Stellaria Stuff!
Focusing our mind on gentle, flowing movements relaxes the body and mind.As the muscles relax, our emotions and mind are calmer.Yet our mind is clear, sharp and alert.
The soft, slow movements in T'ai Chi follow the natural energy patterns of nature, the moves of animals and birds as they move effortlessly through their environment.Whether it is the seagulls soaring in a line above the ocean shore, rarely flapping their wings, or massive elephants so gentle that they can pass by us without our hearing them, we seek to use our energy as efficiently and effectively as they do.We slow down.We breathe.We move deliberately.We feel centered and calm.
You can read more about Arlene here. Mihaela Campion
Nia Instructor
Mihaela provides this quote from Anna Halprin:
Dance can be approached as a direct and natural way to move without any personalized aesthetics imposed from an outside authority. Dance is not necessarily graceful, pretty, or spectacular. Dance can be grotesque, ugly, clumsy, funny, frightening, and conflicted. It can stomp, fall, attack, clutch, and reach. It can open, close, tiptoe, crawl, twist, turn, pound, jump, run, or skip. We can move together, or alone.
Movement is happening everywhere all the time. It is the motion of our cells, the pulse of our blood, the rhythm of our breath. Movement is life and movement is the source of dance.
from Returning to Health: With Dance, Movement & Imagery, by Anna Halprin (see bookshelf for details)
You can read more about Mihaela here, and about Nia here.
Debbie McDermitt
Yoga Instructor, Counselor
As a yoga teacher, I talk and teach a lot about movement. I encourage students to practice at home because even a little bit of movement a day can help keep the body feeling good and the mind more balanced. That is because movement has more than just physical benefits. I see how healing it can be for someone feeling depressed to shift their energy by dancing to a song at home, walking to errands, opening up into a backbend, or shoveling the snow off of the walk.I see how centering it can be for a scattered mind to balance on one foot for a few breaths or how moving the body and breath in concert can calm someone feeling anxious.I sometimes use physical activity in counseling sessions with children who are resistant or angry to shift their mood. These are just a few examples of how movement of any kind can help not just your body feel good but also improve your energy and balance your emotions!
Debbie is shown above during her video shoot for the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance's Facing Us website. You can see her short video practices here. You can read more about Debbie here.
Stellaria Bookshelf
A Moving Library
We love to move, and we love to read. We even love reading about moving. Here are a few of our favorite books about movement, life, and the love of both.
Mihaela's pick:
Returning to Health: With Dance, Movement & Imagery
by Anna Halprin by Liferhythm
Paperback
List Price: $22.00
Our Price: $14.39 Buy Now
Stephanie's pick:
Sweat Your Prayers
by Gabrielle Roth by Tarcher
Paperback
List Price: $13.95
Our Price: $7.20 Buy Now
Debbie's pick:
Yoga for Wellness: Healing with the Timeless Teachings of Viniyoga
by Gary Kraftsow by Penguin (Non-Classics)
Paperback
List Price: $24.95
Our Price: $14.38 Buy Now
Arlene's pick:
A good friend of mine, Darca Nicholson, recently published a book: "Body Matters - Simple Secrets for Elegant Aging", published by Overhead Press, December, 2007. Darca is a massage therapist and yoga teacher in northern California. Her book is packed full of information, resources, personal stories to aid in being and living in a healthy way. She includes movement exercises as part of her collection. I know from first-hand experience that she has many wonderful suggestions and practices that are simple and this book has some features that will be new to many people. For example, her first chapter, "Sole of Being" is all about our feet. Body Matters: Simple Secrets for Elegant Aging, Darca Nicholson. (first printing Dec. 2007, Overhead Press POB 595 Ukiah, Ca 95482.)
Class Schedule
We have 2 brand-new classes: Knitting for Beginners and Meditation Level 2, new sessions of continuing classes, and our first weekend workshop this month! See our Class Descriptions page for more information about individual classes.
NEW!! Beginner's Knitting
Thursdays, February 14 - March 6, 5:45-7:15 p.m.
Instructor: Vera Videnovich
Learn at your own pace and find a knitting method that's most comfortable for you. This class will help build knitting skills: casting on, knit and purl stitches, casting off, and interpreting knitting patterns.
$80 for the 4-week session
NEW!! Meditation Level 2
Tuesdays, February 5 - March 4 (no class Feb. 12), 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Instructor: Stephanie Draus, ND
A continuation of Intro to Meditation, with further exploration of techniques and process, and more in-depth discussion of experiences.
$40 for the 4-week session
Intro to Meditation
Tuesdays, February 19 - March 11, 7:30-8:30 p.m. (NEW TIME)
Instructor: Stephanie Draus
$40 for the 4-week session
Nia
Mondays, February 25 - March 31, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
Instructor: Mihaela Campion, LCPC, Nia Blue Belt
$90 for the 6-week session
T'ai Chi
Mondays, February 4 - March 10, 5:45-6:45 p.m.
Instructor: Arlene Faulk
$90 for the 6-week session
Belly Dance Basics
Mondays & Wednesdays, 7:30-8:30 p.m. (no class Feb. 11)
Ongoing; drop in any time
Instructor: Stephanie Draus
$14 per class, or $48 for 4 classes (paid at one time)
Early Morning Yoga
Tuesdays, February 12, March 4-18, 6:30-8:00 a.m.
Instructor: Sally Levin, CYT
$60 for the 4-week session
Yoga Fundamentals
Saturdays, February 2-23, 9:30-11:00 a.m
and
Thursdays, Febrary 7-28, 7:30-9:00 p.m.
Instructor: Debbie McDermitt, CYT
$70 for either 4-week session, or $130 for both
Beginner's/Gentle Yoga
Saturdays, February 2-23, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Instructor: Debbie McDermitt, CYT
$60 for the 4-week session
Inclusive Belly Dance Workshop: Elements of Performance
Sunday, February 24, 1:00-5:00 p.m.
$50
For more information, click here.
Click here for our constantly updated Yahoo schedule.
NOTE: Stephanie will be on vacation from February 9-12; please allow a few days for the answering of emails and returning of phone messages during this time.
As always, we are grateful to our community of clients, students, patients, and friends for all of their support over the last three years. We hope to see all of you soon!
Sincerely,
Stephanie Draus, ND
Stellaria Natural Health
773-486-3797
stellariachicago@yahoo.com
The soft, slow movements in T'ai Chi follow the natural energy patterns of nature, the moves of animals and birds as they move effortlessly through their environment.Whether it is the seagulls soaring in a line above the ocean shore, rarely flapping their wings, or massive elephants so gentle that they can pass by us without our hearing them, we seek to use our energy as efficiently and effectively as they do.We slow down.We breathe.We move deliberately.We feel centered and calm.
You can read more about Arlene here. Mihaela Campion
Nia Instructor
Mihaela provides this quote from Anna Halprin:
Dance can be approached as a direct and natural way to move without any personalized aesthetics imposed from an outside authority. Dance is not necessarily graceful, pretty, or spectacular. Dance can be grotesque, ugly, clumsy, funny, frightening, and conflicted. It can stomp, fall, attack, clutch, and reach. It can open, close, tiptoe, crawl, twist, turn, pound, jump, run, or skip. We can move together, or alone.
Movement is happening everywhere all the time. It is the motion of our cells, the pulse of our blood, the rhythm of our breath. Movement is life and movement is the source of dance.
from Returning to Health: With Dance, Movement & Imagery, by Anna Halprin (see bookshelf for details)
You can read more about Mihaela here, and about Nia here.
Debbie McDermitt
Yoga Instructor, Counselor
As a yoga teacher, I talk and teach a lot about movement. I encourage students to practice at home because even a little bit of movement a day can help keep the body feeling good and the mind more balanced. That is because movement has more than just physical benefits. I see how healing it can be for someone feeling depressed to shift their energy by dancing to a song at home, walking to errands, opening up into a backbend, or shoveling the snow off of the walk.I see how centering it can be for a scattered mind to balance on one foot for a few breaths or how moving the body and breath in concert can calm someone feeling anxious.I sometimes use physical activity in counseling sessions with children who are resistant or angry to shift their mood. These are just a few examples of how movement of any kind can help not just your body feel good but also improve your energy and balance your emotions!
Debbie is shown above during her video shoot for the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance's Facing Us website. You can see her short video practices here. You can read more about Debbie here.
Stellaria Bookshelf
A Moving Library
We love to move, and we love to read. We even love reading about moving. Here are a few of our favorite books about movement, life, and the love of both.
Mihaela's pick:
Returning to Health: With Dance, Movement & Imagery
by Anna Halprin by Liferhythm
Paperback
List Price: $22.00
Our Price: $14.39 Buy Now
Stephanie's pick:
Sweat Your Prayers
by Gabrielle Roth by Tarcher
Paperback
List Price: $13.95
Our Price: $7.20 Buy Now
Debbie's pick:
Yoga for Wellness: Healing with the Timeless Teachings of Viniyoga
by Gary Kraftsow by Penguin (Non-Classics)
Paperback
List Price: $24.95
Our Price: $14.38 Buy Now
Arlene's pick:
A good friend of mine, Darca Nicholson, recently published a book: "Body Matters - Simple Secrets for Elegant Aging", published by Overhead Press, December, 2007. Darca is a massage therapist and yoga teacher in northern California. Her book is packed full of information, resources, personal stories to aid in being and living in a healthy way. She includes movement exercises as part of her collection. I know from first-hand experience that she has many wonderful suggestions and practices that are simple and this book has some features that will be new to many people. For example, her first chapter, "Sole of Being" is all about our feet. Body Matters: Simple Secrets for Elegant Aging, Darca Nicholson. (first printing Dec. 2007, Overhead Press POB 595 Ukiah, Ca 95482.)
Class Schedule
We have 2 brand-new classes: Knitting for Beginners and Meditation Level 2, new sessions of continuing classes, and our first weekend workshop this month! See our Class Descriptions page for more information about individual classes.
NEW!! Beginner's Knitting
Thursdays, February 14 - March 6, 5:45-7:15 p.m.
Instructor: Vera Videnovich
Learn at your own pace and find a knitting method that's most comfortable for you. This class will help build knitting skills: casting on, knit and purl stitches, casting off, and interpreting knitting patterns.
$80 for the 4-week session
NEW!! Meditation Level 2
Tuesdays, February 5 - March 4 (no class Feb. 12), 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Instructor: Stephanie Draus, ND
A continuation of Intro to Meditation, with further exploration of techniques and process, and more in-depth discussion of experiences.
$40 for the 4-week session
Intro to Meditation
Tuesdays, February 19 - March 11, 7:30-8:30 p.m. (NEW TIME)
Instructor: Stephanie Draus
$40 for the 4-week session
Nia
Mondays, February 25 - March 31, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
Instructor: Mihaela Campion, LCPC, Nia Blue Belt
$90 for the 6-week session
T'ai Chi
Mondays, February 4 - March 10, 5:45-6:45 p.m.
Instructor: Arlene Faulk
$90 for the 6-week session
Belly Dance Basics
Mondays & Wednesdays, 7:30-8:30 p.m. (no class Feb. 11)
Ongoing; drop in any time
Instructor: Stephanie Draus
$14 per class, or $48 for 4 classes (paid at one time)
Early Morning Yoga
Tuesdays, February 12, March 4-18, 6:30-8:00 a.m.
Instructor: Sally Levin, CYT
$60 for the 4-week session
Yoga Fundamentals
Saturdays, February 2-23, 9:30-11:00 a.m
and
Thursdays, Febrary 7-28, 7:30-9:00 p.m.
Instructor: Debbie McDermitt, CYT
$70 for either 4-week session, or $130 for both
Beginner's/Gentle Yoga
Saturdays, February 2-23, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Instructor: Debbie McDermitt, CYT
$60 for the 4-week session
Inclusive Belly Dance Workshop: Elements of Performance
Sunday, February 24, 1:00-5:00 p.m.
$50
For more information, click here.
Click here for our constantly updated Yahoo schedule.
NOTE: Stephanie will be on vacation from February 9-12; please allow a few days for the answering of emails and returning of phone messages during this time.
As always, we are grateful to our community of clients, students, patients, and friends for all of their support over the last three years. We hope to see all of you soon!
Sincerely,
Stephanie Draus, ND
Stellaria Natural Health
773-486-3797
stellariachicago@yahoo.com