Meet Lady artists, pioneers, revolutionaries, and generally impressive dames who have influenced San Francisco. One in a series of walking tours to honor the many women who have contributed to our city’s legacy. Each tour is unique, visiting a different neighborhood and sharing the stories of a new set of women.I attended a Wonder Women of UC Berkeley walking tour and enjoyed fascinating stories of Phoebe Hearst, Ida Jackson, Julia Morgan, Maxine Hong Kingston—and other inspiring women who made their marks on the campus, California, and the nation. The tour stopped by the beautiful Hearst Gym where I’ll be teaching yoga again this semester. Learn about more walking tours in SF and yoga workshops below.
Yoga & Writing Retreat at Green Gulch Zen Center with Albert Flynn DeSilver & Saraswati Clere Saturday, September 7th 9 AM – 5 PM
Join a wonderful and rejuvenating day-long retreat of writing, meditation, and gentle yoga with writer and mindfulness meditation teacher Albert Flynn DeSilver, and Saraswati Clere from Yogakula, Berkeley.
*Reconnect to your innate creative wisdom
*Learn new techniques for embodied awareness
*Experience peace of mind & heart in creative community
Through the transformative practices of yoga, writing, breath, healing music, relaxation, and meditation we will awaken our senses, intuition, innate healing and inner source of vitality and harmony.
The practice of writing is an exploration of consciousness, a practice toward deeper self-awareness, and moves us along the path of awakening to our true nature. Writing has the power, not only to inspire, but also to awaken the very best in the human heart. Mindfulness practices create the conditions for enhanced creativity by providing a space for self-reflection, increased emotional intelligence, and overall expansion of consciousness.
We welcome both those who are published writers as well as those wanting to establish a writing practice.
The yoga sessions will include nature-inspired gentle grounding postures and inward practices that include pranayama and meditation. The movement portions will release tightness and stress to enable a deeper connection to our creative source. (Its fine to opt out of the movement session if you wish)
Green Gulch Farm Zen Center The Green Gulch Zen Center is located in a beautiful coastal valley just a short drive north of the Golden Gate Bridge, it is surrounded by hundreds of acres of National Parkland. 30 minutes from Berkeley or SF. The organic farm and gardens provide a serene environment for retreats. The Retreat center is next to Muir Beach. During the retreat there will be time to walk to the beach, to journal and to explore the beautiful gardens of the Zen Center.
Lunch: A delicious Organic Lunch is available at the Zen Center or you are welcome to bring your own lunch. Please email if you’d like to like to order the lunch. $15.Retreat Fees: $155 per person $260 for two people (bring a loved one) Register online
Wonder Women of San Francisco Chinatown Walking Tour Sunday, September 8, 2019 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
The women of Chinatown have left a far more significant impact on history than they get credit for. Discover the first female Chinese-American physician (a cross-dressing gal who became famous among the military & movie stars alike), a woman who started a revolution for worker’s rights, and the angry angel who saved thousands of girls from slavery — among others. We’ll walk a path that’s ~1 mile, including some steep hills. Please contact us if you have accessibility concerns.
There’s no required cost to attend, but you will need to register in advance.
Wonder Women of SF: Chinatown walking tour Donations are appreciated!
If you cannot make this one, there’s anther Wonder Women walking tour on September 22: Wonder Women of SF: Western Addition walking tour
Click here to see more tours.Yoga for Tension and Stress Relief Friday, September 13, 12:10 – 1 PM 251 Hearst Gym, UC Berkeley Campus
Practicing yoga can release tension in your joints, give you greater range of motion, and offer increased comfort in all aspects of your life. Learn basic yoga poses and breathing techniques to transform your practice into a moving meditation.
Note: These are the classes I teach for UC Berkeley faculty and staff. If that’s you, register by clicking the link for each date:
September 13, October 11, November 8
All classes take place at 251 Hearst Gym on Fridays, @ 12:10-1pm Read Laurie’s Bio.
Optional: Join the Yoga Passport Challenge and get a different stamp for each class to be entered into a drawing for a yoga prize! Yoga Passports will be available in class. Bring your passport to each session you attend and have a square stamped for each date. Attend more classes for more chances to win.
Come early and be ready to start promptly at 12:10 and you’ll get to try aromatherapy oil to relieve stress. Please bring your own yoga mat as our supplies are limited.
Dancing up the Spine: an Afternoon of Chakra Yoga with Anodea Judith September 14, 12 – 5 PM Yoga Kula, Berkeley CA
Anodea Judith, coming to Yoga Kula Berkeley in September 14th!
At the meeting point of mind and body, the seven chakras spin along your deepest core, guiding your beliefs, behaviors, and experience. Yoga is the spiritual language for conversing with these sacred centers of the self through opening and aligning with the divine. Yoga provides the tools for opening the chakras and accessing their inner mysteries.
Learn how to navigate the map of the chakra system through asana, pranayama, chanting, and more with the country’s foremost chakra teacher, Anodea Judith, and feel the cool breeze of Shakti blowing through your chakras.
Anodea Judith, Ph.D. has been called “a prophet for our time.” A groundbreaking thought leader who is the founder and director of Sacred Centers, and a writer, therapist, and spiritual teacher.
Cost: $75 Click to register
Nourishing the Goddess with Elika Aird & Shirley Johnson Saturday, September 28, 2 – 5 PM Anasa Yoga, Oakland, CA
The Nourishing the Goddess workshops incorporate a blend of meditation, vinyasa, Kundalini, and restorative yoga with the healing practices of Ayurveda to create an afternoon of self-care for women. This will be an interactive environment that will empower you with tools to support you as we align with the transition from summer to fall during the Fall Equinox. During this mini-retreat, you will enjoy deeply connecting with a community of like-minded women, practice giving and receiving support, and connecting deeply with our senses and sensuality.
We want to guide you to nourish the goddess within everyday! Open to all self-identifying women, trans, and gender non-binary folks!
Elika is one of my favorite Yoga teachers at Namaste!
Learn more about Elika at: www.blissfulbodiesyoga.com
and Shirley at: www.soulisticwellness.com
Location: Anasa Yoga
4232 MacArthur Blvd
Oakland, California 94619
$60 early bird registration until the Full Moon on Sep 13
$65 after Sep 13
Register now
Online Freebies
Happiness Calendar from the Greater Good Science Center
Let these science-backed tips and tools be your guide this month. You’ll want to bookmark this calendar and refer to it often because there are links to articles and resources embedded in the PDF. Download happiness calendar for September
Yoga 100 Hour Immersion (Pre-Yoga Teacher Training) Starting September 28-29, 2019 Saturdays & Sundays, 11:30am – 6:00 pm Yoga Kula Berkeley
Take your practice to the next level with one of the best yoga studios in the Bay Area! Yoga Kula was my first yoga studio on my journey to becoming a yoga teacher. I went through the 100 Hour Immersion at Yoga Kula in 2016 and enjoyed it. Read about my experience, Immersing Myself in Yoga. Stay tuned for an exclusive offer for my newsletter subscribers.
Yogas citta-vrtti-nirodhah Yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind. —Yoga Sutra 1.2
That’s a wrap for September! If you would like to subscribe to my free monthly wellness newsletter, sign up here! If you’re interested in hikes, check out the events listed at thecaminoprovides.com. Please let me know if you have events to consider for future newsletters.
Laurie Ferris Yoga & Wellness 