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phone: (707) 762-7678
fax: (707) 762-7679
Movement Classes
Join our community in small group movement programs – pilates, yoga, tai chi, several types of dance, and various other movement therapies -– or ask about individualized instruction. We offer you a variety of ways to attain your optimal health. We also offer you a FREE 10-15 minute consultation with one of our experienced physical therapists (our clinic director is also a certified yoga instructor), who will answer any questions you may have, advise you about how to practice appropriately, and who will communicate with the appropriate instructor when needed.
We offer a wide variety of yoga classes, including integrative yoga, power vinyasa, hatha flow, Iyengar-inspired, various offerings for beginners, as well as chair yoga, yoga for kids,
and yoga nidra/restorative.
Yoga
Please click on links for schedules, more complete descriptions and teacher bios.
Beginning Yoga: An introduction to the fundamentals of the yoga postures.
Chair Yoga: A gentle yoga class practiced sitting in a chair, designed to relax, renew and rejuvenate the mind and body.
Chair Yoga (Tuesdays)
Gentle Yoga: Suitable for anyone new to yoga or anyone with limitations and/or chronic stress. Learn the process of letting go of tensions, worries and habits by using breath and movement synchronized together.
Gentle Yoga (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays)
Iyengar-style Yoga is a form of Hatha yoga that has an emphasis on detail, precision and alignment in the performance of posture (asana) and breath control (pranayama). The development of strength, mobility and stability is gained through the asanas. Iyengar yoga is a disciplined system with carefully planned and timed sequences. Often, props, such as blocks and belts, are used to ensure students can practice the postures with correct alignment and safely develop their yoga practice over time.
New to Yoga?
New to Yoga? We love beginners! At P.O.S.T. – Wellness by Design, we bring you the best yoga instructors the North Bay has to offer in a beautiful space on the water that is clean, warm, and supportive, and which is part of an integrative healthcare facility.
To begin, we recommend a Yoga 101 workshop, which is offered monthly on Sundays by one of our expert teachers. These workshops are a great way to learn about the practice of yoga and to prepare you for taking classes.
Each workshop includes a free week of yoga, and some tips to help you get started! These workshops are perfect for people new to the practice of yoga as well as for more seasoned students who want to review the basics. Topics include basic asana and alignment, breathing and meditation techniques, history, and anatomy.
Other beginning yoga classes include:
Beginners Hatha Yoga (Tuesdays)
Integrative Yoga for Beginners (Tuesdays)
Yoga for Beginners (Saturdays)
Feldenkrais
Learning how you move and learning new ways of moving can help increase comfort, reduce pain, improve balance, flexibility, coordination and breathing. Feldenkrais retrains the nervous system through gentle, non-competitive movement. Recover from injury, stroke, surgery or patterns that limit or hurt you. Deepen your awareness of your mind-body-brain connection. Perform your favorite activities or sports with greater ease and pleasure. It’s fun, learning new ways to move that help you feel good in your body! Every class is different; you build an expanded vocabulary of movement and possibilities.
Age with Agility (Sundays, monthly)
Recovery from Injury (Sundays, monthly)
Margot Schaal, Feldenkrais Practitioner ®, Reiki Master and Qigong Teacher, helps people improve functions for daily life. She has practiced Feldenkrais ® for a decade, in the U.S. and Rwanda, teaching all ages and people in all states of health. Her clients have learned to address chronic pain, injury, anxiety, stroke, and trauma, and to increase flexibility, balance and physical performance. Margot offers weekly classes, monthly workshops, and private instruction tailored to the individual in Petaluma, Sonoma and San Rafael. At P.O.S.T., she teaches a monthly Head to Toes Feldenkrais ® workshop, Age with Agility and periodic weekly classes. (707) 292-1147 www.margotschaal.com.
Meditation & Circles
“Sit and Serve” Meditation: The format is quite simple – come and meditate – silently with us in your own style. If you care to donate to COTS (Petaluma’s Shelter for the Homeless) you can – we’ve raised over $8,000 since 2005. “Sit and Serve” Meditation (Thursdays, donation only)
Soul Circle: Journey within and remember your divinity in an embracing and healing women’s circle. The circle is a fundamental form for expression and community, one that helps develop insight, wisdom, and compassion. This sacred space will use elements of movement, music and dance, imagery and writing, sharing and active listening.
Soul Circle (Sundays, monthly)
Yoga Nidra Meditation: Yoga Nidra meditation is a guided practice in which each moment is greeted with mindfulness, acceptance, and loving kindness, allowing one to walk through life with ease and stay present to what is.
Yoga Nidra Meditation (Thursdays)
Women’s Spring Equinox Circle and Celebration
March 22 – see their page for details
Pilates
We offer individual reformer instruction, small group reformer and springboard classes.
Fees:
$70 / hour for individual instruction
$35 / hour for pairs instruction
$28 / hour for springboard classes
$15 / hour for group mat classes
Discounts available for packages of four or more sessions
Call us at: 707-762-7678 to schedule with Heather.
Tai Chi
If you’re looking for another way to reduce stress, consider tai chi (TIE-chee). Tai chi is sometimes described as “meditation in motion” because it promotes serenity through gentle movements – connecting the mind and body. Originally developed in ancient China for self-defense, tai chi evolved into a graceful form of exercise that’s now used for stress reduction and to help with a variety of other health conditions.
Tai Chi for Well-Being (Thursdays)
Tai Chi for Beginners (Thursdays)
Patrick Johnson studied intensively with Master H.H. Lui from 1979 to 1995 and has been teaching Tai Chi since 1985. He gently invites you to challenge yourself, while having fun with Tai Chi.
Tai Chi for Beginners (Thursdays)
Fees
DROP-IN: $15
DROP-IN FOR FULL-TIME STUDENTS: $8
PACKAGE OF 10 CLASSES: $130 (good for 90 days)
MEMBERSHIP: $110 /month
Includes: Unlimited Attendance in All Classes
(including yoga, tai chi, Feldenkrais, Argentine Tango)
AND
20% off self-pay cost for most of our professional services
(physical therapy, certified hand therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, massage therapy, and pilates)
VIEW SCHEDULE
Resources & Links
Learn more about yoga here International Association of Yoga Therapists
Rent Our Space
Enjoy our beautiful ‘green’ movement center created for group classes. The space has been lovingly renovated using blue jean insulation, no or low-VOC paints and adhesives, and materials recycled from the building itself. Glass sliders provide access to deck overlooking the Petaluma turning basin. Call us at (707) 762-7678 to rent the space for special events.
Getting Started
Insurance and General Policies
What You Need to Know
We are pleased to have the opportunity to work closely with you and your doctor in providing the very best quality care. We are committed to providing excellent patient-centered integrative care, and want you to be free to focus on your therapy and recovery, which is why we make insurance and payment transactions as easy and effortless as possible. We want to ensure you have a clear understanding of our policies and that your questions are all answered, since we believe that good communication is important to our professional relationship with you.
Private and Group Insurance: Each insurance company has a different way of providing coverage. This is spelled out in your policy booklet which we suggest you review. We will contact your insurer to determine the benefits you have for physical therapy, including your co-pays, authorization requirements, etc. We will bill the carrier directly, as a courtesy to you, and will collect co-payments when you check in for therapy.
Workers Compensation: Prior-authorization must be obtained from the adjustor before we can schedule appointments.
Medicare: We accept assignment. This means we will accept the medicare allowed fees for physical therapy services. For these services, medicare pays 80% of the allowed fees. If you have a supplemental insurance, we will bill the 20% balance to this carrier. If you do not have a supplemental, you are responsible for the 20%.
Motor Vehicle Accidents: If you have medical coverage on your auto policy, we will bill that for you. In some cases, we will accept a lien in order to provide you treatment, and we will agree to wait for payment until there is a settlement. This is decided on a case-by-case basis when another party is at fault.
Your first session: During this session the therapist will perform an evaluation of your condition and submit a report to your doctor. You will be asked to complete some initial paperwork so be sure to arrive 15 minutes early.* Loose fitting clothing is a good idea.
Missed Appointments: We require 24 hours notice if you cannot keep your appointment. There is an $80.00 fee for missed appointments (defined as a cancellation with less than 24 hours notice, or a “no-show”) for insurance patients. Patients who are “self-pay” must pay their regular visit charge. This “no show” fee must be paid at your next visit.
P.O.S.T. – Wellness by Design is a member of Preferred Therapy Providers, a preferred provider organization of therapists that have met specific quality standards.
* If you would prefer to download the appropriate forms, fill them out at home, and bring them with you for your first appointment, you can find them below:
Health Questionnaire Page 1
Health Questionnaire Page 2
Notice of Privacy
Notice of Privacy – Need Signature
OSWESTRY Survey – Low Back
SPADI Survey – Upper Extremity
Quick Dash Survey
ACN – Back Survey
