Hello yogis! Normal schedule this week: Wednesday Yin at 3:30 and Sunday Yin at 8pm (both Eastern time). Just two more weeks of Yin before I ship out for the rest of the summer, so please join if you’re interested.
Plus: A writing + yoga retreat in CALIFORNIA in October! It’s going to be crisp and beautiful, with lots of opportunities for hiking and wine-drinking.
And more details about the yoga + writing retreat in Costa Rica in February/March. Italy and Kenya both filled up fast, so if you want to retreat this fall or spring, get in touch.
As always, if there are particular requests or if you have feedback, please don’t hesitate to reach out. All details below.
Classes This Week:
Wednesday July 7, 3:30pm ET: 30-minute Yin.
Sunday July 11, 8pm ET: 45-minute Yin.
You can sign up for all classes here. Or, if you join the WhatsApp group, I send a Zoom link and a playlist a few minutes before class starts. Please do RSVP via the scheduler, WhatsApp, or email so I know how many people to expect.
After you sign up, you’ll receive a confirmation with the Zoom info. Please let me know if there are any issues (you can reply to this email). If you find you can’t connect via the scheduling app, here is the direct Zoom link. Please hang out in the waiting room and I’ll let everyone in when class begins.
Music: You can find the class playlist the day of class via my Spotify account. You’re also welcome to practice to your own music, or none at all. And I am always on the hunt for new songs if you have yoga favorites you want to share.
Community: There’s a Yin yoga WhatsApp group if you want to join — it’s a casual community of class regulars, and I send a day-of link to the class and the day’s playlist. If you want to join, email me with your name and phone number.
What you need for class: A mat, something warm and cozy to wear, two yoga blocks (I use these; if you don’t have blocks, a few thick books will work); a pillow or a bolster; a wall nearby (a closed door is enough space); and a strap (or a belt — the belt of a robe works well). That said, I give modifications for everything, so you don’t need any fancy gear to practice.
What’s Yin? If you’re new to Yin, or if you haven’t practiced Yin with me before, expect long holds in deep stretches (think three minutes in Pigeon pose, for example). We work with a slow, meditative breath, relaxing the mind as we ease the body into positions that are passive, but intense and sometimes uncomfortable. Yin isn’t restorative yoga; it’s deep work into the muscles and the fascia, increasing flexibility, improving joint health, and re-training the mind on how to meet discomfort with calm. It’s accessible for all levels — no need to be super bendy, or bendy at all.
Cost: All classes are donation-based. If you have the resources to pay for yoga, I’m on Venmo at @jill-filipovic and PayPal at jill.filipovic@gmail.com. If paying for yoga feels at all financially stressful — even if it means sacrificing a small pleasure, like a latte — please practice for free and don’t give it a second thought. Alternately, I would be just thrilled if instead of paying me for class, you donated to the EarthChild Project, a charity in Cape Town that I got to know when I did my yoga teacher training.
Anything in particular you want to work on? If there are certain areas of the body that feel tight or congested, areas where you’re working to improve flexibility or mobility, or certain Yin poses you just love, please don’t hesitate to reach out and make a request. I am also more than happy to hear feedback after class on what worked / what didn’t.
Upcoming Retreats
Yoga + Writing in CALIFORNIA, October 28 - Nov. 4, 2021
My teacher, collaborator, and friend Emily Shapiro and I are hosting a yoga and writing retreat in the Castro Valley this October. Come for daily writing workshops, daily yoga, a wine tasting, hiking, and more. Also includes airport transfer, breakfasts, lunches, and two catered dinners. Costs vary per room / roommate set up, from $1600-2300. Inquire for more details!
The retreat includes:
-Daily vinyasa flow yoga
-Options for intensive yoga workshops and/or restorative Yin
-Daily writing classes catered to the group's interests and individual projects
-Individual writing feedback and edits as desired
-Shared accommodations at a beautiful private house in Northern California
-Hearty healthy breakfasts, delicious lunches, and two catered dinners
-Airport transfer
-and much more!
To secure your space, a nonrefundable $400 deposit (+ %5 if you’re outside of the US) is due to me (@jill-filipovic on Venmo, jill.filipovic@gmail.com on PayPal) or Emily (@Emily-Shapiro-4 on Venmo, emily@loveandkale.com on PayPal). Just reply to this email and I can answer any questions about Covid precautions, refund options, or anything else you might want to know.
Yoga + Writing in COSTA RICA, February 28 - March 5, 2022
My teacher, collaborator, and friend Emily Shapiro and I are hosting a yoga and writing retreat at the gorgeous and famous Harmony Hotel in Nosara, Costa Rica. There will be daily yoga and optional workshops, daily writing workshops, a surf lesson, hearty and healthy breakfasts, one of the world’s most beautiful beaches, and much much more. The Nosara retreat is incredibly rejuvenating, relaxing, and refreshing — a perfect re-set at the tail end of winter.
The retreat includes:
-Daily vinyasa flow yoga
-Options for intensive yoga workshops and/or restorative Yin
-Daily writing classes catered to the group's interests and individual projects
-Individual writing feedback and edits as desired
-Shared accommodations for five nights at the gorgeous Harmony Hotel in Nosara
-Hearty healthy breakfasts
-A surf lesson
-Airport transfer
-and much more!
Cost:
Shared accommodations: $1750 early bird (before July 1) / $1900 regular
Private accommodations: $2800 early bird / $2950 regular
Flights are not included. Covid vaccine required.
We strongly advise purchasing travel insurance to cover your trip and any health issues.
To secure your space, a nonrefundable $400 deposit (+ %5 if you’re outside of the US) is due to me (@jill-filipovic on Venmo, jill.filipovic@gmail.com on PayPal) or Emily (@Emily-Shapiro-4 on Venmo, emily@loveandkale.com on PayPal). Just reply to this email and I can answer any questions about Covid precautions, refund options, or anything else you might want to know.
Writing + Storytelling in KENYA March 12-20, 2022 is SOLD OUT
…but let me know if you’d like to join the waitlist.
Italy September 11-17th and September 19-25 are SOLD OUT
…but we have a wait list, so if you’re interested in being out on it, please let me know.
Are there other locations you’d love to retreat at? I’m always open to new ideas, so hit me up!
And that’s it! Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions, and I hope to see you all on the mat, or on a retreat somewhere in the world, very soon.
xx Jill