Ashtanga Vinyasa is a flowing practice and students sometimes find themselves moving through the poses without sufficient knowledge of alignment and safety issues. Ease and safety in this yoga style is greatly enhanced when a student is familiar with the series. In this Intro course, you will learn the basic principles of Ashtanga Vinyasa, Sun Salutations A and B, the asanas of the Primary Series (especially the first half), and the breath and bandhas which are integral to the form.
- Location: ELGIN studio
- Dates: Feb 15th to Mar 22nd
- Day/Time: Tuesdays – 7:30PM to 9:00PM
- Course duration: 6 weeks
- No Preregistration Required, Simply Drop In!
Course Contents:
WEEK 1: Feb 15th, 2010
Meet the breath, bandhas (locks) and drishti (gaze): An introduction and exploration of the core fundamentals of the Ashtanga system and linking them to postures in the Primary Series
WEEK 2: Feb 22nd
Detailed journey of Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutations) A & B and the full Standing Sequence of the Primary Series
WEEK 3: Mar 1st
Flowing through Surya Namaskar A & B and Standing Sequence (with modifications), and learning the transitions (jumpthroughs and jumpbacks) between postures of the Primary Series
WEEK 4: Mar 8th
Flowing through Surya Namaskar A & B and Standing Sequence (with modifications), learning the first half of the Seated Sequence and exploring the Finishing Sequence of the Primary Series
WEEK 5: Mar 15th
Flowing through Surya Namaskar A & B and the first half of the Seated Sequence (with modifications) and flowing through the Finishing Sequence (with modifications) of the Primary Series
WEEK 6: Mar 22nd
Putting it all together: An Ashtanga led practice (with modifications) using the traditional vinyasa count and the Sanskrit names of postures of the Primary Series
About the teacher:
Involved in the martial arts at a very young age, Dan found that the three most important aspects of his training and development were: self-discipline, physical and spiritual awareness. After a decade and a half later of martial arts training, in a muay thai/kickboxing class, he was introduced to yoga. He could feel and see those very same aspects he developed (in the martial arts) in the ancient Indian system and immediately embarked on his yogic path. A series of individual sessions with each one building on the next. This course will lay the foundation for a life-long journey into the practice of Ashtanga yoga.
