healing

saturday, april 5, 2-6 pm

Join area master yogi Doug Keller for a strong asana class directed toward developing more awareness of the bandhas in your body as you move from pose to pose. The focus of the workshop is to develop the use of the bandhas as keys to strength and alignment as you move from pose to pose.

Doug will first describe the actions and effects of each of the bandhas physically and energetically. The bandhas are simple yet powerful muscular actions in the area of the pelvic floor (mula), lower abdominals (uddiyana), head, neck and shoulders (jalandhara) — which align these key areas, providing optimal strength, support, protection to the joints, as well as freedom in both the supple physical movement of vinyasa and the subtleties of the breath. In the case of pranayama and meditation, the bandhas support greater and more extended periods of stillness and concentration. Some simple exercises will be introduced to support your practice of the bandhas as part of this introduction.

Then he’ll lead a vinyasa-based asana class that will incorporate the bandhas into the weave of breath and movement. The basic exercises for the bandhas will be incorporated into the flow. The original texts of hatha yoga cite the bandhas as being crucial to having a fruitful asana practice.

This workshop will help you examine the powerfully supportive qualities of these bandhas in your own body. The extended length of the workshop will allow time to end with a period of guided (seated) pranayama techniques and meditation which incorporate the actions of the bandhas. advanced beginners to intermediate students.

yoga is the practice of moving from the gross to the subtle. we first learn asana, and how the breath fills the physical structure that we change, pose to pose, moment to moment. once we arrive at the subtler aspects of the practice, what, then, does the practice become?

learn tonight from kim about a brief history of yoga, its basic philosophic tenets, and how the details of the inner world unfold the quieter we become. kim will discuss the value of asana, contemplation, breath, and meditation as part of the yoga ashtanga system, and she welcomes questions about the myriad ways we deepen a yoga practice, both on the yoga mat and out in the world.

1-3 p

in the fall, cooler and windier days tend to stir up “vata”, one of Ayurveda’s 3 doshas (or constitutional types) whose element is air/ether based. during this change of season, we can begin to feel ungrounded, edgy and nervous. even those not normally prone to anxiety may begin to feel emotionally unsettled. anxiety has both emotional and physiological causes. relieving anxiety involves restoring physiologic balance through dietary and lifestyle modifications, quality nutritional supplements, and therapeutic practices such as yoga. this workshop will focus on a natural approach to calming anxiety and balancing the vata dosha. we will perform a restorative yoga practice to nourish yin energy and calm vata and our nerves.

10.22-11.12 (four sundays) from 1-3 p

take this four-week series dedicated to healthy, restful sleep–and, as important, reduction of anxiety–through yoga practice. incorporating yoga poses into an evening routine can promote relaxation, peace of mind and healthy sleep for those who struggle with insomnia and other anxiety-related disorders. take-home poses and practices will give you the ability to practice techniques when you need them most –at home in the evening hour.