to the elements (I know lots of them but this one was the focus tonight).  And in Spanish to my Latin roots (my Mom's side as my Dad's side is the Italian part)

Tierra mi Cuerpo
Agua mi Sangre
Aire mi Viento
Y Fuego mi Espiritu.

Hey even if you don't understand Spanish you might pick up a word here or there.  So this is translated as: Earth my Body, Water my Blood, Air my Breath, and Fire my Spirit.

What does this have to do with Rituals?  Well when we disconnect from our rituals we lose touch with what Louise Hay calls our "inner ding" or intuition or good old fashion gut feel.  So this practice was meant to bring our awareness to the four elements and feel that connection of each to ourselves, the micro experience, and to the world at large, our macro experience.  All of this reminds us that we are in Yoga at every moment of our lives. There is this primordial power or universal intelligence that draws us together in balance, in union.  And this goes beyond us to our ancestors and to the legacy we leave beyond this earthly body.  Perhaps this inspires you to create your own Ritual around the elements, or even a single element, and I hope so.  Love yourself, love your day, love your life! Silvia

PS For the full blog, part of which I shared in class, of Dr. Enrique Saguil, TBY Teacher Trainee, click here: http://herbal411.blogspot.com/2010/09/lack-of-disease-doesnt-equal-good.html

Super Duper Namaste! I hope you can join me October 2 and 3 for some wonderful inspiration from my friend David Romanelli, author, yogi, all around good guy.  He brings new topics and chocolate.  What's not to like. Can't wait to see you next to me in class.  Peace! Silvia

Yoga for Overcoming Fear (with special guests: chocolate by Vosges, and tunes by Sinatra) 

"Think of life as a terminal illness, because, if you do, you will live it with joy and passion, as it ought to be lived." -- Anna Quindlen 

Would you rather 100 bland bites of mediocre chocolate or 1 deliciously amazing bite of an exotic truffle? Would you rather live for 80 years of so-so happiness or 57 years of ecstatic joy? Would you rather 10 so-so Savasanas or 1 deep, yummy, soul-scintillating Savasana that stays with you for weeks to come? This workshop will encourage you to stop stroking yourself with promises about what may or may not happen tomorrow. Pack all of your flavor and all of your love into one tiny little moment. This one. As goes the Chinese proverb, "Enjoy yourself. It's later than you think." David's vinyasa flow yoga class set to great music (from Sinatra to Sublime) will be followed by a tasting of exotic Vosges Haut-Chocolat truffles. You will finish meditating on the gentle reminder: life is short...we best slow down and savor it. 

Pre-registration is required by email help@totalbodyyoga.com or call 847-266-9642 (YOGA) 

TIME: 4:30 - 6:30pm

COST: $40 

In this workshop you and your partner will support each through a simple sequence of postures focused on breathing and gentle stretching while cultivating a deeper connection with your loved one through the give and take of partner yoga. We will also spend time learning some basic techniques from the Ancient Art of Traditional Thai Massage, including palm pressure, rhythmic rocking, and passive stretching, to relax and restore balance to the body. 

This light-hearted practice will help us to be present and focus on each other. We will listen quietly, tuning into our partner as we give the compassion and healing energy that we ourselves would like to receive.

Help to strengthen your connection while having fun together at the same time. There is absolutely no experience necessary. 

ABOUT LIZ: 
Liz Leffert has been an avid student of yoga since 2003. Her interest in natural therapies led her to a career as Registered Yoga Instructor and Massage therapist. She has studied various western massage modalities and has in addition, over 220 hours of study at the Thai Bodywork School in Evanston with Chuck Duff. Liz recently realized a longtime dream of going to Thailand, where she spent two months, including one month of study with various Thai Massage teachers in the Northern Province of Chiang Mai. 

TIME: 2:00-4:00pm 
COST: $25/person 

Pre-registration is required by email help@totalbodyyoga.com or call 847-266-9642 

EAT PRAY LOVE at Total Body Yoga!
Embark on a 2 1/2 hour "Restorative Reading" Yoga Workshop based on the best seller Eat, Pray, Love! 

EAT! Discussion of the 1st portion of the book and the savoring of organic chocolates with vinyasa mixed in! 

PRAY! Discussing the "Pray" section, we will learn mantras and chants using our new mala beads. 

LOVE! We will exemplify "Love" as we practice restorative yoga during book discussion and finish with a special svasana. 

About Sandra Coyner: 
I received my 200 hr teacher certification through Silvia Mordini at TBY and am Yoga Alliance certified. I currently teach at three locations but teach the majority of my classes at Living Yoga in Aurora. I teach theme-oriented Vinyasa, Gentle, Restorative and Kid's Yoga classes. I am a Level 2 Reiki Practitioner and enjoy incorporating essential oils into my yoga classes. For more information, please visit my website at www.inspiredbyearth.com. 

TIME: 6:30-9pm 

COST $45/person

Pre-registration is required by email help@totalbodyyoga.com or call 847-266-9642 (YOGA) Price includes workshop, mala beads and organic chocolates!

‘In the ancient lands of Atlantis and Egypt the healers believed that the way to facilitate healing is by opening the ‘high heart’ that connects all things together. This is represented by the musical note F# or commonly referred to as the Thymus Gland or the center for the immunity system.’ 

I incorporate sound, vibration, sound-infused aromatherapy mists, and healing color light therapy to bring this healing/meditation experience to a deeper and more profound level. Experience the Song of The Angels and learn the 3 Sacred tonal keys created in the Temples of King Solomon. Dolphin Spirit also brings forth a rebirthing of the magic. 

ABOUT JAY SCHWERD: Jay Schwed, MsT, CHT, was born in Chicago, IL and was raised in Los Angeles, CA. In 1979 he got his degree in Agriculture and followed with a career with the USDA as an inspector, followed by years of work as a plant breeder’s assistant. In 1983 he took his first workshop in massage therapy at Esalen Institute. Immediately after the workshop he enrolled in a massage school in Carmel, CA. Jay has been a pioneer in this field and has worked in a variety of settings. In 1994, inspired by another Esalen workshop, he bought his first set of 'singing' Crystal Bowls. In the following years he has taught himself how to play. In 1995 Jay was trained as a Reiki Master and has been training many in this technique. In 1997 Jay added to his skills by attending a 750- hour training program in hypnotherapy. During the last 5 years Jay has been travelling throughout the United States giving performances, leading workshops and giving private sessions at nursing homes, healing centers, New Thought churches, yoga studios, recovery centers and a variety of other locations as he assists in raising the planets vibrational frequencies. He has performed at such notable places as The Deepok Chopra Center, The Edgar Cayce Center, A.R.E. , The Agape Cultural Center, and The Believe Center. 

Pre-registration is required by email at help@totalbodyyoga.com or call 847-266-9642 (YOGA) 

TIME: 2:00pm-4:00pm 

COST: $20.00

Super Namaste and Happy 8 Year Birthday to TBY Today!

8 is my lucky number! I am delighted to be celebrating this milestone birthday together and am so grateful to see so many of your smiling faces in class this week!  What an amazing month: to receive your visible support by way of choosing TBY Best Yoga Studio and now our birthday. WOW, WOW! Blessings are dropping like blossoms everywhere (to paraphrase Rumi).

And the greatest blessing is you!  We needed every single student to ignite the flame, to stoke the fire and to sustain the amazing energy at TBY all this time.  We've grown up together, we've seen many of you make some tremendous life changes and how great to know the best is yet to come!  To make it 8 years is a visible demonstration that YOGA WORKS! Yoga is love, love is always the answer, love unites, love inspires, love is fierce, love is real, love is the way.  

So dear students, thank you for bringing your best selves and creating such a loving environment for us to teach in.  On behalf of all the teachers and supervisors and team at TBY.  Gosh, we are deeply grateful and can't wait to begin another awesome year starting tomorrow!
Love yourself, love your day, love your life! Silvia

www.totalbodyyoga.com www.silviamordini.com

PS: I'll be guiding the Tuscany Yoga Retreat June 16th-July 1st with alchemytours.com, teaching pretty much until the moment I get on a plane.  :-)