Workshops and Retreats

VIEW FRIDAY NIGHT SPECIALTY CLASSES

Teaching Restorative Yoga:
The Art and Science of Supported Rest
with Susanne Hutchinson 
October 18-20
$375

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October 18-20
Friday - 5:00-8:00 pm
Saturday - 1:00-7:00 pm
Sunday - 11:30-5:30 pm
$375
Space is limited. Preregistration required. 
 
Restorative poses are poses of being rather than doing. - Judith Lasater
​It is well documented that the chronic stress of modern life is making us sick. As the prominent and pioneering Restorative Yoga teacher and author Judith Lasater says, “…the antidote to stress is relaxation. To relax is to rest deeply.” Restorative Yoga is a practice that allows the body to rest deeply in postures fully supported by props. When fully supported, the parasympathetic nervous system (relaxation response) is stimulated, and the body can rest at ease letting go of physical and mental tension. When practiced regularly, this can lead to improved sleep, digestion, lower blood pressure as well as relieving stress and anxiety.

During this experiential training, you will:

• Understand the functions of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems and how Restorative Yoga promotes the relaxation response
• Learn the latest research on the effects of stress and why and how Restorative Yoga works as an antidote
• Learn traditional Restorative Yoga postures with adaptations and variations for individual needs
• Learn the many ways to use a variety of props to support the body
• Learn how to build effective Restorative Yoga sequences
• Understand considerations for students who are pregnant
• From a trauma-informed perspective, learn how to create a welcoming and safe environment for your students

CEUs available.   

 Art Night Open House
Featuring the works of Kannan M Krishnan
Friday, October 25 
6:00-8:00 pm
All Welcome!

Friday, October 25
6:00-8:00 pm
No RSVP required! 

About Kannan M Krishnan, the Artist:
I am an Indian-American (Go Kamala!) academic, scientist/engineer, and self-taught artist, exploring the realm of the visual for more than three decades. I started as a photographer and now my work includes paintings, sculptures, and printmaking. My unique “Ori-hagane” (folded steel, in Japanese) sculptures involve no welding, and these three dimensional structures consist of two-dimensional sheets, fitted together with slits.

Born and raised in India, my work is influenced by the rich culture, history, and literary traditions of my native land. Having lived in the US for nearly my entire adult life, my work also reflects my curiosity and exposure to multiple cultures.  It is also influenced by other artists and performing art forms, as well as extensive travels around the world. Sometimes, it serves as a form of social commentary.

This exhibition at the Yoga Tree will include many of my new paintings from 2024, and a small, eclectic, sampling of my work in various media from my last solo show in Downtown Seattle in December, 2023.

Getting Up from the Ground:
Floor to Standing Transitions
with Heather Hested
Saturday, October 26
1:30-3:30 pm 
$45
Both In-Person and on Zoom

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Saturday, October 26
1:30-3:30 pm
Both In-person and on Zoom. Please choose which option you will attend when you register.
$45
 
How well do you get up from the floor? Did you know that getting up and down off the floor is one of the best exercises you can do besides walking? Floor-to-stand transitions are something we take for granted in our youth and become progressively more challenging as we age. Regardless of age, the ability to perform floor-to-stand transitions can be improved.
​Join in this 2hr. workshop to gain more knowledge about exercises to support postural control when getting up from the ground.
From this workshop, you’ll:

• Learn (4) floor-to-stand transitions without the support of furniture
• Understand conditioning exercises to strengthen abdominal, upper body and lower body muscles that provide stability for transitions
• Awaken range of motion in hips, pelvis and low back to enable greater ease in transitioning from the floor to standing

You may already do this with ease. What about your friend, parent or loved one? How often do they practice and/or how well do they get up off the ground? Register to pass the information along or better yet, take the workshop with your person. Knowledge is power. Getting up from the ground is empowering, too.

Pranayama Teacher Training
with Linda Oshins and Susanne Hutchinson 
Begins October 26 (see detailed schedule below)
$599 Early Bird through September 30!

Register

October 26-March 9 (see detailed schedule below)
$599 Early Bird by September 30/$659 after September 30
Online via Zoom
 
This five-month course takes a deeper look at Pranayama, the fourth limb of the Eight Limbs of Yoga. During the training you will learn basic pranayama techniques and many beginning to intermediate variations upon them. Most importantly, you will learn to sequence techniques for different purposes and different effects. Some of those effects are energetic (stimulating, calming, downward flowing, upward flowing, centered in and illuminating specific points or landmarks in the energy body) and some of them are self-revelatory in terms of spiritual practice (stimulating different parts of the brain in preparation for meditation, meditations on the breath, heightening prana for spiritual development).
 
Many of the variations introduced here are not commonly taught in YTT and a consistent pranayama practice, which you will develop as you work through this course, is necessary to approach them.
 
This course is open to yoga teachers looking to expand upon what they have already learned in their YTT, and any breath practitioner wanting to build a consistent practice. 
 
The course includes an extensive manual and is eligible for Yoga Alliance continuing education credits.
Note: This course also counts toward The Yoga Tree's 300 hr teacher training program (contact Susanne at [email protected] for more information).

Schedule: All times listed are Pacific Time 
October 26-27, 10 am-12:30 pm
January 4-5, 10 am-12:30 pm
March 8-9, 10 am-12:30 pm
And on the following Sundays, 11 am-Noon:
November 10, December 1 and 15, January 12 and 26, February 9, and 23

Tuition:
If paid in full, $599.00 due by September 30, $659.00 after September 30.  The fee to re-sit the course is $250.00. (Contact Susanne at [email protected] to arrange.)
No refund once the course starts.

​For more information, please contact Linda Oshins at [email protected] or call 614-519-8407 after 12:00 noon.

Kriyas: Harnessing Your Energy to Create a More Balanced State
with Kalyani Julie Hsu
October 27
2:00-4:00 pm, $45

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Sunday, October 27
2:00-4:00 pm, in-person or on Zoom. Please choose which option you will attend upon registration
$45
 
As we move into the autumn season, our energy can feel scattered and disorganized, and our whole system can benefit from focused work moving towards greater balance. In this workshop we will utilize kriyas to find better balance, to come to an alert, calm state allowing for a greater sense of presence and connection.

Kriyas are practices that work on the level of energy (prana), utilizing attention, breath, mantra, and repetitive movement. The kriyas we will practice are those as taught by Anand Mehrotra and will include both seated and standing kriyas, as well as stronger kriyas and softer ones. Movement and meditation will be used to support the work with the kriyas.
​
If you have been wanting to delve deeper into the practices of yoga that work with energy directly, this workshop is for you. Please come with a relatively empty stomach and an open mind! All are welcome!

 iRest® Fundamentals:
​A 6 week series
with Susanne Hutchinson
Mondays, October 28-December 2 
6:00-7:15 pm Pacific on Zoom
$90 for the Series or drop in to any single session for $16

Register

Mondays, October 28-December 2
​6:00-7:15 pm Pacific, Online via Zoom
$90 for the series, or drop in to any single session for $16. You can also use your class pass for any single session.
Preregistration required. You will receive a Zoom link in your email prior to the start of class.
​CEU's for Yoga Alliance available!

Whether you are brand new to iRest Yoga Nidra, or have been taking classes but are wanting to spend a bit more time exploring the fundamental aspects of the protocol, this Fundamentals Series is for you.

Each week, Susanne will guide you through an in-depth exploration of a different step of the iRest protocol. Class will consist of some lecture, discussion, and a guided practice.

This series can serve as a great place to begin before taking one of Jennifer’s advanced series, or as a supplement to the weekly drop-in classes.

Week 1 - Inner Resource - Discovering our felt sense of security and well-being - October 28
Week 2 - Intention and Heartfelt Desire - Laying the foundation of Sankalpa: making commitments that support our heart’s longing - November 4
Week 3 - Body sensation - Sensing and welcoming the body as sensation - November 11
Week 4 - Breath sensing - Experiencing the breath as a flow of energy that moves through the body - November 18
Week 5 - Meeting thoughts and emotions - November 25
Week 6 - Joy and Well-being - Welcoming joy independent of objects or circumstance, and Realizing our Essential Nature - December 2

This series will run continuously, every 6 weeks. So if you miss one week, no worries! You can catch it the next time around, or drop in to any single session that you want to spend more time exploring. 

Next series begins January 6!

The Magic of the Breath
and iRest® Yoga Nidra:
A Fall Mini-Retreat
with Kelly Walker
November 2
1:00-3:00 pm, $45

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Saturday, November 2
1:00-3:00 pm
$45, preregistration required
 
This mini-retreat experience highlights the magic of pranayama, the vibrancy of Being, and the deeply restful practice of Yoga Nidra. Breath practices will be woven through a slow progression from an opening restorative pose to gentle stretching. These will be followed by an exploration of several breath practices, taken while seated, supine, and standing, creating a gateway to inner exploration and witnessing what arises moment by moment. The finale will be a rich guided iRest® Yoga Nidra practice, the Sleep of the Yogis. This total experience is designed to uncover pathways to relaxation, peace, well-being, and our Essential Nature of wholeness, while witnessing the truth of each moment.
 
This 2-hour mini-retreat will include:
● An opening restorative pose for turning inward
● Gentle, easy stretches for release
● A variety of guided breath practices for meditative vibrancy
● A guided iRest Yoga Nidra practice for rest and inner exploration
 
Please feel free to dress comfortably in warm clothing, if you like. Thank you in advance for arriving 10-15 minutes before the experience starts and for bringing a yoga mat. Doors are closed five minutes after the session starts.
​
“Pranayama is an art form, a way of communicating – purifying, detoxifying, spiritually enlightening, freeing. Its gifts, numerous and varied, accrued through practice. Enjoy creating energetic pathways with abandon...”
-Linda Oshins, “Pranayama: A Compendium of Practices”

​Yin Yoga w/Healing Touch
with Aubra Heller
Friday, November 8
​​​$35

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with Aubra Heller
Friday, November 8
6:30-8:00 pm
Space is limited to 10, preregistration required
In-person only, $35
 
This workshop combines Yin yoga and Thai Massage. Find meditation and release in guided self-massage and restorative yoga postures. Students can also opt in to feel-good assisted stretching and massage offered by the instructor as they soften into yin poses.

 Yoga Teacher Training
Karma Classes
November 9-10
​Free!

register

November 9-10, FREE!
Both in-person and on Zoom. Please choose which option you will attend upon registration.
Preregistration required. See Schedule Below!

Come cheer on our graduating Yoga Teacher Trainees as they present their Karma Classes and begin their journey as new teachers! They are so excited to share the practice of Yoga with you in their one hour, all-levels Hatha classes!

Saturday, November 9:
1:00-2:00 pm - Emily
2:30-3:30 pm - Lilia
4:00-5:00 pm - Lisa

Sunday, November 10:
1:00-2:00 pm - Jesse
2:30-3:30 pm - Laurie
​

The Pause that Refreshes:
An In-Studio Day Retreat
with Susanne Hutchinson
November 23
12:00-6:00 pm
​$100 Early Bird until November 2/$120 after November 2

Register

Saturday, November 23
Noon-6:00 pm
$100 Early Bird until Nov 2/$120 after Nov 2

Give yourself a time out from the busyness of the season. Take a break away from the hustle and bustle, and SLOW DOWN with an afternoon of mindful practices, tea, and soup!

This in-studio retreat features the mindful practices of Restorative Yoga, Yin Yoga, Mindful Breathing Practices (pranayama), and iRest® Yoga Nidra. There will be guided journaling prompts with time for reflection, and a break to enjoy homemade vegetarian soup!
​
Enrollment limited to 8 participants. No previous yoga or meditation experience needed. All bodies welcome.

New Year's Day Sattva Yoga Journey:
Setting Intentions for 2025!
with Kalyani Julie Hsu
January 1
10:00 am-Noon
​$40, In-person and on Zoom

Register

Wednesday, January 1
10:00 am-Noon
$40, Both In-person and on Zoom, Preregistration required.
Please choose which option you will attend upon registration.
 
 Many of us tend to see the new calendar year as an opportunity to reevaluate our direction and intentions for this next chapter. Join Kalyani (Julie) on New Year's Day for a special practice designed to create clarity for you to do just that!

In the Sattva yoga journey, multiple tools of yoga are put together to create a journey with a theme, making them holistic and potentially transformational experiences. In this particular journey, we will be exploring “sankalpa,” or intention. We will create the space to become very clear with the Sankalpa for this lifetime, as well as smaller sankalpa for the upcoming year. Pranayama, kriya (practices to move energy), meditation and asana will be utilized.  Asanas will include some hatha yoga postures, as well as a couple of restorative postures to become quieter in preparation for a partially guided meditation at the end.
​All welcome! No previous experience is needed! 

Living Your Heart's Desire:
An iRest® Meditation series
with Jennifer Cabanero
Tuesdays, January 7-28
6:00-7:15 pm on Zoom
​$80 Early Bird by December 10/$90 after December 10

Register

Tuesdays, 6:00-7:15 pm
January 7, 14, 21, and 28
Online via Zoom
$80 Early Bird Price by December 10/$90 after December 10
You will receive a Zoom link from Jennifer about an hour before the start of class.
​
One of the latin translations of the word desire is, “of the stars.” When we become clear on what gives meaning, purpose and value to our life we can use this guiding “star” as a way to navigate, or to orient ourselves to what matters most.


What inspires you at a heartfelt level? What makes your heart sing? What are you longing for more than anything else? These are questions that we ask ourselves each time we practice iRest® Yoga Nidra. Following our deepest heartfelt desire allows the heart to draw us towards a sense of purpose in life and allows our authentic self to shine through.


In this 4 week journey, we will connect with the heart and its longings, through writing and meditation. Meeting our desires and noticing what inspires us, and what might draw us away, can bring about a response that may be felt within the body. These body responses are the messages the heart gives us to help keep us more closely aligned with what is most important. This is our inner guiding star! We will be using iRest Yoga Nidra practices to grow our capacity to fully feel into this inner navigation.
Each session will include: a short meditation, a written exercise, and a Yoga Nidra session specifically designed to awaken the heart and the messages it gives us through the body.

The Yoga Nidra session will be recorded and emailed to each participant. Recordings will be available for six months.
All levels of experience welcome.

Registration now open!
iRest® Meditation Silent Retreat
with Susanne Hutchinson and Kelly Walker
August 29-31, 2025
Aldermarsh Retreat Center on Whidbey Island

REgister

August 29-31, 2025 
With Susanne Hutchinson and Kelly Walker
$850 Early Bird Price until June 25, 2025/$900 after June 25
Price includes shared lodging and delicious vegetarian meals prepared by Ayurvedic Chef, Aria Peterman

Aldermarsh Retreat Center on Whidbey Island
6436 Maxwelton Rd.
Clinton, WA 98236

Silent retreat is a chance to connect with ourselves at a deeper level. With fewer distractions we become tuned in to our inner life, our hopes, and our dreams. We also become aware of the beliefs that we have about ourselves and the world around us. With time, as the stream of thoughts begin to slow down, we experience mini-moments of true calm and peace. In this way, silent retreat can yield fresh perspective, and bring clarity to our state of mind. Coming out of silence, there is often a renewed sense of gratitude for ourselves and for life just as it is.

The ancient non-dual teachings behind iRest Yoga Nidra help us to reconnect with our essential nature; the part of ourselves that is grounded, whole and unchanging no matter what occurs in our lives. Retreat is a precious time that we can set aside to dedicate our selves to nourishing our inherent wholeness.

This retreat offers the perfect combination of guided iRest meditation, body-sensing movement, breath-sensing, sitting, walking, and co-meditation. It is through practicing meditation in movement, stillness, and with others that we experience first hand how these teachings come alive for us as a practice of life.
This retreat is open to students of all levels who wish to sample the fullness iRest offers for health, healing, and wholeness of being. Come prepared to explore stillness, movement, laughter, and delight.

Upon registration, please let us know of any food allergies or dietary restrictions and if you are coming with a friend or would like us to pair you with a roommate. All rooms are shared lodging. 

VIEW FRIDAY NIGHT SPECIALTY CLASSES