THE PRACTICE OF WHOLENESS
Vinyasa Krama, Yin Yoga & Buddhist Mindfulness
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
THE ART OF SLOWING DOWN – VINYASA KRAMA
October 22, 2022
2 x 3hr Workshop Series
The traditional movement and sequence methodology of Vinyasa Krama honours the breath as our ultimate teacher and source of wisdom. These teachings and vinyasa sequencing, as passed down by the father of modern yoga, Sri T. Krishnamacharya, remind us that this ancient tradition is one of slowing down, quieting the mind and cultivating the one-pointed concentration capable of moving beyond the limitations of the mind’s conditioning.
As the speed of global culture increases, the momentum of contemporary society can overwhelm and influence all aspects of our lives, including the way in which we engage upon the yoga mat. Driven by the unrelenting tyranny of time to accomplish more and get to the next moment, our grounding yoga practice can instead fragment the mind’s attention through rapid momentum induced transitions, preventing the union of mind and body while increasing the habitual reactivity of mind that pushes and pulls us from the gift of the present moment, the causal condition that manifests as our suffering (duhkha).
Through the application of mindful breath coordinated movements, powerfully deliberate transitions (vinyasas) and intelligent sequencing (krama), Vinyasa Krama (as taught by Krishnamacharya) offers refuge from the quickening pace of contemporary life, integrating the mind and body into unparalleled states of transformative oneness, awakening the fertile space and innate refuge of witness-consciousness within which freedom from suffering is born.
This workshop series will explore the history, methodology and practice of Vinyasa Krama (including asana, pranayama and meditation), as well as discussion into the ultimate purpose behind why we are stepping onto the yoga mat in the first place.
These teachings and practices are suitable for all levels of practitioners. Students can sign up for individual sessions, however, we encourage everyone to attend both workshops for a more holistic experience.
SESSION 1
Asana Sequences: Mountain (Tadasana), Triangle (Trikonasana), Meditative (Dhyana)
Pranayama: Anuloma-Ujjayi
Meditation: Breath
SESSION 2
Asana Sequences: Mountain (Tadasana), Posterior Stretch (Paschimottanasana), Supine (Suptasana)
Pranayama: Pratiloma-Ujjayi
Meditation: Breath
THE SPACE BETWEEN – YIN YOGA & BUDDHIST MINDFULNESS
October 23, 2022
2 x 3hr Workshop Series
A wise man once said:
“Between stimulus and reaction there is a space. Within that space lies our power to choose our response. And within our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
Invariably, however, this space is rendered imperceptible by the mind’s conditioning. The result is that much of a human life can be lived beyond the ultimate reality of the present moment and, instead, within a pseudo-reality dictated by habitual patterns of reactivity, leaving us feeling incarcerated within, and at the dictates of, our own minds.
This workshop series will integrate the wisdom of the Buddha’s teachings and mindfulness methodology (satipatthana vipassana) with the passive approach of Yin Yoga. The extended stays within the postures of the Yin Yoga practice provide a rich medium through which to apply the transformative mind-training methods of the Buddha, expanding the spatiotemporal gap between stimulus and reaction required for the mind to see clearly, gifting itself the incredible ability to objectively observe and study its own conditioned nature.
Through ardent dedication and commitment to the process the mind becomes capable of clearly perceiving its conditioned attachment to duality, the source of suffering (dukkha), resulting in liberating insights (vipassana) into the true nature of ultimate reality.
These transformative insights into the mind’s conditioned limitations initiates, over time and when combined with patient endurance, a systematic letting go, gifting ourselves and our minds the opportunity to choose a wise, conscious, response in each moment, eradicating suffering from our lives.
Our time together will include a Dhamma talk on Buddhist philosophy, including topics such as dukkha (unsatisfactoriness/suffering), the cause of dukkha, and the experiential understanding through practice of how the Buddha’s mindfulness meditation method (satipatthana vipassana) carries the potential to emancipate the mind from all kinds and forms of suffering.
This offering is suitable for all levels of practitioners.
SESSION 1
Topic: The Conditioned Stream
Objective: Befriending Pain & Discomfort
Teaching: The Two Arrows & The Defilement of Aversion
Outcome: Acceptance
SESSION 2:
Topic: The Middle Path
Objective: Freedom from Suffering
Teaching: The Cobra & the Defilement of Greed
Outcome: Equanimity
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