Learning Outcomes:

Relax, restore and renew after a very difficult school year.

  • Learn & practice meditation & visualization

  • Practice at your level: mat & chair yoga poses move from simple to more challenging

  • Learn about pranayama & the chakras and how they relate to building resilience

  • Journal to consolidate, internalize, & grow with new practices & knowledge

Course curriculum

  1. 1

    • Welcome!

    • Community Page Link
  2. 2

    • Week 1 Agenda

    • Journal Prompts: Recognizing Challenges & Honoring Our Strengths

    • Setting Intentions: Finding Time to Prioritize Health

    • Short Yoga Practice: Grounding/Root Chakra

    • Week 1 Discussion Board
  3. 3

    • Week 2 Agenda

    • Is Mental Health the Next Pandemic?

    • Journal Prompts: Control vs. Uncertainty

    • Building Nervous System Resilience

    • Pranayama Practices to Calm the Central Nervous System

    • Short Yoga Practice: Sacral Chakra

    • Week 2 Discussion Board
  4. 4

    • Week 3 Agenda

    • Tara Brach's Many Resources

    • Tara Brach -- Creating a Home Retreat: Finding Freedom Wherever You Are

    • Tara Brach -- Guided Reflection: Bringing RAIN to Difficulty

    • Journal Prompt: Meeting Loss with Compassion

    • Restorative Practice: Yoga Nidra Guided Meditation

    • Lake Visualization Meditation

    • Short Yoga Practice: Solar Plexus Chakra

    • Week 3 Discussion Board
  5. 5

    • Week 4 Agenda

    • Neuroscience and Yoga

    • Short Yoga Practice: Heart Chakra (Anahata)

    • Journal Prompt: Supports

    • Week 4 Discussion Board
  6. 6

    • Week 5 Agenda

    • Course Resources

    • Journal Prompt: Inner Resources

    • Pranayama practice: Nadi Shodhana

    • Short Yoga Practice: Throat Chakra (Visuddha)

    • Anne Kaplan's Collection of Resources

    • Week 5 Discussion Board
  7. 7

    • Week 6 Agenda

    • How Yoga Helps Us Build Inner Strength

    • Journal Prompt: Inner Strength

    • Short Yoga Practice: Third Eye Chakra (Ajna)

    • Week 6 Discussion Board
  8. 8

    • Week 7 Agenda

    • Journal Reflections

    • Chakra Archetype Guided Meditation

    • Week 7 Discussion Board

Julie Sawyer, Ed.D.

E-RYT 200, RYT 500, YACEP

Instructor

Julie Sawyer

Julie Sawyer, Ed.D. is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) with Yoga Alliance. She has been practicing yoga for over 30 years and has been a yoga instructor since 2004. She is a certified Embodyoga® teacher through Yoga Center Amherst; a Yoga Teachers College® Certified Teacher - certified to teach Trapeze Yoga; and certified through Tone Sculpt Yoga to teach Yoga Sculpt®. ​She is currently enrolled in Kripalu's School of Integrative Yoga Therapy program.​ ​She believes that a regular and focused yoga practice can improve anyone's physical and emotional health. Julie offers private sessions, small group classes, and trainings online. ​ ​ ​

Testimonials:

Elementary Art Teacher

Melissa Hronkin

“I was thinking about the past weeks and I do believe that the yoga practice with Julie has worked its magic on many levels. It has increased my self-confidence and removed blocks that were preventing me from formulating a plan for my self-care and preservation as a healthy and strong art educator. The meditations and journal prompts opened up new ways of thinking and fresh perspectives on my path forward. This year has been such a challenge for a lot of us, and this program has helped me navigate it more gracefully. I plan to continue my personal yoga education and infuse it into the art curriculum whenever I can. Happier and healthier teachers make space for happier and healthier students. I look forward to future collaborations!”

High School Art Administrator

Theresa Manus-Piccolo

“These weeks have been so informative and personally fulfilling. Truly the best PD I’ve done in a very long time! Thank you all for your ideas and inspiration. I will miss our group. I looked forward to each week and am excited to share this experience with colleagues and students! I’m a bit sad it’s over! I’m inspired to continue yoga practice and am so happy I have dedicated art making time in my week again! I didn’t realize how much I missed these things in my life. Meditation was a huge part of my life years ago and I’m finally in a place where I want to build myself back up to where I was with it. Thanks for being wonderful!”

High School Art Administrator

Shannon Gagne

“Experiencing the process as a student instead of planning and implementing the SEL lessons/resources was healing. It also gave me a perspective on my own intentions. I realized that I was using art making as an escape and purposefully approaching the creative process with acknowledgement of my trauma while envisioning a positive way to move forward in my personal and professional life was both enlightening and exciting.”

Ready to prioritize your health?

Early bird pricing through May 15: $49 -- students enrolled in this summer workshop have the option to add private sessions for half-price through the summer!

Get started now