Japanese Tea: sophisticated, calming. As a student of the Urasenke School, I have found that…read morelearning the art and culture of the Japanese Way of Tea with Kaoru-Sensei to be immensely gratifying. Since my knees can no longer tolerate sitting on the tatami mat, she also teaches ryurei-style, using a low tea-table

I can't wait to attend my next Heal Write event! Deborah came prepared with such great exercises to…read morestimulate thought and start the pen moving. It felt like a really safe environment in which to share my writing and that's a huge step for me. As my own sharpest critic, self-editing to the point of paralysis, I truly appreciated that Deborah created an atmosphere that was gentle, supportive, and thought-provoking. I highly recommend taking a Heal Write class if you have stories fighting to be released (and who doesn't?!) but haven't been able to take that first step. Having the class at Succulence in Bernal Heights was icing on this lovely cake.

I attended a Heal Write workshop focused on healing and nature (held at Succulence in Bernal…read moreHeights) and really enjoyed it. I haven't really been writing much in the last few years, and it was such an awesome experience to get my creative juices flowing again! Deborah did an amazing job with the workshop, and was able to conduct several different writing exercises in just a couple of hours without it feeling rushed. It was nice to be able to express some deep emotions in a setting that felt comfortable, while also finding a lot of joy and humor amongst our small group. I would certainly recommend a Heal Write workshop to anyone looking for creative inspiration, or for a safe space to examine their own lives through writing.

Diane is an amazing teacher. She liberated me from a year long bout of writer's block and gave me…read moreincredible tools that I will continue using. Now I can tap into a wealth of material that is inside me. She's not into academic bullshit. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diane_di_Prima http://www.levity.com/corduroy/diprima.htm http://louisville.edu/library/uarc/diprima.html http://www.beatmuseum.org/diprima/dianediprima.html http://www.angelfire.com/mn2/anarchistpoetry/Diprimadir/Diprima.html http://www.rooknet.com/beatpage/writers/diprima.html I highly recommend "Foundation of Poetics" -- it's a nine month course where you meet once a month for a four-hour class. She offered four or five one-on-one one hour sessions as part of the class. Wonderful. I've gotten five of the poems out of that class published. Before that, I had just about kissed publishing goodbye. From her Web site, examples of the classes she has offered: THE LYRIC POEM POST WORLD WAR II TO THE PRESENT READING & WRITING THE LYRIC Why is it so hard to write a good love poem? Do you still think of poetry as a burst of ecstatic song? The term "lyric poetry" comes from the "lyre" -- the stringed instrument with which the Greek poets accompanied themselves, and so includes a sense of Poetry as Song. Though the short lyric poem has been largely neglected for the past quarter century, it is still what comes to mind for most of us when we speak of "the poem". In this three-session class we will read work ranging from the late 19th Century to the present. We will also spend a part of each class day writing. This class is a continuation of the last two summer's study of the lyric, but you you do not need to have attended the previous classes to join. Seven-hour sessions * * * THE LANGUAGE OF ALCHEMY Taught by Diane di Prima Four Lectures Alchemical literature admits us into a magical universe of rich and bizarre imagery and sudden insights--dimensional shifts, but it is a universe in which we feel the need for some kind of map. In our century, this problem has often been solved by flattening the material: reductively reading the texts as either spiritual allegory, or a primitive form of "science". But, in a correspondent cosmos, the process that is creative of soul is also creative of galaxies -- there is no need to reduce alchemy to psychology or chemistry. These lectures will search out signposts in some alchemical texts: terms, ideas, methods whereby the particularity of the language itself provides the map for our reading of the material. Thus, this seminar lays the groundwork for comparison of widely divergent works, and is an invitation to enter the world of the alchemist "from the ground up", by taking them "at their word".

Just bought my first Diane di Prima book "Dinners and Nightmares" and am ecstatic, but saddened to…read morelearn she's the last living poet from the original Beat Generation group. I had recently acquired the Jack Kerouac complete albums 3 cd set, noticing a lady (Diane di Prima) on the album cover typing on typewriter, which led me to want to purchase a book by her. For the last 5 years I studied a lot of Allen Ginsberg's poems, but recently expanded into records (LP's), books, CD's and YouTube videos from the other Beat Generation artists, all of which have passed by this point 2019. Anyway, Diane's book is well written and has plenty to read and learn from; especially the poems and early prose.

I took a workshop with Jared at General Assembly. It was a great introduction to his work as a…read moreteacher and, yes, presenter! He gave a great overview, accompanied with simple (but powerful) and entirely applicable frameworks to follow. I learned a lot and would recommend his work to anyone interested in growing themselves and developing their speaking skills.

Jared and the team at JD Communications are professional, knowledgeable and generally great people…read more I've done some of Jared's workshops and found the content great and his feedback very helpful. He brings an enthusiasm, freshness, and sense of humor to the coaching process, which particularly for communications, is so important. I'd highly recommend!

My 17yr old daughter attended the Independent Living Skills for Teens class. When I asked how it…read morewas , she said "This was a GREAT class. Very helpful. I learned a lot. I am going to tell my friends and teachers about it." I would recommend this class to anyone who wants to get their Financial Literacy on the right track. My daughter came home with a new appreciation for what a household budget looks like, why it is important to live within your means and the importance of taking care of your credit.

Michelle is a gem and a phenomenal resource for anyone looking to make positive change and build a…read morehealthy relationship with money! Her expertise is grounded and she offers practical tools for tried and true success. Most importantly, The Money Boss is genuine leadership when you need it most; Michelle fosters accountability in a supportive and committed manner. She meets you where you are at to cultivate real and lasting change. I highly recommend The Money Boss without reservation.

I have been taking lessons with Karma for a month. I found her postcard at a yoga studio and had…read morebeen considering taking voice lessons for years. Somehow it was great timing and wow am I so glad I found her! I have overcome so much of what my inner critic has said to keep me from accessing my voice! Karma has a very playful and engaging way of helping this adult learner overcome the "I CAN'T" voice and brings forth a "I CAN" enthusiasm about singing. I don't expect to be on The Voice any time soon but I do find myself feeling more comfortable with voice in a variety of settings. I also appreciate her approach that includes fun and useful warm up exercises. I think everyone should have to do the monkey/ape warm ups! :-) I also appreciate her integration of craniosacral massage that help alleviate stress and enhance relaxation, which has really helped me feel more present and less nervous. I leave the lessons feeling energized and somehow the world just seems brighter and friendlier. I highly recommend Karma!

I found Karma absolutely by accident. I had been learning to sing (folk and pop music) and a…read morefriend pointed me toward Karma's Every Body Can Sing group voice class in Berkeley. During the class, Karma pointed out some posture issues and said a few magic words that let me know that she knew stuff--important stuff--about how the human body works, and how to make it better able to sing. Shortly after, I had booked a series of voice lessons with Karma, and have been absolutely amazed at the results. Karma is magic! Magic, I tell you!

I've known Dr. Louann for 17 years and have used her services multiple times. She is compassionate…read moreand understanding and has unique perspective and insight than I have found very helpful. My family and I have attended two retreats with her to Ananda in the Sierra foothills and have enjoyed that tremendously. Our whole family was able to reconnect and decompress in a loving and spiritual environment. My boys loved being out in nature in what felt as a fun, yet quite space. I would highly recommend Louann as a family and personal coach. She has taught me a lot.

I took an Excel Level 1 class here on Friday and it was the most fun I've had taking a training…read moreclass! The teacher was very knowledgeable and personable, which I like in a teacher so your not bored out of your mind while spending a whole day learning Excel. It's in a great location in the city, so when you break for lunch you have lots of options inside the Rincon Center and nearby to choose from. There is garage parking on the same street or I suggest taking public transit; BART is only about a 7 minute walk from the Embarcadero Station. The restrooms are in the hallway around the corner from the suite, and you need a code to enter them. The codes are on the door when you exit the suite. They are very clean and the ladies restroom has 2 stalls. I am looking forward to my next training here, it was very pleasant.