Dynamic Alignment: Cultivating Clear Relationship with Gravity + Space
Weekend Workshop + Teachers Lab with Katie Lane

Registration Open Now. Link Below!
 

March 29-31, 2019
Venue: Metro Lounge at the Tannery & Grassroots Yoga & Health

 

From the moment we are born, no matter who we are or where we are, we are born into a world of relationship. 

In order to sit or stand upright and move through our world, we must constantly navigate two primary relationships – with gravity and space. Underneath all forms of alignment and present in how we do every yoga asana (also the way we sit, stand, and move through life) are underlying patterns our body has uniquely and creatively adapted in order to manage the constant downward pull from the ground and the infinite presence of open expanse around us. In this weekend workshop, we will playfully explore the hidden "inner structure" of how we "do" ourselves. In both movement and stillness, in practicing yoga asana that we know and love, and in creative movement that takes us out of what is habitual, we will aim to establish harmonious alignment within our body, with all parts of ourselves (body + mind), and with the world we encounter around us. 

 

“We shall not cease from exploration / And the end of all our exploring / will be to arrive where we started / and know the place for the first time.” — T.S. Eliot.

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FRI   6-8.30pm  GROUND | Receptivity + Ease

The fundamental ground of movement is letting go. In this session, we'll explore the action of yielding or giving our weight to the earth. As we learn to release our weight down, we simultaneously open to receive the force that rises up through our bones. From the heaviness of gravity comes levity, buoyancy and lightness. Standing postures, hip openers, playful movement, breath work and restorative practice.  
$65

 

SAT 12-2.30pm CENTRE | Boundary + Balance

In this session, we'll bring attention to our deep central core, specifically experiencing the support of our three main diaphragms and our psoas-diaphragm complex. By intentionally moving away from a focus on sophisticated or isolated muscular control, we are free to set aside "core engagement" and explore the possibility of re-awakening our "core aliveness". Slow flow, core work, twists, belly down backbends, and more.
$65

 

         3-5.30pm  EXPAND | Ground + Reach 

As we cultivate a clear core relationship with gravity + space, we support and allow movement to sequence and flow through our body efficiently and elegantly. Expanding is inherently "risky" as it involves the desire and decision to move beyond what is known and therefore, "safe". Drawing from our earlier sessions, we'll explore how we can "reach" with our hearts, shoulders, arms, neck and head from the support of the ground and through the integrity of our centre to create sustainable, spacious, and exhilarating backbends. 
$65

 

 

SUN     12-3pm  TEACHERS LAB: OBSERVATION | Refine your Eye

One of the most important yet under developed skills for yoga teachers is the ability to SEE your students.

In a room with many students and many different body parts moving all at once, it is often immensely challenging to see who might need immediate support and sense which actions are most needed for your students to be both safe and empowered in a yoga pose.

 

In this lab, we will look at crucial "keystone" asanas exploring how they literally show us what our students may, or may not be, ready for in their asana practice. Learn simple modifications for common challenges with frequently practiced yoga postures, how to verbally instruct/adjust your student, and proactively sequence your classes to support your students where they are.

 

As a peer learning lab, we will be exploring our own movement and postural patterns, working with partners and small groups, and discussing what we see, sense, and discover together. 
$75

 

NOTE: We will draw from many of the concepts explored on the weekend workshop. Attendance on the full weekend is highly suggested to get the most from this lab.