AbunDance Healing Arts - Kim Calhoun

MAY YOU BE PRESENT with each precious moment.

My Experience

Partner yoga and massage at Triangle Yoga In my early 20s, reoccurring back pain led me to a yoga class. Not only did this yoga practice alleviate my physical discomfort, I came away with new tools for self-discovery and healing on many levels. In 2003, after exploring various teachers and styles of yoga, I dedicated myself to the year-long Body, Mind & Spirit Yoga Teacher Training with Lisa Clark and David Beadle. Now a Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance, I am delighted to share yoga classes with youth and adults, with groups as part of multi-modality wellness programs, as well as one-on-one with massage therapy clients of all ages.

Youth Yoga Classes

It is an honor and joy to offer skills for coping with stress, building strength and flexibility, and self-acceptance to youth. I have a gift of creating a safe space for young people of diverse cultural backgrounds, ages, body sizes and life experiences to feel welcomed and affirmed.

Since 2007 I have been teaching teen yoga classes, and I am currently offering an after-school yoga class for the young women attending Woods Charter High School.I am interested in teaching on-going yoga classes at other high schools in Chatham County, and teaching at schools around the NC Triangle as part of a one to three day in-school enrichment program (which could include other healing arts modalities such as healthy eating, healthy touch, plant walks, and more). I’d love to visit multiple classrooms in your school to facilitate a yoga break, guiding students and teachers through activities to increase focus, decrease stress, and find support in their everyday environment...especially helpful during exam times!

After-school classes are typically offered as part of a multiple week series (6 or more weeks) for up to 12 students and usually last an hour. They are often all-female but co-ed yoga classes are possible. We use yoga mats and cushions to support our practice (some yoga props provided by me, some by students who have them). Cost is typically $10 per student per class with some partial scholarships available.

Adult Yoga Classes (new in 2010):

Partner yoga and massage with Rebecca Since 2007 I've been blessed to share the healing benefits of yoga with teenagers. Often their parents and my massage therapy clients have requested that I teach a class for adults.

It is a joy to now offer an ongoing 6-week series of "Wind Down in the Woods" evening yoga classes at the NC Zen Center. These are gentle and nourishing classes to support our transition into a peaceful evening.

Together we stretch, balance, build strength, and relax in the beautiful natural setting of the NC Zen Center. I facilitate a playful and mindful exploration of movement and breath, sharing stress-relieving tools that can be integrated into everyday life.

All levels of experience are welcome and space is limited.Please contact me to see when the next series is beginning or to inquire about dropping into a class.

Group De-stress Yoga

Does your classroom, workplace, or home need an infusion of energy, peace, and harmony? I facilitate one-time and ongoing group yoga experiences for schools, community organizations, businesses, home school groups, and families. No special equipment or big open spaces are necessary for simple movement and breathing exercises—we can even incorporate the furniture in your classroom or office as props so that you can experience a felt sense of how your environment can be a place for ongoing self care. For ongoing classes, location has to be within 20-minute drive from my home near Pittsboro.

Reduce stress and have fun
Great bonding through partner and group poses when appropriate
Learn an easy flow of poses you can do together for regular self care and group health

Benefits & What to Expect

During class, participants often feel: welcomed, a sense of belonging and connection, safety, affirmed, empowered, energized, relaxed, and happy.

After class students often feel: looser, lighter, more flexible, more in touch with their emotions and bodies, able to make healthy choices, and able to deal more effectively with stressful situations.

Participants take away tools for stress management, awareness of the importance of the breath and taking time to rest and listen in to their body’s wisdom, the practice of gratitude and kindness for self and others, enhanced self-esteem, and healthier body image.

During a typical youth or adult yoga class we:

Welcome questions, feedback, laughter and other emotions
Create safe space by sharing our names, respecting every level of ability (yoga is not a competitive sport), and listening to our bodies
Check-in at beginning and end of class (what we are noticing in our bodies, what we really enjoyed and want to incorporate into our own practice…)
Practice poses for strength, flexibility, building awareness, and relaxing with attention to healthy alignment
Explore partner and group poses where we get to practice communication skills and asking permission
Learn breathing exercises to support: stress reduction, relaxation, focus, energizing
Recline and rest deeply at the end of class

Personalized One on One Yoga Guidance

I offer personalized one-on-one yoga guidance as part of a longer bodywork session. Clients take home a set of yoga poses customized to their healing needs (we can draw diagrams and write descriptions to use as a reference for your home practice).

This can look like a 2-hour session that begins with 30-45 minutes of personalized yoga instruction, then shifts to time on the massage table (or a groundwork session).

By blending yoga with massage and polarity therapy, the rejuvenating benefits of all modalities are deepened, and a strong foundation for self-care and home practice is established.

A typical yoga session blends active postures, assisted stretching, and/or restorative yoga, depending on the client’s needs and intentions. Through yoga, less-optimal patterns of holding and movement become more clear, allowing the emergence of new choices for strength, flexibility and ease in daily life.

Testimonials

"After doing yoga with Kim, our teenage students were calm, relaxed and more at ease with themselves. She taught them valuable techniques for reducing anxiety in stressful day to day situations, leading them to feel more in control of their lives as they were able to make healthier decisions." ~Jane Samuel, Head of School, Auldern Academy

Youth Students

“Kim, thank you so much for everything. Yoga has really impacted my life and I’m definitely going to continue using it through life. You’ve done more good for myself and these other girls than you know. You have taught me a lot about well-being and listening to my body. I really appreciate it. You were an awesome person to get to know.” ~high school yoga student

“Yoga class is amazing. It takes away a lot of the stress from the day. Kim, you are amazing too.I feel I can be open with you.” ~high school yoga student

“Yoga really helps with learning how to concentrate and kind ways to relieve anxiety and stress.”

“The things I have learned that have helped me the most outside of our yoga classes is savasana and bunny breath—savasana helps me to fall asleep at night and bunny breath keeps me awake during the day.”

“My favorite part of our classes was how calm I felt afterwards. I enjoyed the stretching and the chance to listen to my body.”

“I use the 4-4-6 breath a lot and I do some of the simpler poses like child’s pose outside of class. The stretches in general help me with my dance classes.”

“I felt very comfortable with your teaching and I loved how you explained each pose and the music was great!”

Adult Students

“Kim, I think you have a wonderful teaching style. You are organized, demonstrate and explain well, and are one of the best yoga instructors I’ve experienced.” ~Sharon

“Wind Down in the Woods Yoga is a great way to re-connect with yourself at the end of the day. Kim’s teaching style is accepting and makes you comfortable in whatever you are able to do.”

“This is a great class for all ages. The unique location is relaxing and quiet.”

“I have looked forward to this stress relief each week.The stretch with the strap is fantastic—I use it for my shoulders at home. I also love the variations of child’s pose.”