Melt pop-up class 

(I'm subbing for Lela)

Saturday, April 4, 10-11:15 am

What the Shoulders Carry: Structure and Freedom in the Upper Body

Saturday, April 11, 2-4 pm

With Renee' Cortez

The shoulder is one of the most complex joints in the body — and one of the most misunderstood. Unlike the hip, which trades mobility for structural stability, the shoulder sacrifices bony stability for an extraordinary range of motion, relying instead on a dynamic web of muscles, connective tissue, and coordinated support from the entire body below. When that support system works well, the arms can reach, lift, and express freely. When it breaks down, the shoulder becomes a site of chronic tension, impingement, and compensation.

What we often miss is how far down that support system actually reaches. Stable, mobile shoulders depend on the rib cage and thoracic spine — but also on the pelvis and even the feet. The arm lines, traced through the fascia from fingertip to sternum and beyond, are continuous with the whole body. Treat the shoulder in isolation and you'll keep chasing the same tightness.

There's also another layer. The way we carry our arms, chest, and upper back is not purely mechanical. The emotional body lives here too — in the rounding that protects the heart, the bracing that signals vigilance, the collapse that can accompany grief. BKS Iyengar observed that the armpit chest — that soft, often-closed inner space where arm meets torso — is "where we hide all our secrets." Opening it is both a physical and a subtler practice.

In this workshop, Lori and Reneé will use the MELT Method, yoga, and pranayama to release compression in the thoracic spine and rib cage, restore mobility through the arm lines, and open the heart center — both as anatomical territory and as the energetic hub yogic tradition has always recognized it to be.

You'll leave with a clearer sense of why your shoulders hold what they hold, and practical tools to create more ease, openness, and lift in your upper body.

Studio only; all props provided.

Cost: $50 per workshop, members save 15%

Sliding scale available by request

Continuing In-Depth Somatic Studies

Exploration into various fascia massage and movement as well as other related practices

April brings Nina with Gyrokinesis-inspired yoga

Fridays, 9:30-10:45 am

All classes at Grateful Yoga, 1108 Davis, Evanston

Click on the link below to register

The MELT Method is a self-treatment technique using soft balls and a foam roller.  MELT moves are designed to rehydrate connective tissue and repattern the nervous system. It is a proactive approach to maintaining a healthy, pain-free body that can enhance athletic performance, ease chronic pain, and improve overall well-being.  And it feels really good!

The creator of the MELT method, Sue Hitzmann, designed a number of props that allow individuals to become their own bodyworkers. A soft foam roller and soft rubber ball are the basic tools.