Ayurveda is the sister science of yoga that deals directly with healing the mind and body. Through diet, lifestyle, breathing exercises, herbal medicine and spiritual practices, Ayurveda offers a unique set of tools for individuals to regain balance with their own true nature. Ayurveda is centered on the idea that all beings are a unique composition of the five natural elements (space, air, fire, water and earth) which make up the three doshas (vata, pitta and kapha). Learning how the different doshas function and how they impact the mind and body, you can begin to recognize signs of imbalances early on and implement Ayurvedic practices to bring yourself back to balance.

In this four-part series, each class gives you some examples of what Ayurveda has to offer for your wellness routine. The series begins with an exploration of what the doshas are and how they affect you on an individual level. With that foundational knowledge, the second class is a yoga practice that flows through the five elements and three doshas within all of us to prepare for a blissful resting pose. Receive yoga sequences to take home to continue to practice on your own.

A major concept of Ayurveda is maintaining health through lifestyle protocols and eating seasonally with good food combinations to prevent illness or disturbance to your health. In the third class, explore some herbal remedies prepared in a kitchen for the purpose of preventing disease. In the fourth class, we cook with the six different tastes of Ayurveda and feast together. Take home recipe ideas from the last two classes to keep the exploration going at home.

Your Mind-Body Constitution. What Is Your Dosha?

Wed. Jul 15, 2020, 6-8 p.m.

Your dosha is your mind-body type and it is determined by factors such as your genetic makeup and when you were born. This workshop briefly covers the basics of Ayurveda and how to determine your dosha, as well as includes some pranayama (or breath-work) that is balancing for all three doshas.

Ayurveda and Vinyasa Yoga: Flow Through the Five Elements of Nature in a Movement Meditation

Wed. Aug 26, 2020, 6-8 p.m.

Yoga is the sister science of Ayurveda. By incorporating the Ayurvedic principles of the five elements in the natural world into a yoga practice, this class serves to connect us to our own true nature. The two complementary sciences are combined to create an illuminating and slow-moving meditation with yoga postures that can be modified for all levels. View the healing art of yoga through an Ayurvedic lens with some take-home practices for each season and mind-body type.

Ayurvedic At Home Remedies: How to Use Your Kitchen for Simple Remedies

Wed. Sept 16, 2020, 6-8 p.m.

Explore the common spices and herbs found in most kitchens and how they can be used for remedies and incorporated into your daily diet to address imbalances. Sample some concoctions that are suitable for each dosha. Class concludes with meditation tools that you can use at home.

Igniting the Fire within: How to Eat in Balance with Ayurveda

Wed. Oct 21, 2020, 6-8 p.m.

This class covers the Ayurvedic principle of Agni, the digestive fire, and how to cultivate it in order to nourish your body fully. Learn to assess the different digestive symptoms and how you can adjust your lifestyle to address them. Sample the different tastes associated with each dosha and see how to create a balanced meal.

Price: $131, $113 member

Instructor: Farnosh Family
Farnosh was a long time student and teacher of yoga before turning to the sister science of yoga, Ayurveda, for help in healing after the birth of her first child. What she learned in those transformational months led her to a life guided by the principles of Ayurveda for herself and her family. She has studied with many teachers of yoga, ayurveda, and sanskrit including Dr. Vasant Lad, Shiva Rea, Sonia Massoco, Maria Garre, Patricia Wickman, and Dr. Bharat Vaidya. She holds an MA in organic chemistry from UCLA and a BA in environmental chemistry from Columbia University.

Special Instructions: You can sign up for each individual session, or sign up for all four classes in the series at a discount by signing up for "Ayurveda Four-Part Series."

Explore the common spices and herbs found in most kitchens and how they can be used for remedies and incorporated into your daily diet to address imbalances. Sample some concoctions that are suitable for each dosha. Class concludes with meditation tools that you can use at home.

Price: $34, $39 member

Instructor: Farnosh Family
Farnosh was a long time student and teacher of yoga before turning to the sister science of yoga, Ayurveda, for help in healing after the birth of her first child. What she learned in those transformational months led her to a life guided by the principles of Ayurveda for herself and her family. She has studied with many teachers of yoga, ayurveda, and sanskrit including Dr. Vasant Lad, Shiva Rea, Sonia Massoco, Maria Garre, Patricia Wickman, and Dr. Bharat Vaidya. She holds an MA in organic chemistry from UCLA and a BA in environmental chemistry from Columbia University.

Special Instructions: You can sign up for each individual session, or sign up for all four classes in the series at a discount by signing up for "Ayurveda Four-Part Series."

By spring, the food reserves were running low and prairie families were eager for the return of spring and fresh greens. On the wood stove in the McClean Soddy at the Plains Conservation Center, we make a common winter dinner of root vegetable stew, cornbread and apple pie. Recipes and all supplies provided. Appropriate for adults and children ages 12 and up.

Price:  Member $20, Non-member $24

Location: Plains Conservation Center, 21901 E. Hampden Avenue, Aurora, CO 80013

Tour the vegetable production areas at Chatfield Farms and taste some fresh flavors. Learn about small-scale farming in the Colorado region, food production and other farm related topics.

Finish the morning with a tasting from of the farm - fresh tomatoes, cheese and herbs - to discuss the flavors of fresh foods.

Price: $28, $24 member

Instructor: Josie Hart

Explore the fascinating world of wild edibles. Start with an herb walk to identify common tasty plants. Make refreshing teas, nutritious salads, savory soups and delicious additions to pasta, veggies and side dishes. Discover how to locate, identify harvest and prepare wild edibles to add nutrition and flavor to your meals. We end by dining on delicious, vegetarian, wild foods, featuring nopalita salsa, nettle pesto pasta, wild greens salad bar and lavender and dandelion petal shortcake cookies. Experience the fun and health benefits of eating on the wild side! Handout with plant descriptions and uses, recipes and meal included.

Instructor: Susan Evans

Price: $55, $50 members, $30 materials fee included

Special Instructions: Part of the class will be held outdoors; please dress accordingly for weather and bring water and sunscreen.

Grow your own cocktail garden with herbs, fresh fruits and veggies that make the perfect base for hydrating. Learn the secrets to making refreshing aqua frescas, simple syrups, shrubs, bitters, infused alcohol, mixers and concentrates. Create your own take-home bitters from a bitters bar. For our tapas tasting we enjoy smoked salmon mousse, cheese/pistachio and fruit truffles, citrus herbed olives, creamy baba ghanoush and spicy cowboy caviar. Dazzle your family and guests with custom-crafted cocktails and delicious thirst quenchers. Handout with plant list and growing instructions, recipes, generous drink samples and tasty tapas included. Susan s book,  The Herbalist s Happy Hour  is available at class.

*No alcohol will be served in class.

Price: $65, $60 member, $30 included for materials

Instructor: Susan Evans

Image: Courtesy of Amy Stewart

This class covers the Ayurvedic principle of Agni, the digestive fire, and how to cultivate it in order to nourish your body fully. Learn to assess the different digestive symptoms and how you can adjust your lifestyle to address them. Sample the different tastes associated with each dosha and see how to create a balanced meal. We will cook a warm meal with seasonal ingredients and discuss how it can be modified to suit your needs

Price: $34, $39 member

Instructor: Farnosh Family
Farnosh was a long time student and teacher of yoga before turning to the sister science of yoga, Ayurveda, for help in healing after the birth of her first child. What she learned in those transformational months led her to a life guided by the principles of Ayurveda for herself and her family. She has studied with many teachers of yoga, ayurveda, and sanskrit including Dr. Vasant Lad, Shiva Rea, Sonia Massoco, Maria Garre, Patricia Wickman, and Dr. Bharat Vaidya. She holds an MA in organic chemistry from UCLA and a BA in environmental chemistry from Columbia University.

Special Instructions: You can sign up for each individual session, or sign up for all four classes in the series at a discount by signing up for "Ayurveda Four-Part Series."

For centuries, the tea ceremony has been considered the epitome of Japanese life, based on harmony, respect, purity, tranquility and elegant simplicity. Come experience the real thing - a traditional ceremony inside our authentic Japanese Tea House in the Japanese Garden.

Each ceremony is held in the Ella Mullen Weckbaugh Tea House in Shofu-En, the Japanese Garden, at Denver Botanic Gardens.

The format of the class consists of four parts:

1) Guide the guests through the tea garden and teach them how to use the washbasin (tsukubai).

2) An introduction to the history and philosophy of tea ceremony.

3) Demonstration of the tea ceremony in the tea room.

4) Serve Japanese sweets (okashi) and tea to the guests. Some guests might volunteer to practice as guests. They will have to be able to sit in seiza (traditional formal way of sitting in Japan).

Price: $35, $30 members

Special Instructions: Meet at the tea house at 9:45 a.m, with a pair of white socks. Jeans, shorts, short skirts, or sleeveless tops are not permitted. Please turn off all cell phones during the ceremony.

This illustrated presentation by Eugenia Bone explains basic mycology through the lens of the kitchen, covering how mushrooms grow, why some mushrooms are only collected in the wild, and why cultivated and wild types taste so different. It delves into the various lifestyles of fungi, the impact fungi have on healthy gardens and crops, all about truffles, mushroom nutrition and poisoning. A great talk for beginners!

Eugenia Bone is a nationally known nature and food writer and author. Her work has appeared in many magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Saveur, Food & Wine, and Gourmet. A member of the American Society of Science Writers and former president of the New York Mycological Society, Eugenia has lectured widely in venues such as the New York Public Library, and has been a guest on radio programs and podcasts, most recently on Wisconsin Public Radio’s “To The Best of Our Knowledge” and Mushroom Revival’s podcast “Mushrooms and Microbes with Eugenia Bone.” She is a member of the faculty at the New York Botanical Garden where she teaches classes on microbial ecology, psychedelic mushrooms, mycology and food preservation.

Eugenia Bone

Eugenia is the author of six books. At Mesa’s Edge was nominated for a Colorado Book Award. Italian Family Dining was written with her father, celebrated chef Edward Giobbi. Her book Well-Preserved was nominated for a James Beard award and was on many Best Cookbooks of 2009 lists.

Eugenia is featured in the documentary directed by Louie Schwartzberg, Fantastic Fungi (2019) along with mycologist Paul Stamets, Dr. Andrew Weil, and author Michael Pollan, which is currently touring the United States, Canada, and overseas, and a contributor to the companion book.

Eugenia lives in New York City and Western Colorado.

All lecture programs: $15 member, $20 non-member. Space is limited so register early!

6:00 p.m. Social hour and tasting hosted by Slow Food Denver (included in price)

6:30 p.m. Program and lecture

Discover the ease of preparing delicious dishes from south of the border.We will prepare the classics; salsa, pico de gallo and guacamole and use them for garnishes for meatball tortilla soup, crispy chorizo enchiladas, and creamy chicken with pumpkin seed sauce. Sip on hibiscus lime coolers and indulge your sweet tooth with chocolate chili cupcakes. Recipes and meal included. Ole!

Instructor: Susan Evans

Price: $57, $52 members

Mushroom Preservation explores all the primary techniques used in preparing for preservation and preserving mushrooms, explaining the challenges home preservers face preserving wild products and the particularities of mushroom preservation in general.

Eugenia Bone

Eugenia Bone is a nationally known nature and food writer and author. Her work has appeared in many magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Saveur, Food & Wine, and Gourmet. A member of the American Society of Science Writers and former president of the New York Mycological Society, Eugenia has lectured widely in venues such as the New York Public Library, and has been a guest on radio programs and podcasts, most recently on Wisconsin Public Radio’s “To The Best of Our Knowledge” and Mushroom Revival’s podcast “Mushrooms and Microbes with Eugenia Bone.” She is a member of the faculty at the New York Botanical Garden where she teaches classes on microbial ecology, psychedelic mushrooms, mycology and food preservation.

Eugenia Bone

Eugenia is the author of six books. At Mesa’s Edge was nominated for a Colorado Book Award. Italian Family Dining was written with her father, celebrated chef Edward Giobbi. Her book Well-Preserved was nominated for a James Beard award and was on many Best Cookbooks of 2009 lists.

Eugenia is featured in the documentary directed by Louie Schwartzberg, Fantastic Fungi (2019) along with mycologist Paul Stamets, Dr. Andrew Weil, and author Michael Pollan, which is currently touring the United States, Canada, and overseas, and a contributor to the companion book.

Eugenia lives in New York City and Western Colorado.

Spring is a time of renewal and reawakening. Take some time off to discover herbal tonics, health boosting super foods and natural skin products you can make yourself. Learn simple self-care practices to regain balance and vibrant health. Bring home a soothing skin salve, a cleansing face mask and a detoxifying spring tonic along with recipes and lots of new ideas for becoming your best self. Super foods lunch and all materials included. Treat yourself!

Instructor: Susan Evans

Price: $69, $64 members

Photo credit: Smoobs

The most sought after vegetable for home gardeners. Is the perfect tomato out of your grasp? Do you long for that sweet, juicy firm bite of tanginess and just can't make it happen in your garden?

This class is an in depth study of the most prized garden vegetable. This class explores varieties of heirloom and hybrid tomatoes and the differences in the two. You will learn how to select which are best for you to try if you are a beginner and which might be best left to the more advanced tomato grower. We will cover starting seeds v. transplants, growing challenges, pests and diseases and how to overcome them and options for organic care of your prize vegetable.

We will conclude class with a demonstration of starting tomato seeds and each student will go home seeds to begin your plants at home to be ready in time to plant this season.

Instructor: Patti O'Neal

Price: $36, $31 members, includes $6 for materials to start your very own tomatoes this season!

Housed in a renovated historic auto shop, Grow + Gather has preserved the architectural legacy while re-imagining the original property to serve the needs of our urban farming operations, market and restaurant. From our rooftop greenhouse to our solar panels, beehives and gray water system, we are committed to creating a more local, sustainable and creative food experience. Guests will join us for a tour of our facility, followed by a rooftop greenhouse food tasting creatively curated by The Feedery's Executive Chef Jeff Schwing.

Special Instructions: A portion of the tour is not ADA accessible.

If you would like to enjoy brunch or lunch at The Feedery, we do encourage you to make a reservation ahead of time, which can be done online here.

Price: $28, $25 member

Instructor: George Gastis, Founder + Owner

George is a Cleveland, OH native and graduate of Denison University, transplanted and living in Denver since 1995. Prior to this latest venture, George was a marketing and tech-industry veteran, most recently as the owner of BrainSpark Media, which he founded in 2005 and then sold in 2015. As a lifelong gardener and food enthusiast, he has merged these passions with nearly three decades of professional experience to form Grow + Gather and The Feedery.

$92, $78 member for all three sessions

Session 1: Saturday March 28- Seed Starting and Garden Planning Learn how to start your veggie garden entirely from seeds! This class will go over seed starting basics and home propagation techniques. We will also look at how to maximize your garden space at home through efficient garden planning and you'll learn how many of each variety to start based on your needs, scheduling your seed starting, as well as the best ways to organize your vegetable beds.

Session 2: Saturday June 6 - Learn the best way to plant your veggie garden and the basics of garden maintenance, including soils and fertilization, watering and pest management. We'll also learn about crop selection and vegetable varieties that are well suited to the climate of Colorado's front range. Get your hands dirty as we practice the basics of planting and garden soil prep in the garden.

Session 3: Saturday August 8 - This class will go over the basics of harvesting from your veggie garden. Proper harvest techniques and ongoing plant maintenance (including trellising, pruning, etc.) will be covered. We'll also look ahead at how to extend the growing season and transition a vegetable garden into the autumn with hardy leafy greens and other fall crops.

Instructor: Michael Guidi

Michael is a horticulturist at Denver Botanic Gardens and oversees Mordecai Children³ Garden, a diverse garden showcasing Colorado life zones ranging from the plains to the alpine tundra; it also contains a demonstration vegetable garden. Ecological gardening and native plants are his main area of interest, but he is passionate about growing food and urban agriculture. In the past, he has worked in hydroponic food production, greenhouse production and organic farming. Michael holds a B.S. in b\Biology with a focus on plant physiology and ecology. He currently sits on the board of directors of the North American Rock Garden Society.

Location: Plains Conservation Center, 21901 E. Hampden Avenue, Aurora, CO 80013