authentic
Yogananta means yoga without limitation. It invokes the infinite possibilities of an ever evolving practice, and in its innate power it defies labels and systems. It is an articulation of truth and a way inward towards freedom.
Finding an authentic personal practice is essential for all yogins and is fundamental to understanding our connection with the Divine and the source of original creativity. From this wellspring of inner wisdom we learn to trust intuition and return to a state of primal synergy with Nature. We personally experience the same stillness from which the practice of yoga emerged. We return to the essence of the practice. We move beyond system and technique to find our true voice as a voice of the One Teacher and to be an essential part of the natural evolution of an ancient spiritual practice.
methods of
The course curriculum is presented over three nine–day immersions that are offered throughout the year, giving participants the opportunity to progress through the program at their own pace. The presentation and structure of the course are a balance of classical tradition and progressive insight. We study deep anatomy to see the reflection of the intelligence of the formless shining through the form. We study the body as the house of the Soul. We look at other healing modalities such as Rolfing and the Chinese medicinal system as confirmation of what the ancients knew intuitively, bringing various perspectives together to outline the same truth.
We look at the Sanskrit language as the language of yoga and learn the vibrational intelligence at the root of the practice. We will study Patanjali's yoga sutras and discuss the profound and intuitive outline for yoga that has been passed down through the ages as the guide to living in presence.
The group dynamic of the training serves as a core of support for transformation. It is not a one–way flow of information from teacher to student since teacher and student are one in the same. Space is held for the mutual learning that happens when the many voices of the One Teacher speak through the group experience.
curriculum
Levels 1, 2 and 3 flow through a logical progression of study within the various aspects of the course. Since asana is an entry point for so many to the whole of the yogic practice we will track our studies through anatomical insight into the soul–vessels we live in, our bodies. The anatomical geography taught throughout the course serves only as a way to ground the practice in practical application while emphasizing the global–body experience through breath awareness. While the other aspects of the course are taught alongside the anatomy and structure, the course is divided into the three levels based on the presentation of anatomical and subtle body structure.
Level 1: In level 1 we introduce the fundamentals of structure in ways that are uncommon, paying much attention to the duality of opposites in Nature and how this is reflected in the body and throughout the practice. Anatomy is presented in a myofascial context, keeping the focus on the global breathing experience and away from the cerbral entrapment of detail. We will examine the front and back lines of the body as a relationship of future and past and how to bring them into balance with each other through presence in asana. We also begin our group discussion of the sutras of Patanjali as the teaching may be applied to living today, as well as introducing the sanskrit language as the root vibrational magic of yoga.
Level 2: In level 2 we continue our anatomical observation of the structural and subtle aspects of the lateral and deep core body, and how the side body and its capacity to receive and give back the breath is a reflection of the midline and stillness. This is where we break the continuity of the future–past relationship of the front and back and let presence take up space. We will continue our discussion of the sutras and introduce many other aspects of deconstructing asana that becomes symbolic of the authentic humble practice off the mat. We look at the relationship between teacher and student and what is necessary to establishing a personal practice.
Level 3: In level 3 we continue our journey into the depths of the body–vessel as we look at the practice from its inviting therapeutic nature. We cover the spiral body and the nature of detoxification and reorganization. We study the risk versus reward of inversions and twists and learn to build upon the core awareness we established in level 2. We study the dynamism and complexity of the arm and shoulder systems in detail. The philosophy discussions continue as does our practice of chanting the sacred mantras and hymns of the ancients. In level 3 we get the opportunity to study more in–depth the the art and science of sequencing - a huge subject that is discussed throughout the course but is more focused in level 3 as we learn to orchestrate sequences for a wide variety of applications .
certification and
Yogananta is a Yoga Alliance registered 200 hour yoga school (RYS200). This is purely for satisfying those who choose to earn their teaching certification through our program. And yet the course material and the way it is presented is meant to deepen the practice of any seeker on the yogic path. Learning to teach yoga is about finding your personal truth, and trusting it enough to speak clearly from that experience. We bear witness to our own lives in this magical realm and let our love for humanity and its potential for self discovery drive our studies and articulation of the practice.