OCYS offers workshops and recurring class series covering a specific theme or topic. Led by expert teachers with a willingness to share their knowledge, workshops give students an opportunity deepen their understanding of yoga philosophy and asana. Workshops are informative and provide participants with more individualized attention. These typically run over the course of an afternoon or weekend, and may span over a series of weeks.
Workshops & Series
Sound Bath
Reduce stress, deeply massage the body with vibration, and shift effortlessly into meditative states.
Christian takes participants on a journey while they relax in a comfortable position, as he plays gong, singing bowls, drums, harmonium, chimes & more, while chanting Sanskrit mantras in harmony with the instruments.
Weaving a tapestry of sound and sensation, this combination of traditional and deeply resonant instruments allows recipients to feel the sound pulsating inside of their body, loosening stagnant energy and activating the parasympathetic nervous system. Through this mind-body release, participants are able to enter a deep state of meditation and relaxation, waking up refreshed and renewed.
Men's Yoga Series
Our men's yoga series is taught by John Manacmul and is designed to support men who are looking to improve their health, fitness and sports performance.
This class will ease men into cultivating a yoga practice and help them become stronger, more agile and focused .
Whether you are a serious athlete, recovering from an injury, a new or more experienced yoga practitioner, men's yoga will build physical and mental strength, stamina, balance and flexibility.
The next 4 week series starts
Yamuna Body Rolling
New Topic Coming Soon!
Sitting or standing for long hours a day can create tightness and compression in our low backs and hips. How we feel affects how we walk imprinting imbalances and old habits in our posture. Experience the power of self-massage using Yamuna® Body Rolling balls to realign and relieve the muscles and bones in the low back and hips.
In this workshop, Tiffany Martin will show you how to problem solve and self heal your lower body. Engineered to be the perfect companion tool for self-care anywhere, this therapeutic workshop will show you how to maintain your body sustainability at every age.
This workshop is for anyone who experiences:
• Low back pain
• Tight hip flexors
• SI (Sacroiliac) joint discomfort
• Tight IT Band
• Hip inflexibility
Benefits include:
• Improved posture
• Increased range of motion
• Improved alignment
• Increased muscle tone
• Increased flexibility
• Increased organ function
• Improved circulation
*All levels – no experience is necessary!
*Be sure to eat light at least an hour or two before class.
Sunday, May 20th 4:00 - 5:30pm
Class Size Limited to 20 Students
Photo Credit: Chelsea Jean
Ayurveda Workshop
Ayurveda is the sister science of yoga and translates into science of life! In this workshop we will explore our unique constitution and how exactly the elements are represented in our self and how to apply that to our life!
Gain a deeper and more subtle understanding of the functioning of the mind, body and create balance through lifestyle, diet, yoga, exercise, work, school, family.....
In this workshop Arati Lane will guide you through a dosha,constitution quizz, teach you about the best yoga practice to balance your particual constitution and go over Ayurvedic remedies as well.
Please Bring a journal, comfy clothes, and a snack...
Saturday, May 26th
2:00 - 4:30pm
Yoga and the Tarot Workshop
Yoga, as defined by the great sage Patanjali, is the ability to direct the mind at will. It is from such mental training that we come to abide in our most authentic "Self". Without yoga, we may not reach our fullest potential. The physical postures we practice are only one component of the multi-layered system of Patanjali's mind-training technique. Included, also, is a component called Svadhyaya, self-study.
The Tarot cards can serve as an interesting and fun tool to look at "packets of experience" that illuminate hidden and not-so-hidden aspects of the self. The cards can assist us in understanding Yoga theory regarding the Self through their pictorial symbolism. Their visuals can aid in concentration. Lastly, the cards can serve as useful guides in cultivating mental calm throughout our busy daily lives.
In this workshop, we'll have a relaxing and interesting time watching a slide-show to get us familiar with the cards, have a discussion of their symbolism and application to Yoga theory, do some light movement, chanting and meditation. We'll end with a chakra-based reading spread that you can "draw" from anytime you'd like to use the cards for guidance and insight.
Useful to bring a tarot deck but not necessary. We will be looking at the Smith-Waite deck. (Recommended: Radiant Tarot deck in a tin, and the commemorative Pamela Coleman Smith deck in a tin.)
Jill Camera has been teaching yoga since 2001. She now spends half the year in Southern California. She resides in New York City's East Village, her home of 35 years. She teaches Yoga philosophy in numerous teacher trainings throughout NYC, specializing in Sanskrit pronunciation for yoga teachers, the history of Yoga, and Patanjalis Yoga Sutras. She currently studies Vedic Chanting with Guta Hedewig, former student of T.K.V. Desikachar.
Workshop
Sunday, September 23rd
Yoga Nidra & Self Healing
Yoga Nidra is the practice of deep relaxation that rejuvenates the body and mind, returning the practitioner to a profound state of emotional balance and well-being. Embark on a guided meditation journey inside your physical and energetic (subtle) bodies to help clear the mind as you restore personal power and energy to heal yourself.
Sunday, January 21st 4:00 - 5:15pm
With Christy Curtis
The workshop will include:
- Brief history, physiology, and science of Yoga Nidra
- Guided Yoga Nidra
- Opportunity for discussion, Q & A
- Come in comfortable clothes. Please bring a pillow or two for your comfort. Mats and blankets provided.
- No yoga experience is required.
Intro to Yoga Series
4 week introduction to the basic asanas(poses) including standing, sitting and restorative poses. These poses will build up strength and stamina, improve muscular tone, flexibility and alignment. No experience is necessary. Class size limited to 10 students. (Pre-Registration is required)
Upcoming Start Dates:
Sunday, March 11th 12:00 - 1:00pm