Yoga, Art, & Imagination Event September 8th

Join us on Sunday, September 8th from 10 AM -12:30 PM for a yoga and art event held in conjunction with our Down the Rabbit Hole Exhibition. Yoga, Art, and Imagination will be hosted by Mercedes Gertz and Stacy Tenhouten. In this event, participants will uncover their embodied myths through movement, ritual, and imagination. Bring your yoga mat if you have one. There will be some extra mats available to borrow. This event is free and open to the public, although donations are always welcomed and appreciated.

Each one of us is an embodiment of the stories that we collectively, individually, consciously and unconsciously express in our thoughts, words, and actions. In this workshop, we will participate in yoga practices (movement, ritual, and imagination) to access our symbolic narratives and explore the stories that live unconsciously within us. The practice of yoga allows us to reconnect with the self. As such, our unconscious material begins to surface. -Mercedes Gertz, PhD

Mercedes Gertz is an artist, yoga teacher, and Depth Psychologist. Her interest in art as a language has informed her artistic practice and community work. Gertz currently has a PhD in the study of Depth Psychology. Her focus is on the study of dreams and Fairy Tales as the symbolic language that articulates what words fail to express. She has been trained as a yoga teacher with Kyra Haglund and has devoted her investigation on Trauma with Donald Kalsched’s Trauma, Dissociation and the Soul certification at Pacifica Graduate Institute. Gertz teaches Fairytales and Dreams workshops in Mexico, Los Angeles, and Paris. Her paintings, conceptual installations, and graphic art have been exhibited in Mexico, the United States and Europe.

Stacy TenHouten is a yoga teacher and writer. It is her experience and strong belief that the practice of yoga, ritual and creative expression is a powerful pathway towards the healing of trauma. Her commitment is to help individuals cultivate and access tools that can safely allow them to explore their body’s sensations and navigate the triggers that arise from the after-effects of trauma. She has been practicing yoga for 20 years, studying primarily with Mark Whitwell. She received her teaching certification from Kyra Haglund and Nancy Goodstein and her Trauma-Informed Yoga Teaching Certification with Hala Khouri and Kyra Haglund. Stacy currently teaches free community classes to individuals recovering from addiction, incarceration, and homelessness at Pico Youth & Family Center. In addition to these classes, she also teaches in studio and corporate settings.