Weekend Workshop with David Garrigues June 19-21 2015
David Garrigues is one of a few teachers certified to teach Ashtanga Yoga by the late world renown yoga master Sri K Pattabhi Jois. In this in-depth weekend workshop we’ll investigate specific aspects of the Ashtanga Yoga practice in detail. Join us for the David’s first visit to Copenhagen!
About David Garrigues
David’s mission is to help others flourish within the living, contemporary lineage of Ashtanga Yoga. He aims to be part of an ever wider circle of people who are committed to applying the teachings of ashtanga yoga in ways that promote physical, psychological, and spiritual growth in themselves and others.
He teaches workshops, Mysore intensives, and in-depth studies in the US and abroad. He has written and recorded two Kirtan cd’s, has a double disc dvd on Ashtanga Yoga: A Primary Series Guide, a double disc dvd and book called Vayu Siddhi: A Guide to the Ashtanga Yoga Pranayama Sequence, and the first disc of his Second Series dvd was released fall of 2013. David’s bimonthly blog, which is steadfastly committed to his mission, uses both video and written articles, to inspire both the beginner and the advanced practitioner to progress in practice.
David’s website and highly popular YouTube video channel each have a wealth of free, expert video and written yoga instructional materials to inspire progress in beginner through advanced practitioners.
Program
Friday June 19
18-20 Ashtanga Foundations 1 – The Five Allies in Surya Namaskara
In this class we’ll look at the 5 root techniques that form the internal practice of Ashtanga Yoga by carefully studying their application to the nine positions of Surya Namaskara. The root techniques, or allies include pranayama (conscious breathing), vinyasa (positioning), bandha’s (locks), dristi (gazing), and dhyana (meditation).
The positions of Surya Namaskara provide the perfect foundational basis for exploring the important role that each of the allies plays in creating a mature, sustainable yoga practice. We’ll also explore how to internally connect the allies, and see how the creative interaction between them can help you to awaken the entire inner ‘field’ (ksetra) of consciousness. Awakening the inner field gives you a special kind of intuitive intelligence that pervades the body and helps you better use limbs 3 and 4 to move towards mastery of all eight limbs in the system.
Saturday June 20
9-12 Ashtanga Foundations II and III – Standing Sequence, Seated Postures and Dynamic Transitions of Primary Series
In this class we’ll explore how cultivating a combination of dynamism and stability in the standing postures provides you a perfect means of entrance into the internal practice of Ashtanga Yoga. We’ll explore the importance of using the feet, legs, and hips to create strength, stamina and concentration. Better understand how the standing postures are an essential key to building a strong asana foundation. Learn how to better access mula and uddhyana bandhas (locks), see how the grounded support of the lower body can awaken the breath and the spine and lead the way to steady gazing (dristi) and to dynamic meditation (dhyana).
We will also explore the core asanas of primary series, learning how to better utilize the 5 allies to help you strategize your efforts. Structuring each seated asana in the primary around understanding the allies (vinyasa, breathing, bandha’s etc) will help you better extract the strengthening, restorative, and heali§ng benefits of this important series. We’ll also study the dynamic transitions between the asanas, carefully looking at how to create a better a jump back and jump through. Developing these transitions breaks up the monotony of the repetition by giving you a thrill with each dynamic jump. And emphasizing the transitions also teaches you to cultivate rhythm, breath, dynamism and vitality within the stillness of each asana.
13-15 Precision, Purification and Pranayama
This class is devoted to pranayama, chanting, and discussion of the central role breathing plays in attaining success in practice. This class will utilize breathing exercises, retention, and discussion to help you better centralize your awareness on breath during practice. We’ll study how to use breathing to build powerful strength in your asana’s and to effect nadi shodana, purification of the pranic channels. Prana Vidya, knowledge of prana, helps you to progress towards subtlety as you concentrate your mind and better direct the power of the internalized prana. We’ll discuss how cleansing is not limited to the tapas that you create during practice, but rather how purification is a central theme that encompasses all aspects of your life. We’ll explore how to access awareness of your more subtle energy channels through breathing and how to better direct this energy both on and off the mat.
15-16.30 Asana Kitchen
Is there a specific asana that is nagging or troubling you? David Garrigues’s Asana Kitchen, based off his popular online video series, is the place to ask very specific questions regarding asanas that have you stuck. Students will write down their specific questions and David will choose several asanas to look at during this class.
Sunday June 21
9-12 Intro to Second Series and Pranayama
This class will help you better understand how to make progress in the first section of Nadi Shodana or Ashtanga Yoga’s Intermediate series. We will study the foundational back bends of second series. We’ll look into how to create a sound, well grounded foundation in each asana. Focusing on setting a foundation leads you to find an aligned, nectar yielding spinal position. We will also look at strategies for creating smooth transitions into and out of the asanas, and how to effectively and economically combine repetition, rhythm, breathing, in order to learn how to stay longer and with more ease in the asanas. Lastly we’ll look into how to devise strategies for how to either increase or decrease the challenge of the positions depending on how you choose to approach your work. The class will end with pranayama.
Price and booking
Price: Full weekend workshop 1400 DKK. Limited spaces!
The workshop is suitable for anybody with an established Ashtanga yoga practice, experience of at least the first half of the Primary Series and a motivation to learn.
Payment and cancellation policy: Full payment is required to reserve your spot. There will be a 20% administration fee on refunds for cancellations made one week in advance. There are no refunds for cancellations made less than one week prior to the workshop.