Evolving Through the Chakras

A 4-Part Series of Yoga and Nutrition Workshops in Healing and Self-Discovery

"In a fragmented world where mind is severed from body, culture from planet, and the material from the spiritual, we have a deep need for systems that allow us to reclaim our wholeness. ...the chakras provide just such a system." ~ Anodea Judith, Wheels of Life

Last November and again in April, Milka Milicevic, Reg. Holistic Nutritionist and I offered a popular workshop called "Stoke Your Inner Fire," offering yogic and nutritional practices to balance the third chakra, Manipura, at the navel centre. These practices included nutritional advice on how to improve your digestion, and yogic practices for strengthening the deep core, and much more.

Based on the encouraging feedback we received, Milka and I have expanded this workshop into a series of four workshops that includes the other six chakras. The workshops run biweekly, beginning in October 2018 and ending in November 2018.

We're really excited about this series, and think you will be too.  If you're not familiar with the chakras, or perhaps, as I once did,  think they're a bit "woo-woo," consider the following.

Yoga is an ancient practice designed to liberate and focus energy in the body and mind, moving us to more subtle levels of awareness.  In the West, we're much more familiar with the physical body. We've dissected it for well over 400 years, and know it piece by piece. But in the process of that frenzy of dissection, we've lost sight of certain things.

The fascial network, for instance. Only recently has the fascial network been recognized as a living organism. It's not visible in a cadaver the way a muscle is, for example. And as we've moved towards a deeper understanding of the physical body, we've also moved away from an awareness of our more subtle energies. For the most part, we're not even aware that we have an energy body (perhaps noticing only when we lack energy or feel sluggish or listless).  

• The chakras (pronounced with hard “ch” as in “chocolate”) are vortices of swirling energy. Thousands of yogi meditators over millennia found that by focusing on these centres in the body, they could facilitate meditation and healing. 
• Seven main chakras exist within the subtle energy body, interpenetrating the physical body. They are located near the seven major nerve ganglia that emerge from the spinal column. Each chakra is associated with different endocrine glads, an element, a psychological function, a colour, and a seed sound to activate and balance the energy.[1]
• Carl Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist and psychologist who founded analytical psychology, did a great deal of research on the chakra system. He was intrigued by how each of the seven main chakras aligned with an aspect of consciousness. For example, the first chakra (Sanskrit: Muladhara), roughly sensed at the base of the spine, correlates with our sense of survival, stability, grounding, physical health.
• Chakras can have too much energy, or too little. When a chakra has too much energy, you have too much of that quality of the chakra.  For the first chakra this might manifest as a sense of sluggishness, perhaps overweight. When a chakra has too little, you suffer because of a lack of that quality.  A deficiency in the first chakra might manifest as someone who is restless and underweight.
• Realigning the chakras means bringing the energy back into balance. For the naval chakra (Sanskrit: Manipura) which is the seat of power and will, a lack of energy could manifest as a weak core or digestive troubles. Too much could manifest as a tight, hard belly or frenetic aimless action.

“Evolving Through the Chakras” will take you on a healing journey through each of the chakras (a.k.a. your subtle energy centres), where you’ll practise yoga, breathing and meditation, and learn expert nutritional advice to guide you toward greater health and positive wellbeing.

Here’s what you'll discover and enjoy when you join this workshop series:

·       Build Your Foundation (Chakras 1 and 2)

You’ll strengthen your foundation and gain greater stability and flow, as you learn to support your lower back and abdomen. During the workshop, you’ll practice yoga for grounding, strengthening, and hip opening, and learn what foods to eat for strong, healthy bones. You’ll also gain a greater understanding and appreciation of your body and its needs.

·       Stoke Your Inner Fire (Chakra 3)

You’ll discover your inner fire and its vital connection to your digestion and willpower, including how to overcome cravings. We’ll also practice restorative and core-strengthening yoga to boost your energy and metabolism, and guided meditation so you feel lighter, more energetic, and calmer.

·       Your Heart Matters (Chakra 4)

You’ll experience vital yoga practices that centre on supporting the heart, lungs, and immune system. By the end of this workshop, you’ll know what foods to avoid and what foods to eat come cold & flu season, plus how to free yourself from food and seasonal allergies.

·       Express Your Truth (Chakras 5, 6 and 7)

You’ll practise yoga to bring relief to any tightness/tension in your shoulders, neck, and head, along with deep guided meditation connecting you to your spiritual and intuitive nature. We’ll also explore how you can express your truth and find authentic meaning and purpose in your life.

·       And a whole lot more! 

Workshop Dates:

Sunday, October 14 – Build Your Foundation
Sunday, October 28 – Stoke Your Inner Fire
Sunday, November 11 – Your Heart Matters
Sunday, November 25 – Express Your Truth

Time:     1:00 pm – 4:00 pm workshop
                  4:00 pm – 4:30 pm optional question period

Pricing:
$347 + HST for all 4 workshops 
$97 + HST for single workshops 

Special Early Bird Saving: Register by Friday, September 21, 2018 and save HST.
         
We have only 6 spots for each workshop in this Evolving Through the Chakras series. So don’t wait – if you’d love to feel empowered and motivated to make healthy changes for your body, mind, and soul, register today.

We’d be honoured to have you participate in this unique and transformative yoga + nutrition workshop series.

​Namaste,
Donna and Milka xo
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[1] Judith, Anodea. Wheels of Life, p.11