Kava Kava Ceremony
With Yoga Nidra and Ho'oponopono
Have you ever tried Kava Kava? It's roots are spicy and numbing to the taste, and the effect in the body is one of deep relaxation. I love working with Kava as a sleep aid, pain reliever and to reduce anxiety, but I also love to use it ceremonially, and especially in combination with Yoga Nidra, which is the "Sleep of the Yogis". The combination produces quite the effect on the body and can help the practitioner to access the deeper layers of relaxation, and give way to the more profound layers of the subconscious realm.
Our ceremony will begin with a traditional preparation of Kava Kava, followed by the Hawaiian forgiveness practice of Ho'oponopono. This powerful practice can help to bring our lives back into balance (pono), when something is out of alignment. We will then move into defining and refining our "Sankalpa (spiritual intention)" as we prepare for Yoga Nidra, a system of deep relaxation and meditation that accesses our innermost awareness, on a subconscious and sometimes unconscious level. This is a place where profound healing can occur.
Energies from the New Moon in Aqaurius on Jan. 21st will be woven into the ceremony and practice. A perfect way to begin a New Year and Lunar Cycle.
Please join me January 22, 2:30-5:00 at the Chico Holistic Wellness Center. No experience necessary. Please CLICK HERE for more info on Kava Kava, it's uses, effects and contraindications.
Only 8 spots available REGISTER NOW!
$45
Yoga Nidra
In celebration of the Vernal Equinox, Cheri is offering a Yoga Nidra Comprehensive Practice at the Yoga Center of Chico. The changing seasons, moon cycles, are the perfect time to renew our intentions, refresh our bodies, and move forward with calm and clarity.
Coined as the "Sleep of the Yogis", "Psychic Sleep", or "Inner Beauty Sleep", Yoga Nidra is gaining popularity, and for good reason.
Yoga Nidra is a practice, as well as a state of being. It is the place between awake and asleep, where the body is totally relaxed, and thinking mind is at rest. In this state, we have the opportunity to unravel tension, both deep and superficial, and to begin to address behavioral patterns and even trauma that is being stored in our bodies or deep within our subconscious. The use of well timed affirmations and intentions are an effective component of the long term benefits of this practice.
Join us for an immersive Vernal Equinox experience-- an hour of Asana, followed by 50 minutes of Yoga Nidra. You can choose either Hatha Flow or Restorative Yoga as your Asana practice. Or choose both!
Upcoming Comprehensive Practice (at Yoga Center of Chico):
Saturday March 21st, 12-2pm Hatha/Nidra
Sunday March 22nd, 12-2pm Restorative/Nidra
$35 for each or $60 for both sessions
Reserve your spot online with Eventbrite!
Other advance payment options include PayPal and Venmo to secure your spot, Cash or Check accepted at the door.
Meditation Mini-Retreat, November 1-10, 6-7am, at the Yoga Center of Chico
This Meditation Mini-Retreat is designed to give beginning meditation practitioners a solid foundation of Meditation in a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment. If you are looking to boost your commitment after an extended hiatus, or are a seasoned practitioner, this mini-retreat is the perfect setting to re-establish your dedication to to your practice in a group setting . Using the psychology of Buddhism as our basis, we begin with the most basic Mindfulness practice, then move deeper into the more subtle qualities of the mind, gradually moving closer to the heart of Compassion. Appropriate for EVERYONE.
This will be the last Meditation Mini-Retreat offered at the Yoga Center of Chico.
Women's Wilderness Retreat
SAVE THE DATE! Space is limited, please register before June 28.
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I can't wait to share this offering with you again!
Contact Me Today To Reserve Your Spot
Meditation Mini-Retreat, September 1-10
September mornings are my favorite mornings of the year. Still warm enough to be comfortable, and just starting to get cool. Please join me for 10 days in a row of sitting and walking meditation, Buddhist psychology and meditation technique, Taoist principles and Yogic breathing (pranayama). No experience necessary. Appropriate for total beginners, anyone looking to boost their daily practice, or to experience the powerful energy of group meditation.Pre-register online at http://yogacenterofchico.com/
Spring Cleaning Workshop
As the ground starts to warm up, and the earthworms start to wriggle beneath the soil, we too are feeling the pull to stretch our limbs. We are being coaxed out of our little refuges, and back out into the world. Are you feeling ready?Join me Sunday, March 12 from 12-3 to prepare your body, mind and spirit for the blossoming energy of spring. We will have a short talk about fasting and cleansing, clearing out old energy, and sweeping out the proverbial cobwebs or Winter. How can we best use the energy of the full moon and the Spring equinox to help bring us to a place of clarity and connection?We will mirror the seasonal transition through our Asana practice- moving from the quiet, introverted energy of the Winter to the more expansive, expressive, and detoxifying energy of Spring.
Please pre-register at clients.mindbodyonline.com
Sacred Sunday Cacao Ceremony
Please join Kaycee Green and I for our second Sacred Sunday Cacao Ceremony. No matter if you missed the last one or would like to come again, we have been preparing to create and hold a healing and peaceful space for all of you to experience this deeply heart opening ceremony.Our Sacred Cacao ceremony will begin at noon and will be followed by a very gentle and restorative yoga practice, a guided meditation and group reiki healing.Please come with your favorite mug and maybe a cozy wrap.Please see the post from October for a full list of contraindications as well as the healing benefits of Cacao.There is limited space, only 20 spots available. To secure your spot, please visit yogacenterofchico.com and go to "enrollments". You can also sign up in person at Yoga Center of Chico, before or after any class.Many blessings from us to you!
High Noon Power Flow
Super fun way to end the week! Join me for a quick paced, powerful vinyasa flow class set to my favorite tunes. Each week, I feature a different artist, album or genre. Comment your music requests below!
Meditation Mini-Retreat
Please join our 10-day Meditation Mini-Retreat in December!We will meet at Yoga Center of Chico from 6-7am the first 10 days of December. The objective of this mini-retreat is to give new meditators a solid foundation of different techniques to practice meditation, as well as infusing the experience with a level of commitment and discipline which will help create more consistency in a home practice.This mini-retreat is also appropriate for anyone wishing to develop or deepen their existing meditation practice and give an opportunity to practice in a group setting. We gain support, inspiration and momentum when we practice as a group, and can often create a deeper sense of connection to each other.We will be learning some Buddhist terminology and psychology concepts, as well as practicing sitting, walking, mindfulness meditation and breath work (Pranayama). We will explore a number of other techniques that one can use to calm and center oneself in the midst of perceived chaos, techniques that are used to ground oneself and access deeper awareness and wisdom.Please pre-register at http://www.yogacenterofchico.com/YCC-Workshops.htmlAnd check out this wonderful article written by a past mini-retreat participant, describing her experience! http://kristinwillard.com/lessons-learned-from-my-mini-meditation-retreat/Hope to see you December 1st!
Sacred Sunday Cacao Ceremony
Please join Kaycee Green and I for a blissful Guatemalan Cacao Ceremony followed by a gentle, heart opening yoga practice, chakra meditation, and Reiki group healing. We feel so blessed to bring this offering to the Chico community.Cacao is chocolate in it's purest form. It has many spiritual and physical benefits- aiding in meditation, and assisting in opening the heart center, helping facilitation a deeper connection to oneself as well as creating a magical group energy. It's no coincidence that chocolate is given as a symbol of love; a warm cup of ceremonial cacao can help to open and heal the most tender heart. Cacao is totally safe for most people, but as with anything so powerful, there are some contra-indications to be aware of. First, let's start with the benefits and how cacao actually works inside the body.(Excerpts taken from http://cacaoceremonies.com)"When you consume cacao prepared for ceremony using high quality raw cacao beans, all the mood enhancing neurochemicals in cacao become particularly active. There is increased blood flow and nutrition to the brain, heart and skin, the whole body is nourished, awareness and focus is heightened and sensations are intensified."Cacao contains the neurotransmitters serotonin, tryptophan and dopamine which assist with feelings of wellbeing, resilience to stress and anxiety and contribute to healthy motivation."It also has the neuromodulator phenylethylamine (PEA) which helps the body create feelings of excitement and euphoria. It also assists us to pay attention and stay alert. With healthy amounts of PEA we stay focused, time slows down and we are not distracted by hunger or excess stimulation from the ‘outside world’. PEA also increases the effectiveness of norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter related to joy."Anandamide is a type of lipid (oil). The word ‘ananda’ (from which this chemical was named) translates from the Sanskrit language as ‘bliss’. This naturally produced chemical (which is part of the endorphin group) is most concentrated in the body after moderate exercise – also referred to as the runners high. Anandamide results in feelings of bliss and euphoria, but also plays a vital role in moderating pain perception and the memory of pain, as well as assisting in regulating appetite and mood. Cacao contains both anandamide and anandamide re-uptake inhibitors, which are molecules that slow the break down of the anandamide. This allows the anandamide to remain longer in the brain and with it the associated blissful feelings."One of the most utilised major minerals in the body is magnesium. Magnesium assists in all metabolic processes. It helps relax all the muscles in the body and is thereby essential for the effectiveness and vigor of the pumping of the heart muscle, the management of stress and exercise recovery, the motility of the bowel, regulating the muscles pre-menstruation among many other functions. Magnesium is also utilised in almost all key functions in the brain, including those involved in memory and concentration. Cacao is the highest natural food source of magnesium."Cacao is also one of the highest sources of antioxidants. Antioxidants clear corrupt cells from the body. The specific antioxidants in cacao are Flavonoids, from the Phenolics group. Primarily, this class of antioxidants are important as they both trap free radicals and chelate redox-active metal properties. This results in a reduced risk of cells in the body, such as lipids (fats, and fats often lining the artery walls) undergoing oxidation (corruption)."The flavonoids also support clearing of the blood vessel walls, flexibility of the arteries and a thinning of the blood, all contributing to a reduction in blood pressure and build up of fatty deposits (plaques) along the artery walls, as well as a reduced load on the heart muscle."Please read the contra-indications/ conditions list below to see if Cacao Ceremony would be appropriate for you!*Fasting (take smaller dose)*Migranes (take smaller dose- Cacao contains caffeine which can aggravate migranes)*Pregnancy or breastfeeding (safe in half ceremonial dose, very commonly used in Guatemala by mothers and midwives during long or difficult labor)*Anti-depressants (USE CAUTION/ Not Recommended- Many Anti-Depressants do not mix well with the Tryptophan and MAO inhibitors in Cacao)*Heart Conditions (USE CAUTION- Cacao can increase heart rate and blood flow by up to 40%, and is a vasodilator)*Low body weight or Children (Not Recommended, or very small dose)*Chemotherapy (Not Recommended) Preparation/ What to BringPlease avoid large doses of caffeine before the ceremony and eat a light breakfast beforehand.Wear comfortable yoga clothes and a warm wrap or cozy blanket for meditation.Bring your favorite mug :)Bring water to drink during ceremonyOptional- Bring your favorite power object or meditation object. We feel so humbled to be able to share this heart expanding experience with you. Please reserve your space at http://www.yogacenterofchico.com/YCC-Workshops.html
The Dhammavidu Dhamma Talks
[playlist ids="1284,1283,1282"]Dhamma Talks by The Venerable Ajahn Tan Dhammavidu. Recorded 2/2014 at Suan Mohk Monastery, Chiaya, Thailand.
Meditation Instruction by Ajahn Tan Dhammavidu
[playlist ids="1269,1271,1272,1273"]Meditation Instruction with Buddhist Monk, Ajahn Tan Dhammavidu, recorded 2/2014 at Suan Mohk Monastery, in Chaiya, Thailand
Time for Renewal
“The beautiful Spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.”-Harriet Ann Jacobs
Spring is a time for renewal and regeneration. As we see the trees leaf out, the grass turn green and the wildflowers pop up we cant help but feel a little lighter of heart as we see the great potential of transformation. Life is one big transition from Birth to Death, and as bleak as that may seem, Nature reminds up that change and growth can be a beautiful thing.Just as a bear hibernates for the Winter, we may have also found ourselves to be more reflective, introspective and quiet, perhaps even isolated or reclusive. We may have felt stagnant or low at times. This is a natural way of being. In the process, we may have learned new things about ourselves, and are at a point of making change. The light exuberance of Spring can help inspire us to transform; to put into practice the wisdom we have accumulated in our darker days.Our bodies are also in need of support during this transition. Storing fats to keep us warm, perhaps being more sedentary has added to the feeling of sluggishness. We imbibe and indulge over the holidays, and as the weather cools and the days seem shorter, we typically aren’t as active as we might be in nicer weather. All of which is a natural cycle of behavior, and nothing to feel badly about.Spring is the perfect time to address our heath-- physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. There are lots of things we can do to support our bodies and minds at this time, including fasting, deep tissue/organ cleansing, massage, meditation, medicinal herbs and plant spirit medicine, skin brushing, steam/sauna/sweat lodge, salt/mineral baths and of course, yoga.Please join me to learn more about ways we can support ourselves as we emerge from our cocoons, our caves, our dark dens and enter into our brightest phase of the year. A short discussion will be followed by a long, warm, detoxifying yoga practice for all levels.Spring Healing Workshopby Cheri NealYoga Center of ChicoSunday 3/20/16Vernal Equinox11:30 am – 2:30 pm“For within your flesh, deep within the center of your being, is the undaunted, waiting, longing, all-knowing. Is the ready, able, perfect. Within you, waiting its turn to emerge, piece by piece, with the dawn of every former test of trial and blackness, is the next unfolding, the great unfurling of wings, the re-forged backbone of a true Child of Light.”― Jennifer DeLucy
Meditation Mini-Retreat
Early Bird Discount~$45 before March 1st 2016Join me at the Yoga Center of Chico for 10 days of Meditation. We will be exploring different techniques and methods of meditation, including, but not limited to, seated (Zazen), guided, walking, and loving kindness (Metta) meditation. This mini-retreat is geared towards beginning meditators, meditators who need a little refresher course or anyone who would like to meditate in a group setting with some instruction.6-7 am April 1-10 at the Yoga Center of Chico.Register Here