Jim Bennitt
Jim, a former wrestler, massage therapist and clerk at the Chicago Board of Trade, began his studies in Yoga, Tantra and Ayurveda in 1997. Originally he took up Yoga as a way to help heal back pain, but soon after, discovered how the practice affects not only the body, but also mind and spirit.
Jim has completed teacher trainings with Daren Friesen of Moksha Yoga Center which draws heavily from the Krishnamacharya lineage, apprenticed with Gabriel Halpern of the Yoga Circle (a studio in the Iyengar tradition), spent two months in Kiev with Ukrainian Yoga master Andre Lappa for an intensive in Universal Yoga, and in 2002 began a close apprenticeship with Rod Stryker, founder of Para Yoga, in the Himalayan tradition which continues to this day.
Featured in such publications as The New York Times, Chicago Magazine, Time Out Chicago, Breathe and Yoga Chicago, Jim is also a popular presenter at the Yoga Journal Grand Geneva Conference and the Midwest Yoga Conference and teaches workshops nationwide. Jim’s practice and teaching can be physically demanding, however it always has an emphasis on breathwork and meditation helping to unite body, mind and spirit. When you take a class from Jim, expect to sweat a little, breathe a lot, and feel a sense of inner peace.
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Multilevel with Jim: Shoulder Mobility 30min
simple joint mobility exercises
kneeling salutes
lunging hip circles
lunging open twist
crocodile
shoulder roll (lapasana)
cobra variations
child pose
swimmers
bound angle
seated meditation on the breath -
Multilevel with Jim: Core Strength 30min
kneeling salutes
bird dogs
planks and side planks
(resting) crocodile
(asymmetrical) locust
(rolling) crocodile
dynamic bridging
rest
meditation on spine -
Multilevel with Jim: Twists 30 min
kneeling salutes
plank/side plank
sphinx
dynamic lunging twist
core strengthening twist w/block
wide footed fold
crocodile
shoulder roll (lapasana)
locust
child
seated twist (bharadvajasana vinyasa)
bound angle
rest
observation -
Building a Stronger Pigeon
kneeling salutations
bird dog
plank
sphinx/updog
down dog
warrior 1
down dog
crocodile
1/2 frog
bow
down dog
active pigeon variations
locust
childs pose
seated meditation -
Multilevel w/Jim: Technical Standup 30min
half salutes
lunging hip circles
plank
sphinx
up dog
down dog
split squats
side plank
crocodile
locust
cholds pose
windshield wipers
bound angle
technical stand up
seated forward fold
bridge
rest
seated meditation -
Healthy Low Back with Jim 5/04/22 30min
corpse pose
supine arm raises
supine side stretching
supine hamstring stretching
bridging
windshield wipers
crocodile
sphinx
childs pose
bird dog
plank
side plank
crocodile
child pose
90/90
thunderbolt pose for meditation -
Healthy Low Back with Jim 5/11/22
crocodile pose
sphinx variations
plank
down dog
bird dog
child pose
lunging hip circles
warrior 1 variation
down dog
crocodile
locust
crocodile
down dog
pigeon variations
down dog
bridge
windshield wipers
corpse -
Spinal Decompression 30 min
supine arm raises and side stretching
windshield wipers
dynamic bridging
supine hamstring stretches
belted lumbar and hip decompression
crocodile pose
sphinx
table pose
child pose
thunderbolt pose -
Healthy Low Back with Jim 5/18/22 30min
supine arm raises and side stretching
knee circles
supine ankle rotations and hamstring stretching
supine adductor stretching and strengthening
dynamic bridge
windshield wipers
crocodile
sphinx
bird dog
hip circles
child pose
easy seated posture -
Healthy Low Back with Jim 5/25/22 30min
crocodile
cow pose to child pose sequence
bird dog
child pose
candlestick pose (kneeling) to child pose sequence
crocodile
sphinx
supine knee circles
supine hamstrings stretch
dynamic bridge
windshield wipers
crocodile -
Healthy Low Back with Jim 6/01/22 30min
crocodile
cow pose child pose sequence
bird dog
child pose
crocodile
sphinx
locust
supine knee circles
supine psoas stretch
marching bridges
reclined bound angle pose
windshield wipers
reclined bound angle -
Healthy Low Back with Jim 6/08/22 30min
dynamic side stretching and squatting
split squats
cossack squats
plank
crocodile
locust
sphinx
supine knee circles
marching bridges
reclined bound angle
windshield wipers
crocodile -
Healthy Low Back with Jim 6/15/22 30min
supine arm raises
knee circles
windshield wipers
supine hamstrings stretching
supine adductor stretching
bird dog
supine hamstrings and adductors stretching
bridging -
Vigorous Class with Jim: Summer Flow 60min
mountain pose
dynamic balancing on your toes
dynamic side stretching and squats
half salutes
sun salute "RS"
sun salute "JB"
crocodile
shoulder role (Lapasana)
locust variation
bow
child pose
thunderbolt with swimmers
windshield wiper variation (bharadvajasana vinyasa)
dynamic plow sequence
shoul... -
Healthy Low Back with Jim 6/22/22 30min
supine arm raises
dynamic bridge variation
windshield wiper variation
supine knee extension
knee circles
individual leg circles
hip abduction/adduction
reclined bound angle
supine "marching"
crocodile
sphinx
child pose
90/90 sequence
seated observation -
Strength and Mobility with Jim: Circular Patterns 60min
simple joint mobility exercises
side bends and squats
half salutes
revolving disc (chakra)
plank and side plank
crocodile
sphinx
locust
crocodile rolls
low lunging hip circles
swimmers
boat/windshiled wiper sequence
90/90 circles
supine knee circles
mental alternate nostril breathing -
Healthy Low Back with Jim 6/29/22 30 min
supine arm raises
dynamic bridges
knee circles
ankle rotations
supine single leg circles
unassisted knee circles
windshield wipers
hip circles from table pose
bird dog
lunging hip circles
single leg circles from table pose
crocodile -
Yoga 4 Grapplers with Jim: Hips and Core 40 min
dynamic side stretching and squats
half salutes
lunging hip circles and twists
sphinx and up dog
down dog
split squats
standing forward fold
revolving disc
side lunges/cossack squats
plank
crocodile
lizard pushups and step throughs
scorpion tail
airplane
thunderbolt
windshield wipers
butterfly... -
Healthy Low Back with Jim 7/07/22 30 min
supine arm raises
supine hamstring stretching
supine adductor stretching
bird dogs
child pose
hip circles
lunging hip circles
transverse lunging (cossack squats)
plank
crocodile
locust
windshield wipers
corpse -
Healthy Low Back with Jim 7/20/22: "QL" 30min
crocodile
table pose/child pose sequence
plank/side plank sequence
crocodile
locust variation
crocodile rolls
windshield wipers variation (bharadvajasana vinyasa)
dynamic bridge
rest -
Healthy Low Back with Jim 7/27/22: Contract/relax 30min
supine arem raises
knee circles
supine windshield wipers
knee circles
dynamic bridge variation
table pose/child pose sequence
warrior variation
crocodile
sphinx
child pose -
Yoga 4 Grapplers with Jim: Preventing Groin Injury 30min
supine arm raises
ankle mobilization
knee extensions
hip abductiion/adduction
bird dogs
child pose (turtle)
sphinx
locust variation
dog pose
lunging hip circles
transverse lunging (cossack squats)
side splits
plank
child pose
butterfly
observation -
Healthy Low Back with Jim 8/3/22: SI Joint 30min
dynamic bridge with a block
knee circles
knee extensions
supine hip abduction/adduction
windshield wipers
bird dogs
child pose
crocodile
locust with hip abduction/adduction
90/90 sequence with hip rotation -
Strength and Mobility with Jim: Feet and Ankles 30min
kneeling salutes
split squats
standing ankle mobilization
toe balancing/heel raises
squats and balancing on the toes
squat to keeling/thunderbolts
seated ankle mobilization
self foot massage
