Sacred Valley Retreat | Sept. 26-Oct. 3, 2021
Sep
26
to Oct 3

Sacred Valley Retreat | Sept. 26-Oct. 3, 2021

LOTS MORE details about this retreat can be found HERE.

COVID-19 REQUIREMENTS FOR TRAVEL TO PERU:

As of July 14, 2021:

A few days before travel, your airline should e-mail you travel information. You should also check their website for updates. This information changes often so don’t rely on old e-mails or even this blog without checking! For example, in June, traveling with a mask + face protector was required. In July, two masks and no face protector were required.

(LATAM airlines reminds you to review entry requirements for each country here and their latest airline protocols here.)

HEALTH AFFADVIT:

Within 72 hours before your flight, complete your Health Affidavit online. LATAM tells you how to do it here. There is also a new app that you can use to Pre Register with “Migraciones” (Peruvian Immigration). Either way, always have a printed copy with you on your trip. You will need a copy of this “Declaración de Salud” when you check-in for your international (Lima) flight in the US and again when you check-in for your Cusco flight in Lima.

* When you are at customs in Peru, they will ask for your ‘Declaración’ referring to this document, not to a form for declaring items brought into the country.

COVID TEST:
Schedule your COVID test within 72 hours of scheduled arrival to Peru. PCR tests can hopefully be received in 24 hours, although some clinics request a 2-3 day turn-around, which is cutting it very close. Note, that some urgent care centers will offer an Antigen test which takes only 20 minutes and is sufficient for Peruvian requirements. As a last resort, many international airports offer testing services but these are very expensive and can be congested.

When you receive your test results, print them out and keep them with your travel documents. The document should clearly show the patient’s name (you), the results (Negative), and the date the test was taken (within 72 hours of arrival).

Note: vaccination cards are not a substitute for testing in Peru although it is a good idea to have a photo or copy of your card for your return to the US.

NOTE: I WILL SEND EXTENSIVE INFO TO HELP YOU TO PREPARE AND ALSO KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT UPON ARRIVAL IN LIMA AND IN CUSCO. TRAVEL TO PERU REALLY IS NOT DAUNTING…JUST A FEW MORE SAFETY MEASURES THAN USUAL.

Stay tuned here or feel free to message me at any time with questions.

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In Depth Look : Feet & Hips
Jun
5
2:00 PM14:00

In Depth Look : Feet & Hips

This workshop will be the first in a series that will look at how our feet influence everything above, first starting with a closer look at their influence over our legs, pelvic floor and hips (and vice versa).

The intention of this first in-depth session is to:

1. set the stage for what will likely be a new way of working with our feet and the movement that needs to happen in our feet in order for our entire body to move well (and feel well!)

2. look at the mechanics of our feet, legs and hips

2. give us a more complete set of OPTIONS to work with; options that will leave us feeling more centered and also more FULLY embodied in how we move.

This workshop will begin with some discussion and anatomy (no need to have any prior anatomy training), but most of the workshop will involve movement - subtle, experiential, and with some unusual uses of props (and some unusual props!)

This workshop will be ONLINE and recorded, but the recording will only be available to those who attend the workshop LIVE. The recording will be available for one week after the event.

REGISTER HERE
(registration closes 24 hours before the event begins)

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SATYA, SIT & SIP | MAY 26
May
26
6:30 PM18:30

SATYA, SIT & SIP | MAY 26

Drinking a cup of water or milk containing some teaspoons of 100% pure cacao or high quality chocolate might help you cope better with stress or anxiety and help you sleep better. This may be because cacao contains components that ameliorate the body’s physical signs of stress and that, in turn, feeds back to the brain by calming someone and helping them sleep. (Psychology Today)

⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸

Once a month, I invite you to join me to unwind stress and anxiety from our tissues through a slow nourishing, restorative and somatic movement practice. After an approximately 45 minute practice, we’ll rest in a generous savasana, and then finish with guided meditation and breathwork.

You can choose to complete the session here OR stick around and continue our virtual gathering to SIP some drinking cacao (or tea or golden milk or whatever you fancy) together, soaking in each other’s company either in silence or with with some sharing.

This month we’ll be honoring the energy of the new trecena of Tijax and the eve of the Full Flower Moon!

⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸

WEDNESDAY May 26, 2021
6:30-8pm CST

⫸Class Price: $15
(free to members of online library - registration details are at the top of the HOME page of the library)

⫸REGISTRATION CLOSES 24 hours BEFORE the event begins.

REGISTER HERE

⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸

If you have any questions about cacao or drinking chocolate in the evening, feel free to reach out. I offer 100% cacao in my online store, but you can also find a list of my favorite resources for cacao HERE.

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SATYA, SIT & SIP | April
Apr
11
6:30 PM18:30

SATYA, SIT & SIP | April

Drinking a cup of water or milk containing some teaspoons of 100% pure cacao or high quality chocolate might help you cope better with stress or anxiety and help you sleep better. This may be because cacao contains components that ameliorate the body’s physical signs of stress and that, in turn, feeds back to the brain by calming someone and helping them sleep. (Psychology Today)

⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸

Once a month, I invite you to join me to unwind stress and anxiety from our tissues through a slow nourishing, restorative and somatic movement practice. After an approximately 45 minute practice, we’ll rest in a generous savasana, and then finish with guided meditation and breathwork.

You can choose to complete the session here OR stick around and continue our virtual gathering to SIP some drinking cacao (or tea or golden milk or whatever you fancy) together, soaking in each other’s company either in silence or with with some sharing.

This month we’ll be honoring the energy of the April New Moon (April 12) and also the day 8 Aj in the Mayan Calendar (a day associated with ceremony for harmony in the home and community)

⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸

SUNDAY, April 11, 2021
6:30-8pm CST

⫸Class Price: $15
(free to members of online library - registration details are at the top of the HOME page of the library)

⫸REGISTRATION CLOSES 24 hours BEFORE the event begins.

REGISTER HERE

⫸The class will be recorded and available to anyone who has registered for one week after the class.

⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸

If you have any questions about cacao or drinking chocolate in the evening, feel free to reach out. I offer 100% cacao in my online store, but you can also find a list of my favorite resources for cacao HERE.

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April Class Series | Exploring our Axis
Apr
3
to Apr 24

April Class Series | Exploring our Axis

“All that is important is this one moment is movement.
Make the moment important, vital, and worth living.
Do not let it slip away unnoticed and unused.”
― Martha Graham

The cue “move from your center” is fairly common in yoga and other movement modalities. We might also interpret this as moving with our center, our ever-changing center, that is.

As bipeds we spend much of our lives in an upright position, on our vertical axis, but within that seeming verticality, each of our joints navigates its own axis of movement….just as the Earth spins on its own axis. To be alive means to be moving; even in places where we might appear still there is a constant navigation and recalibration happening to keep us upright.

When we hold a clearer understanding of our center, and its patterns, we can move better, smarter, and with more ease.

Some of the things we’ll look at in this series are:
~ finding your center
~ gait patterns
~ balance
~ anatomy of our feet
~ joint mechanics

Each class will include approximately 55 minutes of movement and asana, along with breath work, meditation, and a generous savasana.

Each week will also include short midweek movement videos for you to work with to deepen your experience.

All classes will be recorded and the recordings will be available for one week.

Saturdays in April (3, 10, 17, 24)
9:30 - 10:45am CST

Cost: $50
(members of online library, please see the home page of the library for discount and registration info)

Registration CLOSES April 2, 2021

REGISTER HERE

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SATYA, SIT & SIP | march new moon
Mar
14
6:30 PM18:30

SATYA, SIT & SIP | march new moon

Drinking a cup of water or milk containing some teaspoons of 100% pure cacao or high quality chocolate might help you cope better with stress or anxiety and help you sleep better. This may be because cacao contains components that ameliorate the body’s physical signs of stress and that, in turn, feeds back to the brain by calming someone and helping them sleep. (Psychology Today)

⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸

Once a month, I invite you to join me to unwind stress and anxiety from our tissues through a slow nourishing, restorative and somatic movement practice, which will include the SATYA from Prajna Yoga. After an approximately 45 minute practice, we’ll rest in savasana and then finish with guided meditation and breathwork.

You can choose to complete the session here OR stick around and continue our virtual gathering to SIP some drinking cacao (or tea or golden milk) together, soaking in each other’s company either in silence or with shared check ins.

This month we’ll be honoring the energy of the March New Moon (March 13) and the shift back out of Daylight Savings!)

⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸

SUNDAY, March 14, 2021
6:30-8pm CST

⫸Class Price: $15
(free to members of online library - registration details are at the top of the HOME page of the library)

⫸REGISTRATION CLOSES 24 hours BEFORE the event begins.

REGISTER HERE

⫸The class will be recorded and available to anyone who has registered for one week after the class.

⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸

If you have any questions about cacao or drinking chocolate in the evening, feel free to reach out. I offer a drinking chocolate mix in my store that contains 100% cacao, but will also send a list of my favorite resources for cacao upon registration.

View Event →
March Class Series: MOBILITY
Mar
6
to Mar 27

March Class Series: MOBILITY

What people sometimes forget is that strength training when done in a full range of motion is actually mobility training. However, mobility training does not equal strength training. (Kathryn Bruni-Young)

There has been a lot of talk in the world of yoga these days about “mobility training” (myself included!)

But what is mobility? And how is it different than flexibility? These are excellent, and important, questions (especially if you teach yoga or movement) and some of what we’ll dive into in this month’s class series.

For me, personally, when I understood (experientially, not just theoretically) the differences, It was a game changer!Joints became more stable (and less achy), effort was better distributed, and things I thought I “couldn’t do” became do-able.

Each class will include approximately 45 minutes of movement and asana, as well as breath work, meditation, and a full savasana.

Each week will also include contemplations for you to work with during the days between classes.

All classes will be recorded and the recordings will be available for one week.

Saturdays in March (6, 13, 20, 27)
9-10:15am CST

Cost: $50
(members of online library, please see the home page of the library for discount and registration info)

Registration CLOSES March 4, 2021

REGISTER HERE

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SATYA, SIT & SIP | Mayan New Year
Feb
19
6:30 PM18:30

SATYA, SIT & SIP | Mayan New Year

Drinking a cup of water or milk containing some teaspoons of 100% pure cacao or high quality chocolate might help you cope better with stress or anxiety and help you sleep better. This may be because cacao contains components that ameliorate the body’s physical signs of stress and that, in turn, feeds back to the brain by calming someone and helping them sleep. (Psychology Today)

⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸

Once a month, I invite you to join me to unwind stress and anxiety from our tissues through a slow nourishing, restorative and somatic movement practice, which will include the SATYA from Prajna Yoga. After an approximately 45 minute practice, we’ll rest in savasana and then finish with guided meditation and breathwork.

You can choose to complete the session here OR stick around and continue our virtual gathering to SIP some drinking cacao (or tea or golden milk) together, soaking in each other’s company either in silence or with shared check ins.

⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸

This month is extra special, as we’ll be gathering on the Mayan New Year! Welcoming in the energy of the new 9 Iq year. I’ll offer a brief explanation of what this year’s energy holds during our “SIP” portion this month. If you are interested in received your own personal Mayan Calendar/Cross reading, I offer one them by donation. $25 is the suggested donation for a one-hour reading. Please message me to find out more.

⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸

FRIDAY February 19, 2021
6:30-8pm CST

⫸Class Price: $15
(free to members of online library - registration details are at the top of the HOME page of the library)

⫸REGISTRATION CLOSES 24 hours BEFORE the event begins.

REGISTER HERE

⫸The class will be recorded and available to anyone who has registered for one week after the class.

⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸

If you have any questions about cacao or drinking chocolate in the evening, feel free to reach out. I offer a drinking chocolate mix in my store that contains 100% cacao, but will also send a list of my favorite resources for cacao upon registration.

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February Class Series: FORTIFY
Feb
6
to Feb 27

February Class Series: FORTIFY

In Ayurveda, the belief is that before you do any sort of deep healing or detoxification work, you first need to FORTIFY.

As we more towards the season of spring, often times we feel the call from our bodies to lighten and shed the more introspective (and perhaps, heavier) energies of winter. This year, we might be hearing the call to also shed the heavier energies of so much more, personal and collective.

So, for this month’s class series, we’ll explore what it means to truly FORTIFY ourselves and our systems; not as a means of barricading or blocking ourselves off from what arises, but rather as a way of preparing our systems to be more RESILIENT and ADAPTABLE.

Tapas, which refers to the “doing” or more efforted aspect of a yoga asana practice, is meant to be a daily NURTURING system, not just a vigilant, discipline.

These series are designed to support our personal home yoga practice, whatever that looks like, so that we can seek refuge in our practice wherever we are and whenever we need it.

Each class will include approximately 45 minutes of movement and asana, as well as breath work, meditation, and a full savasana.

Each week will also include a short video and contemplations for you to work with during the days between classes.

All classes will be recorded and the recordings will be available for one week.

REGISTRATION CLOSES on February 5, 2021.

COST for the series is $50
(members of my online library can access your discount code on the home page of the library)

REGISTER HERE

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SATYA, SIT & SIP
Jan
17
6:30 PM18:30

SATYA, SIT & SIP

Drinking a cup of water or milk containing some teaspoons of 100% pure cacao or high quality chocolate might help you cope better with stress or anxiety and help you sleep better. This may be because cacao contains components that ameliorate the body’s physical signs of stress and that, in turn, feeds back to the brain by calming someone and helping them sleep. (Psychology Today)

⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸

Once a month, I invite you to join me to unwind stress and anxiety from our tissues through a slow nourishing, restorative and somatic movement practice, which will include the SATYA from Prajna Yoga. After an approximately 45 minute practice, we’ll rest in savasana and then finish with guided meditation and breathwork.

You can choose to complete the session here OR stick around and continue our virtual gathering to SIP some drinking cacao (or tea or golden milk) together, soaking in each other’s company either in silence or with shared check ins.

⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸

SUNDAY, January 17, 2021
6:30-8pm CST

⫸Class Price: $15
(free to members of online library - registration details are at the top of the HOME page of the library)

⫸REGISTRATION CLOSES 24 hours BEFORE the event begins.

REGISTER HERE

⫸The class will be recorded and available to anyone who has registered for one week after the class.

⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸⫷⫸

If you have any questions about cacao or drinking chocolate in the evening, feel free to reach out. I offer a drinking chocolate mix in my store that contains 100% cacao, but will also send a list of my favorite resources for cacao upon registration.

View Event →
December Movement Advent(ure) & Countdown
Dec
1
to Dec 31

December Movement Advent(ure) & Countdown

Welcome to my December Movement Advent(ure) & Countdown!

If you decide to join me for this advent/ure, on each of the 31 days of December you'll receive a 3-5 minute movement bite in your inbox.

They may not be edible like the chocolate that's revealed each day with the more traditional advent calendars (although the edibility of some of that chocolate is questionable!!) But each day will provide you with a moment to pause and offer yourself a bit of nourishment, in the form of playful, inspirational movement!

Sign up for FREE HERE

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Cacao, Contemplation & Self Care Home Retreat (Online)
Nov
7
to Nov 15

Cacao, Contemplation & Self Care Home Retreat (Online)

THIS EVENT IS FULL

No matter what the outcome of the 2020 elections (assuming we even know by this time!), we’ve all had a tumultuous year, to say the least. And, no matter what the election results end up being, it’s safe to say that the tumult is far from over.

We must first care for our selves, so that we can then care for others.
We must first heal ourselves; so that we can then help to heal others.

This offering will revolve around a daily pause.
And that pause will revolve around chocolate.

I want to encourage all of us to guard our sense doors,
reclaim our attention,
listen deeply,
remember our particular purpose,
belong.
(Sebene Selassie)

We might not be able to get out of the city or even take off an entire week, but almost all of us can schedule our time differently. To schedule time in for true self care, to check in with ourselves, and to stay with whatever our experience is.

With this offering, you will receive:
⫸ 8 craft chocolate personal tastings (2-3 bites each)
⫸ daily guided meditations and contemplations (10-20 minutes long)
⫸ 1 preparation for a custom drinking chocolate mix,
ready for you to easily prepare
⫸ 3 LIVE check ins that will involve cacao, gentle movement
and connection. (recorded if you can’t join)
⫸ access to Jyl’s online library of classes during the reteat

Space is Limited.
Registration closes October 28, 2020

Cost: $85 (includes s/h of chocolate)
Reserve your Spot HERE

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Benefit Class for De Vecino A Vecino (ONLINE)
Oct
18
10:00 AM10:00

Benefit Class for De Vecino A Vecino (ONLINE)

In June, some friends of mine in the Sacred Valley took the initiative to step up for members of the community who were struggling with hunger and malnutrition due to the economic hardships exacerbated by the strict governmental restrictions imposed in COVID-19 Lockdown.

As of October 1, they have been able to help feed over 380 people in the 6 different Andean communities, along with serving warm lunches to 85 children every week day. The work to get the food baskets to these families is arduous, as most reside high up in the Andes and most are only accessible by foot (at altitudes nearing 15,000 ft!); each journey involves a 4-6 hour hike.

The Sacred Valley is currently undergoing its second wave of COVID, so their efforts unfortunately must continue. ALL proceeds from this class will go towards their efforts. 100% of the donations they receive go directly to providing food and basic needs to the communities. You may donate directly to their GoFundMe page or to me through Paypal or Venmo.

Please PRE-REGISTER for this class HERE
(Venmo, Paypal, and GoFundMe links will be provided upon registration)

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT De Vecino A Vecino HERE:
https://vimeo.com/469371108

Follow them or SUPPORT their WORK here:

Thank you!

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Neuro Flow | 4-Class Series
Jul
6
to Jul 27

Neuro Flow | 4-Class Series

A 4-Class Series
Every Monday in July | 10-11am CST

(Classes will be recorded and available if you are not able to make the live class time)

In this series, we’ll focus primarily on the relationship between our eyes, our brain, and our neck and shoulders. Tech neck has become an all too familiar term for many of us living in this modern day and age of technology, but many factors come into play when it comes to tension in our neck and shoulders, or extended eye strain from staring at screens. What I’ve begun to discover is that there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution to these common complaints, but instead many potential tools for us to consider - and the more options that we have, the more apt we are to decide what the best combination of strategies is for ourselves, and for our own unique nervous systems!

Zoom links will be sent upon registration.

REGISER HERE

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The Yoga of Chocolate™ Online Offering
Apr
7
6:00 PM18:00

The Yoga of Chocolate™ Online Offering

Join me for my first online The Yoga of Chocolate™ offering!

Full Moon, Tuesday April 7th, 6-8 pm (CST) (registration deadline: April 2)

In Patanjali’s 8 Limbs of Yoga, the fifth limb, pratyahara, is often defined as ‘a withdrawal of the senses’. With its central location it could also be considered the “bridge limb” – the point where the outer can become inner (and vice versa). With the practice of pratyahara you can cultivate a more intimate relationship to your experience of sensation. (Note: the root word of sensation, along with sensory, sensitive, and sensual, is ‘sense’.)

A less common translation of the word pratyahara ‘to recover our senses’.

In this event, we will use asana, somatic movement, meditation, breath, and chocolate as the vehicles to help cultivate that recovery of our senses. And we will be doing so using chocolate from some of Peru’s finest craft chocolate makers (most of which not currently available in the US).

Fine craft chocolate can teach us how to slow down and really taste, savor, and be with our present moment experiences, whatever they may be. Combining chocolate tasting with mindful movement and attention can help us go deeply inward and become more attuned to the smells, textures, and tastes of the chocolate and of the infinite subtle physical sensation potential of our bodies; and how interconnected it all is…and we all are.
…………………….
Chocolate (Cacao) is one of the most complex foods on the planet, more than twice as complex as wine in it’s flavor notes! These days the world of chocolate is exploding with innovative new (and established) chocolate makers committed to using the highest quality & flavor cacao beans from around the world; but it’s also filled with “imposters”, sugar and flavoring-laden candy labeled as chocolate. The TYOC experience will help you to better navigate the chocolate aisles and also to enjoy chocolate in a way where you might better understand, on an experiential level, why cacao was deemed worthy enough to deserve he scientific name Theobroma Cacao, which translates to “Food of the Gods”.
………………………….

SPACE IS LIMITED (because the chocolate is limited!)

RESERVE YOUR SPOT HERE
(registration closes April 2, 2020)

COST $40 (all proceeds will be donated to Meals on Wheels)

Included:
—chocolate tasting package
—90 minuted guided TYOC guided yoga & meditation class (all levels friendly)
—PDF on cacao & chocolate
—PDF on the chocolate you’ve tasted
—special surprise gift

Requirements:
—access to internet (we’ll be meeting on Zoom)
—quiet space to practice & taste
—physical mailing address (to send the chocolate!)

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Right Tension: Yoga & Resistance Bands
Feb
29
8:30 AM08:30

Right Tension: Yoga & Resistance Bands

RIGHT TENSION: Yoga Asana & Resistance Bands

As paradoxical as it might sound, we actually aim to create a lot of tension in our yoga practice. But the tension experienced in yoga is (or should be!) a far cry from that which we can experience in our daily lives.

By incorporating resistance bands as props for our yoga asana (poses), we can become more aware of this tension and how we can better utilize it. When we understand how to better use our body's own deep stability system, we are able to develop right tension within our body. This understanding can lead to both more mobility and more strength.

In this workshop, we will work with both preparatory movement for some of the more common, or “basic”, yoga postures; eventually building into these postures. Through the use of the bands, we'll be able to explore the basics of controlled mobility – that is, how to control our end ranges of movement, and how to create more stability within the movement. Resistance bands can shed awareness onto the areas where we tend to underwork, or are less connected to, allowing us to move towards a more whole-istic way of moving, be it on our mats or throughout or day to day lives.

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The Yoga of Chocolate™
Feb
28
5:30 PM17:30

The Yoga of Chocolate™

In this workshop, asana, meditation, and chocolate are the vehicles which we use to cultivate that recovery of our senses - that sensitivity that we often lose when when we get caught up in the rapid pace of our lives. We will also explore  our eyes, nose, mouth, tongue, heart, and whole body will be opened so that we are free to truly take in the delicate subtleties in the different varieties of movement...and, of course, chocolate!


Chocolate is used as a means of directing the our attention inward, and not at all as a gimick. Chocolate (Cacao) is one of the most complex foods on the planet, more than twice as complex as wine in it's flavor notes!These days the world of chocolate is exploding with innovative new (and established) chocolate makers committed to using the highest quality & flavor cacao beans from around the world. Up until now much of what was known as "chocolate" were really mostly products filled with sugar, dairy, and many other unsavory additives to create the "chocolate flavor".

Fine chocolate can teach us how to slow down and really taste, savor, and enjoy our present moment experiences, whatever they may be!Combining chocolate tasting with the mindful movement and meditation allows attendees to go deeply inward, becoming more attuned to the smell, texture, tastes of the chocolate and of the infinite subtle physical sensations of their bodies.

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Breaking the Rules | Abilene Yoga House
Feb
21
to Feb 22

Breaking the Rules | Abilene Yoga House

Breaking the Rules: Practice, Presence, & Play (Part 1)

Destructuring our practice promotes awareness and aliveness in the body and can bring with it a sense of spontaneity and freedom.

When done with Presence it helps us deepen our natural vibrancy and the capacity to be open to the world while still having healthy boundaries. Our practice becomes rooted in being fluidly aware of internal and external experiences while focusing on what matters in the moment.

Play is the secret ingredient. Making time to play...do things just to see what happens, just because we want to (note: the wanting to is integral), invites us to bring our entire spirit and curiosity to whatever it is we're engaging with. Play takes the pressure out of doing and just does.

In this x-part series we'll begin by looking at our asana practice – what we're doing and how we're doing it - and see what happens when we shake things up, maybe even breaking a few “rules” while we're at it!

By adding elements which target our subtle body and nervous system, we can begin to notice how they influence the way we move and help us to move not only better, but smarter!

These classes are open to:
~all levels, but those with at least 6 months of yoga experience are likely to benefit the most.
~anyone who can move up and down from the floor easily.
~anyone with acute or chronic injuries are welcome to contact Jyl before the class to discuss if this class is right for them: jylmarie@gmail.com

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The Yoga of Chocolate™ | Zen Den, Granbury TX
Feb
15
1:30 PM13:30

The Yoga of Chocolate™ | Zen Den, Granbury TX

In Patanjali’s 8 Limbs of Yoga, the fifth limb, pratyahara, is often defined as ‘a withdrawal of the senses’. With it’s central location it could also be considered the “bridge limb” – the point where the outer can become inner (and vice versa). With the practice of pratyahara you can cultivate a more intimate relationship to your experience of sensation. (Note: the root word of sensation, along with sensory, sensitive, and sensual, is ‘sense’.)
A less common translation of the word pratyahara ‘to recover our senses’.

In this workshop, asana, meditation, and chocolate are the vehicles which we use to cultivate that recovery of our senses – that sensitivity that we often lose when when we get caught up in the rapid pace of our lives. We will also explore SATYA, a school of somatic movement techniques developed by Tias Little, to further heighten that awareness. Our eyes, nose, mouth, tongue, heart, and whole body will be opened so that we are free to truly take in the delicate subtleties in the different varieties of movement…and, of course, chocolate!

Chocolate is used as a means of directing the our attention inward, and not at all as a gimick. Chocolate (Cacao) is one of the most complex foods on the planet, more than twice as complex as wine in it’s flavor notes! These days the world of chocolate is exploding with innovative new (and established) chocolate makers committed to using the highest quality & flavor cacao beans from around the world. Up until now much of what was known as “chocolate” were really mostly products filled with sugar, dairy, and many other unsavory additives to create the “chocolate flavor”.

Fine chocolate can teach us how to slow down and really taste, savor, and enjoy our present moment experiences, whatever they may be! Combining chocolate tasting with the mindful movement and meditation allows attendees to go deeply inward, becoming more attuned to the smell, texture, tastes of the chocolate and of the infinite subtle physical sensations of their bodies.



Jyl Kutsche has been teaching yoga since 2003 and is a Senior Instructor of Prajna Yoga and has studied with Tias & Surya Little since 2003. She has received both her 200 hr & 500 hr certifications through their school; and she is one of the first graduates of the SATYA (Somatic Awareness Training for Yoga Attunement) training, which draws heaving from the work of Moshe Feldenkrais and Thomas Hanna in a way that has been modified to illuminate an asana practice.

Currently dividing her time between the United States and Peru, Jyl leads workshops and retreats around the world. She brings an interdisciplinary approach to her teaching, combining form & flow with therapeutic somatic movement and applied neurology in the trainings, retreats & workshops she leads.

She is a Licensed Massage Therapist who is currently studying Visionary Craniosacral Work with Hugh Milne, Visceral Manipulation, and Applied Neurology. And she is passionate about using plants and food as medicine. Her exploration of cacao as plant medicine has turned a lifetime chocolate addiction into a profound part of her life's journey. For the past decade, she has been able to make a long-time dream a reality through her work with cacao farmers and indigenous healers in Peru and Central America. www.jylmarieyoga.com

$35 energy exchange

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The Art of Self Care: A Day of Yoga & Ceremony | Austin
Dec
8
10:00 AM10:00

The Art of Self Care: A Day of Yoga & Ceremony | Austin

What does it really mean to care for one's Self? 

In the haste of our modern lives, sometimes self care can be limited to mostly superficial actions (and there’s nothing at all wrong with that). But true healing arises from deep within our being. It’s what happens when we stop and honestly assess where we’re really at at any given moment - what’s arising, what needs to be seen, what we simply need.  And then giving ourselves the time to address those discoveries:  to tend to our inner landscapes. As the winter equinox, the holiday season, and the end of the year approach, the time is perfect to turn our attentions inward and replenish the deep reserves of our soul.

I invite you to join me, on the eve of the last New Moon of the year,
for a day that will include an alchemy of:
Slow, Contemplative Yogasana
Somatic Movement
Cacao Offering
Guided & Silent Meditation
Self Inquiry
Healing Sound & Breath Work
Nourishing Food, Snacks & Tea
& Communion

Space is limited & early registration is recommended as last years retreat sold out quickly.
$85 Early Bird (before December 1), $95 after.
Register HERE.
The retreat will take place at a private studio in Travis Heights.
Details will be sent out after registration. 

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Paying Attention: Yoga, Neuroplasticity & Chocolate | The Yoga Haven
Nov
22
to Nov 23

Paying Attention: Yoga, Neuroplasticity & Chocolate | The Yoga Haven

PAYING ATTENTION: Yoga, Neuroplasticity & Chocolate

Friday November 22nd 6pm-8pm $40
Saturday November 23rd 1pm-4pm $60
$90 Full Workshop:Friday & Saturday

Our brains are receiving information constantly via the channels of our senses. This information is then processed and responded to through motion. How can we better support this complex, but also very delicate circuitry of information? By paying attention. Attention is everything; and it's the only way that we, as adults, can learn.

In these two workshops, we'll explore this idea in two very different ways.

Friday evening will focus on INPUT, the information we're taking in through the channels of our senses, using what might possibly be the best assistant out there: Chocolate.

On Saturday afternoon we'll explore OUTPUT using, both familiar and new, movement and yoga asana and how our senses, specifically our vestibule ocular reflex (a geeky way of referring to the relationship between our eyes & ears), can support our mobility, strength and flexibility.

Both workshops are open to all levels of practitioners. The only prerequisite is a willingness to explore, wobble, and quite likely not getting everything "perfect" on the first or even possibly the 10th attempt.

Reserve your spot HERE


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Cacao Offering at The Goddess Retreat | Zen Den, Granbury Texas
Nov
17
10:00 AM10:00

Cacao Offering at The Goddess Retreat | Zen Den, Granbury Texas

I don’t lead cacao ceremonies often these days, but every now and again a get a request to do one that just feels right. This is one of those times. I’m delighted for the opportunity to lead a cacao offering during The Goddess Retreat in Granbury, Texas (just outside of Fort Worth). If you’re interested in finding out more about this beautiful weekend offering, you can do so https://www.zendenwc.com/events/the-goddess-circle-retreat

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Tour de Cacao | Machu Picchu Journey
Oct
5
to Oct 10

Tour de Cacao | Machu Picchu Journey

Registration for Tour de Cacao has closed. If you’d like to be one of the first to know about what I’m brewing up in the way of yoga & chocolate (and more!) in 2020, please register HERE.

Love chocolate but not really sure where it comes from or how it's even made?

Or perhaps you see it, as I do, as a sacred food, a food worthy of ceremony and pause, and would like to deepen your connection to the spirit of the plant?

In this once-in-a-lifetime adventure we'll travel to one of the cacao growing regions of Peru, Quillabamba, and spend 2 days on one of the most spectacular cacao farms I've ever visited. The farmer is both a master agronomist and cultivator, and grows many varieties of cacao on his 40+ year old farm, including a very rare and native variety called Chuncho Blanco. His farm is also saturated with other crops - a wide range of citrus (over 20 mind-boggling varieties!), native fruits, and palta (avocado). After walking his farm, learning about his trees, cultivation, and the art of growing cacao, we will have the opportunity to observe the post-harvest processing which includes fermentation and sun drying, followed by processes that start to bring us closer to our beloved chocolate...roasting, peeling and grinding! To further deepen our connection to this sacred plant/food, we'll be spending the night on his farm, enjoying meals with his family, and soaking in the beautiful energy of the jungle. After filling ourselves with the energy and knowledge of cacao, we'll begin our drive towards Machu Picchu, walking the last portion of the Inca Trail (approximately a 3 hour, all-levels hike through beautiful jungle terrain), spend the night in Aguas Caliente (with a small cacao ceremony/offering), and then wake up early the next morning for Machu Picchu. After several hours (guided & non) at this sacred Incan citadel, we will take the train & bus back to Cusco. 

More details & registration can be found HERE

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Abilene Yoga House | Weekend Workshop
Jun
21
to Jun 23

Abilene Yoga House | Weekend Workshop

Metanoia : A Weekend of Yoga & Movement Exploration

'Meta' means to change or 'beyond'
'Noia' means 'thinking' or 'knowing'

Metanoia = to change how we think; to look beyond what we think we know

This weekend's offerings will be all about exploring new perspectives and new ways of approaching our yoga practice, and how we move through our lives, in general. When we step away from the familiar or the habitual ways of doing things, we are often able to unlock areas that have been underutilized, stuck, or overworked.

These offerings will not be about “right” or “wrong” ways of doing asana; rather, just the aim will be to create a space for you to make those discoveries on your own. All levels welcome. (Please tell Jyl about any chronic or recent injuries or concerns before the classes begin)

Friday June 21 6-8pm
Front & Back Body

Most of our life is spent moving forward through the world, but, embryologically, our back body could be said to have developed before our front body; it led the charge to our become fully embodied. How can we bring more awareness to those parts of our front or back that are less utilized? Be that physically or energetically.

In this class we'll use small, subtle, and semi-sneaky movement to target some of the “key players” in these areas: hamstrings and gluts, psoas, and hip flexors, scapula and sternum; but also explore sensitivity and motor control – where it comes easily...and where it doesn't...and how we can bring a greater sense of balance to not just our asana practice, but to all of our movement.

Saturday June 22
The term 'core' get thrown around so much these days, but what do we mean when we refer to 'our core'? In my personal experience, our core relates to everything...from how we move...to the core of our life... to that which drives us in our lives. Our core is that which helps us stand strong and steady in a world that often can sometimes feel like it's trying to knock us down. But this doesn't mean only turning inward to find that steadiness; it also means we extend ourselves outwards towards the support that is available from the openness of, and perhaps even beyond, our physical forms.

In these two classes, we'll use skillful physical movement to discover more about our own core supports us in our lives and how we can help to better support it.

12-2:30: Opening Outwards

In this class, we'll focus on using rotation movements and playful preparations for arm balancing to explore the relationship between the core of our body and our limbs.

4-6:30: Holding Your Center

In the second half of the day's offerings, we'll connect deeply with our midline awareness and how we can better support that both through our yoga practice and our lives.

Sunday 9-12 am: Low + Slow

Our joints are amazing and complex structures in our body and require a lot of our metabolic energy. If we don't use them (meaning if we aren't moving them), our bodies intelligence starts to send that energy to areas where it's going to be better utilized. This can lead to stiffness, achiness, and immobility in our joints. When we are able to move well through our lives, we not only age well, but we feel well!

This workshop is going to focus on creating more sense of fluidity and stability in our joints; all of them! As the name of the workshop implies, the majority of this class will be done low to the ground, keeping our center of gravity low to the Earth and using the support of gravity to assist us in this process. Most of this class is what I call “dynamic restorative” work, but there will be space at the end to drop into some of the more familiar supported, restorative postures.

REGISTER HERE






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Prajna Yoga Immersion: Explore Your Core
Apr
15
to Apr 19

Prajna Yoga Immersion: Explore Your Core

A stable, accessible core means so much more than just six-pack abs. When healthy and balanced, it can provide physical, emotional, visceral, and even psycho-spiritual support. In this week-long immersion, we’ll explore this deep part of ourselves through both subtle and dynamic work in a variety of playful and unexpected ways.

Monday-Friday 9-11 AM
IMMERSION $100 or Single Session $25
Attend one or all 5 classes!!
Register HERE

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The Yoga of Chocolate™: A Journey through the Senses
Apr
5
6:00 PM18:00

The Yoga of Chocolate™: A Journey through the Senses

In Patanjali’s 8 Limbs of Yoga, the fifth limb, pratyahara, is often defined as ‘a withdrawal of the senses’. With it’s central location it could also be considered the “bridge limb” – the point where the outer can become inner (and vice versa). With the practice of pratyahara you can cultivate a more intimate relationship to your experience of sensation. (Note: the root word of sensation, along with sensory, sensitive, and sensual, is ‘sense’.)

A less common translation of the word pratyahara ‘to recover our senses’.

In this workshop, led by Prajna Yoga Teacher and Cacao Passionista, Jyl Kutsche, asana, meditation, and chocolate are the vehicles which we use to cultivate that recovery of our senses – that sensitivity that we often lose when when we get caught up in the rapid pace of our lives. We will also explore SATYA, a school of somatic movement techniques developed by Tias Little, to further heighten that awareness. Our eyes, nose, mouth, tongue, heart, and whole body will be opened so that we are free to truly take in the delicate subtleties in the different varieties of movement…and, of course, chocolate!

Chocolate is used as a means of directing the our attention inward, and not at all as a gimick. Chocolate (Cacao) is one of the most complex foods on the planet, more than twice as complex as wine in it’s flavor notes! These days the world of chocolate is exploding with innovative new (and established) chocolate makers committed to using the highest quality & flavor cacao beans from around the world. Up until now much of what was known as “chocolate” were really mostly products filled with sugar, dairy, and many other unsavory additives to create the “chocolate flavor”.

Fine chocolate can teach us how to slow down and really taste, savor, and enjoy our present moment experiences, whatever they may be! Combining chocolate tasting with the mindful movement and meditation allows attendees to go deeply inward, becoming more attuned to the smell, texture, tastes of the chocolate and of the infinite subtle physical sensations of their bodies.

Reserve your space (and chocolate!) HERE
$40

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Spring Equinox Cacao Gathering
Mar
20
5:30 PM17:30

Spring Equinox Cacao Gathering

The Spring Equinox is a time for celebration! The outside world might still only be showing the vaguest signs of spring, but our inner worlds are ready to step into the newness and preparing to welcome the waves of solar energy to come! On this evening, we will take time to pause and, with the support of cacao, feel into our hearts and plant seeds of intention to carry us into the seasons of spring and summer ahead.

This will be a partly led, partly self-guided gathering. Using Prasad Chocolate, we’ll choose one of the guidebooks that resonates with us and, together, prepare and drink our cacao. Please bring any items that feel sacred or inspiring to you, including something to write on and with, and any simple art supplies in case the urge moves you.

Reserve your space HERE
$25

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