CircusYoga® Workshops

CircusYoga for Your Whole Community

We’ve designed dozens of fun, experiential CircusYoga workshops, from hour-long sessions to week-long residential retreats. In general, we welcome everyone age 7 and up in all of our programs. Our programs are also adaptable to early childhood learners and their parents. Check with individual teachers for more information on planning the ideal workshop for your community’s specific needs.

photo by maike schulz

menu:

Playing & Learning Across Generations: CircusYoga® Retreat
Practice, Learn, Play: CircusYoga® Workshop
Celebrate Community: CircusYoga® Retreat
Spread Your Wings: Flying CircusYoga®
Open Your Heart, Embrace the Fool, Live Large: CircusYoga®
Take Risks, Dare to be the Fool, Surprise Yourself: CircusYoga®
Explore Yoga, Express Circus: CircusYoga®
Inter-Generational Learning: CircusYoga®
Multi-Generational Play: CircusYoga®
Expand Your Sense of Self: CircusYoga®
Say Yes! with Every Cell in Your Body: CircusYoga®
Turn Your Experience Upside Down: CircusYoga®
... and any combination your community can imagine!

ingredients:

Circle practices — yoga, name game, introductions, warm-up, feedback, council, massage, mandalas
Closing celebrations and community performances
Clowning and physical comedy
Community (Sangha) yoga
Dance and creative movement
Devil sticks
Diabolo
Equilibristics (balancing)
Fabrics—Bags, Flags, Saris & Shape Shifters
Family & Acrobatics Pyramids
Flying Partner Yoga
Group games focusing on cooperation, invention, problem-solving, impulse and control, or partnering.
Hat tricks
Human pyramids
Invented Partner Yoga
Juggling — scarves, balls, rings, humans, monkeys, beamos, clubs, torches, beach balls, horizontal juggling, animals, beanie babies
Mythology
Nature studies
Parades
Partner acrobatics
Partner yoga
Poi spinning
Push Sticks
Spinning plates
Spotting safely
Stilt-walking
Story creation
Story Vinyasa
Storytelling
Thai massage and restorative yoga
Thematic exploration — i.e. world cultures, history, mythology, five elements, flight
The YES! Game
Tightwire and balance pipe
... and the brilliance of the moment!

Day 2:

Welcome Ritual
Fire Circle Practice
Partner Yoga
Posture Pickle
Invented Partner Yoga Poses
Basic Partner Acrobatics
Open Stations (circus skills)
Rotate Open Stations (circus skills)
Dance
LUNCH Break
Welcome & Check-in
Group Game
Clowning
Backward Flying
Thai Partner Massage
Savasana (relaxation)
Closing Ritual
Om

We were thrilled to be a part of your fantabulousamazing-wonderfuldashing-energeticandhappy world! —Andes Hruby,  Salisbury, CT

CY is a beautiful program that features new approaches to sharing circus arts with families. Our staff was inspired by the way this method models inclusion and cooperation while allowing for each participant to shine as an individual. There were many touching moments as we watched parents and children share the experience of taking risks, supporting each other, and ultimately succeeding at learning a new skill. We will be including many CY techniques in our Family Circus Workshops. —Donna Wood-Babcock, Director,  Hope Street Circus, CA

CircusYoga is a living, breathing, moving embodiment of yoga practice. —Lisa Caroselli, Greenbrook, NJ

A typical 3-hour workshop looks like this...

Welcome Ritual—Before the group comes
together, teachers, assistants and a
few students spontaneously create a
opening performance to welcome the
others into the threshold of our circle.
Fire Circle—We gather and practice
accessible community yoga in a large
circle to music.
Kaleidoscope—We choose
partners and mirror their movements
across the circle.
Name & Gesture—We introduce
ourselves with gestures of our own
making and the group mirrors them
back to us.
Horizontal juggling, monkey juggle—
We juggle as a group and then in
pairs, sometimes with balls, sometimes
with scarves, always with laughter.
Break—Water in and water out.
The Yes! Game—This group game
centers and gets us ready to learn.
Posture Pickles—A playful and
cooperative exploration of Hatha
yoga poses.
Partner Poses—Another chance to
partner and discover poses together.
Flying Yoga—Introduction to flying
on your base’s feet.
Partner Thai Massage—Simple ways to
nurture your partner who just “flew” you.
Family Acro—Building human pyramids
and accessible partner acrobatic trick
just for you and your close ones.
Dance/Heart Mudra—We end with a
celebration of our connection.
Om—Traditional ending to yoga class
done with our typical CY twist.

This was a fun, safe place to try new things. It was great yoga and very accessible. —Amy Krulak, Baltimore, MD

Thanks again for the amazing experience. I knew that we'd do lots of cool physical things but I didn't know that I would get so emotionally involved. That was one of the best vacations I've had in a long time. —Heather Mormile, Florida, NY

We all had a GREAT time! My kids talked about and recounted the day again and again. The two of you have such a great presence with adults and children—calm, patient, attentive and funny... We love it all! Namaste. —Monique & Family, Hermosa Beach, CA

The amazing connection between all my family members was beyond expectation. I especially like the use of the body in a safe, fun way and the total acceptance of the caring and encouraging staff. I liked that it was a program I could do with my son. Kevin and Erin were so positive I their approach. —Lisa Caroselli, Greenbrook, NJ

A typical weekend workshop looks like this...

Day 1:

Welcome Ritual
Fire Circle Practice
Mirrored Asana/Kaleidoscope
Name & Gesture
The YES! Game
Circus Skills
Open Stations (circus skills)
Rotate Open Stations (circus skills)
Dance
LUNCH Break
Welcome & Check-in
Push Sticks
Forward Flying
Thai Partner Massage
Stand-up (show and tell)
Dance
Savasana (relaxation)
Om

Menu and Ingredients for workshops: