Deepening Your Practice - Curriculum

ASANA

Asana practice is the core of Hatha Yoga. We live in a fast paced, rapidly changing, electronic world. Yoga can be a source of balance, well being and rejuvenation. We need to develop a yoga approach that is attuned to growing, evolving individuals–an approach that is sensitive to the moment and responsive to our ever-changing bodies and minds. You will learn to combine ancient wisdom, contemporary insight, new innovations and developments to find an evolutionary Yoga practice and understanding.

Instruction will include:

  • Twice Daily Asana and Pranayama practice
  • - isoYOGA®  a major breakthrough that increases strength, flexibility, endurance and benefit within a much shorter period of time.  Ganga’s isoYOGA is a new, dynamic system that simultaneously uses opposing muscle sets as well as torque and counter torque, rotation and counter rotation.
  • Using seven classes of asana (standing poses, forward bends, backbends, Inversions, twists, balancing poses, moving sequences)
  • Flow Yoga–the dance of control and surrender
  • Advanced Teaching Techniques
  • 3D Yoga®—Multi-dynamic, Yoga Multi-disciplinary, Multi-dimensional Yoga
  • Sequencing
  • Esoteric Yoga—Entheogens and Sacraments 
  • Shamanic meditation practices to open doors and corridors
  • Creative Use of Sun Salutations
  • Working with subtle energies
  • Potentiating your practice with internal levers and locks
  • 30 dynamic torque-counter torque, rotation-counter rotation isoYOGA Sequences
  • Lion Yoga--combining strength and flexibility in asana
  • Protecting and healing your joints
  • Using energy flow as guide in adjusting postures
  • Developing a lifelong personal yoga practice

PRANAYAMA

Breath is life. It is our constant reminder of and connection to life force. There are five levels of pranayama, 1. Learning to use the respiratory structure 2. Strengthening and toning it. 3. Using breath to recharge, and restore 4. Using breath to change mental, emotional states 5. Using breath to enter altered states.

Instruction will include:

  • Kapalabhati, Bhastrika, Alternate Bhastrika
  • Kundalini Bhastrika, Siva Pranayama, Anuloma Viloma
  • A balanced 20 minute practice
  • Using Ujjayi
  • Teaching pranayama

MEDITATION

Meditation can be a practice for stilling the mind and for concentration and focus. It can also be a quality of attention that is an awakening that pervades all of life. We will discuss meditation in a way that aims to free one from compulsory and regimented viewpoints that are often the norm.

  • Inquiry into meditation
  • Using sitting practices
  • Breath and meditation
  • Nature as the core of meditation

SHIFTING THE CONTEXT OF YOGA

Satsang (gathering), Upanishad (sitting together) and Vichara (inquiry)

During our discussions and dialogues we will explore the inner philosophical roots of our Yoga practice. Philosophy means love of wisdom and it will be our goal to move from static beliefs to a living awareness that guides us in the moment. When one is freed from the burdens of the past, Yoga can become an effortless, joyous flow. Our goal will be sharing this inspiration.

  • What is the nature of advancing in yoga practice
  • Yoga as a dynamic process vs. a goal
  • Making sense out of conflicting claims, beliefs and systems
  • Learning to listen
    • to the body’s intelligence
    • to subtle forms of energy
    • to the voice of internal feedback
  • Shifting the context of Pain
    • preventing and healing injuries
    • sources and causes of injury
    • using injury as a guide
  • Deprogramming the mind
    • spontaneous instead of compulsory meditation
    • freeing oneself from the dictates of the past
  • Inspiration vs. discipline for lifelong practice
  • Hints, tools and principles to transform your practice
  • Cutting through karma and dogma
  • The nature of balance
  • Using inner and outer navigation systems
  • Getting past authoritarian Yoga systems

OTHER TOPICS

  • Developing workshops, courses, retreats and centers
  • Evolving your next step as a teacher
  • Yoga and Spirituality
  • Using Council to free the group voice

Participants In Their Own Words