3 Opportunities in October to Dive Deeper into your Yoga Studies with me at Ramapo College of New Jersey

Compass Pose/Parivrtta Surya Yantrasana

   Yoga is so much more than taking your leg and putting it over your shoulder like I'm pictured here in compass pose. I almost didn't post this picture because I thought it would intimidate. However I remembered how good I felt when I took this selfie. I took this picture after practicing yoga alone and creating my October choreography for my classes. At this moment my heart was wide open while I felt equally grounded and content. This reminds me of a beloved teacher, Dharma Mittra who shared that he took selfies of himself in postures long before there were iPhones. He only shared the pictures where he remembers connecting to his highest self while in the poses. A moment where judgment doesn't exist, just love. Dharma Mittra created the famous poster called the Master Chart of 908 Asanas which hangs in countless yoga school walls.

   Practicing yoga is a multilayered experience where so much is processed and it's never the same practice. If you are looking to go deeper in your study, this month I am teaching 3 special workshop classes at Ramapo College of New Jersey. These 3 workshops are part of Ramapo College's 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training. Since the topics I'm leading are popular my teachings are available for you to drop into at the Krame Center on campus for $35 a workshop. Below are the workshops, their dates and times with descriptions. Please bring a yoga mat and wear comfortable clothing to move in. Also please visit www.ramapo.edu for more information.


   Friday   October 11th   from 6pm-9pm   Chakras


   Chakras means energetic wheels of light. In ancient India it was realized that there are energy centers within the body. These energy centers are responsible for letting a smooth flow of energy to move throughout your body. When they are blocked you can experience disease. When they are open and balanced good health ensues. In this workshop you will learn how to open the 7 chakras, how to balance them and the science of the chakras. This workshop is 1/2 lecture and 1/2 easy to follow yoga and meditation practice. Please bring a yoga mat and wear comfortable clothes to move in.



   Saturday   October 19th   from 2pm-6pm   Vinyasa Yoga Workshop- How to Create a Class


   Vinyasa is a style of yoga characterized by stringing postures together so that you move from one pose to another seamlessly using breath. It is commonly referred to as flow yoga. Vinyasa flow style classes offers a variety of postures and no two classes are ever exactly alike. As yoga has grown in popularity, Vinyasa yoga has been successful because it reaches a wide variety of levels who can benefit from either a slow, medium or a fast flow. The challenge is being the teacher who continuously comes up with safe and innovative flows, that stay true to classical yoga and keep people coming back for more.


 
    In this workshop:


    I will share and we will create sequences that have purpose.


    Examine the nature of the postures selected in the sequence.


    Understand why the postures in the sequence work well together.


     Refine and balance our sequences.


     Discuss how to notice the tempo that's best for your students.


     Please bring a yoga mat and wear comfortable clothes to move in.




     Friday   October 25th   from 6pm-9pm   Bandhas-Our Energetic Locks


     Bandhas means locks. More specifically the energetic locks that can be found within our body by controlling our breath. According to yoga we have several locks within our body we can contract to not let our energy spill out while we hold a pose and breathe in it. The benefit of having bandhas wisdom is that you will be able to hold poses and breathe in them longer, jump to the top of your mat from downward facing dog with little to no sound as well as be supported by your hands on the floor in downward facing dog and in arm balances without having your wrists and hands hurt. In this workshop you will learn how and when to use your bandhas while practicing yoga and meditation. This workshop is 1/2 lecture and 1/2 easy to follow yoga and meditation practice. Please bring a yoga mat and wear comfortable clothes to move in.