Foundations of Ayurveda with Brendan Feeley M.A., N.D.

Ayurvedic Philosophy, Diet & Lifestyle
Dates: TBA
$250

Ayurveda is the knowledge that indicates which activities and eating habits are appropriate and inappropriate, auspicious and inauspicious, what brings happiness and sorrow, as well as what increases the measure of life itself

- Charaka Samhita 1.41

Ayurveda, the “knowledge of longevity”, is the oldest and the most comprehensive systems of healing in the world and it has its roots in the philosophy of the ancient Vedas. It is an integral part of yogic psychology, philosophy and practice. Ayurveda relies on the six systems of Indian Philosophy, the Shad Darshan, for its founding principles, particularly Sankhya philosophy of creation and evolution.

Darshan is more than philosophy. It is a system of knowing based on perception and inner vision. The enlightened rishis of the Vedic age were able to discover the truth of life through the purity of their hearts and their exalted sense of awareness.

The goal of Ayurveda is to restore balance to the body, mind and soul. Disease is seen as the abnormal expression of the vitiated dosha and to restore health, the increased dosha must be pacified and returned to its site of accumulation. At the same time the destruction of the tissues and organs, caused by the imbalanced doshas, must be addressed and suitable therapies must be used to restore their function. In Ayurveda prevention is emphasized. It is easier to treat the disease at its accumulation stage than at the later stages of complication and destruction. The reasons are obvious.

In this 16-hour introductory course, the theory of ayurveda will be presented. We will cover Sankhya philosophy of creation, the 24-Cosmic principles (gunas, buddhi, manas, ahamkara, indriyas, the tattvas and tanmatras), the doshas and sub-doshas, Agni and digestion, Ama, and an introduction to the science of the six tastes.

Brendan Feeley is an internationally recognized author, speaker, teacher and consultant in Ayurveda and Jyotish (Vedic Astrology). He has an M.A. degree in Jung’s depth psychology and doctorate degrees in naturopathy and homeopathy. His practice is based in Rockville, MD.

He is also a faculty member of the American Council of Vedic Astrologers (ACVA),and a member of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association.

Yoga Therapy Program - Information Session

Yoga Therapy Program - Information Session
with Kim Weeks
Saturday March 20
12:15-1 p

Come with your questions and interest to Boundless and Kim Weeks!  Kim will answer any questions you have about our inaugural Yoga Therapy Program.  She will specifically address its structure and intention, and her goals for graduated Yoga Therapists.

Note: Online registration is not available for this session

poses after swimming!

So today instead of doing yoga I went swimming at one of Washington, DC’s lovely indoor swimming pools. Like all parents, I try to make the best of the limited time I have for myself. After finishing, I did these poses to balance the shape I created for my body in mainly freestyle. I felt great, and more long and lithe than I normally do after swimming.

If you swim regularly, try these for a couple of minutes afterward and see if it makes a difference. Notice that the shapes are very basic equal-and-opposite stretches after creating the shape of freestyle in the pool.

The first pose is a forward fold with hands on the starting block, because why not.

new year’s eve all-night meditation, free

December 31 - January 1
9 p - 9 a

Dedicated to a Fluid and Peaceful Transition into the new year

Turn inward with us as the year turns!

the intention of this event is to focus our energies on:

During this time of transition, we can make it happen for ourselves and everyone we touch!

There will be periodic meditation instruction for new arrivals throughout the evening and, at midnight, chanting and a fire ceremony through which we will offer our vows and intentions for the New Year.

join us for 15 minutes or the whole night!

the bandhas in asana, with doug keller, $85

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: from the gross to the subtle, with kim, $10

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.

restoring balance, calming anxiety workshop with dr. marie rodriguez and liana brooks rubin

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.

yoga and insomnia healing series with Liana Brooks Rubin

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.