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. Mysore, chanting and kirtan classes are also frequently included in a workshop. 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).
This workshop will be held at two different locations. Friday night will be taught at Flow Yoga Center. Saturday and Sunday will be taught at Ashtanga Nation. The student will register for Friday night with Flow Yoga Center and then Saturday and Sunday with Ashtanga Nation.
Friday, March 29 - FLOW YOGA CENTER
5:45-7:15pm — The Five Allies in Surya Namaskara
7:25-8:40pm — Sthira Sukham Asanam - A Yoga Sutra Chat
Saturday, March 30 - ASHTANGA NATION
9:00-10:45am — Mysore
10:45-11:15am — Pranayama
12:30-2:00pm — Learning Hip Intelligence Through Seated Postures
Sunday, March 31 - ASHTANGA NATION
1:30-3:15pm — Mysore
3:15-4:30pm — Meditating Upside Down
There are 5 root techniques that form the internal practice of Hatha Yoga and they are each revealed in the 9 positions of Surya Namaskara. The root techniques, or allies, include pranayama (conscious breathing), vinyasa (positioning), bandhas (locks), dristi (gazing), and dhyana (meditation).
The positions of Surya Namaskara provide the perfect foundational basis for exploring the important role that each of the allies plays in creating a mature, sustainable yoga practice. We’ll explore how to internally connect the allies, and see how the creative interaction between them can help you to awaken the entire inner ‘field’ (ksetra) of consciousness. Awakening the inner field gives you a special kind of intuitive intelligence that pervades the body and helps you better use limbs 3 and 4 to move towards mastery of all eight limbs in the system.
The focus will be on sutra’s II-46 to II-48 whose subject is asana the 3rd limb of 8 limbs. The lively, inspiring talk will bring the yoga sutras to life and provide you with many practical ways to help you improve your daily practice. David comes from the perspective that doing the smallest things on your mat each day is the best, most sure means of absorbing and embodying the philosophical context that underlies the practice. For example you’ll learn how there is a mother lode of physical, energetic, and psychic yoga knowledge behind the simple statement Stira Sukham Asanam “Steady and Agreeable are the two desirable asana qualities”.
David will give a fresh, relevant interpretation for each of the sutras. He’ll walk you through the important layers of meaning that are packed into the brief statements and discuss ways to use the material to do your asanas better and smarter and also how to use your practice to learn to apply yoga philosophy more broadly in other areas of your life.
Mysore class provides 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 the practice. Each student will receive valuable one to one guidance from David on developing his/her personal practice. The student will develop skill in applying the practice techniques in ways that are logical, challenging, intelligent and fun. David focuses on learning how to follow the Ashtanga system and at the same time creating a practice that honors individuality, versatility and creativity.
The pranayama classes will include the basic elements for establishing a more breath centered practice. You will learn how to refine ujjayi (victorious breath), and practice such techniques as viloma (interrupting the breath) and khumbhaka (retaining the breath). You will also be introduced to the Ashtanga yoga pranayama sequence.
In this class David will teach skillful ways to open up your hips safely in the seated postures of Primary Series. There is an integrated thinking process about the action in the hip joint and the transfer of energy through the leg from the hip to the foot that you want to draw from in your approach to opening your hips. You learn to call on the circular action of external rotation, to explore animal like movements that show you the playful and practical possibilities of what your hips can do, and thus you begin to safely reclaim and to discover the natural range of motion of your hip joints without straining your knee or ankle joints.
Inversions are some of the most valuable, satisfying, and yet little understood or utilized postures in the ashtanga sequences. Commonly there is unnecessary fear when performing these foundational asanas. You can overcome fears and enjoy the benefits of inversions when you expand your thinking about what they are and how to do them. We'll study inversions like Downdog, Pincha Mayurasana, Shoulderstand, and Headstand. You'll be able to apply the teachings from this class and be able to work longer with more focus and clarity in your inversions.
Friday night at Flow Yoga Center
1508 14th Street NW
Washington D.C
Saturday and Sunday at Ashtanga Nation
3313 Arlington Blvd.
Arlington, VA
For more information on or to register for the workshop visit FLOW YOGA CENTER for Friday Night and ASHTANGA NATION for Saturday and Sunday.
