Dear Friends,

Letting go of the summer… a practice of impermanence. Everything changes, including our studio! We are looking forward to hosting you in our newly renovated adult yoga studio, with its peaceful views over the treetops near Connecticut Avenue. We are sure this will provide a relaxing and quiet space for you to unwind and re-connect mind and body through the practice of mindful yoga.

Fall classes at Circle Yoga and Budding Yogis start on September 12. In addition to our regular mix of Hatha, Anusara, Iyengar and Ashtanga mindful yoga classes for all ages and stages of life (including moms-to-be), we are delighted to introduce the following NEW classes:

• Pilates with Annette, Mondays 11:15am-12:15pm; Tuesdays 6:15-7:15pm
• Belly Dance with Annette, Tuesdays 7:30-8:30pm
• Shake Your Soul with Christine, Thursdays 1:30-8:30am
• Beginning African Dance with Christine, Sundays 10:30-11:45am

In addition, we have a varied and exciting new line-up of workshops, including:

• Pathways to Happiness - Learning, not Luck, Saturday, September 24
• Integrated Movement Therapy (IMT), Friday, September 30-Sunday, October 2
• Advanced IMT Training, Monday, October 3
• Introduction to Non-violent Communication, Saturday, October 8
• Hip Openers, Sunday October 9
• What's Your Story, Saturday, October 15
• Teaching Yoga to Kids - Budding Yogis Certification Program; Friday, November 4-Sunday, November 6

Don't forget the 10% discount for signing up 3 weeks in advance! For information and times on all of our classes and workshops, including Budding Yogis and the Circle Yoga therapeutic yoga program, please call the studio on 202 686 1104 or visit our website at www.circleyoga.com.

Stay tuned for news of the Budding Yogis' therapeutic yoga program, for children with special needs, starting September 12 also. In the meantime, I hope you will join us for some fun, prizes and free yoga at the Circle Yoga Open House from 10am - 1pm on September 18.

Breathing and smiling,

Annie
Circle Yoga
It's easy to Be here.

Smiling Like a Buddha
Wednesdays, April 6­June 15, 7:30­9:30 pm, $200

Pathways to Happiness~Learning, Not Luck
Saturday, September 24, 2-4 pm, $25
Ever find yourself wishing "things" would change so that you could be happier? Join us for this lively, interactive workshop that reveals what the latest scientific research tells us (and what yogic philosophy has always known) about what makes people truly happy and fulfilled. You'll get a chance to try out a few of the practices proven to create more positive feelings in daily life and learn to experience more joy, engagement and meaning in your life. With Robin Carnes, life coach, yoga, meditation teacher and author.

Integrated Movement Therapy (IMT)
Friday, September 30-Sunday, October 2, $350
Fri. 6:30-9:30 pm|Sat. 12-4 pm|Sun. 10-4 pm
$300 if paid by September 10. Limited scholarships available.
Advanced IMT Training: Monday, October 3, $75
Integrated Movement Therapy® is an holistic therapy approach for people of all ages, from infancy to adulthood. Using yoga based movement and breathing techniques, a Masters-level therapist addresses the unique challenges of people with special needs in a calm, supportive and nurturing environment. With Molly Kenny of The Samarya Center in Seattle. See http://www.samaryacenter.com/samarya/staff.html for bio. And www.samaryacenter.com/imt/index.html for more information about IMT.

Introduction to Non-violent Communication
Saturday, October 8, 2-5 pm, $35/person or $60/couple
In this interactive and fun workshop we will learn the basics of Nonviolent Communication (NVC). NVC is a powerful tool that helps us cultivate more compassion toward ourselves and others, to prevent and resolve conflicts and stay present and connected even in the most difficult situations. With Inessa Love, NVC Training and founder of dcnvc.com.

Hip Openers
Sunday, October 9, Beginning/Intermediate: 12-2 pm, $30/person
Intermediate/Advanced: 2:30-4:30, $30/person
Come and study with Annie's teacher, Kate Miller, one of the country's foremost Anusara Yoga teachers. Beginner/Intermediate: Taking a Good Seat. Enjoy a practice of hip-openers that will support any seat you chose to take in your life. Kate Miller will guide us through slow therapeutic movements and mindful yoga asanas that will help unblock any pain or discomfort in the low back and hips. The pelvis is the center of the body and when it is in balance the rest of the body can the sing the rewards. Intermediate/Advanced: Unfolding the Lotus. Come and take the journey into unfolding the lotus pose. This workshop will explore how turning the legs and hips inward can offer greater potential to opening the hips outwardly and taking a more balanced seat for meditation. Through the journey of our bodies, we can learn how to take a deeper seat in our own hearts. No injuries please.

What's Your Story
Saturday, October 15, 2-4 pm, $30
As individuals and organizations marketing our services, we each have a unique and inspiring story to tell. Our story is not only about what we do. It is about who we are, how we work, and what inspires us on a day-to-day basis. A strong story conveys a deeper message that can evoke powerful responses. Based on the work of Carl Jung, this hands-on workshop will help you tap into your inner story, for yourself and/or your business, and use it as a guide for all of your communications. With Cynthia Forstmann of Write Edge Communications.

Teaching Yoga to Kids
Budding Yogis Certification Program
Friday, November 4-Sunday, November 6, $450
Fri. 12:30-4:30 pm & 6-9 pm,
Sat. 12-6 pm, Sun. 8:30 am-12:30 pm & 2-5 pm
This weekend is for parents, teachers, caregivers, yoga teachers, and anyone interested in learning how to teach yoga to kids. We will learn the Basics of teaching yoga to kids, including making a class plan, teaching poses, playing yoga games, managing behavior, special needs, and more. Students will have a chance to practice teach during free kids classes at the studio. Budding Yogis is the only kids yoga studio in Washington, D.C. teaching yoga to hundreds of children since 2003. Annie Mahon is RYT, Anusara-affiliated, Next Generation Yoga, and Radiant Child trained. Linda Feldman is an Iyengar yoga teacher, Kids Yoga, Next Generation Yoga, and Radiant Child trained. Students will be certified as Budding Yogis Level I with certificate if they attend all sessions and practice teaching.

Shoulder Workshop
Sunday, November 13, 1-4 pm, $45
Come and study with Annie's teacher, Kate Miller, one of the country's foremost Anusara Yoga teachers, and find relief from tension and stiffness in your shoulders or just enjoy the feeling of ease that comes with opening the shoulder girdle. Create more freedom in your upper body movements by stretching and strengthening the shoulder area.

Belly Dancing for Girls (ages 10+)
Sunday, October 23, 1-2:30 pm, $20
Come have some fun in a playful afternoon of dance and yoga! We will cultivate appreciation for our bodies and dance with friends in a non-competitive environment. The yoga of belly dance develops body awareness in a mindful way, while inspiring the spirit through the expressive movements of this sacred feminine art form. In this workshop we'll explore the foundations of belly dancing by integrating traditional dance movements with yogic principles of alignment. We'll learn basic techniques of belly dancing including posture, arm movements, hip work, shimmies and steps and turns. We'll also learn how to dance with a veil! No prior dance or yoga experience necessary. Bring a light heart and be prepared to move! With Annette Z

Yoga for Soccer Players (kids ages 7-12)
Sunday, October 23, 1-2 pm, $18
Young soccer players will learn yoga stretches that will help them prevent injury, stretch muscles commonly used in soccer, and relax stressed-out athletes. With Annie Mahon, Founder and Director of Circle Yoga.

Yoga for Relaxation
Sunday, November 6, 1-3 pm, $18
Come and learn to consciously rest so that you can feel renewed, healed and balanced. With Marisa Vargas.

African Dance for Kids
Sunday, November 13, 1-2 pm, ages 8+, $18
Have you ever watched West African dancers and wondered if your body could move like them? For many of us, "culture" has taught us to suppress such free movements. This style of dance is a natural expression of life and vitality and is accessible to anyone. Live drummers will accompany us as we experiment with movement inspired by dances from Guinea, West Africa. We will move as a group to the rhythm of the 'down' beat, from a low center of gravity. The movements invite a sense of connection while encouraging a racing mind to settle down into the body. Christine has been studying this dance since 1994 and has made 2 recent trips to Guinea studying with Youssouf Koumbassa, master teacher and choreographer and principal dancer for Ballet Djoliba. She is deeply grateful for his inspiration and transmission of the folklore of his homeland, the Motherland.

The Peaceful Home
Sunday, November 20, 3-5:30 pm, $40/pp or $70 for 2
What makes a peaceful home? Stillness? Grace? Flow? Beauty? Respect? Freedom? Communication? Joy? Caring? In this workshop, we will begin by identifying those aspects of a peaceful home that attract us the most. What is our deepest aspiration for our home and family life? We will learn concrete practices that will help us bring into being the peaceful home that is in our hearts. We will learn how to listen to each other mindfully and have an opportunity to practice listening to each other; share ideas about how to create physical spaces for stillness; practice individual and family calming techniques; learn how to eat together in mindfulness; create daily reminders to be mindful; and share family rituals that nurture stillness, respect and caring. We will end by creating gathas-short mindfulness poems-to remind us of our deep intentions and the actions we can take in specific situations. For parents/caregivers and their children ages 10+. With Mitchell Ratner, founder of Stillwater MPC and Annie Mahon, Director of Circle Yoga.

Yoga Nidra
Wednesday, December 28, 7-9 pm, $40
Yoga Nidra is a profoundly healing, transforming, ancient practice in which you learn to relax deeply on every level of your being. It releases tension and is more restful than conventional sleep-four times more restful. Research indicates that Yoga Nidra enhances creativity and vitality, as well as being an effective treatment for illnesses ranging from depression to asthma to heart disease. By cultivating relaxation in the delicious state between waking and sleep, you can revitalize yourself in just a few hours. This workshop is designed for anyone regardless of yoga experience. We will begin with a brief overview of the practice, continue with a few minutes of gentle stretching to warm and unwind the body, and then, for a full hour, the instructor will guide you through a Yoga Nidra session. With Robin Carnes. See www.willowstreetyoga.com for bio.

Coming Soon

Mindful Conflict
January 2006, with Deidre Combs, author of The Way of Conflict