Pilates Week | Madeline Black

Madeline Black, owner of Studio M in Sonoma, CA, is a nationally known leader in the field of Pilates. She founded the first Pilates studio in the Bay Area and currently co-directs ITT Pilates (the Integrated Teacher Training program). Madeline studied the work of Joseph Pilates with many of the original teachers, and has created contemporary Pilates using her knowledge of the body. With Madeline's expert guidance, you'll deepen your Pilates practice, gain a new sense of awareness, and experience Pilates -- from the inside out -- with strength and ease. On the Web: www.studiompilates.com

Culinary Experiences at La Cocina Que Canta | Visiting Teacher Amelia Saltsman

Amelia Saltsman is the author of "The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook: Seasonal Foods, Simple Recipes, and Stories from the Market and Farm," one of Cooking Light Magazine's Top 100 Cookbooks of the Last 25 Years. She is also the author of "The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Summer Entertaining E-Book," and a contributor to the annual food lovers guide "Eat: Los Angeles." A long-time champion of small family farms, farmers' markets, and home cooking, Amelia brings her passion and wit to print, Web, radio, and public appearances. She is often turned to for expert advice by such publications as Vegetarian Times, Women, US Airways, and Fit Pregnancy. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including Bon Appétit, Cooking Light, National Geographic Traveler, and the Los Angeles Times. She is a frequent guest on KCRW's "Good Food with Evan Kleiman" and serves on the California Certified Farmers' Market Advisory Committee and Task Force.

Amelia is committed to raising the food literacy rate: knowing how, when, and where our food is grown and by whom; knowing how to cook a simple, healthy meal; and understanding the local and global impact our food choices have on our families and communities. All while having a good time.

Amelia offers three hands-on culinary experiences, 3.5 hours each, on Tuesday at 11 am and 4 pm and Thursday at 4 pm, during which you will enjoy preparing your own meal along with fellow cooks. Classes take place at La Cocina Que Canta, our new culinary center.

For more information and registration, please click here.

Hypnosis for Maximum Health and Well-Being | Bee Epstein-Shepherd, Ph.D.

Bee Epstein-Shepherd, Ph.D. has helped people attain personal and professional excellence since 1975. She is now in her "retirement career" as a hypnotherapist practicing performance psychology. Since 1985 she has impacted more than 250.000 people in over 450 cities internationally by teaching self-management and peak performance. She has 10 years experience teaching management and business psychology courses at the college level and consulting for major corporations. She is author of "Stress First Aid for the Working Woman," "How to Create Balance at Work, At Home, In Your Life," "Free Yourself From Diets,” “Mental Management for Great Golf: How to Control Your Thoughts and Play Out of Your Mind” and "Building Champions, A Guide for Parents of Junior Golfers."

Between 1996 and 2006 she was mental skills coach to some of the world’s best golfers. In 2008 she published a CD program Youthing™, a Hypnotic Approach to Anti-Aging, a revolutionary program designed to slow the aging process. She presents customized Youthing workshops and also hypnotizes individuals to reduce stress, improve memory, overcome sleeplessness, conquer fears, control weight and negative behaviors. She is certified by the American Institute of Hypnosis, The National Guild of Hypnotists, The Time Line Therapy Association, and as a Medical Hypnotherapy Specialist. She is listed in several Who's Who publications including Who's Who of American Women and Who's Who in the World.

On the Web: www.DrBee.com

Thrive: The Mind/Body Connection | Gyll Turteltaub, Psy. D.

Thrive: The Mind/Body Connection: Two sessions

Happiness is not simply dependent on a person’s genes. It is a set of skills that can be taught, and, with practice, developed over time. The bulk of what determines happiness is one’s thoughts and behaviors. This two-session presentation will highlight the evidence supporting the relationship between enjoyment/pleasure and health outcomes and participants will learn practical strategies for cultivating happiness.

Session One: Participants will learn about signs of stress related to the four dimensions of personal energy: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual and will be introduced to strategies to reduce stress by targeting core beliefs and building psychosocial skills. Determinants of happiness will be introduced and the first of three natural antidotes to stress will be highlighted.

Session Two: By learning relatively simple rituals individuals can regularly replenish their energy and build emotional, physical and mental resilience. Participants will learn about natural antidotes to stress and practical strategies to improve overall happiness, health, and well-being. The benefits of savoring the small stuff, learning optimism, and knowing your assets will be highlighted.

Exercise for Life: Two sessions

What if there was one medication that could prevent and treat dozens of diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity? Would you take it? This two-session presentation will review of some of the proven benefits of exercise and a case will be made for exercise being prescribed as medicine.

Session One: The presentation will begin by providing a historical context on how our culture has evolved to be so inactive and unhealthy. Changes to the US labor force and unintended consequences of technology will highlight how we have systematically worked exercise out of our daily routine. We will begin to explore the serious health risks associated with inactivity.

Session Two: Recognizing physical inactivity as a major life/health risk factor, the powerful benefits of exercise in our life, health and well-being will be presented. Common barriers to exercise will be explored and strategies for overcoming these obstacles will be highlighted. Evidence will be provided showing that exercise can prevent chronic disease and extend life.

Gyll Turteltaub, Psy.D. is a clinical psychologist in Berkeley, CA. She maintains a private practice, providing psychotherapy for individuals, couples, and adolescents. Her areas of specialty include treating anxiety, depression, relationships issues, compassion fatigue, and improving work/life balance. In addition to her private practice, Gyll works for Kaiser Permanente’s Employee and Physician Assistance Program. She provides consultation for managers, coaching on effective leadership skills, workgroup assessments, critical incident stress de-briefings, presentations and trainings. Gyll has presented workshops nationally on a variety of topics including mindfulness, resiliency, communication effectives, and mind/body medicine.

The Healing Power of Sound | Lester Garfinkel, M.D., F.A.C.P.

Lester Garfinkel, MD, FACP will present an overview of the science behind the healing power of sound from ancient times to our own. Participants will then have an opportunity to experience the engulfing and centering sound of the crystal bowl. To his work with the crystal bowl and the healing power of sound, Dr. Garfinkel brings his career as a cancer and rehabilitation specialist. Dr. Garfinkel has worked with individuals and groups in a variety of healing and spiritual venues, including Rancho La Puerta, Congregations Adat Ari El (Los Angeles) and Netivot Shalom (Berkeley), the alcohol and drug residential treat program Beit T'Shuva (Los Angeles), and the Disney Cancer Center in Burbank California. He is a graduate of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, a Fellow in the American College of Physicians, a member of the Sound Healers Association, and continues to pursue his own studies in spirituality at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles