Nova Yoga, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada

Reyn Studios, New Orleans, Louisiana

Big Power Yoga, Houston, Texas

JalaBlu Yoga, Buena Vista, Colorado

The Woodlands Yoga Studio, The Woodlands, Houston

PeaceLab Yoga, Grand Rapids, Michigan

The YogaTonic, Salida, Colorado

The Wanderlust Festivals at Copper Mountain, Austin and Squaw Valley

The Telluride Yoga Festival

GaneshFest in Austin, Texas

Texas Yoga Conference

Texas Yoga Retreat

Asana Offerings

The workshops listed below are generally offered in a 2 hour format. Some could be shortened to 90 minutes—-Int/Adv Vinyasa is generally better with 2.5 hours. Also, a weekend could include multiple vinyasa offering at each level by asana category (ie. Hip-Openers & Forward Bends, Twists and Armbalances, Inversions and Standing Poses, etc.)

Yin Yoga—As a balance to the assertive nature of most rigorous yoga classes, yin yoga is a journey into the world of receptivity and opening. The elements of time and gravity are combined to replace the muscular efforts of a more Yang style practice, allowing students to experience their breath, observe the rise and fall of thoughts, and attune attention inward. This practice touches on all the layers of our being. On the physical plane, it supports joint mobility and flexibility. Energetically it is an opportunity to relax more deeply, nourishing our nervous system and allowing access to deeper breath. Mentally, it is the perfect opportunity to cultivate focus and meditation—-through which we begin to gain insights and access to deeper wisdom. And the longer holds, deeper breath, and clearer mind help us touch the experience of bliss.

Thai Yoga—This partnered practice is the perfect way to experience the aspects of giving and receiving. Students learn to be attentive and to create conscious actions in the role of giver, and learn to soften and be accepting in relationship to their partner in the role of receiver.  Thai Yoga has numerous physical benefits, using many of the shapes of yoga, and is sometimes referred to as “Lazy Man’s Yoga” because it yields the benefits of the yoga practice without the effort. Yoga students will recognize the benefits of this practice immediately, but no yoga experience is necessary to participate. In fact, it is an excellent way to introduce a friend or partner to yoga in a safe a supportive environment.

Vinyasa Yoga

Description: The word Vinyasa can be broken down to its root Nyasa which means “to put or place”, and its modifier, Vi, which means “in a special way.” So while Vinyasa yoga is commonly understood to mean “flowing with the breath” or “breath-based movement,” its essential meaning is to choose wisely how things are placed in order to create a desired outcome.

In a flow based practice, the choice of asanas and the order in which they are given encodes both the movement of energy and the students’ learning experience. A flow-based practice teaches through experience—and in its ideal execution, the experience is designed to transmit the lesson, energetically, anatomically, emotionally. Vinyasa practice moves through natural progressions which introduce new levels of challenge and/or integration as options are added to the base line offering.

Beginners: The foundational vinyasa class will introduce practitioners to flow based practice. Transitions will be approached step by step and repeated to allow integration. Class will include demonstrations, the opportunity to ask questions, enough repetition to integrate, and the opportunity for some individual expression and exploration within the context of the base flow. Come with an open mind, playful spirit and the desire to learn.

Int/Adv: The Intermediate/Advanced level vinyasa class will include arm balances and backbends. Through transitions and progressive sequencing, students will be invited to explore more expanded versions of the basic poses, and to combine these poses as they move through the flow. As more advanced poses are introduced, there will be demonstrations, partner work, and the opportunity for personal exploration in the context of the poses being offered. Practice will be engaging and challenging—support will be offered in the form of laughter, connection and choices along the way.

Spiritual Psychology & Coaching Offerings

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Have you ever wondered about the more traditional roots of the yoga practice? Or wondered why yoga works the way it does on both your body and your mind? Are you interested in what one of yoga’s most revered texts has to say about how to live your life with more peace and harmony? Join Gioconda Parker for a three hour lecture and discussion as a perfect introduction to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Learn how to approach your practice for the maximum benefit with advice that has stood the test of time. Session will include lecture, discussion, meditation and sivasana.

The Power to Create (can be just lecture or lecture and practice) 3 Hours or 2 Hours

One of the oldest and most generous tricks that the universe plays on human beings is to bury strange jewels within us all and then stand back to see if we can ever find them. —Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic

We are innately creative beings—whether we are growing a business or painting a canvas, it is in our cells and our psyche to create.  Using a map of  the chakras to understand and engage with our own creative process, we’ll work step by step to understand the energetic patterns of seven steps of creativity. Working through the steps one at a time, we’ll identify our natural strengths, our places of challenge, and learn how/when to work with both, when to collaborate and when to bring in support in order to thrive and grow.  Unlock your power to create—the world is waiting for you.

Handouts included; Bring a Journal and a Pen

The Path of the Teacher (can be lecture or lecture and practice) 3 Hours or 2 Hours

The Path of the teacher segment will work from the chakras system and will incorporate philosophy, psychology, inquiry and ethics. The objective of this session is to support svadyaya (self-study) through the model of the chakras, and then to engage with the knowledge gained thru action. Students will gain both personal and professional insights, and will use this newfound knowledge to create a plan to support themselves on their journey.

This workshop can also be offered as the Path of the Yogi —-same topic but applied to individuals practicing yoga instead of a specific conversation addressed to yoga teachers.

Contemplative Arts: Myth & Metaphor of the Gods & Goddesses of Yoga (can be lecture or lecture and practice) 3 Hours or 2 Hours

Mythology is not a lie, mythology is poetry, it is metaphorical. It has been well said that mythology is the penultimate truth–penultimate because the ultimate cannot be put into words. It is beyond words. —Joseph Campbell

Hanuman, Ganesha, Shiva, Parvati—-who are these characters and what mysteries of the universe are they pointing to? Learn how to approach, understand, and work with the universal truths represented in the forms of the Gods and Goddesses that are part of the yoga tradition. Class includes lecture, group discussion, mantra and meditation practice, and intention setting.  

Teacher Training Offerings

Unlock Your Creativity; Vinyasa Sequencing Lab

Sometimes to get creativity moving we have to  “prime the pump” and sometimes to make use of our creative flow we have to give it some containment, a channel in which to flow. Join Gioconda for a weekend dedicated to helping you learn to sequence vinyasa classes that follow natural progressions, feel connected through families of poses, and that help your students build their yoga practice, one class at a time. The weekend includes multiple approaches, and includes time for you to work with the principles to integrate what you are learning.

Vinyasa, Spiritual Psychology and the Chakras

Learn to navigate your own life journey through the map provided by the chakras system. Each energy center represents a different kind of power in your life. How are you either accessing and using or avoiding this power? And how has your internal system learned to compensate for your strengths and challenges?

Weekend will include lecture, dialogue, shadow work, and personal inquiry. It will also include twice daily asana practice–mornings will include invigorating vinyasa flows and we’ll end each day with a restorative practice to rest and integrate. Gioconda will draw on her studies in Transpersonal Psychology, Somatic Experiencing and the chakras to present the information in a cohesive and accessible format.