Centering Practices

Centering practices offer a subtle and nuanced approach, suitable for students with a foundational yoga practice. In asana, we will explore whole body versus localized movement for balanced strength and resilience.

In yoga we aspire to soften and release the intensity of our identification with the outer body. Each practice is an inner pilgrimage in which we allow all aspects of ourselves (tissues, nerves, marrow, organs, attention . . . .) to be soaked in the deep tides of the asanas, breath, and vibratory pulses of the subtle body. Tias Little refers to this experience as “the alchemy of silence”, when “in the midst of our overburdened lives we connect to that still, quiet place inside.” 

A Connecting Stream ~ The Psoas ~ October, 2025

So much of nature is mirrored in our bodies. The texture of the sweeping mountains, treetops, and valleys in the outer landscape often brings to mind the grooves of striated muscle fibers in our inner landscape.

Although in practices we explore particular parts, integrated full movement capacity requires the parts of the body to work together in a synergistic relationship. In practice when we simultaneously attend to the parts and the whole, unexpected and helpful connections can be revealed. 

Join me in October to focus on the psoas muscle, an essential connector or connecting ribbon, that, like a meandering stream, runs between the lower and upper body on either side of the spine. We’ll explore its role in providing stable and easeful movement in relationship to the whole body. 

“Dr. Janet Travell, coauthor of the classic trigger point manual Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction calls the psoas ‘the hidden prankster’ because of its deeply concealed and difficult-to-access location, and its ability to cause pain that is commonly attributed to other dysfunctions. A more apt term might be ‘hidden treasure’ because when patiently released and balanced through awareness and gentle exercises, the psoas can facilitate profound healing and relief from a multitude of discomforts and conditions.”   ~ Pathways to a Centered Body, Donna Farhi and Leila Stuart

The psoas is a deep and long muscle situated at the body’s center of gravity. It supports the abdominal organs, stabilizes the spine and the hip joint, and has a connection to balance and emotional well being.

The psoas runs from the spine through the pelvis to the top of the thigh bone (femur), connecting the body in multiple ways: top to bottom, inside to outside, core to periphery, from breathing to walking, and from doing to feeling to being. 

Responsible for initiating walking from the core and transferring weight through the trunk, legs, and feet, the psoas connects two elements of our physical being, the energetic quality of earth or stability and that of water, the flow of movement that smooths transitions.

October practices will included asanas and pranayama to release tension and strengthen the psoas in relationship to key connections such as the bones, SI joint, diaphragm, nerves, fascia, lymphatic flow, and coordinating movement from this energetic center.  

The online ‘live’ practices will include recordings that you can use at home OR attend by recording only.

Love and justice are not two. Without inner change, there can be no outer change; without collective change, no change matters.

~ Rev. angel Kyodo williams

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Payment Options

Sliding Scale Payment Options

Sliding scale is a tool that allows my services to be obtained at multiple price points based on the circumstances of my students and clients. The sliding scale addresses economic justice and represents the idea that financial resources, including income, are not and should not be the only determining factor in whether or not someone can access services/care/etc. I’ve made a commitment to offering a sliding scale model as a way to contribute to a more equitable world.

For a sliding scale model to work, it relies on truthfulness, respect for complexity, and accountability. I trust you to be honest in your assessment of your financial reality. I do not receive any outside funding to supplement sliding scale discounts. This model is an attempt to balance the fair value of my time and energy and the multiple realities of economic access and privilege that exist within our community. I’m open to ongoing communication about our economic experiences and this model.

Please choose a level that is best for you now.

A portion of class proceeds will be contributed to organizations that are centering marginalized voices, at the intersection of spirituality and justice, and committed to creating a beloved community of mutual care.

Contributions in 2022 include:

• Lake City Partners, Seattle WA mission is to end homelessness by providing shelter, respite care, work opportunities and other services, so that people have increased opportunities for stabilization, recovery, and permanent housing.
• Young Women Empowered (Y-WE), Seattle WA cultivates the power of diverse young women to be creative leaders and courageous change makers through transformative programs within a collaborative community of belonging.
• Cerddorion Vocal Ensemble, NYC, is on of New York City’s most highly regarded volunteer choral ensembles. It is known for its eclectic repertoire, interpretive depth, and technical expertise in many styles. In 2023 the ensemble will collaborate with The Unsung Collective. Since 2011, the ensemble annually offers world premiers from its Emerging Composers Competition.
• Social Justice Fund (SJF), Seattle WA, is a foundation working at the frontlines of social change. SJF funds organizations led by people who are most directly affected by the problems that the organization or project is addressing. SJF uses Giving Projects, a unique participatory model which provides significant financial resources to organizations that work toward long-term progressive social change.

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