måndag 31 maj 2010

The four essential concepts that a teacher of yogasana must embrace

The four essential concepts that a teacher of yogasana must embrace

Dona Holleman has introduced four concepts that she considers vital for teachers of yogasana, some of which she has borrowed them from Japanese martial arts and classical riding:

1) being centered in hara
2) being proactive
3) being durchlässig
4) having Schwung

Hara

A skillful teacher of yogasana, says Dona Holleman, must be centered in hara. Hara is a Japanese martial arts term, equivalent to the lower of the three dantian in Traditional Chinese Medicine, a name for the "center of being". Referring to the center of gravity on the physical level, it also denotes the seat of the soul on the spiritual level. The hara is found in the lower abdomen, in the center of the pelvis, between the navel and the pubis.

A disturbance of the hara throws the body out of balance and as a result the mind and the senses become imbalanced.

The performance of yogasana is to redistribute the different body parts around the hara.

However, the center of gravity or hara has not only a balancing function from a physical point of view but it also has a mental and emotional stabilizing effect.

A person who is stable in hara remains sound on an intellectual, mental, emotional and physical level.

To be proactive

A proactive person is always one step ahead in whatever they plan to do. A reactive person, on the other hand, is someone who has no plan and can only act by reacting.

A proactive teacher is aware of consequences of their actions. They have exhaustive knowledge of the benefits and risks of a yogasana that is to be performed. They are aware of the abilities and limitations of the student on a mental, emotional and physical level. In this way accidents are prevented.

Durchlässig and its opposite, the resistance reflex

Durchlässig is a concept that Dona Holleman has borrowed from classical riding. It means "letting through" and refers to a horse that is well trained, accepts the rider's aids and willingly performs the rider's commands.

Its opposite is the resistance reflex. Existing in all living creatures it is an instrument of survival. It can, though, create problems, when we want to explore new things, learn a new yoga pose, for example, or change our habitual way of thinking or get rid of unwanted emotions.

The resistance reflex originates in fear and fear is something innate. The teacher must be aware of this phenomenon in themselves and in their students. They must be able to teach each new yoga pose in a way that doesn't create a resistance in the student.

Schwung

Schwung, also being a concept of classical riding, implies speed and strength, to be able to move forward on all levels.

A teacher with Schwung has the ability to arouse the enthusiasm and inner energy needed for the student to move forward.

All three concepts discussed here originate in the hara. The teacher must first and foremost be centered in their hara.

The teacher as a role model

It is the duty of a teacher to study the body from all aspects and to apply this knowledge in their teaching of yogasana.

The teacher must be able to transfer the knowledge to the student in a simple and clear manner. This involves in-depth knowledge of the component parts of the asana as well as the anatomy and physiology of the human body.

Emotions are transferable. Sadness, for example, is contagious, as is laughter. As teachers we must take care that we don't absorb other people's negative feelings. And also not project negative feelings onto our students.

The teacher is a role model. According to Dona Holleman, the human body is a copying machine. It copies what it sees and it is the responsibility of the teacher to present a sound picture so that the body of the student can copy it.

måndag 10 maj 2010

BKS Iyengar i Moskva i april 2009 - fotograf Svetlana Lundqvist

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BKS Iyengar i Moskva i april 2009. Fotograf Svetlana Lundqvist
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Lördagsyoga 29 maj och 5 juni på Yogashanti

Lördagsyogan fortsätter med basic alignment och restorative yoga 29 maj och 5 juni. Passar både nybörjare och fortsättare.

Basic alignment i yogasana - det handlar om att bli medveten om kroppens
olika delar och deras förhållande till varandra.

Tid: 10-12

Pris per lektion: 200 kr (båda dagarna rekommenderas!)

Restorative yoga - låt kroppen inta ställningar där den kan vila bättre och
känn effekterna på sinnet.

Tid: 12:30-14:30

Pris per lektion: 200 kr (kan kombineras med basic alignment)

Anmälan: info@yogashanti.eu eller 0709 68 58 94

Portkod fås vid anmälan.

Välkommen!
Om Shanti

Tias Little in Helsinki - 19 - 23 May, 2010

MY BODY IS MY TEMPLE

Wednesday 19 May: Sacred Feet & Sacred Knee
9.00–12.00 & 13.30–16.30

The feet are the foundation to the temple of the body and this class details how to activate the foot in order to help align the knees, the pelvis and low back. We study the architecture of the foot and the key ligaments and muscles that support the foot. We look at common ways that the foot collapses and compresses and how to use yoga postures to strengthen and realign the foot. We also explore the vital points (marmas in Ayurveda) within the foot and the key acupressure points in Chinese Medicine.

The knees of the body help maintain physical and mental vitality, stamina and 'staying power'. Yet the knees are prone to strain including tears, twists and torques. This class is designed to safely release binding in the knee, move through scar tissue and strengthen. We practice supine, seated and standing poses to align and harness the knees.

Thursday 20 May: Sacred Hips & Sacred Sacrum
9.00–12.00 & 13.30–16.30

In Greek the name for the hip socket is acetabulum, meaning ‘wine cup’. Here the ball of the femur swivels in the hip joint. This class emphasizes balanced range of motion in the hip by taking the hip into flexion, extension, internal and external rotation. The sequence helps to align the all powerful ilio-femoral ligaments and release pull in the piriformis and glut muscles.

The sacral bone is the key bone of the pelvis and it is the key bone of the spine. Postural balance and centering occurs at the sacral level (svadhisthana, the second chakra) and the sacrum initiates the strong centering movement of the tailbone (mulabandha). This class looks at the powerful ligaments and muscles that hold the sacrum in place and we practice postures that balance the sacrum.

Friday 21 May: Sacred Psoas & Sacred Skull
9.00–12.00 & 13.30–16.30

The ilio-psoas is the revered muscle located deep in the abdomen, along the front of the spine that gives support to all movement. It is all too common that core building routines cause excessive shortness and tightening in the psoas. This class cultivates core strength in the low back and ilio-psoas without creating contraction. The emphasis will be on establishing length and strength in the psoas while developing support close to the spine.

The cranium is home to 21 bones, the 3 upper chakras, 3 brains, and 7 sensory openings or ‘gates’. This class explores the dynamic equilibrium of the skull in yoga meditation and asana practice. We review the jaw, tongue, inner ear, sagittal suture and frontanelles and the importance these structures have in releasing cranial compression. Iyengar once said: ‘The hardest organ to adjust in the body is the brain’. In this class we will investigate what it means to release the organ of the brain, through inversions (headstand for those who can do it), forward bends and twists. Significant time is given to the practice of pratyahara‹the softening of sensory awareness through pranayama, khechari mudra and visualization practices.

WEEK-END EVENT

Saturday 22 May: SideWays & Unwinding the Low Back
9.00–12.00 & 13.30–16.30

Freeing the side body in yoga is key to opening the core. If the side body is hemmed and bound then the inner body has no room to expand and open. Beginning at the outer heel, along the outer leg, waist, trunk, neck and skull, this class aims to release the sides of the body in order to allow the interior to open. Sidebends and twists.

Lower back compression is so common in our culture – 85% of our society suffers from low back pain at some point in their lives. Typically this pain is due to asymmetrical strain patterns, i.e. excess tightness one side of the body. The class aims to release constriction in the lumbar and sacral area through gliding and rocking and stretching movements. In particular, our aim is to unglue the tightness in the muscles, tendons and ligaments by irrigating blood into the lower spine and sacrum.

Sunday 23 May: Yoking the Shoulder Girdle & the Spiral
9.00–12.00 & 13.30–16.30

It is all too common for the shoulders to collapse and displace forward due to repetitive strain and overuse of the arms. This may result in pain in the neck region, tension between the shoulder blades and numbness in the arm and hand. The aim of this class is to reduce shoulder and neck restriction and to effectively yoke the shoulder blades onto the back. We will practice supine, seated and standing postures that help set the shoulders efficiently on the spine and prepare for arm balances.

The spiral pattern is one of the most ancient forms of life as it gives birth to galaxies, DNA, seashells and the inner ear. The word spiral comes from the Greek speira meaning coiled, wreathed or twisted. In this class we will investigate the coil (in Sanskrit kunda as in kundalini) that in yoga practice is the source of all movement. We practice revolving poses that activate spiral movement within the spine. We tap the profound ways that twisting poses bring life, creativity, joy and energy to the body.

Prices:

Wed–Fri: 260 € (until 30 April), 280 € (after 30 April)
Sat–Sun: 170 € (until 30 April), 190 € (after 30 April)

Enrolment and further information:
eija.tervonen (at) welho.com
+358 (0)40 575 2996 (after 3 March)

* * *

Tias Little is trained in Iyengar and Ashtanga vinyasa yoga, and his perspective clearly reflects the Buddha's teachings. Tias has been a student of Dzogchen practice of Tibetan Buddhism since 2003, studying with Tsoknyi Rinpoche, and he has practiced Zen meditation since 1992. He is also a licensed massage therapist and has studied extensively in both cranial-sacral therapy and somatics. Tias earned a Masters degree in Eastern Philosophy from St. John’s College in New Mexico. Tias’ teaching specialises in yoga and anatomy, blending both Western and Eastern perspectives. He currently directs Prajna Yoga in Santa Fe New Mexico with his wife Surya and leads yoga intensives both nationally and internationally. Tias taps from a remarkable wealth and depth of knowledge and personal experience, bringing to his teaching a wonderful play of metaphor and imagination, humour and compassion. His dharma talks touch the depths of your soul.

For further information on Tias, please visit: www.tiaslittle.com.

söndag 9 maj 2010

Julie Gudmestad in Helsinki - 17 - 19 July, 2010

Anatomy Awareness in Asana

Shoulder joint, Neck and Upper Back

This workshop is designed to acquaint yoga students, teacher trainees and teachers with anatomical vocabulary, musculoskeletal structures and movement patterns in relation to the yoga asanas. Our particular focus for the workshop will be on the shoulder joint, neck and upper back. Our time together will involve lecture, demonstration and discussion as well as direct work in the asanas. We will

- learn to ‘see’ muscles in action, and correctly describe the movement,

- understand how muscles interact to form movement patterns in yoga poses,

- see demonstrations of both structure and function,

- participate in asana practice sessions that allow you to feel, in your own body, the actions of muscles and the dramatic effects of subtle changes in alignment.

Workshop times:

Saturday and Sunday 17–18 July

Anatomy Awareness

10.00–13.00 and 14.30–17.30

Monday 19 July

Special day for teachers and experienced students; theme to be decided over the weekend

10.00–13.00

The weekend workshop is open to and will benefit students, teachers and teacher trainees of all styles of yoga and of all levels of experience. In the Monday workshop, prior experience in Iyengar yoga is preferred.

Prices:

Sat + Sun 165€/150€ (concessions)

Teachers’ day 60€/45€ (concessions)

Enrolment:

eija (at) eternel.fi

studioyama (at) kolumbus.fi

Venue: Studio Yama, Bulevardi 27, Aleksanterin teatteri, 4th floor

Julie Gudmestad, P.T., has been active in Portland, Oregon, as a yoga teacher and licensed physical therapist for over 30 years. She has integrated Western medical knowledge with yoga training into a unique teaching style, and has taught many workshops throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. She is a certified Iyengar yoga teacher and a member of the American Physical Therapy Association, and is the former author of many years of the Yoga Journal column ‘Anatomy of a Yogi’.

http://www.gudmestadyoga.com/

Julie began teaching yoga in 1970 when she was a student at Reed College. Introduced to Iyengar yoga in the late 70’s, Julie became Iyengar certified in 1988. At that time, she opened her own studio and began to train the teachers who currently teach there.

Go on to Julie’s web site, where you’ll find her articles about anatomy and yoga.