December 2010 Workshops


New Years Yoga Retreat at Haramara

December 26, 2010 - January 2, 2011

8 Days, 7 Nights
Sayulita, Mexico

Relax & Renew Your Body, Mind & Spirit

Immerse yourself in a week-long tropical yoga retreat at Haramara Eco- Resort just outside Sayulita, Mexico. With tranquil beaches, energizing surf and magnificent sunsets, Haramara is an ideal setting for renewal and transformation. Surrounded by lush jungle just 30 miles north of Puerto Vallarta on Mexico's Central Pacific Coast, Haramara's sub-tropical climate is perfect for the natural flow of your yoga practice.

The daily schedule offers a wide menu of options, including two yoga classes (Vinyasa Flow & Yin/Restoratives), asana and pranayama workshops, guided intention and meditation practices. All yoga practices take place in an open-air palapa with 360-degree views of ocean and rainforest.

A full service spa, surfing, hiking and off-site excursions augment your stay.

Accommodations include spacious cabanas with private bathrooms, open air showers and awe inspiring panoramic views. Haramara's chef prepares international organic meals made from fresh local produce and seafood.

Yoga retreats are like a vacation except there is a lot a yoga and a fair amount of set structure along with the freedom to do whatever you want.

The typical day starts with sunrise meditation and pranayama followed by a very light breakfast. Around mid-morning there is a two-hour Vinyasa Flow class.

We then break for lunch, which is usually the most substantial meal of the day. Afternoons are filled with options such as yoga clinics (see the side-bar to the right for examples of topics), one-on-one instruction, massage, spas treatments, excursions such as hiking, snorkeling, surfing, horseback riding, tours of local attractions, sailing, napping, reading or just sitting and doing nothing at all.

In the late afternoon we typically gather for a deeply relaxing and restorative yin-style yoga class. After dinner, evenings might offer meditation, kirtan, satsang,
dancing, entertainment, full moon walks along the beach, hiking or just hanging out.

Location, season and theme gives each retreat a unique character that is further defined by who attends. Who attends? Just look around in your classes and you'll see who is likely to be there.

Retreats are a wonderful place to deepen your spiritual practice, to gain clarity amidst life transitions, to heal, to grow, to meet and connect with other amazing people. They are the perfect place for doing purifying cleanses, opening your mind, detoxifying your body, settling your emotions and opening your heart to all its infinite potential. Of course they are also a great way to deepen your yoga practice, to learn more nuanced elements of a yoga lifestyle, to get deep into meditation, to change your life.

Getting There: You will arrange your flight into Puerto Vallarta International Airport, where you will board a shuttle for the 45-minute drive north to the seaside village of Sayulita and the secluded Haramara Eco-Resort. We will arrange your shuttle once you provide us with your flight details (please send us your flight itinerary prior to December 1st!).

Prices & Policies

Price includes: Lodging for 8 days and 7 nights, all meals, taxes, all yoga and yoga-related activities.

Not included: airfare, gratuities, airport shuttle, and optional spa services and private excursions.

Reserve Now: Reserve your place with a $500 deposit.Full payment due November 1. If you cancel before November 1, we will refund all but $250 of your deposit. If you must cancel after November 1 and we cannot fill your spot, no monies are refunded due to our contract with Haramara.

Early Bird Registration: Pay in full by August 15th, 2010 to receive a $100 discount. All accommodations are on a first-come, first served basis.

For More Information & Registration:
Call: (831) 331-3955
Email: mark@markstephensyoga.com

Teaching & Practicing
Pre/Post Natal Yoga

Saturday & Sunday
December 12-13
12:30-5:30pm both days

Yoga can be a wonderful practice when pregnant, a source of continued health, balanced energy and more subtle bodily awareness as body and baby change day-to-day. It’s also great preparation for giving birth and reintegrating the body when in the glowing presence a newborn baby. Whether you’re pregnant or a teacher with either pregnant students or new moms, it’s essential to practice or teach in a way that is informed by knowing what to do and not do during each trimester, after your baby is born, when lactating and under a variety of maternal conditions.

This workshop is designed to give you a basic foundation for safely practicing and teaching pre/post natal yoga. Topics include:

• Basic maternal anatomy and physiology;
• Guidelines for asanas (postures) specific to each trimester and various pre- and post-natal conditions;
• Adaptations and contraindications for a variety of asana and pranayama (breathing) techniques;
• What to expect and how to support emotional changes;
• Creative use of yoga props and hands-on adjutments to ensure safety and support
• Pelvic floor exercises designed to ease delivery and recovery;
• Breathing and relaxation techniques designed to create more comfort during pregnancy, labor and early mothering.

Open to teachers, teachers-in-training, pregnant yoga students and their partners.

12 Hours of Teaching Training credit are applicable to RYT 200 and RYT500 Continuing Education Units and yoga teacher certification.

Price: $85