THE JOURNEY INWARD |
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A four week course to help you develop a home practice, to be your own teacher and guide; working from the more gross to our more subtle aspects of our being.
As our lives get more stressful, it is essential to be able to turn inward and still the constant thoughts than can become a distraction and an obstacle by causing harm to our state of mind and to our physical body through stress. The Sangha (community) is important for a healthy lifestyle, but learning to sit and be with oneself is just as necessary.
Each week we will review a new aspect of:
- Asana (physical postures of the body)
- Pranayama (breathing exercises)
- Dharana, Dhyana & Samadhi
(techniques to still the mind)
Each class will build on the previous one.
- Asana
The asana class will be based on the Vinyasa principles of moving with breath awareness. We will also borrow from the Ashtanga Yoga Tristana method; of engaging energy locks, incorporating Ujayi breath and keeping the mind focused while moving and holding poses.
It will promote strength, flexibility and balance of energy. We will learn a sequence of standing, sitting and closing poses that will be practiced during the 4 week workshop in hopes that it will promote an individualized home practice for the student. The focus will be on building your own classes.
- Pranayama
Every week we will learn a new Pranayama (breath control exercise)
Pranayama is a subtle practice but has effective results in the nervous system.
- Dharana, Dhyana & Samadhi
We will sit for a few minutes after our pranayama exercise in order to train the mind into one pointed fixation (or concentration) using various techniques. We will attempt to bring the mind to stillness and then slowly observe our thoughts, or be free of them.
As our lives get more stressful, it is essential to be able to turn inward and still the constant thoughts than can become a distraction and an obstacle by causing harm to our state of mind and to our physical body through stress. The Sangha (community) is important for a healthy lifestyle, but learning to sit and be with oneself is just as necessary.
Each week we will review a new aspect of:
- Asana (physical postures of the body)
- Pranayama (breathing exercises)
- Dharana, Dhyana & Samadhi
(techniques to still the mind)
Each class will build on the previous one.
- Asana
The asana class will be based on the Vinyasa principles of moving with breath awareness. We will also borrow from the Ashtanga Yoga Tristana method; of engaging energy locks, incorporating Ujayi breath and keeping the mind focused while moving and holding poses.
It will promote strength, flexibility and balance of energy. We will learn a sequence of standing, sitting and closing poses that will be practiced during the 4 week workshop in hopes that it will promote an individualized home practice for the student. The focus will be on building your own classes.
- Pranayama
Every week we will learn a new Pranayama (breath control exercise)
Pranayama is a subtle practice but has effective results in the nervous system.
- Dharana, Dhyana & Samadhi
We will sit for a few minutes after our pranayama exercise in order to train the mind into one pointed fixation (or concentration) using various techniques. We will attempt to bring the mind to stillness and then slowly observe our thoughts, or be free of them.
INTRODUCTION
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An introduction to the 8 Limbs of Yoga as described in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. This Yogic philosophy is just as relevant and accessible in today's modern world as when it was written over 2.000 years ago. These teachings are a spiritual pathway to connect to our true nature, that can be obtained through body, voice and mind.
The physical aspect of yoga (asana) is only a small portion of Yoga philosophy and is only in place to help us facilitate the inner work to master our own minds. Yoga practice is more than physical poses, it is a path to liberation, it is about gaining control over the mind and going inward to understand our true nature.
We will discuss and practice each limb and learn tools to integrate the principles of yoga into every moment of your life, through actions, words and thoughts... on and off that mat. The workshop will include postural movements, breathing exercises and techniques to learn to quite the mind. It will be a mixture of lecture, practice and discussion. The workshop is open to yoga students of any tradition that wish to deepen their practice and to those that have never taken a physical yoga class.
The physical aspect of yoga (asana) is only a small portion of Yoga philosophy and is only in place to help us facilitate the inner work to master our own minds. Yoga practice is more than physical poses, it is a path to liberation, it is about gaining control over the mind and going inward to understand our true nature.
We will discuss and practice each limb and learn tools to integrate the principles of yoga into every moment of your life, through actions, words and thoughts... on and off that mat. The workshop will include postural movements, breathing exercises and techniques to learn to quite the mind. It will be a mixture of lecture, practice and discussion. The workshop is open to yoga students of any tradition that wish to deepen their practice and to those that have never taken a physical yoga class.
