Workshops Offered

Short workshops or courses which could combine anatomy, therapeutics, and Bodymind Ballwork, or highlight one of those elements and touch on the others briefly.  Class format can include lecture with slides and asana practice with hands-on therapeutics to deepen learning, as well as selected Bodymind Ballwork exercises. These presentations can be geared toward students or teachers, or a combination of both.

1. The Lower Back: the eight most common causes of pain, with emphasis on musculoskeletal pain, disc issues, sciatica and sacro-iliac dysfunction.  3-5 hours

2. The Shoulders and Neck: analysis of the musculoskeletal structure, information about common injuries, and therapeutics for healing and prevention.  2-4 hours

3. The Arms and Hands: this can be combined with the above, if we have 5-6 hours. By itself: 2 hours

4. The Hips, Knees and Feet: analysis of musculoskeletal structure and function, information about common injuries, and therapeutics for healing and prevention. 3-5 hours

5. The Physiology of Breathing and the Anatomy of the Torso: 2-4 hours

6. Scoliosis: The asymmetrical spine, and how yoga poses can be adapted to help minimize discomfort, improve movement range, and even reduce the degree of curvature.  2-3 hours

7. Yoga for Arthritis: Guidelines for a safe and effective practice.  2-4 hours

8. Yoga for Osteoporosis: Guidelines for a safe and effective practice.  2-4 hours

9. The Physiology of Relaxation: Lecture with slides on the stress and relaxation responses, the brain, and the conditions necessary for deep relaxation. We will practice pranayama, restoratives and meditation as part of the workshop.  3-4 hours

10. Women’s Yoga (Menstruation, Fertility, Pregnancy, Menopause) A review of the physiology of women’s cycles of life, including practices sequences for each stage of life.  5 hours

In-Depth Courses

1. Yoga Anatomy and Therapy: Examination of the musculoskeletal system, from head to toes, with slides and hands-on practice, with the focus on how yoga can help to keep the structural body healthy. Lively, interactive and inspiring for beginners or those who are already anatomy enthusiasts.  20-30 hours

2. The Physiology of the Body Systems: an illustrated tour of the organ systems (Nervous, Cardiovascular, Endocrine, Respiratory, Digestive, Urinary, Immune, Reproductive), common conditions and diseases, and how yoga can help.
20-30 hours

3. Bodymind Ballwork: This bodywork method, using balls of various sizes to massage and stretch the body, is a marvelous adjunct to yoga practice. Students can learn user-friendly techniques to release tension, rehabilitate after injuries, improve alignment, and increase general well-being. There are over 25 techniques, and this workshop could be any length from 2-25 hours.

Comments from Students

“Ellen’s enthusiasm for anatomy and yoga therapeutics is contagious. I left each class wanting to try out everything I just learned. “  —JZ

“Ellen’s course was a rare experience of wisdom, compassion, scholarship and presence. She approaches even the most obtuse anatomical or physiological concept with the fascination and joy of a four year old making mud pies.”
— David Fink

“It is a delight to be in an anatomy class that Ellen presents. Her masterful demonstration of beginner’s mind is inspiring. While she has a deep and profound understanding of anatomy and physiology, her presentation of the material is like a child unwrapping a birthday present. Her wonder and delight, her love for the material is apparent and infectious. Her direction of palpation and manual adjustments allows us to share in the experience of unwrapping the most precious of gifts. This series of classes has had a wonderful benefit to all of my students. Students with therapeutic issues are so happy to find relief from pain. Students without therapeutic issues were delighted to discover increasingly refined possibilities in their practice; a virtual garden blooming within. The “toolbox” of therapeutic poses that Ellen shared gets opened every time I am working with a student.  — Michael Fergot

“I do not have much anatomy background, and I was not sure I’d be able to focus on so much information in a subject area that has not always been my interest. Ellen, however, has changed my interest. I loved this weekend. There were many different styles of learning (visual, tactile, auditory, etc) that allowed for better assimilation of the material.”
— Donna Seed

“I had a wonderful long weekend Bodymind Ballwork training with Ellen.  I learned so much about how my body stores and releases tension, and I look forward to incorporating more ballwork into my yoga practice and teaching.” — SN