Steph Williams Yoga

21/09/2023

So excited to kick off the 200-Hour Yoga in Healthcare Teacher Training with Corewell Health's Integrative Medicine this weekend. It's an honor to be the lead teacher trainer this year!

Yoga is an ancient practice of adaptation to change. Through movement, breathing and meditation a person can learn to find balance in their body, mind, and spirit in a variety of situations. Gentle to advanced poses are incorporated. Yoga is an effective stress-management practice that promotes harm...

23/02/2022

Hi hi, it's me Stephanie. Aside from popping into my stories here and there, I haven't shown up on here that much lately. I've been unapologetically present with my newborn daughter (who has her first half birthday tomorrow, sweet little miss 💝).

It has felt both odd and refreshing to not be in touch as I had regularly been.

Before having my daughter, being self-employed I wasn't sure what a maternity leave would look like nor how I would feel about going back to teaching yoga and leading things at Yoga Harbor in the same way I was.

I suppose it was a combination of opportunities aligning for my family, our daughter clearly identifying her unique needs as an infant, my own needs as an infant mom, and my desire to be fully present that led me to a crash landing in the homestead so to speak.

Over the weekend I prioritized some quiet time to connect once again and write an email with an update and some personal reflections. My first newsletter in 2022! 💌

It first went out to those who were regularly attending classes with me and other community teachers at Yoga Harbor before things took hiatus. It's been nice to hear back from so many of you!

I'd like to share this email, and more to come, to my main mailing list as well. Want to join? 🙂 I'd love to start sharing with you, too. I'll be sending this sweet update out by the end of the week.

If you'd like to join my list, either DM me your contact or follow the link in the comments to sign up yourself. 💌

Hope to hear from you! 🙂
🌱

30/12/2021

I can’t let this year come to a close without acknowledging these amazing yoga teacher friends who supported me and us here at Yoga Harbor in 2021.

Karen, Hillary, Sarah, Jen, Lisa, Nadine, Sarah W, and Mike… You all offered the warmest, friendliest, and sweetest classes to our members, as well as held space for me during the biggest life change ever of becoming a mom. I will always be thankful for your kindness and respect during this time!

Although we wrapped up our live Yoga Harbor Zoom classes together as we knew them in the fall, may we continue to support one another in our loving yoga community. 💕 Hopefully we can collaborate again together, too!

If any of you out there have practiced with any of these fab teachers, please share what you loved about them!

Big hugs full of gratitude to you all. 🤗

Karen Faith Gordon Hillary Levin Sarah Hager Jennifer Marie Sarah Williams Nadine Kridli Lisa Katzman

21/12/2021

Solstice stillness and peace to you all. ✨

05/12/2021

Rebuilding a flow of outward creativity is dynamic and, for me, uncharted as a new mom to say the least.

Sourcing inner creativity knowing I have also just created and now nurture new life is the most honorable challenge yet.

My own creativity is slowly stirring again, and it is a refreshing feeling. While still in deep rooted nesting with my little one, I’m feeling more and more able to reconnect in new and meaningful ways. ✨

25/11/2021

Re-sharing Yoga Harbor’s community gratitude challenge compilation from last year. It is a warm and uplifting list that will lift your spirits in only a short few minutes read.

A compilation of the 125 Gratitude Challenge 2020 entries below. Settle in and cozy up. Take it as a reading meditation. Feel the positivity, sincerity, and uplifting feels in each statement of gratitude... and solace in the common threads of life that connect us all. May our blessings remain count

12/11/2021

Taking super small ‘baby’ steps back into workflow. Like, maybe 30 minutes one day, maybe nothing the next… maybe an email takes me four days to write because mama duties keep screentime at a minimum.

Marin and I are still in delicate hazy early days, and I’m beyond grateful for some breathing room to move slowly in this new life together.

(PS - if you sent me an email in the past weeks, I hope I’ve caught up with everyone by now. If not, please reach out!)

Also, I have some live online yoga workshop seminars in collaboration with the International Institute of Yoga Therapy on the calendar for early January. Message me if you’d like to stay in the know.

17/08/2021

Planning out what some time away from Yoga Harbor for maternity leave required a lot of creativity, gut instinct, focus, and committing to a path.

One way I’ve chosen to stay present with you all while I tend to our newborn and my own recovery is pre-recording a whole lot of yoga videos!

This is something I’ve been meaning to do for some time, and this pregnancy gave me to push to do it. Most of the online practice videos are with me, but some of them feature other yoga teacher friends I’ve collaborated with.

There are already 12+ videos in Yoga Harbor’s new online Content Library… with more to come every week likely at least through the end of the year!

Additional content includes recent Zoom class replays as well as Zoom class archives from my pre-baby bump days. These replays offer a more raw, direct and full 60 minute practice, while the pre-recorded videos run 10-30 minutes in length and feature better production quality.

Here’s a little more info and details… ➡️

We recently switched things up here at Yoga Harbor and we've created a new mix of different offerings...

from live Zoom classes, to occasional in-person events, to our NEW Content Library that grows every Friday with new yoga video and guided meditation releases!

These videos range from 10-30 minutes and vary in approach and technique. Suitable for beginners and seasoned yogis alike. Refer back to them to repeat for continued learning and discovery.

This upcoming Friday we're releasing a 10 minute Breath Reset practice, led by Yoga Harbor owner, lead teacher, and yoga therapist, Stephanie Williams.

Take this guided breath work practice as a way to create that much more mental clarity as well as ease in the body.

The video contains a series of different breathing techniques that all come together in building composure, restfulness, awareness, and well-being.

Available either by membership (best value by far, with a free trial included!), or by single video access.

Head to our website to join or learn more!

11/08/2021

Yesterday I settled in for a long and intuitive self guided movement practice. Very much conscious that it may have been the last of these with baby girl inside. Listening to instincts on all layers of being, connecting to spirit and intuition, and feeling grateful for the knowledge and resources I have to move/be well with baby are some top highlights of this journey. You can see a little bit of my solo practice in my personal page stories right now. ✨ See you all on the other side soon? Any day, any hour now… Babe knows and leads the way… 🌸

03/08/2021

Sharing 🔟 things about myself before this baby arrives & my world changes as I know it!

1️⃣ I am from Bloomfield, MI & moved back to my hometown area in late 2014 after years of world travel. I now live with my husband & pup in Keego Harbor. We love our state & hope to manifest that cottage/lake life!

2️⃣ I went to the University of Michigan for Film & Video Studies and Spanish, & was a happy student of the Residential College. I studied abroad in Seville, Spain junior year. No regrets.

3️⃣ Speaking of Spain, I lived there for the better part of 7 years! I have also had extended stays in France, Calgary, Thailand, Indonesia, India & Costa Rica. I speak Spanish fluently, & can get by in French. I am grateful for my international friends!

4️⃣ I grew up in team sports & trained as a competitive gymnast. My first job was as a gymnastics coach. SO much fun! I have also studied a lot of dance from ballet, to modern, to African, to flamenco, & even high school poms.💃

5️⃣ A long hike in nature, my pup, a close friend or two, & a wholesome meal make for a perfect day.

6️⃣ I would call myself 80% introvert, 20% extrovert, 100% empath. I ❤️ my alone time & need a lot of it, but also value connecting with others.

7️⃣ I went to my 1st yoga class as a college freshman & haven’t stopped! Same goes with frequenting philosophy & meditation groups.

8️⃣ Yoga has helped me develop breath-awareness, my biggest tool to date with self-management and healing.

9️⃣ I completed my 1st 200hr YTT in 2012, & have been teaching ever since! I had fortunate opportunities to manage a studio in North Adams, MA, train in Thai massage, & staff on several YTTs. In February 2020 I graduated from the MI-based International Institute of Yoga Therapy that specializes in yoga therapy for clinical care.

🔟 Yoga Harbor is my biz baby. Starting as a brick & mortar space in July 2018 and now mostly virtual. It’s been a rewarding journey all together. Currently we offer an online content library of yoga videos & guided meditations, as well as host live Zoom classes & some in-person events. More to come with Yoga Harbor, yoga therapy, seminars, & workshops after my maternity leave.

Do we have anything in common? Tell me about you!

01/08/2021

I released a new yoga video for Yoga Harbor. It’s a short 24 minute Restorative Gentle Yoga Flow. Cue the exhale… ☺️ It’s simple practice with both guided relaxation as well as gentle stretching.

Try it out! Yoga Harbor member have access to it as well as other yoga videos, guided meditations, and Zoom class replays via their member platform (we offer a free trial if you want to try things out, nothing to lose! 💓)

The Content Library I am grows by the week. There is always something new to try, practice, and enjoy.

You can also request access to single videos or attend a single live Zoom class with some fabulous teachers (as I am not teaching live for a bit here, still waiting on this baby to arrive!)

I’ll leave a link in the comments below where you can explore and learn more. Just reach out to me if you have any questions. Here to serve.

29/07/2021

Grateful for many positive and meaningful experiences during this pregnancy… one of them being prenatal yoga with Elise Bowerman from Sweet Momma Yoga.

Elise and I first met about six or seven years ago. We were teaching back to back classes at a nearby studio. When I would finish my class, she was always there in the lobby ready to welcome her group of sweet mommas for prenatal yoga. I even would cross paths with dear friends heading into Elise’s classes during their pregnancies!

I have always admired Elise, her knowledge, her service, and her genuine demeanor as someone who truly lives her yoga. It was a true honor to even be invited as guest presenter to several of her prenatal yoga teacher trainings, as well as welcome her to offer a prenatal yoga segment at my own 200-hour YTT with Yoga Harbor.

Oh! And Elise’s 10-hour basic prenatal yoga teacher online course that I took mid-pregnancy was also so helpful! (The stars WILL align for me to take her full PYTT before long 😉🌟)

It has meant a lot to me to now be one of the sweet mommas present in her classes. This is a phase of life that I have waited for for a long time, and embrace with a lot of consciousness, trust, and spirit.

The past 12 weeks of prenatal yoga and connection with a community of others going through similar transformation has been super supportive on this journey. Sure, I have my own personal and daily practice at home and in lifestyle… yet part of the yoga practice is knowing how to show up in community and connect both within and without, to be led and learn from others, to fortify presence, empowerment, and peace in myriad ways.

Thank you, Elise, for your supportive presence during this journey and onward. I’ll see you next on babe’s birthday as Anthony Jamo and I are oh-so lucky that you’ll be there as our birth doula as well!

❤️

27/07/2021

I love collaborating with and supporting other yoga teachers. Hillary Levin and I have known each other now for about six years. In 2019 she took the 200-hour yoga teacher training I hosted at Yoga Harbor. Since then she has really grown as a teacher and she is very intelligent and thoughtful about her classes. Hillary pays keen attention to who she is working with, and helps makes a feeling of strength accessible to everyone.

"Strength is joy. Strength is a privilege." Hillary says.

Leaving here a video chat between Hillary and I about:

👉 Hillary's yoga teaching
👉 What strength means to her
👉 How she aims to help others tap into their strength
👉 and what her Align & Flow classes are all about (they are accessible to so many of you!)

Hillary brings a lot of value to Yoga Harbor and we are so lucky to have her around. Give this chat a watch or listen, and we hope it inspires you!!

Practice live on Zoom with Hillary on select Thursdays for 9:30am Align & Flow. Class replays are also included by drop-in and memberships. Link in comments below to join. 👇

A conversation between Yoga Harbor teachers, Hillary Levin and Stephanie Williams, all about Hillary's yoga teaching, what strength means to her, and what her…

17/07/2021

🙏🏻

C2 stands out to me as one of the most beautiful and thought provoking of our bony morphology. To me it appears to be a person in prayer. I love the thought that deep within my bones, just beneath my worried head, there exists the living form of a being in perpetual prayer for me~ for us. Who doesn't need that?! And that gift is secreted away within us, pointing the way. As below, so above. When we place our hands before us in mutual contact, a heart-circuit is formed, and charge created, that emanates beyond the limits of our skin. You can feel this for yourself. Enjoy!

06/07/2021

Almost done teaching live Zoom classes before I take a little break for maternity leave! Catch me this week for Wednesday's 9:30am EST Gentle Yoga class. Your drop-in or membership includes access to the class recording. I'll leave a sign up link in the comments below.

We start our summer schedule and new memberships offerings this week!

Although the live Zoom classes are lighter, memberships are supplemented with weekly either:

➡️ A variety of high quality pre-recorded yoga videos (averaging about 20 minutes in length)

or

➡️ Guided meditations/breathwork/relaxations

Thank you to current members who have already activated a new membership!! 👏👏

Some technical and logistical details are still coming together. Please let us know if you want to learn more about our new online platform or how to join. Drop-in and single passes are still available.

We will leave a link in the comments if you want to check things out!

ZOOM classes this week:

☀️ Wednesday 9:30am Gentle Yoga with Stephanie Williams
☀️ Thursday 9:30am Align & Flow with Hillary Levin

02/07/2021

Happy long weekend, this Fourth of July!

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday weekend!

We’ll see you tomorrow for Saturday 10am All Levels Yoga with Stephanie
(her last Saturday class until after her maternity leave!)

No class on Monday, July 5th.

We’ll see you back again for Wednesday 9:30am Gentle Yoga

Enjoy!!

02/07/2021

The not so glamorous sides of running a small yoga business. Computer grinding while rocking my morning look… hair in a bun, oversized t-shirts, and puffy face from not sleeping… (hello 🙃).

It’s been a push the last few weeks as I make preparations for some time away from Yoga Harbor for maternity leave.

✅ Members are currently transferring to a new and improved online member platform.

✅ It’s now easier to welcome new members and guests.

✅ Amazing teachers are hosting classes during a modified summer schedule.

✅ And I’m editing a bunch of yoga videos and guided meditations to release while I’m away.

I’ve accepted that there will still be some admin and tech responsibilities for me to manage, and that I won’t be able to fully step away when baby comes.

That’s my motivation to focus and set things up now for as much success and smooth sailing as possible… because I know baby girl will both light up and rock my world when she arrives.

Only 3 more live Zoom classes though until I give teaching a break for a while! Anyone want to join?

➡️ This Saturday 10am All Levels Yoga
➡️ Wednesday, July 7th 9:30am Gentle Yoga
➡️ Wednesday, July 14th 9:30am Gentle Yoga

EST w/ replay access included. Link in bio or DM me to join.

Shout out to Michigan Gymnastics 💙🧡

19/06/2021

The work continues!

As of this week, June 19th is now a federal holiday in commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States in 1865. May this be a step on the steadfast road of reparation, recognition, and full freedom and equality for black lives in our country.

We encourage everyone to continue learning about black history, self-educating on anti-racism, and supporting and listening to black leadership, creators, and business in our communities.

Feel free to discover and learn more over at: www.juneteenth.com

Initiatives to support:

Black Yoga Teachers Alliance
www.blackyogateacheralliance.com

Yoganic Flow, Detroit based community mediation and yoga: www.yoganicflow.com

Gail Parker, PhD, author of Restorative Yoga for Ethnic and Race-Based Stress and Trauma
www.drgailparker.com

Black Stone Bookstore & Cultural Center & Online Shop, Ypsilanti MI: www.blackstonebookstore.com