Workshops
Plants of the Thymes
With Angela Krick
Last Thursday of each Month : June 26 | July 31 | August 28 | September 25
5:00 - 8:00 pm
Drop-In Rate $75 per session
This series will be held off-site
Immerse yourself in plants. Approach earth-based cycles and abundance with practical methods and hands-on experiences with the plants that grow in the Northland, in real time. We will walk the fields and gardens, use our senses to understand and touch and feel the medicine that grows with us. Feel confident getting some wild back in your life. Recall our relationship with earth, cycles, elements and plants. Tend to the urge to feed yourself from the source.
Join local herbalist Angela Krick at her home, where the land is vibrant and rich with local ecosystems.
Wear weather-appropriate clothing, as the class will be held entirely outdoors in the gardens and surrounding land. Details, including the address, will be sent upon registration.
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Will June be gone too soon?
Evanescent, beautiful and perfectly so.
In June, we revisit highlights from May and decant vinegars to finish an herbal delight for the kitchen and daily use.
On the garden walk, we will harvest leaves and work with plants topically. Focus will be on plants we might find in parks, trails and yards. We can use them directly on our skin to help clean scrapes and wounds, pull out unwanted stings and debris and assist in healing.
We will sit in circle and dive into the energetic qualities of plants and people while tasting and sensing the clues the plants impart to us. Our time will fill our senses and give rise to wonderful insights that feed the connection we long for with nature.
Seated discussions will offer space to reflect, share, and explore how nature mirrors our health and well-being.
In each session, we’ll engage in hands-on experiences - harvesting what’s seasonally available and preparing medicinal teas, tinctures, remedies and herbs from the plants we gather, which participants will take home with them.
Meet Your Guide
Angela Krick
Magick Mullein Herbalism & Blue Forest Plants
Angela lives in Duluth near Enger Tower, in a slice of oasis amongst the willows and pines, creeks and wild and cultivated gardens with her family and animals. They live close to home and hearth sharing the love of Earth with a passion for plants, health and wholeness. Angela has many teachers and influences to thank, forever learning and grateful to be a student in awe of the bioregional bounty of botanicals.
The Sacred Queer: A Workshop for Collective Healing
Guided by Melly Weidendorf
Date: Saturday, June 14
Time : 9:00am - 1:00pm
Cost : $90*
Proceeds of this workshop will be donated to Trans Northland.
REGISTER
*Limited scholarship assistance available. Please reach out to apply : hello@svalja.yoga
A journey into the Sacred Queer archetype beyond gender and sexual orientation.
This workshop invites participants to explore queerness as sacred, outside the limits of binary gender expressions. We all carry the Sacred Feminine and Sacred Masculine within us—just as we all carry the Sacred Queer. Together, we will move beyond the traditional archetypes of the Sacred Masculine and Sacred Feminine to explore the expansive, transformative power of the Sacred Queer.
Through discussion, meditation, movement, and reflection, we will honor queerness as an essential, liberatory force that defies the boundaries of culture and challenges rigid norms. In a world that often demands conformity, living an out loud and queer life is a sacred act of rebellion—one that helps shape a more inclusive and liberated future for all of us.
This space welcomes everyone and encourages those who do not identify as queer to join as an act of solidarity and collective transformation. Come join a circle in community as we learn from, celebrate, and reclaim the sacred queer in all of us.
Meet Your Guide
Melly Weidendorf
MS, LPCC, RYT-200 (WE/US/SHE/HER), TRAUMA CONSCIOUS YOGA CERTIFIED
Melly is a licensed mental health therapist, specializing in resiliency and post-trauma wisdom, unwinding mental wellness from a system rooted in colonialism and oppression. She completed the 250 hour Trauma Conscious YTT with Cohort 5 in 2022, and has additional training in Yin and Ayurveda. She lives on the shore with her menagerie of four legged friends, and teaches TC yoga on Mondays.
Special Events
Come Join the Circle: Child-Centered Song, Dance & Movement
Sunday, June 22
10:30 - 11:30 am
Led by Kristy Marie Chisti
Cost: 1 Credit (one paid adult can bring any number of children)
REGISTER
Held in Rose Studio + In-person only (no virtual attendance)
Join us for an hour of connection and joy for all ages. Together, we’ll sing songs, dance, and explore breathing movements designed to uplift our spirits. As social beings, children thrive when we thrive, and this shared experience aims to nurture everyone involved.
This guided session allows plenty of space for individual creativity and inspiration. Even the shy can find their spark as we embrace the muse of the spirit. Here, you are free to be exactly as you are—nothing is forced, and gentle, sweet inspiration is our guiding principle.
The songs will be universal, creating a safe and welcoming environment for all.
The Rose Studio (street level) is located at 18 1st Ave West, the door just to the left of Svälja's main studio entrance.
Grief Ritual: May the Circle be Unbroken
Sunday, June 22
12:30 - 1:30 pm (with space for you to stay longer for continued processing)
Led by Kristy Marie Chisti
Cost: 1 Credit
REGISTER
Held in Rose Studio + In-person only (no virtual attendance)
Bring a photo of a loved one who has passed or something that represents what you are grieving to place on the altar. This is a safe and supportive space to hold the tenderness of grief—for personal loss and for the collective sorrow of what is dying in our world.
Together, we will have an opportunity to share, either with words or silently, what we are carrying. This process will be held with care and reverence, in a simple yet meaningful ceremony. You are welcome to come for yourself or on behalf of loved ones who are struggling.
In this confidential and safe container, we support one another and lighten the weight of what it means to be alive during this time on the planet.
The Rose Studio (street level) is located at 18 1st Ave West, the door just to the left of Svälja's main studio entrance.
Art of Asana Discovery Class
One Saturday per Month :
June 28 | July 26 | August 30 | September 27
10:30 - 11:30 am
Led by Daniela Pelayo
Cost: 1 Credit
REGISTER
This class is held in Rose Studio
Join this discovery class to delve into the richness of Asana, the third limb of yoga, which focuses on the practice of physical postures. This monthly session offers a glimpse into our upcoming comprehensive training module, Art of Asana in October 2025, exploring the joy and general properties of various yoga postures. The class will explore SomaYoga, Vinyasa and LYT Yoga®, a specific blueprint that reestablishes postural imbalances and sets you up to move in a variety of ways.
The Rose Studio (street level) is located at 18 1st Ave West, the door just to the left of Svälja's main studio entrance. The space is roomy with two private bathrooms. There are mats and props available, but feel free to bring your own if you like.
Meet Your Guide
Daniela Pelayo, PTA, E-RYT 500, YACEP, C-IAYT (she/her)
Daniela is a yoga instructor, yoga therapist, lifelong student of yoga, and Physical Therapist Assistant. A native of Mexico City and a Duluthian at heart, she holds a BA in Women’s Studies from the University of Minnesota, Duluth.
With over 2,000 hours of training, Daniela has studied through CorePower Yoga, Yoga North International Soma Yoga Institute, LYT Yoga Method, and Svalja Whole-Being. Her certifications include a 200-hour Vinyasa and Hot Yoga certification from CorePower (2005), a 1,000-hour Yoga Therapy Certification from Yoga North, and advanced training through LYT and Svalja Whole-Being’s Trauma-Conscious program.
Daniela teaches with joy and an open heart, offering weekly classes at Duluth Yoga.
IG: @pelayogadany
e-mail: danielapelayoga@gmail.com
Sundown Sanctuary
One Sunday per month :
June 22 | July 20 | August 10
6:30 - 7:45 pm
Led by Pau Suárez Gomís
Cost: 1 Credit
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Soften into stillness as you are gently guided into a journey of meditation, sound & presence. Return home to your heart's center. Ground, rest, receive & relax. The 432 Hz crystal bowls sing, their vibrations offering unique medicine for your mind-body-spirit. This is a space to allow a renewed sense of inner-peace & belonging. The studio provides mats, cushions, bolsters, blankets and most props you may desire. However, please feel free to bring a pillow, blanket or anything else you may need to feel safe & supported. Whether lying down or sitting upright with eyes open or closed, this time is yours to lean into softness. Nothing to do. Simply be.
Meet Your Guide
Pau Suárez Gomís
Writer | Guide | Sound Healer
Pronouns: she / her
Pau is a gentle guide and conduit who is inspired to share the magic of words, Reiki and sound as a pathway to return home to Self. She is devoted to authenticity and transformation. Pau believes that every person she meets on the path is already whole. To her, healing is not about fixing, but about remembering and reclaiming the deep well of wisdom, strength, and love that already resides within. She walks beside those who choose to embark on the journey home, offering safety, stillness and profound presence as an anchor and vehicle to the Heart. Find her at the nearest tree, by the whispers of water or dancing joyfully.
Gentle Yoga and Writing in the Rose
This guided yoga and writing session will be offered on the first Thursday of each month in Svalja Yoga's Rose Studio. The class will begin with Gentle Yoga where postures are practiced gently and slowly with a combination of moving and stillness accompanied by ambient music. In the second portion of the class, your guide will offer grounding exercises, short readings, and writing prompts followed by a time for free writing (approximately thirty minutes). At the end of the session, there will be time for a check-in and option to share writing and/or experiences. Please bring a journal and pen or other materials for the writing portion of the session.
The Rose Studio (street level) is located at 18 1st Ave West, the door just to the left of Svälja's main studio entrance. The space is roomy with two private bathrooms. There are mats and props available, but feel free to bring your own mat if you like.
One Thursday per month
5:00 - 6:30 pm
Please check our schedule for upcoming dates!
Led by Melissa Hepokoski
Cost: 1 Credit
REGISTER
Yin & Live Healing Sounds
Yin guided by Kristy Marie Chisti; Music provided by Shane Nelson & Corwin Pederson
One Thursday per month
7:00 - 8:15 pm
Please check our schedule for upcoming dates!
Cost: 2 Credits
The intentional, curated sounds of live guitar, vocals, and harmonium guide you on an illuminating soundscape to support your whole-being release during this Yin Yoga practice. Yin Yoga is a therapeutic, slow-paced form of yoga where postures are held passively with the support of props for longer periods of time (1-10 minutes) to move into our connective tissue and activate sensation to release and open more deeply. The interplay of music and deep fascial release encourages discerning awareness within the physical and emotional bodies.
Yin & Live Healing Cello Vibrations
Yin Yoga guided by Kyle Leia Heyesen : Cello performed by Rebecca James Alsum
One Thursday per Month
7:00 - 8:15 pm
Please check our schedule for upcoming dates!
Cost: 2 Credits
Yin Yoga is a therapeutic, slow-paced form of yoga where postures are held passively with the support of props for longer periods of time (1-10 minutes) to move into our connective tissue and activate sensation to release and open more deeply. Live cello provides deep, resonate healing vibrations that gently break-up long-held tensions encouraging your physical body to soften and release. The soothing sounds of live cello offer comfort and calm, encouraging you to turn inward and explore your inner landscape, helping you connect with yourself more deeply. This beautiful coupling of Yin and healing cello vibrations may awaken new awareness, insight, inner-connection (mind-body-spirit), and transformation.
Into the Night
Sacred Music with Kristy Marie Nur Jehan and The Way Of The Heart Crew
One Friday per month
7:00 - 9:00 pm
Please check our schedule for upcoming dates!
Cost: 2 Credits
Join Kristy Marie and friends for an evening deep dive into a 2-hour participatory musical offering. These nights will be full of experiential unity as we come together from all paths, many lineages, and all directions to share a moment together in song and great heart.
We will be engaging in universal Kirtan, dances of universal peace, and a deep dive into the Sufi practice of Zikr. These practices encourage sovereignty while sharing space with others, and no experience is necessary—it is forever and always a practice, not a performance. Kirtan is a more sedentary, sonic experience, while the dances of universal peace and Zikr are more of a guided, moving, and harmonizing meditation. The vibrations of our voices coming together help to dissolve the barriers between us and our hearts, and our hearts alongside all other hearts.
Honoring the Ruhaniat Lineage
The Ruhaniat is a world-wide spiritual family, walking in the footsteps of Murshid Samuel Lewis (our founder), and of Hazrat Inayat Khan, his teacher, who brought "The Sufi Message of Spiritual Liberty" from India to the West in 1910. Our stated mission is, "helping individuals unfold their highest spiritual purpose, manifest their essential inner being, and live harmoniously with others, with the hope of relieving human suffering and contributing to the awakening of all of humankind".
Workshop Cancelation Policy
Cancellation up to 48 hours prior to the workshop will be refunded less a 10% Administrative Fee. Cancellation 24-48 hours prior to the workshop receives a 50% refund. Cancellation less than 24 hours prior or a no-show receives no refund.
Other Svälja Yoga Offerings
Classes
Visit class descriptions to learn about our variety of styles of trauma conscious yoga, kirtan, fitness classes, and more; or if are ready to register for classes, visit the weekly class schedule.
Deeper Study
Looking for a way to dive deeper into your yoga journey? Svälja Yoga hosts dozens of certification programs which provide a wide breadth of opportunities. To view these, go to the top of our website and hover over Deeper Study to discover the wide array of deeper study opportunities for growth, development, and transformation.
We also offer Yoga Teacher Training Programs — 250 hr (for 200 hr certification) and +300 hr (for 500 hr certification).