Founded in 2001, Prana Yoga Center is the Fox Valley’s premier yoga center dedicated to the practice of authentic yoga. Our mission is to offer quality, transformational yoga, meditation, and other wellness programs that enable others to reach their full potential through vibrant health.

Referred to as “Yogi Rae” by her dearest friends and students, Rachel is a Yoga Teacher in and around the Western Suburbs of Chicago. She received her certifications under the guidance of Swami Sarasvatyananda (Mary Samano) at The Temple of Kriya Yoga, Nikki Meyers of CITYOGA and Y12SR, and Lela Beem and Cassie Rodgers of the Amala School of Prenatal Yoga. Specializing in therapeutic based Hatha Yoga, Yoga for 12-Step Recovery, and Prenatal/Postpartum Yoga, Rachel’s focus is to encourage proper structural alignment while my students move deeper into a meditative state at their own pace. She uses a number of techniques to strengthen the body, tame the mind, and improve the spirit – each session being completely customized to meet her students needs. As the Beatles sing, “When you move beyond yourself, you may find peace of mind is waiting there,” Rachel aims to promote a sacred atmosphere for students to let go of their outside distractions and find peace within.

Yoga Bless Retreats in Sweet Jamaica

Refresh your mind and rejuvenate your body through this yoga retreat in exotic Jamaica*

Yoga Bless villa is located in a quiet bay, with amazing views, beautiful private beaches.

Reconnect with yourself and learn yoga as you have always wanted…

You will be able to revitalize your body and soul, boost your health and immune system, relax, lose weight, detox, and de-stress while on this yoga vacation. You will be treated to healthy meals and drinks, herbal teas, superfood smooties.There will be a lot of opportunities to try out exotic activities such as snorkeling, swimming with dolphins, horseback riding, waterfalls, boat trip, and many more.

Time to slow down and get back into balance. We serve the whole person and provide an oasis of tranquility and rejuvenation through yoga, mind/body awareness, healthy food, fresh spring water, herbal medicine. Experience the best yoga retreat in Jamaica.

OUR AIM IS NOT ONLY INTRODUCE/TEACH YOU YOGA WHILE YOU ARE HERE WITH US, BUT TEACH YOU HOW TO BRING YOGA AND HEALTHY LIVING SOLUTIONS TO YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE.
WE WILL GIVE YOU YOGA PLAN FOR YOUR OWN PRACTISES & YOGA E-BOOKS & YOGA MUSIC AND A LOT OF HEALTHY TIPS FOR YOUR DAILY ROUTINE.

· Daily yoga & meditation sessions
· Beginner and intermediate yoga
· Hatha and Kundalini yoga style
· Variety of healthy meals and snacks (normal, vegetarian, vegan, raw)
· Unlimited water & herbal teas
· Fresh juices and coconut water & fruits
· Healthy cooking and Jamaican cooking classes
· Workshops to make natural cosmetic & face masks
· Snorkeling accessories & wifi free
· Yoga Bless CD with ebooks, music and yoga sessions pdf
· Comfortable accomondation
· Airport transfer
· Waterfall trip

Instructors
All our instructors are experienced yoga teachers, speaking English & Spanish.
We prepare a yoga program that will suit your level, from beginner to intermediate, for balance, immune system boost, weight loss, concentration…
Yoga sessions are based on Hatha and Kundalini yoga.
Sometimes we also host special guests: Yoga gurus from India and Yogi masters from all around the world, Ayurveda experts, spiritual guides, meditation experts, nutrition specialists…

Maki aka Ramjas Kaur will prepare a yoga plan according to your needs and preferences.
Maki traveled world for many years, serching for natural wisdom, healers, shamans, gurus, searching for the answers, learning about nutrition and healthy living, eating and experiencing all that in her own skin, practising & learning & teaching YOGA…and then when she gather all together and made whole picture from all that peaces and reach stage of happines&balance&harmony and the time come to settle the idea of Yoga Bless was born.

To share with others all the knowledge she has gathered, to show people how to live healthier & hapier even in stressy society, change a little habits, little tricks for betterment & yoga that is just soo good for everybody and improves quality of life and once we are happy, the world is becaming better place, the earth heals throught us*

Ramjas Kaur learn on her travels from gurus in India the secrets of Hatha Yoga and Pranayama & Meditation, In Costa Rica secrets of Kundalini yoga and nutrition, In Czech secrets of Tantra Yoga & Mohenzodaro woman yoga, and was influenced by great masters of Yoga that have been curing all types of illnesses of modern society with the art of Yoga, natural healers using herbs and gurus using power of the mind…

Yoga sessions will be tailored to meet your needs, from beginners to advanced, we can work specially on your issues (back pain, weight loss, hips openers, insomnia), so you will get most of it. Different yoga techniques and sessions will be introduced and different meditation techniques as well so you can find the one that fits you the best.

Hosting yoga teachers brings more styles and variatons of yoga that can ispire you and will make you enjoy yourself in this unity of body and mind to max. It will be personal, we will give you concrete tips to change your lifestyle and habits, we will make a special plan for you to continue with and make a commitment, it will be life changing.

Food

We prepare homemade healthy food and snacks according to your preferences.Included are 3 main meals daily, as well as healthy snacks and fruits during the day. You have a choice of vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, raw, or normal meals.

We believe that the starting point for rejuvenation of the body and mind is through the foods that we consume. Therefore we offer an abundance of fresh fruit, vegetables and whole foods at Yoga Bless Jamaica. The food is included in the cost of your retreat.

To us, detox and rejuvenation means eating the foods that support our bodies to cleanse and to help us move towards our ideal weight, rather than adopting a starvation diet where you are always feeling hungry. We prepare juices and meals that cleanse and rebalance our bodies, without eliminating the essential nutrients required. We use seasonal products where possible, grown or locally, so the menu is typically Jamaican. All food is served fresh, prepared and cooked on the premises, with care and loving attention. The foods that we do not serve include: pork, beef, white sugar, bread, refined flour, cow’s milk and derivatives, alcohol and sweets. These foods all place extra stress on our body systems, so by cutting them out for one week, or a few days, the body has the opportunity to rebalance itself.

We do a lot of herbal teas from Jamaican herbs that have amazing healing properties, you can aswell make yourself tea anytime you wish 🙂

Aswell we use a lot of natural remedies, superfood, fruit smoothies and natural medicinal plants that can be found here in Jamaica (and its 80% of all most powerfull herbal medicinal plants). We will be more than happy to share our knowledge with you*

Accommodation

Go Natural Resort is situated on the sea side, with fantastic views and surrounded by beautiful palm trees, in a quiet and safe area, Long Bay. The property has big garden area, private beach access, chill out area, hammock, and dining area. It’s in the parish Portland, the nicest and purest part of Jamaica. The resort is surrounded with beautiful nature, waterfalls, virgin beaches, and almond trees. It’s a very safe and quiet area, so nothing is going to disturb you in your relaxing time.
Go Natural Resort can accommodate up to 18 people. There is variety of accommodations: from budget dorm and economic tent option, private room to luxury seafront villa. There is a living room, dining area and hammock area to be used by all hosts all that for your great relaxation experience. The property is beautifully landscaped with flowers and palm trees, great for meditation or chilling in the hammock.

Closest airport is Kingston (70 min.), we can advise you about best / economic flights and arrange your pick up from airport.

Amenities
· Wi-Fi internet
· Housekeeping
· Purified water, herbs tea
· 24/7 security guard

Location
Go Natural Resort is situated on the sea side, with fantastic views and surrounded by beautiful gardens with palm trees, in a quiet and safe area, Long Bay. All of your stay will be accompanied with relaxing and calming sound of the sea and waves.

The parish of Portland on Jamaica’s east coast is one of the most beautiful places on the island. With its stunning and warm blue waters, romantic coves, virgin beaches, breathtaking panoramic views and waterfalls, its not a tourist area and you will be far away from the rush, stress, and hustle of the city. You will have a chance to meet locals, walk around and enjoy amazing wild nature and the pulsing culture of sweet Jamaica.

Jamaica is described as the most beautiful island in the Caribbean. The enchanting jewel of the Caribbean Sea beckons with its sugar white beaches, majestic cascading waterfalls, and many charming houses. Hike through lush trails of tropical flora in the breathtakingly beautiful mountain peaks, or enjoy a night full of magic, as the cool sea breeze teases you with the sensual beat of reggae.

Things to do
In your free time you can relax or read a book (we have a nice yoga, healing and wisdom books library) in a hammock in the tropical garden. You can also swim in the sea or sunbath in the beach.

There is a lot of workshops taking place in GoNatural resort, all oriented on Natural an Healthy living. Making homemade facemasks and body scrubs, learning about healing herbs and making tea, Jamaican cooking & healthy cooking classes, Making homemade cosmetics, ayurveda knowledge workshops, nutrition talkes and debates, meditation workshops….

We can also arrange variety of exotic trips and activities such as , trip to waterfalls, blue lagoon, Frenchman cove, snorkeling, horseback riding, rafting, and more…check section excursions

Know before you go

Group size
No minimum number. Group discounts

Extension options
You are welcome to any length of stay, from 4 days, 7 days, 10 days.
Don’t hesitate to ask and make arrangements.

Travel insurance information
We recommend that you have travel insurance and a travel health insurance.

Payment
A deposit of 300 USD is payable for holidays booked. Once we receive your deposit your booking is confirmed and a receipt will be sent to you by e-mail and, if requested, by post.
For clients who have paid only the deposit, payment of the outstanding balance is due 1 month before arrival.

Accepted payment methods
Bank wire transfer, Credit card, Paypal

Cancellation
If any party member needs to cancel, this must be done in writing and signed by the party leader. Cancellation takes effect from the date we receive your written cancellation instruction.
If you cancel after booking has been confirmed, you must pay a fee to compensate for the expense and losses that we incur as a result.
Cancellation between day the booking is made and 29 days (four weeks) before it commences: The full deposit payment will be forfeit, but any balance payment already made will be refunded.
Cancellation between 12 and 28 days before it commences: The full deposit payment and 70% of the balance payment will be forfeit. The remaining 30% of the balance payment will be refunded.
Cancellation within 11 days of the start of the holiday: The full price of your holiday will be forfeit. No refund will be made.
These fees reflect our estimated loss as a result of dealing with your booking to point of cancellation. You may be able to claim under your Travel Insurance policy if this cancellation falls within the conditions of that policy.
If, for any reason, you have to leave your holiday earlier than the departure day, you cannot claim a refund.
In the event of cancellation by Yoga Bless in foreseen, or unforeseen, circumstances an alternative may be offered; if this is unsuitable to you, then a full refund of the holiday deposit will be given.

Availability
This vacation is available all year round, please select an arrival dates…

At Shine, in downtown Batavia, IL, we offer yoga classes, meditation, wellness workshops, events to evoke inspired living, offbeat activities, kids’ yoga, live music and performance, yoga clothing, active apparel, yoga props, self help books, DVDs, and eco-conscious gifts.

At Shine, our mission is to uplift you on your journey through life. We aim to support and inspire as you move within, learn about yourself and grow to your full potential.

Students with physical or sport injuries, fibromyalgia, back problems, and a physically/mentally demanding lifestyle benefit from Restorative Yoga at WholeHealth Chicago. Each class combines gentle, somatic movements with static holds of stretching postures to lubricate joints and stretch connective tissue throughout the body. Breath work, modifications, and props are used to bring students into a deeper state of relaxation. The class is held on Wednesdays at 7:00 pm and Saturdays at 3:00 pm. Classes are set up in a small group style, and calling ahead to reserve a spot is highly recommended.

Natalie teaches Tantric Hatha Yoga. She firmly believes through a deeper connection with body, mind and spirit, yoga helps us to identify and overcome whatever is keeping us from living our best life. A path of deep healing is not an easy one. It can be painful and at times seem to move at a snails pace, but as Natalie has and continues to learn, it is so worth it. Yoga gives us the tools to cultivate new perspective and a sense of peace and serenity. Natalie believes regular practice of asana(physical practice), pranayama(breath work), and meditation(awareness without focus) helps to reveal and brighten the light that lives within each of us.

Recently, Natalie took a pilgrimage to India for the Kumbh Mela (a sacred gathering at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswathi rivers) with master teacher Rod Stryker and his teacher Pandit Rajmani Tigunait of the Himalayan Institute where she was initiated into the Tantric Sri Vidya lineage. Other teachers Natalie has been fortunate to study with are, Daren Friesen, Gabriel Halpern, Aadil Palkhivala, Tias Little, and Gary Kraftsow.

Natalie teaches mindful and inspired classes that are rooted in self-acceptance, gratitude and love. Natalie’s goal for each class is to create a space for her students to cultivate and realize their own intentions, and to connect with their light and the teacher within. Teaching brings Natalie joy, and she wants to share that joy with all people!

When Natalie isn’t teaching she is working as a massage therapist, taking walks, hanging out with cats, learning about Ayurveda, reading, and thinking about what to make for dinner.

Jennifer has been practicing yoga since 2000, and is passionate about sharing the practice of yoga with others. Yoga has played an integral role in the unfolding of Jennifer’s path, the one constant along her journey through careers in finance and consulting, graduate studies in business administration, travel around the world, and the leap to self-employment as a professional actor, voice artist, and life coach.

After years of being a student of yoga, people began asking her to teach them, so she enrolled in the Teacher Training and In-Depth Studies program with Daren Friesen at Moksha Yoga. Jennifer knows in her heart that teaching yoga is a part of her dharma of service in the world, and she continues to be inspired by studying with master teachers including Aadil Palkhivala, Sara Ivanhoe, and Alie McManus. Jennifer also loves Bhakti Yoga and eagerly participates in all the mantra, kirtan, and chanting experiences that she can. In 2012 Jennifer founded Yoga for Triathletes, which offers specialty yoga classes to help triathletes balance the body and focus the mind to create an edge for intense training and racing.

In Jennifer’s classes, students will find a mindful practice that is grounded in breathing and intention. The practice flows through artfully sequenced asana, pranayama and meditation to clear the distractions of the mind and energetic blockages in the body creating space to discover the peace and wisdom that is naturally within us all.

Katie started practicing yoga in 2003, in hopes of healing a chronic injury from her former life as a dancer. Through the practice and study of yoga, she continues to discover not only freedom from chronic pain, but healing on a deep emotional and spiritual level. From this perspective of personal transformation Katie is eager to share the gifts of a consistent, intelligent yoga practice with others.

Katie completed her yoga teacher training certification at Moksha Yoga Center in Chicago, Illinois. She has completed more than 1000 hours of teacher training with master teachers from around the world, and finds tremendous joy in learning. She is grateful for her generous teachers and healers including Kim Wilcox, Tias Little, Erin Cowan, Gabriel Halpern, Lucien Caillouet and Daren Friesen. Katie holds an MA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a BA from Loyola University Chicago. She continues her studies in meditation, asana, pranayama, philosophy, and somatics. Katie has particular interest in restorative practices, pain management and therapeutic yoga, and inspiring mindful and joy filled lifestyles.

As a teacher, Katie aspires to create a safe space in which students can practice this transformational work with awareness, honesty, and integrity. Her classes are tailored for the growth of her students, and always include focus on healthy and safe alignment, connection with the breath, and the powerful use of heartfelt intention.

      I have been a student of yoga for 17 years and a teacher for 12. I fell in love with yoga as a psychology/pre-med student, when I realized by the knot in my stomach that med school was not for me! I was passionate about the miraculous human body but was much more interested in the art of health than disease. I found myself in an ashram in India and the mountains of Nepal instead of the library! Along my journey, I have had the honor of studying with a variety of master teachers in disciplines ranging from Ashtanga to Iyengar Yoga, all of whom have contributed to my comprehensive style of teaching: Physically balancing a blend of dynamic movement with longer holds in a progressive breath-centered sequence; Energetically balancing the doing - the action and intention in each pose, with the allowing - the surrender, relaxation, and acceptance in each pose. For each class, I choose specific alignment principles and intentionally weave them throughout the practice in slow, mindful meditation. All of my classes focus deeply on alignment and breath. Because the practice of yoga asks us to listen within and pay attention to what arises, I do not play music.

      To me, the practice of yoga is the practice of living life and living in our TRUE reality! It is a never-ending journey of self-discovery and awareness. Yoga teaches us to become quiet, relaxed, and available to listen. It teaches us to become our own witness. Of everything- not just the pretty stuff! With presence, focus and deep inward concentration, we learn to distinguish between the chatter and fear of our ego mind and the truth of our heart, or intuitive mind. Our intuition is our heart aligning us with our dharma, or, our Soul’s true purpose for being. When we practice listening, we get to know ourselves authentically and learn that all the answers really are within us! And now ONLY right action in all aspect of our life is possible!

       Through the practice of yoga, I have learned to see with a more expansive perspective. I have learned that there is no right or wrong. There is only the process and the practice, and the willingness and desire to explore and grow.

      For the past 6 years, I have been apprenticing under the brilliant Gabriel Halpern, of the Iyengar Tradition, at the Yoga Circle in Chicago (which I absolutely LOVE!!).

I also very much resonate with the teachings of Para Yoga taught by Rod Stryker. I have learned through studying different styles of yoga that while approaches may vary, the intention is the same – to provide the practitioner with a tool to become more conscious, free and loving in spirit, and joyful in life!

      Mia Park teaches Tantra Hatha in the Moksha Yoga 500 Hour Teacher Training and is a certified ParaYoga Level I instructor, 500E-RYT, and Rest and Renew restorative yoga teacher. In addition to having over 1,000 hours of teacher training, Mia received the Usha Yoga Foundation Scholarship and is becoming a Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher (RCYT). Mia is passionate about sharing how the power of yoga transforms us by revealing our highest self and how the right yoga practice helps us live peacefully and vibrantly.

      Mia found yoga while teaching cardio kick boxing in 2002. Yoga offered her the perfect weave of physical health with internal peace that she needed to balance her active life style of playing in rock bands and professionally acting. Mia draws on her creative life style to bring a warm, joyful attitude to this ancient science of self evolution.

      Mia trains extensively and broadly in yoga. She recently spent a month in India, studying the tantric lineage of Sri Vidya with her main teacher, Rod Stryker, and his teacher, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, Ph.D. Mia also studies the Desikchar tradition with Gary Kraftsow and Chase Bossart. In the Iyengar/alignment tradition, Mia studied with Aadil Palkhivala, Gabrielle Halpern and Barbara Benagh. Mia has learned Anusara practices from Geri Bleier and Mitchell Bleier and practiced Ayurveda at Arogyaniketana Ayurveda Ashram in Hariharapura, India. She’s also studied with Dr. Robert Svoboda. Nicholai Bachman is another Ayureda teacher she studies with and learns sanskrit from. She has learned when to apply appropriate force in yoga from Ana Forrest, when to soften from Swami Shankardev, when to laugh from Dharma Mittra and Mark Whitwell, and when to deeply trust her number one teacher: her highest self. 

      David Nathan is a fourth generation Chicago native. A lifelong Chicago sports fan, he is not unaccustomed to suffering (dukha). Yoga practice helps David remove the veils of identification, misunderstanding, and habitual reactionary patterns in his relationships that cause pain and suffering. On a physical level, David came to Yoga after years of tennis left stiffness and pain in his shoulders and knees, and feet, and hips, and back, etc. Yoga practice helps David maintain his good health and build and sustain energy throughout his day.
      David teaches yoga in the Viniyoga tradition. Viniyoga is a holistic and integrated practice using yogic tools to gain optimal wellness on all levels of the human system: the physical body; physiological body; mental body; emotional body; and spiritual body. Viniyoga asserts that Yoga, including postures (asana), breathing exercises (pranayama), chanting, meditation (dhyana), and personal ritual, are individual tools to be used to help one affect personal transformation and growth, according to one’s needs, interests, and goals.
      David will lead you on a personal exploration and journey of Self using Sadhana (Practice) to help deepen your self-awareness and to help you ground yourself in the present moment. You will leave David’ class feeling more grounded, comfortable, and confident in your body, with your energy calm, relaxed, but alert. As David’s teacher Gary Kraftsow explains, “We practice to deepen our self-awareness, establish ourselves in the present, set a direction for our future and actualize our full potential.”
      A graduate and student of Daren Friesen’s of the Moksha Yoga Center teacher training program, David completed an advanced 500 hour teacher training with Gary Kraftsow of the American Viniyoga Institute (AVI), www.viniyoga.com David continues to study with Gary Kraftsow and is studying to become a Certified Viniyoga Therapist with AVI.
      A word from David about what to expect in his classes: “Viniyoga’s key insight is that the practices of Yoga are adapted to the individual, rather than adapting the individual to the practice. We will make certain choices in adapting postures, breathing exercises, sound and mantra, and concentration exercises to affect change on all levels of your system. There are four key differences in a Viniyoga asana (postures) practice: 1. Use of adaptation of postures to create specific structural and energetic effects; 2. Emphasis on the breath as a medium to measure and affect change in your system; 3. Use of different patterns of repetition and stay in postures to achieve different effects; and 4. Employing an art and science of specific sequencing to have different effects on the mind/body. Expect to have your mind as well as your body challenged!" 

      I’m proud to say I’m the oldest teacher on the Moksha staff. Years of intense play: sports, dance, horseback riding, skiing and triathlons - not to mention parenting! - have kept me fit, but life itself takes its toll no matter how hard you work at defying age. My firm belief, however, is that if there is a fountain of youth, it’s yoga. I’ve taught since 2000, and have seen how yoga is truly limitless in its ability to keep us in compassionate touch with our bodies, our selves. I did my initial training with Ana Forrest, then Daren Friesen, and many other master teachers. My style is so eclectic I hesitate to label myself, but the closest would be vinyasa flow. Core strength, reverence for the breath, respecting one’s natural range of motion, and always seeking for the sense of flow are essential to my style. I love language and music and incorporate Sanskrit and poetry into my classes. Being a psychotherapist, I value the addition of yoga to my healer’s toolkit.

      In 1996, Erin was living in New York City, pursuing a career in theatre and film, racing all over, hoping to be “in the right place, at the right time.” After a couple sleepless years, her health suffered, the joy within her drained, and she was simply no longer herself. Eventually, a fortunate twist of fate led her to Dharma Mittra’s yoga studio. There, at last, she took a deep breath and learned to sit. Soon, she was attending class regularly, developing her own practice, and once again feeling alive in her own skin. As her practice continued and deepened, she was eventually brought back home - to herself and the Midwest.

      Since her first class years ago, Erin knew that she would be a lifetime student and dreamed one day of teaching. In 2004, she completed the Moksha Teacher Training Program and has since found two teachers who continue to inspire her practice, her teaching, and her life – Aadil Palkhivala and Tias Little. Her studies with Tias Little have taken her to the Upaya Zen Center, nestled in the mountains of Santa Fe, NM, where she completed Prajna Yoga’s 200hr training and will pursue the 500hr level. In September 2009, Erin looks forward to her fourth week-long Purna Yoga training with Aadil Palkhivala at Moksha Yoga Center in Chicago.

      As a teacher, Erin aspires to give her students the gift she has received from her teachers, the guidance to turn inward and connect with one’s own inner light and joy, not only to enhance the life of the student, but the world we all share.

      Rich Logan has traveled the world, studying and teaching massage therapy and Yoga. He has been on faculty at the Chicago School of Massage therapy and The Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. Rich has also been a guest speaker on Western massage techniques at the Auyurvedic College in Mysore, India. A student of Yoga for over 11 years and meditation practitioner since his teens, Rich incorporates his knowledge of anatomy and physiology with a unique understanding of spirituality in the modern world. Rich has studied at the prestigious Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Madras, India with TKV Desikachar presiding. Rich’s significant teachers have been Kim Shwartz, Tias Little, Aadil Palkhivala, Gabriel Halpern and Anna Forrest. Rich has also assisted Tias Little in workshops as well as his Esalen retreat in 08. He currently interns at the Yoga Circle under the tutelage of the enigmatic and brilliant Gabriel Halpern in the Iyengar tradition.
      A word from Rich on what to expect in his class:
 "I teach as best I can to the level of the student. We hold poses longer than most average classes. I tend to focus on standing poses in my level 1-2 classes. My level 2-3 class is more oriented to movement and getting into some challenging advanced work. All my classes incorporate some theme whether Spiritual Mental or Physical. I encourage students to do their own deeper work, i.e. emotional energetic. In the end I want you to find out what works best for you, but be open to the suggestions that come your way.”

Extraordinary instructors lead yoga and yoga-inspired classes seven days a week. Step into our studio in downtown Glencoe and stretch, twist and flow your way to a healthy body and peaceful mindset.