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Class Descriptions: Vinyasa Yoga: Vinyasa yoga is a derivative of the traditional Ashtanga Yoga lineage and is the integration and synchronization of movement with the breath. In these classes posyuress are sequenced together in a strategic way so that each pose will help you find the balance and opening needed for the next. Vinyasa yoga has both physical and mental benefits. The flowing nature of the movements builds cardiovascular endurance while the poses build both strength and flexibility. The proper use and synchronization of the breath taps deep into the nervous system creating a relaxed, meditative experience. Perfect for beginners to advanced practitioners. Power Flow: Based on the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga system, power flow classes are challenging and fun. They give the practitioner more opportunity to work on deepening their practice through more advanced postures and transitions, including armbalances, handstands, headstands, hip openers and backbends Be prepared to work hard, sweat, laugh and play as we explore our limitless boundaries together. Modifications and options are given for all poses making Power Classes accessible to anyone, however it is recommended that students already have some Vinyasa or other types of yoga experience. Ashtanga: One of the more traditional lineages of modern yoga, Ashtanga Yoga is a vigorous, sweat producing, detoxifying practice that brings strength, flexibility and endurance to the body. The meditative practice is designed to purify the body while synchronization of the breath helps to still the mind. The postures are organized in 6 set sequences, each of which always begin with sun salutation and standing poses and conclude with a finishing series. Classes can include Intorduction to Ashtanga Yoga, Sun Salutations clinics, led full primary or half primary, second series (full or modified), as well as Mysore style. Mysore style is silent self-practice with the supervision of a teacher. This is the traditional way Ashtanga yoga is taught and practiced. In this style of class, the student is able to go at their own pace and find a deeper connection with their breath. The teacher will offer help, new postures, and hands on adjustments to help guide each student. Yin Yoga: Yin yoga is a slow paced, gentle style of yoga designed to improve flexibility and circulation to increase the energy flow throughout the body. Postures are typically held for 3-5 minutes each and focus on the connective tissue, fascia, muscles, ligaments and tendons in the joints. Each posture is used to release blocked energy, tension, tightness and emotions. Yin Yoga is a great complementary practice to more active forms of yoga or exercise. Yang Yin: Yang Yin classes are a great balance between strength and flexibility as they combine elements of a typical Vinyasa class to energize and warm up the body followed by deep, long held Yin postures to help release tension and increase flexibility. Workshop Descriptions: Here’s a list and short description of some of my most requested workshop topics. Some topics can be combined into one or modified as needed. - Floating and Flying - Learn to fly and float as I guide you through the foundations of the Ashtanga Vinyasa system. Using Surya Namaskara, discover your hidden strength and power as you tap into your true inner potential. Explore the principles of breath and bandhas to create lightness and lift in your practice. I will show you how to harness the power of your shoulder girdle making arm balances and handstands more accessible, easier, stronger and more balanced. - Arm balancing - Making the impossible easy; One of my favorite yoga quotes is “Yoga makes the impossible possible and possible easy”. Arm balances and inversions are fun, challenging and make us feel like a kid again. One of the amazing things about this part of the practice is that it forces us to let go of fear, trust ourselves and explore our boundaries. In doing so we can truly tap into our true inner potential and realize our limitless potential. Learn how to create lightness in your practice and tap into your true inner power through total body integration. We'll use that lightness and power to learn how to build, hold and transition through different arm balances, handstands and headstands. I will help you discover the opening and body awareness needed to enter into the full pose, giving you tips on how to master them, and of course modifications to play with until the full pose becomes more accessible. - Handstands - Perfect for a master handstander or someone still looking to find their balance. A lot of attention is placed on alignment and how to set up for stronger more balanced handstands. I start off by teaching students how to safely fall out of handstands to take all fear away. Once students are confidence, we explore different ways to lift or jump up into handstands, various handstand variations, and handstand transitions (depending on the level of the students in the class) - Advanced Handstands - More suitable for the more advanced arm balancing students who can hold hand stands and headstands. We will explore transitioning through postures Using handstand and headstands as we take floating and flying one step further. - Surya Namaskara clinic - Using Surya Namaskara I explore the foundations of the Asthanga method - including the Tristana method of Ashtanga yoga. I focus a lot of attention on the breath and understanding of it’s connection to the bandhas. I spend a lot of time breaking down each pose and transition through each pose giving tips and techniques students can take with them through virtually any posture in their practice. Similar to my floating and flying workshop, however more attention is spent to the actual postures rather than the transitions between them. - Vinyasas - Jump throughs, jump backs & chakrasana - In this workshop I will focus on the transition between poses in the ashtanga system including jumping back from standing, jumping from downdog to uttanasana, jumping back from seated, and chakrasana (from lying down). - The Power of Backbends: I will explore the foundations of backbends showing you how to move safely deeper and more comfortably into your back bending practice. I have put together a practice modelled after the Ashtanga Nadi Shodhana intermediate / second series that I often use as the base of my back bend workshop (especially for Ashtanga students). This modified back bending practice will allow students of all levels to experience the energy and effects of this amazing nervous system cleansing practice. Alternatively, I could do more of a vinyasa style backbend workshop as well. -Ashtanga Primary Series: Led or Mysore classes, posture workshops, adjustments workshops, theory/technique, breath and bandhas etc... - The Power of Twists - Twists create amazing spinal mobility, deeper backbends, and true detoxification. We’ll explore twists in a way that will show you how to build them from the foundation up so that you can find the true magic and benefit of twisted poses. Understanding the spine and how it moves through twits - the importance of a stable base in order to maximize the benefits of twists. We will cover some theory and anatomy and then have a fun and challenging practice with lots of twisting! - Bakasana - Helps students understand this basic and fundamental arm balance. I explore the basics of the pose, including how to tap into the power of your shoulder girdle in order to maintain strong and stable. Once we find power and stability we will play with bringing movement to our crows, working through various transitions and variations - including eka pada bakasana and parsva bakasana. -Hip Opening - Can be structured in various ways -Advanced arm balancing and transitions - This class focuses on transitioning into and out of postures through various arm balances, handstands and headstands. -Yin Yoga - Theory, anatomy, practice, and teacher training. -Vinyasa or Power classes - Shorter than a master class, vinyasa or power classes are fun and challenging with creative sequences designed to help students build their practice and get deeper and more stable in each posture. The classes can be structured around a specific theme or pose. -Yoga Philosophy – Several discussion topics can be explored, including the principles of Ashtanga yoga and the 8 limbs, History and Modern Yoga, and several other elements of yoga philosophy that will help students delve deeper in their practice and understand some of the broader aspects of yoga. -Master Class - Time to put everything in action! When doing weekend workshops I generally teach the last class as a ‘master class’. This fun, powerful class will tie together the techniques we learned throughout the whole weekend. Be prepared to work hard, sweat, laugh and play. We’ll ride our breaths together as we move through each pose using fun and challenging transitions. There’ll be lots of twisting and bending and arm balancing, with lots of time to work on our handstands as we explore our limitless boundaries together. If there is a special topic I do not list that your students would be especially interested in, I’d be happy to explore it. .
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