Next Practice Day: Sunday Nov 16
Choose Active Morning or Receptive Afternoon or Enrol in Both for A Wonderful Day of Yoga Retreat and Rebalance
Join us this November as we explore the classic standing posture VRKSASANA: TREE POSE
What is the purpose and meaning of this pose?
how can we prepare ourselves for it?
what are the variations of coming in and out of it?
Join us this November as we Embrace MUDITA: APPRECIATIVE JOY
What is appreciative joy and what is it not?
How can we call this quality forth from within?
What are someways to “play” with this quality?
The monthly workshops are three hours so that there is enough time to adequately investigate the various techniques so that you feel confident applying them in your own personal context at home.
It is wonderful to come together and experience yoga in community, but the real transformation happens when yoga is practiced regularly over a long period of time (abhyasa) and without attachment to the outcome (vairagya).
Abhyasa means having the dedication to explore what’s needed in your body mind without having to fit into someone else’s breathing pattern, or timing, or choice of shapes, or rhythm of effort and ease, or meditation timings or resting schedule. Vairagya means the ability to do this in a space where you are not comparing, contrasting and judging.
This is why home practice is essential if you truly want to access what the path of yoga has to offer.
Group yoga classes are great to check in and see what a teacher might offer, learn some new techniques, ideas and strategies, and hopefully enjoy good company, but at home is where you get to make the practice your own and workshops that take time explaining and exploring the various practices of yoga set you up to cultivate home practice.
This is when the “magic” happens, the discoveries and revelations, and most importantly, it’s where you start to grow in power, sensitivity, and a sense of connection to the life force itself, all of which are essential to nourish an engaged presence in the world, contributing your skills and your energy and your love back into the tapestry of life
Your yoga practice is like breathing; the inhale is the time you spend at your practice while the exhale is what you share back into the world.
In yoga, we are actually trying to lengthen the exhale over time, so essentially, yoga understands we are more in the world in that retreating into our own practice, but that regular retreat is essential, otherwise we have nothing wise, balanced and potent to share.
The monthly workshops are three hours so that there is enough time to adequately investigate the various techniques so that you feel confident applying them in your own personal context at home.
Our Monthly DIY Workshops Come in Two Flavours:
AM: 10:00am-1:00 pm The Dynamic Alignment Slow Flow
This is a vigorous dynamic practice designed to cultivate strength, resilience, focus and concentration while maintaining a spaciousness of heart and a sense of humour.
We explore all aspects of the eight limbs of yoga,
inner and outer ethical and philosophical foundations (yamas and niyamas)
physical posture (asana)
breath and energetic sustainability (pranayama)
restorative yoga and deep relaxation (pratyahara)
stages of meditation (dharana, dhyana, samadhi)
However, the emphasis is on movement and asana (yoga postures) not just the anatomical reality and alignment of body and mind, but also exploring WHY we do certain asana; what impact do they have on our energetic, mental and emotional states ASWELL as how do they help us to understand the underlying wisdom teachings?
DIY: plenty of time to ask questions and have discussion about how/when to apply what we are practicing to your home practice situation.
2. PM: 2:30pm -5:30pm The Relaxation Revolution
This workshop is dedicated to finding a counterbalance to the relentless “go, go, go” that is pervasive in our modern world. It really is a revolutionary thing to consciously slow down and prioritize rest, to recognise that when we invite comfort and ease into the physical body, we are creating the conditions for the nervous system to rebalance and for our own ability to start to find enough stability in mind and heart to restore a connection with our own capacity for love, compassion, joy and equanimity.
We will combine the teachings of the Buddha with Mindful movement, restorative stillness and guided meditation.
DIY: plenty of time to ask questions and have discussion about how/when to apply what we are practicing to your home practice situation