The Feathered Pipe has become synonymous with yoga, holistic health and wellness in America. The open and welcoming gathering space that the Feathered Pipe Ranch has offered over the past 45 years has played an immeasurable role bringing the foremost educators and passionate practitioners together to share ideas and envision a more healthy and inclusive future.
Explore our current Feathered Pipe Health, Wellness and Yoga Retreat schedule here.
We were so honored to celebrate our 45th anniversary and honor India Supera‘s lifework with offerings from many of our dearest teacher alumni during this week-long online workshop experience. All programs are now available for your viewing! Your generous tax-deductible donation will help us to get through these challenging times and continue our inspired mission for many years to come.
Day 1
Judith Hanson Lasater & Lizzie Lasater • Cora Wen • Sherri Baptiste • Howard Levin
Day 2
Marla Apt • Richard Miller, PhD • Alie McManus • Dr. Daniel Libby
Day 3
Gernot Huber • Heidi Goldman • Dr. Jean Shinoda Bolen • JJ Gormley
Day 4
Carie Garrett • Erich Schiffmann • Nat Kendall & Hannah Lerch • Joseph Lamb, MD & Michael Stone, MD • Matthew Marsolek & Tracy Topp
Day 5
Karma Tensum & Jennifer Prugh • Lanita Varshell • Baxter Bell, MD & Melina Meza
Day 6
Lauren Walker • Donna Eden, Dondi Dahlin & Titanya Dahin
Day 1 Online Workshops
Doing Nothing and Going Nowhere: Settling into What Is
Judith Hanson Lasater & Lizzie Lasater – Restorative Yoga
Judith Hanson Lasater taught the first yoga workshop ever at the Feathered Pipe Ranch 45 years ago. We thought it befitting for Judith and her daughter Lizzie to start off of our first ever online workshop week.
There is no better time than right now to settle into what is. We are all confronted all day with the impermanence that we use to only think about once in a while. To reduce our stress, Lizzie and Judith will begin our session with an introduction to the power of Restorative yoga.
We will follow this with offering you a led Savasana so you can rest and deepen right where you are. It would help if you could assemble a yoga mat, an eye cover, a bolster, five blankets. We will show you how to set up your props for the relaxation, and how to create props with what you already have if you can put together at least five blankets. Join us!
*Due to time zone constraints, this class has been lovingly recorded specifically for this event.
Sequences to Support Self Care
Cora Wen – Yoga & Anatomy
Yoga props can be a support that allows us to delve into the nuances of asana, so that we can find the stability to move through life with some sense of acceptance and ease. There are active asanas, and there are passive asanas – here we will work with “active passive” asanas to open and support the body, mind and spirit.
Cora will lead us through a yoga session that will stretch your body and stimulate your mind – she is a specialist in working with injuries and limited movement, so can adapt a yoga practice to meet all bodies. Join us for 60 minutes to destress and improve your range of motion, decrease back pain and general soreness.
*Please bring a chair, 2 blocks, blankets and a belt.
The Art of Weights: Baptiste Method
Sherri Baptiste – Baptiste Power of Yoga
Are you are looking for a safe yet powerful way to integrate weights into your yogic practice? If the answer is yes, join Sherri in the comfort of your own home or office as she gently guides you through this 60minute training. During this session you will learn the basics of adding light free weights to your personal mind-body program, enhancing your ability to stay fit, confidence of wellbeing, awareness of breath, while building endurance.
*Equipment needed: Yoga mat, a firm chair or large physio ball to sit on, yoga block if you have one. Handheld and ankle weights needed. OR, bags of beans or pasta 1-3lbs, securely tied on or taped to ankles. Filled water bottles, or canned food of equal weight one for each hand will also work.
The Feathered Pipe Ranch Story
Howard Levin – Resident Elder & Long-time Ranch Manager
Our dearest long-time ranch manager Howard Levin continues the long tradition of sharing the story of how the Ranch came to be. Having met India Supera, founder and visionary of the Feathered Pipe Foundation, in 1968 on the Greek-Turkish border while they were both finding their way to India, the story takes many strange twists and turns that ultimately brought this strange trip to manifest a reality called the Feathered Pipe Ranch.
Day 2 Online Workshops
Iyengar Therapeutic Yoga for Your Hips
Marla Apt – Iyengar Yoga
The hip joint is one of the largest and most versatile joints in the body. In yoga asana practice, the full range of motion of the hip is addressed and alignment of the hips brings freedom to our spine, knees, ankles and addresses our gait and posture.
The Heart of Yoga: Our Innate, Unbreakable Inner Resource of Resilient Well-Being
Richard Miller, PhD – iRest Institute
Recognizing and embodying our interconnected, unbreakable wholeness and equanimity within, with others and with the world and universe around us lies at the heart of all practices of Yoga. Our challenge is to realize the fullness of this realization amidst the challenging circumstances of our daily lives.
Please join Richard for an interactive talk, meditation, and Q&A as we inquire together into our innate wholeness as a portal for realizing unbreakable well-being, joy and equanimity that resides within us that always remains pristine and available no matter our circumstance.
Coming Home to You: Restorative Gentle Yoga with Breathing Exercises and Meditation
Alie McManus – Freedom Yoga
Unwind from the rigors of daily life with restorative and gentle yoga, essential breath work, and meditation. This asana practice is designed to draw you effortlessly into a beautiful deep relaxation, offering you a clear opportunity to experience your natural state of peace.
*Two blocks, blanket, bolster, strap, chair, and the wall. If you don’t have those props you can use pillows, blankets, towels, and a belt or dog leash.
Mindful Resilience for Compassion Fatigue
Dr. Daniel Libby – Veterans Yoga Project Founder
Caring for others, personally or professionally, can be an extremely rewarding experience. It can also be a taxing, laborious process that leads to burnout, vicarious trauma, and compassion fatigue. Drawing on the scientific literature, Dr. Dan will describe the Mindful Resilience approach to transforming Compassion Fatigue into Compassion Satisfaction, and share a compassion practice that will increase our ability to engage in mindful empathy.
*All proceeds will go toward support of Veterans Yoga Project’s workshops at the Feathered Pipe Ranch.
Day 3 Online Workshops
Savor Each Breath: Joy in the Here and Now
Gernot Huber – Hatha Yoga
The innate joy of breathing is the innate joy of being. My favorite way of practicing yoga is to savor each breath in order to reconnect with this innate joy. In this class, we will learn to truly place our breath at the center of our practice. We’ll focus on feeling over doing, acceptance over achievement, and joy in the here and now over wishing to be someone—or somewhere—else.
The Goldilocks Class: Discovering Too Much, Too Little, ahhhh Just Right
Heidi Goldman – Yes! Yoga
In the Goldilocks Class, Heidi Goldman, who was part of the original core Feathered Pipe founding group, will guide you through simple movements focusing on postural integration for the back and spine to help you discover and rediscover what finding neutral feels like in your body. Whether you’re standing, walking, sitting, lying down, or flying through arm balances, being able to tune into your neutral will help you move safely through life. As an added bonus, at the end of the class, Heidi will do a short demo of her innovative ball and balloon work, hoping to inspire you to add these wonderful props to your yoga practice.
*Props suggestions: a wall, chair and 2-blocks. However, if you have any of the following, bring them along as Heidi will give options for incorporating them throughout: a yoga strap or regular belt, a bolster and/or blankets, and/or a playground ball and Thera-ball (55 or 65cm).
Liminal Space and Time: Between “What Was” and “What Next”
Dr. Jean Shinoda Bolen – Feminism & Spiritual Mysticism
Join Jean Bolen acclaimed author, Jungian analyst, activist and leading voice in women’s spirituality, on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment. Between “What Was” and “What Next.” We are in a Liminal Time (Liminal comes from the Latin word for “Threshold”) and a Crisis (The Chinese pictograph for “crisis: is made up of two characters: “danger” and “opportunity.”) This is where we are as individuals and as humanity. We don’t know what the outcome will be with the coronavirus pandemic, sheltering in place, the economic crisis, Black Lives Matter, and the upcoming November elections. Calling upon imagination, creativity, trust, and action—might we take steps during this liminal time toward becoming who we were meant to be?
*There will be time for Q&A after the main presentation.
Therapeutic Approach to Yoga
JJ Gormley – Therapeutic Yoga
Steeped in the lineage of T. Krishnamacharya to TKV Desikachar and their therapeutic approach to yoga, JJ will guide students through gentle movements linked with the breath. When we practice coordinating movements with the breath, we reduce stress, become more focused and mindful and link the nervous system to bring about healing on many levels. Please join JJ for this unique approach to yoga and notice how wonderful you feel afterwards.
Day 4 Online Workshops
Flowing With the Energy of Change
Carie Garrett – Freedom Yoga
The level of change we’re all experiencing right now is huge, and so is the fear and anxiety that goes along with it. How can we walk with grace through these intense times, when it feels nearly impossible to find our footing in all the unknowns and uncertainties? How can we welcome and work with the energy of change, instead of constantly resisting it?
Join Carie for an interactive discussion on change, as it relates to Yoga, then we’ll put the ideas into a fun, creative practice, where you’ll feel the freedom, empowerment, and joy that comes from letting go and trusting yourself to flow with the constant morph of The Universe.
What is the Truth Here, Really?
Erich Schiffmann – Freedom Yoga
Erich Schiffmann, author of YOGA: The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness, is one of the most respected mentors and yoga teachers in America. The Feathered Pipe has been honored to host Erich’s “Love-fest” at the Ranch for more than 20 years.
Last month, Andy Vantrease (our favorite freelance writer) invited Erich to his first ever Zoom call to talk about his 42-year career as a yoga teacher, the courage to share his personal evolution with the world, and the prayer he brings with him wherever he goes. Please join us as we share this inspiring interview.
Bhakti Yoga: Heart of Gratitude
Nat Kendall & Hannah Lerch – Vinyasa & Bhakti Yoga
Join Nat Kendall and Hannah Lerch for an uplifting yoga practice filled with devotion and gratitude. We’ll join together in song to chant a Bhajan and then move through an all levels, heart warming asana class and finish with a meditation. Nat (a Montana native) has been leading retreats at Feathered Pipe since he met India in 2017 and Hannah has accompanied to share her voice and healing touch. Join this celebratory offering as we practice together in the heart of gratitude.
The Functional Medicine Journey
Joseph Lamb, MD & Michael Stone, MD – Functional Medicine
All individuals are worthy of respect and reverence for the deep, intangible meaning and purpose possessed by each of us; yet for many, this personal touchpoint has been lost. Healing involves more than knowing information. Healing requires recreating our story, our wellness and indeed our meaning and purpose. Join Drs. Lamb and Stone as they discuss the use of Functional Medicine to begin your healing journey.
Beginning West African Hand Drumming & Rhythm Awareness
Matthew Marsolek & Tracy Topp
This class will cover all the basics of West African hand drumming: rhythm awareness, tones and technique, and some traditional rhythms. Everyone is welcome and if you don’t have a drum, you can fashion a temporary drum out of a bucket or use the bottom of a cooler or other object.
This class will feature Matthew Marsolek and Tracy Topp of Drum Brothers and will include live Dundun and Djembe accompaniment and 2 camera angles to show hand positions.
Day 5 Online Workshops
Mandala Flow: A Centering Practice & The Story of Tibetan Children’s Education Foundation
Karma Tensum & Jennifer Prugh
The Tibetan sand mandala and Jennifer’s work through TCEF, and subsequent travel to Tibet have informed this “centering practice,” that includes dharma talk, asana, breathwork and meditation. Thinking, speaking and moving towards and from our center provides greater steadiness, ease, and aptitude in meeting life as it is.
Mandala means “circle,” or “essence.” We will move the body progressively, breath by breath, towards an apex posture, much like a conscious walk up an unexplored mountain path, while at the same time, directing attention internally towards our natural sense of “center.” We will utilize early yoga-asana as well as contemporary expressions of the practice to explore the wise use of our vital energy. Counter postures unfold the body for breathwork and seated meditation. In this workshop, Jennifer shares some of the valuable tools that our Tibetan friends have shared with her, all of which are useful for the journey of living.
After Jennifer’s dharma talk, TCEF Executive Director Karma Tensum whose life and role in the foundation was greatly shaped by India Supera, will present an overview of the programs of TCEF and explain why these projects were so close to India’s heart.
*All Proceeds will go towards support of Tibetan Children’s Education Foundation (TCEF).
Meditation in Movement Soft Yoga
Lanita Varshell – A Gentle Way Yoga
Experience a unique yoga style that allows you to experience a pathway towards health and wholeness without feeling like you need to work-out or keep-up with others. Learn how to apply this philosophy in your group yoga classes, and in your everyday life. Lanita’s unique teaching style and not so perfect body has brought thousands of students into the life-changing practice of yoga who felt they never fit in, could not keep up, or safely practice traditional yoga.
*For the beginning of class, please set yourself up for a very comfortable savasana on the floor, or even in a bed with padding under your body, a bolster or pillow under your knees, and perhaps pillows for your head and hands, and a hand towel or soft belt.
Nutrition and Yoga Tools for the Pandemic Era
Baxter Bell, MD & Melina Meza – Therapeutic Yoga & Ayurveda
Join Baxter and Melina for this timely class on practical advice for nutrition and lifestyle practices and yoga tools and breath techniques to support your good health in this Covid19 Pandemic Era.
*For the asana portion of our event, please have a firm blanket, 2 yoga blocks and a strap of some sort. If they need to improvise props, here are some great ideas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IIkNAYYO9I
Day 6 Online Workshops
Energy Medicine Yoga Nidra Meditation
Lauren Walker – Energy Medicine Yoga
Lauren will give you a short preparatory Energy Medicine Yoga practice designed to allow the body to relax completely and take the rigid hold of your habit field ‘offline’. Then she’ll guide you through a Yoga Nidra meditation specifically crafted to bring you right to the Feathered Pipe – and all the joy that this beautiful teacup valley has given each of us over the years. India might even make a guest appearance in this guided meditation!
Getting Grounded and Boosting Your Immune System with Eden Energy Medicine
Donna Eden, Dondi Dahlin & Titanya Dahlin – Energy Medicine
You have an expansive, often untapped reservoir of incredible power, yet you may not be utilizing it to its full potential. Join Donna Eden and her daughters Titanya & Dondi Dahlin so they can teach you how to harness your energy to feel robust, strong, and alive. Donna, Titanya, and Dondi will guide you through Eden Method techniques, a Daily Energy Routine, and Energy Dance to both calm and empower you so you can navigate challenging times with strength and clarity.
All of these teachers are treasured alumni and presenters of the Feathered Pipe retreat and travel programs. If you find yourself inspired by anything you have learned or experienced here and wish to dive deeper, please consider joining us for a week-long program at the Feathered Pipe Ranch.