The Urban Yoga Movement is a retreat designed to bring yogis and wellness enthusiasts together for a celebration of community, learning and peace. The event will take place all day on Sat, Jan 7th in downtown Dayton. Guests will enjoy a day of active and educational sessions focused on a variety of disciplines of yoga, meditation and wellness of the mind, body and soul. Active sessions will include power and restorative options while educational sessions will cover yoga lifestyle, adventure and meditation. Breakfast and lunch will be provided by Whole Foods
The event has a new home this year! It is their goal to use a space that feels a little undergound and demonstrates the transformation possible in Downtown Dayton. Event Co-Producer Tom Helbig says, “we couldn’t be more excited about hosting our event in a large warehouse building located in the Atta Girl Arts & Gardens Complex on Third Street in downtown Dayton, owned by local artist Hamilton Dixon, and local business owner and yoga community member Carli Dixon.” The Atta Girl complex is home to Hamilton Dixon Studios, Bloombeads flower petal jewelry, Front Street Cycle and Third Street Event space.
Registration fee will include access to all classes, breakfast, lunch, social, expo and Urban Yoga Movement shirt courtesy of Wagner Subaru.
Register on line. While early bird discounts have already expired, if you register by Jan 3rd it’s just $65.
Below is some background information on some of the instructors that will be a part of the day:
9am Opening Session Laughter Yoga
The Laughter yoga session will begin with a combination of deep breathing and stretching exercises, progressing to laughter exercises, and then concludes with a laughter meditation. These exercises oxygenate your body and brain helping us to feel more healthy and energetic. It is a complete well-being workout. Life is better when you are laughing 
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Stacy Lynn is an internationally-trained Yoga Therapist and E-RYT, Exercise Physiologist, and Holistic Health Educator. She has been serving the Dayton area with Mind/Body healing practices for over 15 years. Finding significant personal healing through yoga practices, her passion is to make the transformative and empowering practices of classical yoga available and accessible to all individuals. Stacy is the owner of Enlightened Fitness, LLC and founder of Empower Yoga Project located in Centerville.
At 10:15am Ranjani will be teaching followed by an 11:30am lecture on the Ramayana!
Ranjani Powers has been practicing yoga ever since she could move…one could say her samskaras run deep.
One of Ranjani’s earliest memories is stretching and contorting herself into what she calls “juicy” postures (which, at that time, she thought she invented) but she later (to her chagrin) found out that they were in fact traditional yoga asanas (another memory is retreating to a dark and quiet corner of her parents’ house to practice likhita japa).
In the summer of 1998, Ranjani received the blessings and instruction to teach yoga from Sri Swami Satchidananda and has since devoted her entire life to teaching yoga.
Ranjani opened one of the first ever yoga studios in the Dayton area (Down Dog Yoga in Tipp City, Ohio in 1999), as well as the largest yoga studio in Dayton, perhaps even Ohio (Sakti Yoga in Old North Dayton, Ohio in 2005), so you could say she has been around the yoga block a couple of times. Regarded by many to be the teacher of yoga teachers, Ranjani Powers was the first E-RYT 500 in the area, and the first to offer a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher’s training in Dayton, Ohio. Many of her students are now established yoga teachers in Dayton and around the country.
True to her name, Ranjani Powers loves dishing out powerful classes that leave students stretched, sweaty, and sublimely empowered! Her classes will work your body, and expand your mind – she will challenge you physically and mentally, then allow your spirit to soar blissfully beyond in one of her legendary relaxation sessions.
11:30am Ashtanga Yoga with Ross Stambaugh
Ross enjoys sharing the tradition of Ashtanga Yoga as taught by Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois, and the KPJAYI. The asana (postures), is one thing, but sharing and taking part in the ongoing lineage, philosophy, myths, and stories add so much more to it all.
The Power of Authenticity
Ross makes annual trips to Mysore, India to practice at The K.P. J. Ashtanga Yoga Institute, (the location where Ashtanga was started) and study yoga philosophy with Dr. Jayashree and Professor Narasimha. These trips last months and allow him to ground himself as well as submerse himself in yoga and focus on his practice.
Yoga has the great ability to allow the practitioners to show their best side when presented with challenges.
Flow Class at 4:14pm with Heather Feather
Feather” was Heather’s nickname growing up and it suits her well.
Feathers inspire and that is just what Heather aspires to do for YOU!
Heather’s journey in health began after her father died from a rare neurological disease called Multiple Systems Atrophe in 1999. In the first month of her Freshman year at Lake Forest College her entire world shifted. A significant transformation began when Heather started practicing yoga and running to cope with the loss. Heather was on a destructive path during her teenage years and she chose to move in the direction of health which brought forth true healing and growth.
She has not turned back and wishes to bring the healing and transformational powers of a healthy lifestyle with a focus on yoga, exercise and healthy eating.
Heather teaches in a dynamic and firm, yet non-threatening way. She always brings something new to the table whether that be in a class atmosphere, bootcamp, private training/yoga or retreats. She brings a multifaceted approach to health & wellness with her in-depth knowledge of the yoga practice, exercise and diet. Heather is strongly intuitive and steps deeply into the present moment with you to give the best service possible. She almost always combines exercise and yoga in her offerings and sometimes even a healthy, delicious treat!
Heather is an ACE certified Personal Trainer, 500 hour trained Yoga Instructor, and Chef. She also has a professional certification in the Culinary Arts, an Associates degree in Pastry Arts and a certificate in dietetics. Additionally, Heather is a certified Spin Instructor, an Ironman finisher, marathon and ultramarathon runner, long-distance swimmer and triathlete.
You can also enjoy an afternoon session at 4:15pm hearing tales from Tom Helbig‘s Journey to Happiness. Tom’s focus on adventure, knowing his authentic self, simplicity, building community and loving people has led to a more profound passion for life. Yoga and meditation has provided an incredible balance to his life of adventure. Three days after Urban Yoga Movement last year, Tom started his cycle across America from San Diego, CA to Key West, Florida to support Special Olympics. You just might hear a story or two from that journey filled with happiness.
Tom is the co-producer of Urban Yoga Movement and owner of a playful company called Tomfoolery Outdoors. Learn more about his lifestyle here.
GO W/ THE FLOW will present the closing session at UYM this year!
Tori Reynolds discovered yoga while studying psychology at Wright State University. Compelled to learn more, she earned her 200 hour RYT certification in 2011 in Cincinnati, completed 500-hour certification with Live Love Teach in 2012, completed 100 hours of Rocket Yoga certification in 2015 and has studied with teachers including Doug Swenson, Tim Miller, Kino Macgregor, Tiffany Cruikshank, and Noah Maze, among many others. When not teaching around her hometown of Dayton, OH, Tori also travels with the GO W/ THE FLOW project she co-founded in early 2012. This collaboration between Tori and her partner Ben allows her to share her passion for the power of intentional breathing fueled by creative and inspired music internationally.
Michigan native and musical genius of GO W/ THE FLOW Ben Rivet is known for his roles as performer, producer, designer and yogi. With a reputation for collaboration and cross- promotion, it’s no surprise GO W/ THE FLOW combines these aspects. Driven by his passion to innovate, connect and share, Ben continues to perform under the name BJSR, cultivating and refining his unique style, and also participated in Practice Yoga’s teacher-training program where he earned 200-hour RYT certification in April 2012.
