A Seasonal Touch: Winter Detox + Renew
- Michelle Rae Sobi
- Nov 30, 2025
- 4 min read
Edge Yoga School trainees are invited to refine their workshops!
As winter invites us inward, our upcoming workshop is the perfect opportunity to reconnect with your practice, refine your teaching skills, and enjoy a warm, supportive space to learn and grow. This seasonal offering blends thoughtful sequencing, meditation, and hands-on learning so you can feel confident guiding others with clarity and ease.
Who / What / Where / When / Why
Who: Edge Yoga School Trainees What: Winter Workshop — A Seasonal Touch: Winter Detox + Renew Where: Edge Yoga School, Wheaton When: January Why: To develop a personal practice that grounds you into the Winter Season
What We’ll Prepare Together
During this workshop, we will build a complete 55-minute yoga session from start to finish — the kind you can confidently teach or weave into your personal practice:
A welcoming intention to center your students
Warm-up with Sun A to build gentle heat
A seated-posture sequence for the body of class
A cooldown featuring the seated core work from your manual
A short meditation, similar to the one practiced in lab
Closing with the Seated Floats sequence from the manual
You’ll also deepen your understanding of eight key postures from the Yoga Asana Handbook by Michelle Rae Sobi:
One Cue, One Quality, One Modification
All page numbers from the Yoga Asana Handbook by Michelle Rae Sobi.
Create a Class 1/2
1. Child’s Pose — pg. 41Cue: Press your palms forward and settle your forehead softly to the mat.Quality: Lengthen through the spine as the ribcage opens.Modification: Keep space between your glutes and heels if full sit-back is uncomfortable.
2. Seated Gate — pg. 50Cue: Slide your top arm down the leg as the opposite arm reaches overhead.Quality: Maintain an active core as the obliques stretch.Modification: Bend the extended knee to lessen intensity.
3. Half Camel — pg. 52Cue: Press hips forward and reach one hand toward the heel.Quality: Hips stay square under the shoulders to create clean extension.Modification: Place the hand behind the hip if the heel is not accessible.
4. Boat — pg. 33Cue: Lift one leg to parallel, then the other, keeping the spine tall.Quality: Draw the navel to the spine to activate and stabilize the core.Modification: Keep one toe on the mat for balance support.
Create a Class 2/2
1. Marichi’s Twist — pg. 56Cue: Wrap your arm around the bent knee and lengthen the spine before twisting.Quality: Inhale to grow tall; exhale to deepen the rotation.Modification: Skip crossing the foot over the extended leg.
2. Seated Butterfly — pg. 36Cue: Bring the soles of the feet together and allow the knees to fall open.Quality: Keep shoulders back and neck soft as the hips release.Modification: Extend arms forward or outward to deepen relaxation if needed.
3. Switchfoot Scissors — pg. 6Cue: Keep arms alongside the body as legs reach to 45 degrees and switch toe-to-heel.Quality: Wrap the thighs and keep the core active.Modification: Bend the knees and bring the legs lower toward the mat.
4. Seated Floats — pg. 31Cue: From Easy Pose, sweep the arms overhead and bring palms back to heart center.Quality: Sit tall on the SITS bones with soft arms and steady breath.Modification: Sit on a folded blanket to elevate the hips for comfort.
Winter Detox + Renew — Guided Meditation (8 Minutes)
Included as part of your workshop materials.
Welcome. Settle into a comfortable seat or lie down, letting your body arrive fully.Take a slow breath in through your nose… and a long, steady breath out through your mouth.Feel the weight of winter around you — quiet, soft, and full of possibility.
Allow your eyes to soften or close gently.Let the spine lengthen as if creating space between each vertebra…and let your shoulders melt down and away from your ears.
Begin with a gentle cleansing breath.Inhale through your nose for a count of four…Hold softly at the top…Then exhale through pursed lips for a count of six.Feel the warmth inside your body begin to rise — like a small ember glowing at the center of your chest.
Again… inhale for four…Hold…Exhale for six.
Place your hands on your low ribs.Feel the breath expand sideways, like wings lifting.Each inhale nourishes.Each exhale releases what you no longer need.
Imagine a gentle winter wind moving through you —not cold, but refreshing.It clears space the way winter clears the landscape:simple, open, honest.
Bring your attention to the center of your belly.Picture a warm golden light swirling slowly in a clockwise motion.This is your inner fire, your winter warmth.With each breath, imagine the light clearing tension…inviting renewal, digestion, clarity.
Let this light rise into your ribs and heart space.Inhale: expansion.Exhale: release.If it feels supportive, take a soft seated twist to one side.Let the exhale help you unravel anything heavy.
Return to center.Twist gently to the opposite side.Exhale old thoughts, old stories, old patterns —making room for the new year ahead.
Come back to neutral.Rest one hand on your heart or belly.Shift into renewal breath…Inhale deeply through the nose…Exhale gently through the nose…warm, smooth, steady.
Picture yourself at the edge of a fresh winter path.Behind you: the months that shaped you.Ahead: untouched snow, full of possibility.Each inhale steps you forward.Each exhale lightens your load.
Take one final deep inhale…And as you exhale, release the last bit of tension you’ve carried.Let your breath settle naturally.Your body is warm.Your mind is clear.Your heart is open.
Gently wiggle your fingers and toes.Open your eyes slowly, letting in the light of the room.Carry this sense of renewal with you as you move into the rest of your day.
Join the Waitlist
To receive a personal invitation when registration opens, simply send us a CHAT on our website at edgeyogaschool.com.We’ll make sure you’re the first to know when doors open.
I’m looking forward to welcoming you into this winter-inspired practice and guiding you through a session that warms the body, clears the mind, and renews the spirit. Follow us on Eventbrite to get early bird invites to special events!
