This active morning workshop is a full spectrum Hatha Yoga practice, meaning we work with calling ourselves into the bodymind through breathwork (including mantra and yogic chanting), dynamic and rhythmic movement as well as exploration of finding stillness in active and restorative poses. We always finish with deep relaxation and guided meditation.

A traditional metaphor in yoga anatomy is the lotus which has its roots in the mucky earth and yet rises up from the dark, through the water, blossoming into the air and space above the surface. So with traditional yoga movement and asana, we work from the ground up, from feet and legs to abdominal core, into chest, arms, shoulders and up to neck and head. The whole body is engaged and ultimately, we aim to allow the whole body to deeply relax so that we can invite our attention to connect more deeply with the wisdom of the mindheart.

As well as movement and breathwork, you can expect to learn about the bigger picture of yoga and depending on the month, we'll explore various yoga maps of body and mind such as

• The Yoga Sutras (yoga philosophy)

• the pranvayus (the five patterns of life force movement in the body)

• the koshas (the five layers of consciousness)

• the doshas (the three energies governing body and affecting mind according to ayurveda)

Each workshop will vary in its thematic focus and there will be time at the beginning to establish this theme, so it's not 3 hours of non stop movement and questions and discussion are welcome. You can expect something like the following structure to the workshop

1. arrive and settling (mindful presence) 10:00-10:10pm

2. meeting breath and body (warming up) 10:10-10:35pm

3. setting up theme of the day (some yoga philosophy) 10:35-10:50

4. Intention setting via mantra and chanting (always optional to join in or not) 10:50-11:00

5. dynamic movement, pranayama and asana practice 11:00-12:20

6. deep relaxation 12:20-1:40pm

7. guided meditation 12:40-1:00pm

While there will always be some new sequences and asana explored, you can expect repetition of some essential forms, but perhaps you can discover something new in them as you approach them from a fresh perspective according to the theme of the day.

Theme for December: Finding Calm in the Seasonal Swirl: Grounding With Christmas Tree Pose and Other Steadying Balancing Practices

10:00am-1:00pm

Doors Open at 9:45-Please aim to arrive at least 10 minutes before starting time to get settled and allow for timely start to our morning. It is recommended that you keep breakfast light. It is also recommended that you have a parking plan in mind. FYI Adelaide Street Public Parking is less than 5 minutes walking distance and is far less chaotic than Wine Street car park.