No Prior Experience with Second Series required.
This in-depth study will have a focus on Ashtanga Yoga’s Second Series or Nadi Shodhana. The weekend workshop will provide the student with a concentrated and heightened learning experience that will help he/she develop practical and technical yoga skills and be immersed in the inspirational magic and poetic soul of Ashtanga Yoga’s Intermediate Series.
In his workshops David offers a combination both traditional counted vinyasa led classes and clinic style led classes that investigate specific aspects of the practice in varying levels of detail. These important classes feature more verbal instruction; they give students a chance to slow things down, see new ways to orient during practice, get explanations of elusive, often unspoken aspects of the practice, and understand the Ashtanga method in greater, more subtle detail. During the weekend David weaves together studies of asana, pranayama, bandhas, vinyasa, chanting, bhakti yoga, yoga sutra’s and other elements to help develop Ashtanga Vidya (knowledge).
Friday, May 31st
6:00pm - 8:00pm -- Vinyasa Count of Second Series
Saturday, June 1st
9:00am - 10:15am -- Backbend Sequence in Second Series
10:15am - 11:30am -- Arm Balances and Inversions in Second Series
12:30pm - 2:00pm -- Precision, Purification, and Pranayama
Sunday, June 2nd
9:00am - 11:00am -- Led Second Series, counted vinyasa with verbal cues
12:30pm - 1:30pm - Yoga Philosophy
BACKBEND SEQUENCE IN SECOND SERIES
This class will help you better understand how make progress in all back bends through a study of the foundational back bends of Second Series. We'll look into how to create a sound, well-grounded foundation in each asana. Focusing on setting a foundation leads you to find an aligned, nectar yielding spinal position. We will also look at strategies for creating smooth transitions into and out of the asanas, and how to effectively and economically combine repetition, rhythm, and breathing in order to stay longer and have more ease. Lastly we'll look into how to devise strategies for how to either increase or decrease the challenge of the positions depending on how you choose to approach your work.
PRECISION, PURIFICATION AND PRANAYAMA
This class is devoted to pranayama, chanting, and discussion of the central role breathing plays in attaining success in practice. This class will utilize breathing exercises, retention, and discussion, to help you better centralize your awareness on breath during practice.
We’ll study how to use breathing to build powerful strength in your asanas and to effect nadi shodana, purification of the pranic channels. Prana Vidya, knowledge of prana, helps you to progress towards subtlety as you concentrate your mind and better direct the power of the internalized prana. We’ll discuss how cleansing is not limited to the tapas that you create during practice, but rather how purification is a central theme that encompasses all aspects of your life. We’ll explore how to access awareness of your more subtle energy channels through breathing and how to better direct this energy both on and off the mat.
YOGA PHILOSOPHY
The intellectual study of yoga is an essential means of ensuring progress and maturity through practice. To be exposed to yoga theory is an important part of using the mind to enter into inward directed states of concentration and meditative awareness. This is the part of the in-depth study where you begin to learn how to apply the philosophical/theoretical basis of yoga to your practice. You begin to see how the theory and the practice are not separate, but rather are two aspects of the same applied, practical study. Meditating on the theoretical teachings helps bring you into more intelligent, accurate and subtle alignment. David will draw from the Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Sutras, and Hatha Yoga Pradipika for the discussions.
ARM BALANCES AND INVERSIONS IN SECOND SERIES
We’ll explore how to best extract the strength building possibilities from Bakasana, Pincha Mayurasana, Karandavasana, Mayurasana, Nakrasana, and the 7 Sirsasana positions that complete the series. Exploring the keys to building strength in Second Series is an important study partly because building strength in the intermediate series differs from primary series. You might say that second series helps you develop mental or energetic strength while primary has more emphasis on physical strength. Intellectual intelligence and mental control happen by increasing your skill in asanas. Strength comes to you through learning and adopting a discerning, calm and patient frame of mind while you remain in each position, unmoving and breathing, during moments of ease and of challenge.
VINYASA COUNT OF SECOND SERIES
Study the vinyasa count (extra movements, breaths and positions) of the Second Series. How does an effective transition make an effective pose? Learn how to extract asana and bandha knowledge out of the Second Series vinyasa positions. This is a rare class that will inspire you and lay the ground work for a strong 2nd series practice.
To register contact: Sarah Hatcher at: seradee@sarahhatcheryoga.com
