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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Strength and Mobility with Jim: Handstand 20 min
kneeling salutes
plank and side plank sequence
crocodile pose
locust variation
crocodile rolls
sphinx
updog
downdog
dolphin pushups
handstand variations
rest -
Core Strength with Jim: Peacock Pose 30 min
kneeling salutes
bird dog
child pose
wrist rolls
plank variation
crocodile
locust variation
eagle (seated)
peacock
thunderbolt
windshield wipers
rest -
Strength and Mobility with Jim: Hip Abduction 30 min
supine arm raises
supine hamstring stretches
supine adductor stretches
kneeling salutes
plank
locust pose
lunges
gorilla squats
wall assisted hamstring stretch
wall assisted adductor stretch
transverse lunges
cossack squats
plank
crocodile -
Strength and Mobility with Jim: 30 min
standing arm raises while balancing
standing side bends and squats
half salutes
runners lunge
gorilla pose
revolving disk (chakri)
transvers lunge
plank
sphinx
updog
downdog
windshield wipers
90/90
star pose
60 second leg lower
passive ww
rest -
Strength & Mobility w/Jim: Tighten Your Glutes? 20 min
kneeling salutes
bird dogs
plank
crocodile
locust variation
windshield wipers
shinbox lifts
bound angle
bridges
marching bridges
supine bound angle
rest -
Strength and Mobility with Jim: Stand Up! 30 min
kneeling salutes
down dog
lunging hip circles
sphinx
thunderbolt - mountain pose flow with no hands
side saddle to standing flow with no hands
bharadvajasana (side saddle stretch)
bound angle pose
90/90 sequence
standing up from seated with no hands
dynamic bridge -
Strength and Mobility with Jim: Lunges and Squats 20 min
kneeling salutes
down dog
lunging hip circles
basic squat
dynamic squats and toe balancing
transverse lunges/cossack squats
plank
sphinx
updog
downdog
split squats
thunderbolt pose -
Building a Better Handstand with Jim 60min
simple joint mobility exercises
mountain pose
balancing on the toes
side bending and squatting sequence
half salutes
lunging hip circles
plank and side plank sequence
crocodile
side scorpion
locust
crocodile rolls
sphinx
updog
downdog
bullfrog variation
child pose
dolphin pushups
handstand var... -
Strength and Mobility with Jim: Sandbagging
Kneeling salutes
Bullfrog pushups
Sphinx
Split squats (with weight)
Cossack squats (with weight)
Squat
Windshield wipers (with weight)
90/90 twist
Bound angle
Standup (with weight)
Crocodile
Seated meditation -
Gentle Strength and Mobility with Jim: 30min
Kneeling salutes
Bird dogs
Sphinx
Updog
Downdog
Side-step throughs
Plank
Standing lunges
Windshield wipers
Shinbox lifts
Walking staff
Core circles
Windshield wipers (supine)
Rest
Seated meditation -
Tutorial: The Windmill
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Better Balance with Jim: 20 minutes
mountain pose
standing heel raises
dynamic squatting and balancing
half salutes
dynamic balancing revolved triangle
dynamic revolved half moon
mountain pose -
Vigorous Strength and Mobility with Jim: 60 min
kneeling salutes
plank and side planks
sun salutes
multidimensional salutes
forearm stand
thunderbolt pose
windshield wiper variation (bharadvajasana vinyasa)
bound angle
dynamic bridge
knee circles
supine bound angle
tadaka mudra
rest (savasana)
breathwork (nadi kriya) -
Yoga 4 Grapplers with Jim: Hip Flexors 30 min
kneeling salute
bird dog
plank
sphinx
updog
downdog
boat pose
windshield wipers
shinbox lifts
90/90
90/90 boat combo
bound angle/butterfly
bridge and marching bridges
rest -
Yoga 4 Grapplers: Hip and Shoulder Warmup 15 min
kneeling salutes
down dog
bird pose
clam shells (shoulder variation)
windshield wipers
90/90
clam shells (hip variation)
butterfly -
Gentle Strength and Mobility with Jim: 30min
balancing arm raises
dynamic side stretching and squats
deep squat
lunging hip circles
kneeling salutes
down dog
bird pose
child pose
foot massage
shin box lifts
90/90
clam shells
bound angle
nostril balancing mudra
meditation -
Improving Your Balance with Jim: 20 min
foot massage
ankle mobilization
windshield wipers
bird dog with hip circumduction
down dog
lunge
gorilla squats
balancing on one foot
balancing split squats
crow
crocodile
sphinx
updog
meditation -
Better Balance with Jim: 60 min
simple joint mobility
kneeling salutes
down dog
plank and side planks
sphinx
updog
lunges
deep squat
toe balancing arm raising
side stretching and balancing squats
tree variation
dynamic/balancing revolved triangle
dynamic revolved half moon
deep squat
dynamic bridging
windshield wipers
rest
m... -
Floor Warmup with Jim: 20 min
kneeling salutes
plank
shoulder taps
sphinx
updog
downdog
lunging hip circles
step throughs
windshield wipers
90/90
clamshells
butterfly -
5-min Pick Me Up with JIm
balancing on the toes
side stretching
deep squats
standing twists -
Strength and Mobility with Jim: Balancing 30 min
balancing on toes
dynamic side stretch and squats
balancing on toes in squat transition
kneeling to standing movements
lateral hip movements while going from seated to standing
seated to standing movements
dynamic bridging
rest
meditation -
10-min Joint Mobility with Jim
mountain pose
cervical mobilizations
circular shoulder shrugs
arm circles
opposing arm circles
wrist mobilization
hip cricles
"wobbly warrior"
balancing ankle mobilization -
Hip Mobility for Athletes with Jim
supine arm raises
knee circles
ankle mobilization
knee extensions
hip circles
hip abduction/adduction
dynamic bridges
supine windshield wipers
down dog
lunging hip circles
lunging windshield wipers
transverse lunge
plank
sphinx
updog
downdog
shinbox lifts
90/90
butterfly
meditation -
Yoga 4 Grapplers/Healthy Low Back with Jim: 20 min
supine breathing with knees bent
single hip flexion and knee extensions
single supine hip circles
dynamic bridge
supine windshield wipers
crocodile
sphinx
updog
downdog
pigeon
