Charlotte Richards Yoneda, owner of Fort Bragg Yoga and Pilates Studio
Charlotte Yoneda

Charlotte Richards Yoneda, owner of Fort Bragg Yoga and Pilates Studio, and local fitness and wellness icon passed away November 20 at her home in Sacramento, surrounded by her loving family. For the past few years, Charlotte bravely fought a rare, debilitating illness with courage, grace, tenacity and a positive outlook that touched the hearts of all who knew her.

For close to three decades, she inspired countless people to embrace healthier living. She taught various group exercise classes in Mendocino and Fort Bragg, including aerobics, step aerobics, kickboxing and strength training. Eventually, Pilates work led her to the purchase of the Fort Bragg Yoga Studio. As a Reiki Master, she shepherded numerous individuals to become Reiki practitioners. Through training nurses, she was pivotal in introducing our local hospital to the healing potential of Reiki. As a licensed massage therapist and personal trainer, she taught movement practices to assist in injury prevention and self healing, as well and tending to clients with healing body work. She also assisted clients as a nutritional consultant.

Charlotte whole heartedly loved learning. Her personal commitment to continuing education was constant. Charlotte’s drive in developing the Fort Bragg Yoga and Pilates Studio was guided by her deep love of the Mendocino coast community. Her intention was to make available great classes and workshops in mind-body-spirit wellness. She envisioned the Studio as a whole health center for complementary modalities. This included a supportive environment for the professional fitness providers that allowed them creative oversight of their programs so as to fully bring their passion to their classes and clients. When her illness brought her to Sacramento, she continued with the same vision, and began creating a Healing Sanctuary and Garden through which the Sacramento community could have access to similar classes and workshops.

Charlotte’s vibrant smile, jubilant approach to living and zest for life will burn brightly in all those she leaves behind. She is survived by her beloved husband Tom , daughter Eliana, mother Harriet Richards, sisters Pauli Robinson and Robbie Richards, and extended family Tamara Yoneda, Yvonne, Anthony, Maya and Ariana Donaldson, and Natasha and Levi Saelua.

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Restorative Pilates
Natalie Shoptaw

Focus and individualize your workout to accommodate your needs. Accentuate your skills, and achieve goals. Effective movement choices and variations will be offered with training tips to facilitate your journey to a stronger and more supple you.

• Train at your own pace
• No experience required
• mats, weights, bands, balls, and circles provided
• Drop ins welcome
• Start anytime

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Beginning and All Level Yoga Classes
Kristan Larsen

Kristan's classes revitalize and strengthen the body while reducing stress and calming the mind. Come enjoy yoga postures and breathing practices with one on one guidance. Kristan is a certified yoga instructor, a registered member of the Yoga Teacher's Alliance, and has practiced yoga for 10 years. She has studied and taught yoga in New York and locally.

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Seniors Yoga
Catherine McMillan

Yoga for you. Seniors, folks with physical limitations and special needs. We will work carefully and mindfully to enhance strength, balance, peace and well being. A coast resident since 1972 and a second generation yogini, Catherine McMillan shares the many joys and benefits of yoga through a flowing practice combining breath, movement and reflection. She received her certification through the Research and Education Center.

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Afternoon Yoga
Teresa Waldman

Teresa has been practicing and teaching Iyengar style yoga in a casual way for more than 25 years, and welcomes the opportunity to share her experience.

After school yoga Tuesdays from 3:45 to 5:00p.m. Beginning to intermediate level. $10.00 for drop ins, $8.00 for prepayment of 4 or more classes.
Classes ongoing.

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Therapy for the Body & Spirit
Liz Haapanen

Liz Haapanen has been practicing massage therapies since 1977. She became a C.M.T. at the Institute for Holistic Studies in Santa Barbara, California, in 1986. She has studied numerous modalities, but actively uses Swedish massage and deep-tissue release techniques for musculature, and Cranio-Sacral Therapy for the nervous system. The work she does is deeply relaxing and often serves to unwind old pain/compensation patterns. Being unexpectedly strong, yet sensitive, Liz's work attracts grateful comments such as, "You have psychic fingers," or "You have amazingly smart hands", and, "I feel like a brand new person."

Liz works out of studios at the Caspar Gardens, and she is at the Fort Bragg Yoga Studio every Wednesday.
She can be reached for an appointment at 707 964-1674.

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Mat Pilates -Begininng and Intermediate Level
Heather Stoddard

Tuesdays 5:30-6:30 pm
Beginning Mat Pilates
This Beginners class contains exercises developed by Joseph Pilates and includes safety modifications designed to therapeutically restore and support lower back stability and total body alignment. Attention will be given to Joseph Pilates? principles, with focus on the shoulder and pelvic girdles, as well as neutral spine. Drop-Ins welcome.

Wednesdays 5:30-6:30 pm
Intermediate Mat Pilates
This class is designed for intermediate level exercisers already possessing core strength and a foundation in Pilates principles. Not suitable for beginners, instructor permission is needed to participate. Call to reserve space: 707.962.0356

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Whole Birth & MOMMAbaby
Sabrina Peterson

Whole Birth: Prenatal Yoga is a on going class and begins Wednesday and takes place from 9:30-10:45 AM.

Drop-Ins welcome $12
or 5 classes/$40
or $4/class if registered for the Mondays workshop.

Whole Birth is designed to specifically address the woman's changing body. It is also a terrific way to connect with other moms-to-be!

Prenatal Yoga is an ideal exercise for the childbearing year. Yoga stretches and strengthens the body, increases body and breath awareness, and is an excellent way to prepare for birth, teaching us to listen and trust our body's own innate birthing wisdom. A consistent yoga practice helps pregnant women to find greater connection with their changing bodies and relieves many common discomforts of pregnancy. Come connect with other mothers-to-be in an environment which is relaxing and supports the changes and treasures of pregnancy and birth.

MOMMAbaby

Bring your baby and connect with other mommas. Enjoy weekly themes and facilitated discussion in a fun, supportive environment.

The yoga portion targets strengthening core muscles necessary for wellness and comfort, stretching those tight spots, and playing with our yoga babies.

Mondays 10:00 -11:45 A.M.

9 week summer session: June 14th-Aug9th, 2010
Sliding scale $90-$120

Sabrina's teachings follow her passion for the fascinating abilities of the body and mind. She began studying postural alignment at the Balance Center in Palo Alto, in 1997, and completed the Yoga in Balance Teacher Training in 2001. In 2003, she received certification through Integrative Yoga Therapy, and continued her studies in massage, foundations of Thai Yoga Healing, hypnotherapy, and reiki. She is also an ongoing student of midwifery. Over the years, Sabrina has taught a variety of yoga classes: all levels yoga, vinyasa, partner, gentle, and restorative yoga with a focus on mindfulness. Stay tuned for upcoming workshops and prenatal classes.

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Music Together
Leslie Kashiwada

A music program for families with children from birth through age five

Songs, rhythm chants, movement and instrument play

Music Together® is a fun family music program full of developmentally appropriate music activities for children and their parents or caregivers. Everyone participates, regardless of musical ability

Why Music Together®?

Our children are like tiny piggy banks but, instead of putting pennies into them, we are flling them with time and effort and love and learning. Just like a savings account the initial "pennies" may not seem to amount to much - you may not see your child immediately responding to all that you are offering them - but keep the faith. Know that if you invest now in their music education, their brain development, and their bond with you through quality time, is one of the smartest and wisest things you can do for them.

Scientifc studies show music enhances so many areas of the brain AND cross communication between them, which benefts us in every area of life. Our classes are 45 minutes of quality time for you and your child to play together without the distraction of the phone, work, or chores.

Parents tell me stories of:

• Their child's preschool teacher commenting on how verbally advanced their child is. Through music class it seems the child has developed a keen ear which helps them pick up language.
• Their child saying poems at school with particularly good rhythmic speech. Think of all those chants/songs like "Hey, Diddle, Diddle" that we do in Music Together.
• Their child being the only one singing "happy birthday" in tune at a party.
• A ballet teacher remarking on how easily the Music Together child picks up dance steps and moves to the beat.

All these benefts may be in your child's future if you enroll your child for the Winter 2010 session beginning in January. You can do so with confdence because Music Together is a high quality program with excellent teachers. It is also a wonderful gift from you to your child and from you to yourself. Leslie Kashiwada (director/teacher) is a mother and a marine biologist. She and her husband have lived in Fort Bragg since 1999 and have a 7 year-old daughter. From a young age Leslie loved music and dance. Leslie took the Music Together® teacher training following four semesters of being a "Music Together mom," and has been teaching Music Together classes since September 2003.

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Gentle Yoga and Toning
Melinda Filer

Melinda Filer draws from her years of experience in many body/mind disciplines including ballet, massage, yoga, and meditation.  A coast resident since 1998, she received her yoga certification from Synergy Yoga Center in Encinitas, CA in 2003.  Her intention is to gently lead her students in the yoga poses and to empower each student to really listen to their own "inner wisdom" as to how far to take each posture or whether to modify a pose. Teaching yoga is a joy for her as she knows how life-changing hatha yoga can be on all levels--physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. 

Gentle Posture Flow Yoga -   In this one hour whole body work-out you will practice basic, simple yoga postures, alternating with toning exercises to strengthen the abdominal core and pelvic region. Breathing to calm the mind, stretching to lengthen muscles and toning to keep the integrity of the joints strong are blended into a class that will leave you feeling de-stressed and relaxed.

Wed. 5:30-6:30 PM

Kirtan Group chanting of ancient Sanskrit mantras; opens the heart,calms the mind. Donations
Sundays 7-8 Optional Guided Meditation follows: 8-8:30 PM

Guided Meditation Sat. 7:30-8:15 Donation only.
Drop-Ins and First-Timers welcome to all of Melind's classes

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Jazz Dancefusion
Leanna Marie

Begins July 12 & 14, 2010

Adults Class Tues.,Wed, Thurs from 6:45 - 8:00 PM

Teens Wed from 4:15 - 5:15 PM

Youth/Kids Mon. 3:00-3:45 PM (Ages 5-9)
4:00-5:00 PM (Ages 10-12)

Dancers will learn basic and intermediate technique. Blending artistic styling and classic lines with stretch and strength sequences to warm and tone the body, we will play with choreography each class and enjoy a variety of fun music! Dance is a true source of mind-body connection, taking us back to the roots of who we are, where we come from, and what we are all about. You are invited to bring your heart and come create authentic expression. Beginners and Drop-Ins are welcome to join.

Price: Drop-Ins are $12/class or purchase a discount pass

Leanna Marie grew up in the northern California bay area. She began dancing at age 4, and has followed her passion through to present day. Leanna’s experience includes 5 years of technical training and performance choreography in southern California, training within a scholarship program at San Diego's Academy of Performing Arts, many performances and dance styles including contemporary jazz, modern, tribal belly dance, ballet, latin ballroom, arial ring and character work. Leanna believes in the empowering effects of authentic expression. Using dance as a catalyst for creating happiness, awareness and healing in one's life, she seeks to share this eternal source of the self with others. Leanna currently lives in Mendocino California with her 4 year old daughter.

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Serene Vinyasa
Hannah Alexander

Hannah Alexander has been teaching yoga since 2005. She began practicing yoga in 1998 while in massage school in Salt Lake City; her classes reflect not only a bodyworker's experience but also a diverse yoga background (including Ashtanga, Prana Vinyasa Flow, Anusara, Kundalini, Viniyoga & restorative yoga). She teaches from a place of compassion & respect, a love of anatomy and an interest in balancing the culture of our daily lives. She lives among the redwoods with her dog Chief, and is an avid student of life in general and of yoga in particular.

Serene Vinyasa 
An athletic, flowing sequence of poses incorporating mudras (special finger or hand positions), pranayama (breath control), and occasional poetry.

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