ASHTANGA WEEKEND WORKSHOP with DAVID GARRIGUES
October 20th - 23rd, 2017.

Friday: Semi-private Mysore + Foundations I
Saturday: Foundations II & III + Pranayama
Sunday: Strength of an Elephant + Backbending & Inversions
Monday: Semi-private Mysore

Pricing:
Early bird registration – before August 1st. Normal – after August 1st.

All Workshops & Semi-private Mysore: 260€ early bird / 290€ normal.
Only Semi-private Mysore Sessions: 90€ early bird / 100€ normal.
Only Workshops: 180€ early bird / 200€ normal.
Single Sessions (Mysore or Workshop): 50€ early bird / 55€ normal.

*** ALL LEVELS WELCOME ***
This workshop is suitable for for anybody with an established Ashtanga Yoga practice, experience of at least the first half of the Primary Series and a motivation to learn.

David is skillful in providing explanations of elusive, often unspoken aspects of the practice. In weekend workshop’s, he offers clinic style led classes that investigate specific aspects of the practice that help students come to new perspectives on how to practice more intelligently, safely and joyfully.

*** ABOUT DAVID ***
David Garrigues is an internationally recognized yoga teacher dedicated to researching and spreading the lineage of Ashtanga Yoga. He is the author of renowned Asana Kitchen online video instruction series as well as several other exceptional instructional courses on Ashtanga yoga and pranayama. David writes passionately and eloquently on the subject of yoga and is the author of numerous books and articles on yoga that offer expert technical instruction and poetic inspiration.

David met Pattabhi Jois in 1993 and over the next 16 years he traveled to Mysore India to study with the great yoga master. In 1996 Pattabhi Jois granted David a teaching certificate. During his many trips to India David studied classical Indian vocal music and subsequently recorded two high-energy Kirtan CDs. He also studied Sanskrit chanting with Vyas Houston of the American Sanskrit Institute. He weaves Sanskrit chanting and singing into his teachings classes.

***SCHEDULE ***

Friday, October 20th

9:00 - 11:30 SEMI-PRIVATE: Mysore class and pranayama session, maximum 25 students! Please bring with you, a small piece of paper with a few points about your personal practice. IE: the series you are working on, the pose you go up until, the poses you struggle with, any injuries and any other points you find relevant, keeping in mind to keep it point form and short!

18:00 - 20:00: WORKSHOP: Ashtanga Foundations I: 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, October 21st

9:00 - 11:30: WORKSHOP: Ashtanga Foundations II: Standing sequence & Ashtanga Foundations III: Seated Postures and Dynamic Transitions

Foundations II: Standing sequence

In this class we’ll explore how the cultivating a combination of dynamsim 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 to better access to mula and uddhyana bandha’s (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).

Foundations III: Seated Postures and Dynamic Transitions of Primary Series

We will also explore the core asana’s 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 healing benefits of this important series. We’ll also study the dynamic transitions between the asana’s, 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.


11:45 - 13:15 WORKSHOP: 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 subtler energy channels through breathing and how to better direct this energy both on and off the mat.




Sunday, October 22nd.

9:00 - 11:30 WORKSHOP: Strength of an Elephant: Intermediate Series Arm Balances and Inversions

Ashtanga Intermediate Series offers many excellent opportunities for building strength in new and different ways, offering an excellent complement to the primary series.
We’ll study new and unique ways to develop strength through cultivating intelligence and discipline in the transitions between asana’s. We also study the strength building possibilities in such individual foundational postures as Bakasana, Pincha Mayurasana and others. We’ll also take a look at Sirsasana positions and how the inversions in 2nd and in the finishing sequence can play an important role in strength building.

12:30 - 15:00: WORKSHOP: Backbending and Advanced Inversions

The combination of backbends and inversions is challenging and thrilling. This class will build upon the Second Series Arm Balances and Inversion class but now combine Backbending and Inversions. These postures require an understanding of how to align the body in the most basic positions in order to create proper form when working into more and more complex asana's. You can overcome fears and enjoy the benefits when you expand your thinking about what they are and to how do them. We'll study basic inversions and backbends and lead into more advanced postures like Vipartia Dandasana. You'll be able to apply the teachings from this class so you can work longer with more focus and clarity.

Monday, October 22nd

09:00 - 11:30 SEMI-PRIVATE: Mysore class and pranayama session, maximum 25 students! Students get chance to apply teachings presented in the workshop to their practice. Please bring with you, a small piece of paper with a few points about your personal practice. IE: the series you are working on, the pose you go up until, the poses you struggle with, any injuries and any other points you find relevant, keeping in mind to keep it point form and short!