Enriching the body, soul & planet - Napa Fresh Aire Festival

Purify your body.

Whether you are new to yoga, or a devoted practitioner, yoga is about bringing ease and balance into your life. The Napa Fresh Aire Yoga Campus provides participants a full range of yoga traditions and approaches for people at all levels of experience.

For a description of classes from our 2009 event, click here.

Yoga is a program of physical postures designed to bring insight into the body, mind and spirit relationship. Many people find yoga a great way to relax, enhance flexibility, reduce stress and awaken spirituality.

For all Yoga sessions, attendees are encouraged to bring their own mats. All Yoga sessions are 60 to 75 minutes in length.

For a list of instructors from our 2009 event, click here.

Friday, August 28

All Levels

Inspire Your Day With Morning Meditation

(P. Pavanis)

Working from the outside in, morning meditation and pranayama will begin with simple movements coordinated with deep breathing as a way to awaken the body and prepare the mind to move inward for meditation. Guided breath work and meditation will lead into the spaciousness of a time of wakeful silence. As silence ends, participants will once again use simple movements to re-awaken their body.

All Levels

Anusara Yoga: Finding Balance Through Body And Breath

(J. Earls)

Anusara Yoga offers an elegant and grace-filled method of yoga that helps participants listen to their own inner wisdom. Come and feel for yourself the magical and radically liberating application of the Universal Principles of Alignment. Find lasting inner peace by reprogramming your body, mind, and heart through your yoga practice.

Level One

Tai Chi and Chi Kung: Taoist Six Healing Sounds For Health And Well-Being

(P. Reinhertz)

This eastern mind/body practice begins with the breath, how it links and harmonizes with Chi (internal energy), and Yi (creative mind). Breath, Chi, and Yi are engaged in the Healing Sound Routine, a classic Chi Kung practice. Participants will learn basic Tai Chi postures and movement elements, leading into the experience of a Tai Chi form. The practices of stillness in motion helps participants to build their immune system, and develop greater mental focus, breath support, and balance.

All Levels

Yoga & Alignment: Getting Into The Body and Out Of The Mind

(A. Nett)

Iyengar Yoga is about getting into your body and out of your mind. Through alignment, focus on details (i.e. standing on both feet equally) produces a deeper body experience. Once basic alignment has been achieved, the body’s life force circulates easily, producing increased health, and ultimately changing the way we think. Students at any level are invited; your level of flexibility isn’t of concern. Conscious movement is the goal.

Level One

Therapeutic Yoga: Bringing Harmony To Body, Mind, And Spirit

(M. Nielsen-Berruezo)

Anusara Yoga can cover a full range of intensity in practice, but because it is always based on adherence to biomechanical alignment, inner body awareness, and celebration of one's own being, it is extremely therapeutic. This session will focus on the small but powerful shifts in alignment which can make all the difference between pain and ease, whether in an asana practice or in everyday living. Basic principles of upper and lower body alignment will be introduced and practiced in a workshop format, and questions will be addressed as time allows. Suitable for anyone with a body!

Saturday, August 29

All Levels

Waking Up To The Sacred: Yogic Breathing And Meditation

(J. Dittrich)

Learn specific breath (pranayama) techniques which serve to awaken and balance dormant Kundalini life force energy. Pranayam optimizes the physical and subtle bodies so that concentration and silent meditation are more easily practiced. An ancient Tantric mantra will be introduced for the practice of meditation.

All Levels

Energetic Flow Yoga With Fresh Air Salutations

(U. Engman)

In this class, participants will experience an uplifting, life affirming style grounded in eloquent principles of alignment and clear visuals stimulating optimal energy flow. This morning practice will move from gentle to powerful, playful to quiet, exploring a full range of asana stringed together by the breath.

Level One

Gentle Flow Stretching: Weaving the Yin and Yang Meridians

(B. Davies)

Experience gentle movement and timeless ways to bring optimal energy flow immediately to the system. The meridians are energy pathways in the body that hold and move our chi (life force/energy.) This session will help participants move their bodies in ways that target the flow of life-enhancing chi through these meridians while helping to understand our bodies more optimally on an energetic level.

Levels Two & Three

Root to Rise: Creating A Strong Foundation

(J. Grassi)

In this Anusara Inspired Yoga class, participants will be introduced to the universal principles of alignment to support the integrity and freedom in the fundamental poses. Building on this foundation, participants will visit the idea of playfully expanding their repertoire and experiencing their own unique potential.

All Levels

Intro To Ashtanga: For A Strong Body And Calm Mind

(P. Hendricks)

This method of yoga involves synchronizing the breath with a progressive series of postures—a process producing intense internal heat and a profuse, purifying sweat that detoxifies muscles and organs. The result is improved circulation, a light and strong body, and a calm mind.

Sunday, August 30

All Levels

Pranayama and Meditation: The Basics Of Breath

(P. Hendricks)

Pranayama focuses mental energy and calms the nerves, but it can damage the nervous system when done improperly. Learn how to safely and effectively learn the basic practices of pranayama so that you breathe easier. Strengthen your powers of concentration and discover techniques to prepare your mind for practice. Learn how to draw your attention away from the noisy, restless world to quiet the mind and soothe the body.

Levels One & Two

Sunday Celebration: Exploring Hatha Yoga Sun Salutations

(E. Denison)

Wake up to Sunday with this beginning/intermediate Hatha Yoga class. Surya Namaskar, the Sun Salutation, is a series of 12 postures performed in a single, graceful flow. Each movement is coordinated with the breath to build strength and increase flexibility of the muscles and spinal column; to emphasize core alignment; and to soothe and restore energy, and much more.

All Levels

Mind/Body Barefoot Boogie With Nia Dance

(D. Woermann)

Nia is a transformational body-mind-spirit movement practice that integrates Eastern and Western wisdom, including inspiration from the martial arts, dance arts, and healing arts. Combing movements from Tai Chi, Aikido, Tae Kwon Do, Jazz, Modern Dance, as well as Yoga, Nia delivers a balanced cardiovascular, strengthening and toning workout. Practiced barefoot, Nia’s eclectic mixture of music and movement offers a magical and joyful atmosphere to develop self-healing and awareness of mind and body.

Instructors (listed in alphabetical order)

	Beverly Davies-Mes, C.M.T. Beverly is a Certified Massage Therapist, and has been a massage instructor since 1993. She also is a Hanna Somatic Educator® and a Reiki Master Teacher and practices intuitive Energy Medicine. Beverly and her husband Servaas Mes are the Directors of The Somatic Health Center of St. Helena.

	Elizabeth Denison Elizabeth shares an integrated approach to Hatha Yoga that is rooted in over 30 years of traditional study, including Integral Hatha Yoga, Iyengar, Ashtanga, Vinyasa Krama, and Nada Yoga. A Certified Advanced Instructor with Yoga Alliance, her teaching also incorporates over 25 years of professional bodywork experience, including Thai Yoga Massage, CranioSacral Therapy and Polarity Therapy.

	Joan "Joni" Dittrich, Ph.D. Joni is an Anusara-Inspired Yoga teacher, Reiki Master, Meditation Teacher, and licensed psychotherapist. She has been teaching and presenting workshops on the synergy of spiritual, emotional and energetic wellness for over 30 years.

	Jodi Earls Jodi is a certified Anusara Yoga instructor, and a registered Yoga Alliance teacher and has taught well over 2000 hours of yoga sessions and has extensive training, including over 800 cumulative hours of Anusara study and teacher training with John Friend (Anusara founder) and senior Anusara teachers. Jodi is the owner of Epiphany Yoga Center in St. Helena.

	Ulrika Engman Ulrika has been dancing on the Yoga path for 17 years leading workshops worldwide, including Esalen Institute in Big Sur. Her yoga practice and teaching is fluid, transformational, and empowering, focusing on the energetic aspect of the practice along with the form. A wide variety of asana, breath, music, and flowing sequences combined with times for stillness make up the foundation for each class.

	Jami Grassi Jami started teaching Yoga at 14, and, over the years, has studied and taught in the traditions of Iyengar, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, and more recently, Anusara Yoga. Jami holds a Master’s Degree in Kinesiology, and is a personal trainer. Her yoga classes are challenging yet playful, encouraging each individual to realize their unique potential with sensitivity and joyfulness.

	Paul Hendricks After an unexpected serious illness left him hospitalized for nearly two years, Paul discovered a miraculous recovery through Yoga. He has completed intensive teacher training in Ashtanga, having studied under Paul Dalligan, Sri Patabi Jois, David Swenson, and others. Paul’s frequent travels to Asia have also led him to study breath work with Sri O. P. Tiwari, as well as Ayurvedics and Thai massage.

	Allan Nett Allan has been studying Iyengar Yoga (Jr. III level certification) for 28 years, and teaching for 20 years. His background has provided him with unique tools for teaching, including a master’s degree in geology; working as a general contractor for 30 years; and having a background as a reflexologist for over 40 years. Allan created Yoga for the Construction Industry (yogawithyourbootson.com). He is accessible, open, and interested in student’s understanding of the basics of Yoga.

	Marcy Nielsien-Berruezo Marcy is a registered Anusara-inspired Yoga teacher. Marcy also has a B.S. degree {Summa Cum Laude} in Human Development; a Master's degree in Special Education; and five teaching credentials. Her thirty years' background teaching students with special needs attests to her commitment to helping students go from where they are to where they are able to go, with patience, acceptance, and openness of heart.

	Paula Pavanis Trained in the Hatha style, Paula integrates a lifetime of mind-body awareness studies with a background as a nurse to create lively classes intended to lovingly guide you inward toward your personal wellsprings of freedom, wholeness, and health. Paula guides her students to safely and playfully explore their personal yogic path.

	Paul Reinhertz Paul began the study of Chinese Martial Arts and health systems in 1969 with continuing studies and mentoring from master teachers. He currently teaches at Synergy Medical Fitness Center, and in Vallejo. Paul’s interest is to share his skills with others in order to provide people with tools for healing, well-being, and health maintenance.

	Danielle Woermann Danielle Woermann is a certified Black Belt Nia Instructor. She started practicing Nia as a Masters Swimmer and was enthralled by the energy Nia gave her, providing her the body, mind, spirit connectivity to find joy in everyday life. Danielle delights in sharing Nia with willing movement participants. She has taught in the Bay Area since 2002.