Our Classes - Spring 2008

Registration Form

Spring 2008 (April - August) Register Now!
To register please call Crossings at 301/565-4924.

At Crossings, we offer on-going weekly classes in T’ai Chi, Yamuna Body Rolling, Meditation, and Alexander Technique — traditions and practices that are centuries old, very contemporary; traditions that offer instruction in the art of daily living.

Learn how to better care for yourself.
Explore the interconnections of body/mind/spirit.
Deepen your relationships with others, with nature,
and with the world around you.
Come join us!

See Class Schedule for a list of our classes.

Meditation:

• Morning Meditation
• Mindfulness and Daily Life Practice (Evenings)
• Acupuncture Meets Qigong: A Special Blend of Acupuncture and Qigong Meditation to Enhance Your Self-Healing Potential
• Qigong Class & Tong Ren Healing Circle - FREE in May!

Food and Healing:

• Finding Peace with Food: A Women’s Mind-Body Group

Music and Healing:

• Taketina: The Healing Power of Rhythm

Movement Arts:

• Cloud Hands T'ai Chi
• Gentle and Meditative Dances
• Level 1 Lunchtime Yoga
• Movement and Stillness: Gentle Stretching and Anointing of Chakras on the New Moon – NEW!

Conscious Communication Skills:

• Transformation: From the Language of Deficiency to the Language of Fullness – NEW!

Holistic Approaches to Parenting:

• Mother Voyage: Wisdom Circles for Moms

The Still Water Mindfulness Practice Center and Mitchell Ratner, Ph.D

Rooted in the teachings of Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, the Still Water Mindfulness Practice Center nurtures and supports the daily practice of mindfulness. Incorporated as a religious non-profit, the Center offers morning sitting practice, a mindfulness practice evening, classes and discussion groups at Crossings. For more information about the community, visit www.stillwatermpc.org

Instructor Bio:
Mitchell Ratner, Ph.D, has been a lay member of the Teip Hein Buddhist order since 1993 and in 2001 received the dharmacariya (meditation teacher) transmission for Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. An applied anthropologist and a founder of the Still Water Mindfulness Practice Center, since 1994 he has taught classes and workshops focused on practicable methods of integrating mindfulness meditation with work, meaningful relationships, and challenges of everyday life.

(back to top of page)

Morning Meditation

Dates: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Ongoing

Times: 6:30 - 7:30 am

Cost: A donation to the Still Water MPC is appreciated.

Course Description:
We sit, we walk, we sit, we do a short reading, we greet each other, and we go on with our day. Newcomers and experienced practitioners are always welcome. No registration is required.

(back to top of page)

Mindfulness and Daily Life Practice Evening

Instructor: Stillwater Mindfulness Practice Center

Dates and Times: Dates and Times: Thursdays, 7:00 - 9:15 pm (An orientation to the Still Water MPC and basic mindfulness practices is offered the first Thursday of each month beginning at 6:30 pm).

Cost: There is no set fee, however, a donation to the Still Water MPC of $10 or more is suggested.

Course Description:
Taught by the Still Water Mindfulness community in the tradition of Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hahn

Each Mindfulness Practice Evening begins with an hour of sitting and walking meditation and continues with a short program, which is different each week, and a discussion about living our lives more mindfully. Newcomers and experienced practitioners are always welcome. No registration is required.

(back to top of page)

Acupuncture Meets Qigong: A Special Blend of Acupuncture and Qigong Meditation to Enhance Your Self-Healing Potential

Instructor:
Mr. Shawn Cartwright
Dr. Yinong Chong, Ph.D.
Jeremy Riesenfeld, M.Ac., L.Ac.
Andres Vergara, M.Ac., L.Ac.

Dates and Times: Wednesdays, 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Cost: This special Acupuncture and Qigong sessions costs $40 per session.
Three session Pass: $100 (save $20)
Four session Pass: $120 (save $40)

Information and Questions:
info@tccii.com
jriesenfeld@crossingshealing.com

Course Description:
Why do we integrate Qigong with Acupuncture?
Since ancient times in China, Qigong and Acupuncture have been two complementary modalities often used hand in hand to augment their mutual benefits. Always seeking new and innovative ways to facilitate deeper healing, staff at the Crossings Center for Healing Traditions has initiated a Community Acupuncture Clinic program that is gaining more and more popularity. This community clinic has provided a unique opportunity for acupuncture treatment in a group setting. With Guided Qigong meditation, your Qi energy activated by acupuncture can be further guided for self-healing. In addition, your own Qi energy can also connect with the group’s energy to form a powerful and harmonic Qi field - that’s when the healing power gets exponentially enhanced!

How does it work?
Crossings’ licensed acupuncturists will provide your acupuncture treatment. Come at 6:30 pm on Wednesdays, and you will get started with acupuncture treatment in a group setting, either sitting on a chair or a reclining chair. After everybody is comfortably settled in a circle, we will begin Qigong meditation led by Dr. Yinong Chong, and Mr. Shawn Cartwright, certified Qigong instructors from TCCII. This classic meditation is based on ancient Chinese self-healing and cultivation practices, and has been used by over ten thousand people in China and the U.S. since the 1980s. After about 30 minutes of meditation, we will do a few minutes closing after the needles are taken out. The whole session lasts about 45-60 minutes.

Who can benefit from this special Qigong/Acupuncture combination session?
The short answer is: EVERYBODY. The Qigong meditation is a specially designed self-healing meditation, which you can use for a wide variety of conditions. The acupuncture treatment used in these sessions will also emphasize general balance and harmony of your entire being. However, the combined session may also benefit those who have the following symptoms:

• Addictions, Allergies, Anxiety, Arthritis, Asthma, Back Pain
• Carpal Tunnel, Chronic Fatigue, Colds & Flu
• Depression, Diabetes, Dizziness, Epigastric Pain
• Fibromyalgia, Gas/Bloating, Headaches, Hypertension, IBS
• Insomnia, Irritability, Knee Pain, Low Back Pain
• Menstrual Pain, Migraines, Nausea, Neck Pain
• Obesity, PMS, Reflux/GERD, Sciatica
• Sexual Issues, Shoulder Pain, Sinus Problems
• Sports Injuries, Stress, Tendonitis, Vertigo

(back to top of page)

Qigong Class & Tong Ren Healing Circle - FREE in May!

Instructor: Mr. Shawn Cartwright and Dr. Yinong Chong, Ph.D.

Dates and Times: Wednesdays, 7:45 pm - 8:30 pm

Cost: Free in May (A $10 donation is suggested to help cover expenses.)

Information:
Call the Traditional Chinese Culture Institute International (TCCII) at 301-785-7505 for more information.

Course Description:
In honor of the Asian Pacific Heritage Month, Traditional Chinese Culture Institute will offer Free Qigong classes and Tong Ren healing Circle in May. Chinese Taoist philosopher Lao Tzu said: "the Tao is simple" - so is Qigong. As long as you can walk and breathe, you can do Qigong! Come and find out how this ancient Chinese system integrated movements and breathing into mindful exercises. Experience first hand how relaxing and joyful it is to improve the quality and quantity of your vital life energy with Qigong.

No prior experience or checkbook required - just come with comfortable clothing and an open mind. A month with us may just be enough to make each day a bit easier to get through, or each night’s sleep a bit more restful. If you also find your blood pressure dropped lower, or the pains and aches not as unbearable, or the people around you not that irritating any more - so be it. Let’s just accept all that as the gift from the Tao!

Instructor Bios:
Mr. Shawn Cartwright is co-author of the guided meditation CD Touched by the Tao: Classical Chinese Meditation for Health and Healing. He is a certified instructor in Qigong, Chinese Internal Kung Fu and Tai Chi. Mr. Cartwright teaches authentic technique and application for health and realistic self-defense. He can clearly explain how to do the movements and the internal theory behind them. A practitioner of both the martial and healing arts, he teaches students how to apply internal training to both. His understanding of classical Chinese internal arts and western culture allows him to build a bridge between East and West. He is a 26th Generation indoor student of Wudang Longmen Pai and a 20th Generation indoor student of Chen Style Tai Chi Chuan. His many years of intensive training includes Qigong, Tai Chi, Hsing-I, Pa Kua, Wing Chun, Fukien White Crane and Kai Sai Kung Fu. Mr. Cartwright earned his MBA and BS from Vanderbilt University.

Dr. Yinong Chong is co-author of the guided meditation CD Touched by the Tao: Classical Chinese Meditation for Health and Healing, and an author of the book and DVD set: Dancing in the Tao: Connecting to Universal Energy to Transform Your Health and Life. She has over 10 years of professional experience in public health research, and is also a certified Qigong instructor. Dr. Chong teaches Qigong forms and concepts within a traditional Chinese cultural context that is relevant for today’s world. Her health science research expertise enables her to bridge the ancient teachings and modern science. Born and raised in China, her rare proficiency in Classical Chinese and ability to "speak English like a native" make her one of the top interpreters of Chinese esoteric studies and philosophy in the US or China. She is a 26th Generation indoor student of Wudang Longmen Pai. She has trained with several prominent TCM doctors and Taoist teachers from China. She has translated for or chaired Qigong sessions at the Whole Person Healing conference, SUNY’s Healing Arts Seminar at Stony Brook, and the University of Arizona’s Integrative Medicine Seminar. Dr. Chong earned her PhD in Sociology from the Arizona State University, her MA in Journalism from Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and her BS in English Literature from Beijing University.

(back to top of page)

Food and Healing:

Finding Peace with Food: A Women’s Mind-Body Group

Instructor: Catherine Varchaver, NC, and Tiffiny Gilreath

Dates:Wednesdays, April 23 – May 28, 2008

Times: 6 - 7pm

Cost: $210 for the 6-session series, or $40 per gathering

Course Description:
This group is for women who have a history of disordered eating. Whether you have spent years restricting your food, bingeing and/or purging, or struggling with overeating… Obsessive thinking about food has a negative impact on self-image and self-esteem. Join us as we sit with and examine feelings, thoughts and behaviors around our relationship with food, and learn new ways to cope with anxious thoughts and self-critical voices. This mind-body approach provides you with some tools to create a new relationship with food – and with yourself.

For more information, and to register, please contact:
Catherine Varchaver: 301-537-6353
Tiffiny Gilreath: 301-565-4924

(back to top of page)

Music and Healing:

Taketina: The Healing Power of Rhythm

Instructor: Marcus Sims, assisted by drummers Jason Walker and Pam Desmond

Dates and Times:ongoing on Sunday evenings, 6pm to 8pm in the Studio.

Cost: This Taketina community rhythm practice is by donation.
Please give a generous offering, within your means, to acknowledge and support the teachers and Crossings Center.

Course Description:
Taketina is a musical journey using the power of rhythm to facilitate our own personal evoluion. Using our bodies as our instrument, with simultaneous stepping, clapping, and singing, we dance and sing to cultivate our awareness in the present moment and quiet the chatter of our rational minds. As our awareness deepens, the habitual patterns of our lives become apparent and can be transformed. In the Taketina rhythmic community, each person can find their own place, regardless of musical experience or skill. At times playful, challenging, primal, meditative, and sublime, Taketina is a tonic for our nervous systems and a mirror for our lives. It is Rhythm for Evolution.

Recommendations:
"Humans on all continents and in all times have found awareness of rhythm to be a pathway into sacred presence. Through movement, clapping, vocals and percussion, Taketina opens us beyond our cocoon of habitual thinking and perception, and into the mystery of being intensely alive and profoundly awake. As teacher and group leader, Marcus Sims brings a quality of sensitivity, care and wisdom that makes this meditative journey both safe and deeply transformative. I highly recommend the process, and Marcus, as trusted guide!"
Tara Brach - founder and senior teacher of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, psychotherapist and author of Radical Acceptance- Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha

"I spent most of the next day with friends, finally relaxed. Skipped the afternoon workshop, but then Ron and I saw some people gathering and went to find out what it was about. We ended up learning TaKeTina, which is wonderful. There's a very simple step, a varying chant, and clapping to a somewhat difficult rhythm. Seems easy, but it'shard to keep all of them going at once, your body doing three very different things. The repetitive rhythm was very soothing to me and by the time it ended I felt more present in my body than I have in months. Ron looked at me and said "welcome back!" I've been out of it for months and still don't fully understand why, but as of that moment, it was over. I felt connected to my senses and everything was just so vivid and intense and beautiful." Anais, workshop participant

Instructor Bio:
Marcus Sims is certified as an Advanced Taketina teacher and continues study with Reinhard Flatischler, the Austrian master drummer who developed Taketina. Marcus has been working, studying, and teaching for 30 years to help bring about a life-sustaining culture on Planet Earth. You can see his woodworking at www.treincarnation.com.

(back to top of page)

Movement Arts:

Cloud Hands T’ai Chi

Instructor: Michael Ward, LCSW

Dates: Tuesdays, April 29 – July 22, 2008

Times: Beginners: 6:30 - 7:30 pm
Intermediate: 7:30 - 8:30 pm
Corrections/Advanced: 8:30 - 9:30 pm

Cost: $195

Course Description:
T'ai Chi is a series of 37 gentle, flowing movements that have been practiced as a health exercise for centuries. As a "moving meditation" T'ai Chi teaches relaxation in the midst of activity. Rather than sitting motionless, students learn to stay centered and relaxed while flowing, uninterrupted through the movements. People are frequently confronted verbally and emotionally by the pressures of daily living. Learning to stay centered and calm in the normal activities of life reduces tension, increases energy and allows us to develop the skills needed in more acute circumstances. "Sensing Hands" or "Tui Shou", allows further development of these skills, as well as a deeper understanding of the functional applications of T'ai Chi form. New students are welcome to join, but must first talk with the instructor.

Instructor Bio:
Cloud Hands T'ai Chi instructor, Michael Ward, LCSW, is a senior student of Robert Smith, the first western student of Professor Cheng Man-ch'ing, a renowned master of T'ai Chi Chuan. Mr. Ward has been studying and practicing Professor Cheng's Yang style of T'ai Chi for more than 25 years. Mr. Ward's background as a licensed clinical social worker, who has worked with children, youth and families in wellness programs, provides unique insight into both the challenges and the value of "slowing down" in our fast paced society.

To Register:
Please call Michael at Cloud Hands T'ai Chi at 301/562-0992 for registration and information.

(back to top of page)

Gentle and Meditative Dances

Instructor: Evelyn Torton Beck and Judith Walton

Dates: May 16, 23, June 6, 27, 2008

Times: Friday Evenings, 7:30 PM - 9 PM

Cost: $50 for series, $15 per class

Course Description:
These gentle dances have special meditative qualities and ancient roots. Powerful in their effect, they evoke a spiritual dimension leading to harmony and balance. Dancing together, we create community, connect to ourselves and each other. No dance experience needed: ALL DANCES will be taught each time. Our philosophy of dance, "there are no mistakes, only variations."

Instructor Bio:
Evelyn Torton Beck, Ph.D, is Women's Studies Professor Emerita at the University of Maryland as well as an experienced dancer in the tradition of circle dancing as a healing practice. She lectures on the healing power of art and teaches dancing at area institutes of life-long learning including the University of Maryland's community outreach programs.

Judith Walton, Ph.D, has been teaching Sacred Circle dance for more than 15 years and is interested in using the power of the dance as a means to achieve integration and wholeness. She learned many of the dances at the Findhorn Community, a spiritual/educational community in Scotland. She is a trainer and organization development consultant.

(back to top of page)

Level 1 Lunchtime Yoga

Instructor: Rocky Delaplaine

Dates: April 1 – May 20, 2008

Time: 12:30 – 1:30 pm

Cost: $128

Course Description:
Classes with Rocky Delaplaine foster self-acceptance and compassion and are taught in the Iyengar tradition of hatha yoga. In this method there is an emphasis on aligning the physical structures of the body to improve posture and achieve maximum ease of movement. We work to balance strength and flexibility, reduce stress, and focus and calm the mind.

In the Level one class you will be introduced to the basic standing, seated, reclining poses and twists to strengthen the arms, stretch the legs, lengthen the spine, create space in the joints, deepen awareness of the breath, and quiet the mind. Some restorative poses will be offered.

Instructor Bio:
Rocky has been teaching yoga for 18 years and is a long-time faculty member of Unity Woods Yoga Center. She has been to India twice to study with B.K.S. and Geeta Iyengar, has trained at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco, and was certified in the Iyengar method in 1994. She is also a poet and collage artist exploring the intersection of yoga, dreams and creativity.

(back to top of page)

Movement and Stillness: Gentle Stretching and Anointing of Chakras on the New Moon – NEW!

Instructor: Brigit Viksnins, MAT NCTMB RCST

Dates: This is not a series. Come to one or all classes, once a month.
Wednesday mornings: May 7, June 4, and August 27
Friday evenings: May 2, May 30, and August 29

Times: Choose Wednesday 9:30 - 11 AM, or Friday 7-8:30 PM

Cost: $35 per class (discount for stay at home moms or dads who need it - available Wed AM)

Registration: Pre-registration is requested. To register, please write Brigit at bviksnins@crossingshealing.com. Class size is limited.

Course Description:
Come stretch with me and anoint your chakras! Renew and center yourself at least once a month! Join me to celebrate the depths of the month, the time of the dark or new moon, by experiencing a relaxing, ritual-like cleansing of body, mind and spirit. I have come up with a fabulous, popular (gentle, standing, appropriate for kids to seniors) movement class, and am excited to offer it at Crossings. We will spend half of the time slowly stretching, opening up all of our joints (this is something you can learn, and do at home). During the second half, we will use pure, therapeutic grade essential oils to anoint each chakra. Through guided meditation, we will cleanse and balance ourselves, shedding the past month, sowing seeds for the one to come.

Therapeutic grade essential oils deliver intelligent, beneficial chemistry and oxygen on a cellular level. They offer a wealth of immune stimulating properties, support brain chemistry and emotions that encourage true healing. Come experience them once a month, and discover for yourself the wonders of letting the oils do the work.

Instructor Bio:
Brigit practices Massage Therapy and Craniosacral Therapy at Crossings. She specializes in relaxing therapeutic massage, and her deep, slow style facilitates a decompression from today's stresses. Along with a variety of other advanced courses, she has studied massage as a medical intervention, which she integrates with the meditative practice of cranial work (to learn about Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, see www.craniosacraltherapy.org).

(back to top of page)

Conscious Communication Skills:

Transformation: From the Language of Deficiency to the Language of Fullness

Instructor: Lynd Morris

Dates: Monday evenings—June 9, 16, 23, 30, 2008

Time: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Cost: $80-$160*

Pre-requisite: 6 or more hours of prior training in Nonviolent Communication

Course Description:
Do you ever find yourself looking at the world through the lens of deficiency? There’s not enough time/money/energy to do all that you want to do? Do you notice your default setting being habitual dissatisfaction, especially in your interactions with others?

Talking to ourselves and each other using the language of deficiency and dissatisfaction can disconnect us from our own vitality and separate us from others. In addition, research in neurocardiology indicates that when people operate from an internal sense of lack they experience higher levels of stress, and the quality and longevity of their lives is reduced.

Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is a process created by Marshall Rosenberg Ph.D. that helps connect us with what is most alive in us and in others. Using NVC, we develop an awareness of what blocks our ability to give and receive and we learn to reframe how we express ourselves and how we hear others so that genuine and meaningful connection can occur. As we practice communicating with ourselves and others compassionately and honestly, we naturally become more present.

In this series of four Monday night classes, we’ll explore several NVC practices developed by International NVC trainer Robert Gonzales to transform pain to clarity, compassion, and empowerment. We’ll employ individual inquiry and both small- and large-group work to apply these practices directly to our own lives. Because a familiarity with NVC self-empathy and expression practices is the foundation for the material covered in this series, at least 6 hours of prior NVC training is needed to register for it. Check the schedule on the Capitol NVC website (www.capitolnvc.org) for information about upcoming NVC workshops you can attend to meet this request for prior training.

* To register, send an email to Lynd@CapitolNVC.org (all are * welcome to register for this event, regardless of ability to contribute financially—work exchange and * scholarship opportunities will be available for those who need them to participate).

Instructor Bio:
Lynd Morris is a graduate of the 2005 North America NVC Leadership Program led by Center for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC)-certified trainers Miki and Inbal Kashtan. She completed the 2006 LIFE advanced NVC training program led by CNVC-certified trainer Robert Gonzales, and has begun her second year in this program. During the last three years, she has offered numerous NVC classes and workshops in the Metro DC area, is a founding member of Capitol NVC (www.capitolnvc.org), and is registered for CNVC certification. Lynd also is a member of the Still Water Mindfulness Practice Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. In 1997, she was ordained as a lay member of Thich Nhat Hanh’s Order of Interbeing.

(back to top of page)

Holistic Approaches to Parenting:

Mother Voyage

Instructors: Lisa Makstein, LCSW & Marla Zipin, Ph.D.

Dates: Tuesdays, Ongoing

Times: 10:00 - 11:30 am

Cost: $65 per session

Course Description:
Do you want to trust yourself and find more joy as you raise your family? With all its complexity and intensity, motherhood is a time of accelerated growth and personal transformation. In keeping with acupuncture principles, when mom is nourished her family flourishes. This group offers you a nurturing, safe place to grow, honor your authenticity and practice self-compassion. Come join us to pause, rejuvenate, listen deeply, and find delight in motherhood with a circle of kindred women.

To Register:
To register call Lisa Makstein, LCSW, 301/963-5696 or Marla Zipin, Ph.D., 301/899-4733, psychotherapists of over 20 years with much heart, and seasoned moms.

(back to top of page)