The sacrum, often overlooked, plays a vital role in both spinal health and overall movement. It's not just a single bone but a fusion of five vertebrae that occurs as we age, usually completing the process in our 20s. Despite this fusion, the sacrum is part of a dynamic system that requires awareness and movement to stay healthy.
Yoga and creativity share a special connection. Both require us to move beyond the confines of the familiar, to explore the unknown, and to embrace the perspective of a beginner—a fresh lens through which we see the world. This convergence of yoga and creativity is a catalyst for inspiration, opening doors to new ideas, perspectives, and ways of being.
Yoga therapy is fundamentally about empowering you to take an active approach to self-care through the tailored application of yoga. Unlike general group classes, which aim to benefit a wide range of participants, yoga therapy offers a personalized and evolving practice that addresses specific health challenges and promotes overall well-being.
iRest Yoga Nidra can be perceived as resting, especially since rest is in the name, and we all are not people who rest. Resting can even be a bit scary. It is easy to wonder: Will everything be OK if I slow down and rest? What if I told you that iRest Yoga Nidra is active resting? You are doing something. You are actively listening to a voice, following the prompts, re-wiring your brain, and improving your health.
We look forward to our 3rd Art and Yoga Retreat: Heart of Wonder at the NC Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill. June 15, 2024 will be a day filled with a creative playfulness, exploration, and connection. Experiences of awe and wonder reduce activation of our sympathetic nervous system, increase vagal nerve tone, and reduce inflammation and physical stress in our bodies.
Yoga in the NC Botanical Garden, resumes April 4, 2024 for 11 weeks. Spring offers us a unique opportunity to observe the ever-changing quality of nature (called anicca in Buddhism). While practice yoga in nature this spring we can witness the changes in phrenology of the trees changes and the emergence of perennials. This provides an opportunity to witness anicca in ourselves. Each time we arrive to the mat, we are anew.
Join the Dogwood Team for a day of self care and creativity on Saturday October 14th, 2023 from 8:30am-3:30pm for our biannual Art and Yoga Retreat: Heart of Peace at the NC Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill. We will be collaborating with artist Beverly Dyer to deliver a retreat filled with creative art journaling and mindful movement practices in the lovely setting of the Garden.
Join Dogwood Studios at the Botanical Garden with weekly Yoga classes starting August 17th and all day retreat on October 14th! Practice in connection with community and Mother Earth and be nurtured by nature..
Being in nature amplifies the positive impact that yoga has on our mental health. Spending time outdoors can ease our busy brains and remind us of our deep and lasting roots in the natural world. According to Kripalu outdoor guide, Mark Roule, “we co-evolved with nature; we were shaped, influenced, and adapted to interact and resonate with the wild.”
Beverly Dyer and the team at Dogwood Studios will be teaming up to facilitate an Art and Yoga Retreat March 11th at the NC Botanical Garden.
Art is much like Yoga. Being creative to me, it is about slowing down and just noticing. It's about using all your senses as you go through the day. Art can be beautiful. It can be sad, it can be moving. It can be pretty personal. It can be, you know, anything you want it to be.
We invite you to explore the meaning of Hope in our upcoming mindfulness retreat The Heart of Hope: Wisdom from the Garden on Saturday, October 29 from 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at the NC Botanical Garden. Feel inspired by nature to explore your own inner landscape through the practice of mindful movement, meditation, and creative journaling.
Outdoor yoga continues at the Botanic Gardens this fall. Aviva will teach one more class on August 31st. Participants will meet at 9:30am, in the Perennial circle and then move to a shaded area nearby. Sam will return to teaching at the Botanic Gardens, Tuesdays at 9:30am starting September 7th at a new location: in the meadow along the Streamside Trail. The new field is in the forest behind the Children’s Wonder garden through the gates towards the Piedmont Nature Trails. Sam will teach in the spacious and shaded outdoor space in September and October.
March – May Outdoor Yoga in the Garden at NC Botanical Garden
with SAM Sather, Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT)
Date: Tuesdays in March through May
Time: 3:00 PM – 4:15 PM
Fee: $13 ($12 Member of the NC Botanical Garden)
Limited to 10 attendees: register soon
Where: Perennial Circle - Adjacent to Totten Center at the North Carolina Botanical Garden (website)
Register: Each class is listed for registration individually HERE through NC Botanical Garden. Sign up for as many as you want.
![Sunrise [or Early Morning] Yoga at the Garden!](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/554983c9e4b043f083f0264f/1661609587868-VQMXUS3668EM8GXOAA3Q/pexels-vlada-karpovich-8939954.jpg)
