NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 2020 CLASSES
Monday November 2 - Wednesday December 23
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MONDAYS
Led Primary Ashtanga 8-9:15am |
75 minutes 8-9:15am
A moderate asana class designed for the student who is familiar with Ashtanga, or vinyasa yoga. I'll observe and guide students together through a steady, engaging posture practice based on the Primary Ashtanga yoga series as it was originally taught in the early 1970s; it has fewer suryanamaskar and no "vinyasa between the sides" with a focus on the flow of the body and breath vs. "mastery" of asana - making it more accessible for most students. Think "sweet and steady," vs. "rigorous and challenging." This comprehensive and fun class is taught with wisdom and lightheartedness. My emphasis on listening to the wisdom of the body helps keep students safer, offering moments of stillness, along with alternatives for difficult or unfamiliar asanas, while still sustaining enough challenge for those who desire it! As always, if you have to leave early, no worries - just start to close 10 minutes before you need to go on with your day, and sign off at your convenience. Recordings of each week's class will be available to Monthly Members. |
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WEDNESDAYS
Mysore Ashtanga Session 7:45-9:15am |
7:45-9:15am
YOU MAY ARRIVE AND LEAVE AT YOUR CONVENIENCE ANY TIME DURING MYSORE. IT'S NOT A ONE HOUR AND 30 MINUTE CLASS, BUT RATHER A WINDOW OF COMMUNITY PRACTICE TIME. Mysore is self practice in community with teacher guidance for students with an established Ashtanga yoga practice.* Join this virtual Mysore shala and do your yoga sequence based on the Ashtanga Primary or Intermediate series. Virtual doors will open at 7:45am for students who need to begin their practice a little earlier, or check in with Michelle about any issues. The invocation will be chanted by everyone in the virtual room at 8am. I'll observe all students from 8-9:30, and give brief verbal cues and instruction when/if needed. Longer instruction/guidance will occur via private chat if required. We'll chant the closing Mangala Mantra together at 9:30am to finish the session. Not recorded. *If you are new to Mysore Ashtanga, please memorize the initial sequence of the practice - sun salutes A&B and just the first five standing postures - before attending Mysore. You can speed up this process by attending the Monday morning class, practicing on your own with the downloadable practice sheets, and/or by attending the Friday 10/9 Fundamentals of Ashtanga workshop. |
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FRIDAY MINI
WORKSHOPS: 8-9:15am NO CLASS ON 11/27 & 12/25 |
NOVEMBER MINI WORKSHOPS:
Supreme Release Yoga 8-9:15am Friday 11/6 and 11/20: FOR ALL LEVELS. Props: please have a chair, ottoman or large bolsters; two blocks (or thick books) and at least one sturdy blanket or more; wear socks and layered, comfortable clothing. SRY is a deeply nourishing practice which can be done regularly to relieve stress, alleviate pain, rebuild strength, and help sustain longevity and vitality. It offers students of ALL levels the opportunity to reset, restore, and release. I have found the practice to be deeply healing and nurturing during the pandemic, reducing my own anxiety, tension, and chronic pain, through an internal, slower exploration of asana, providing a nurturance that goes beyond the accustomed binary of movement-based "stretching and strengthening" one finds with Ashtanga and many other forms of "flow" yoga. The 11/6 class will address deeply-held tension and anxiety, focusing on the psoas, pelvic floor and lower spine, grounding and centering the body. The 11/20 class is intended to nourish and open the heart to freedom, abundance and bliss. Agni: The Fire Within Friday 11/13 FOR ALL LEVELS, except for students who are pregnant! Props: your yoga mat; a blanket, bolster or something to sit on; a rough washcloth or a soft bath brush; pen and paper. A workshop to prepare for and manage the colder Winter months. In Ayurveda, agni - both the fire element and our internal digestive "fire" - is vital to our wellbeing. Not only is agni one of the five great elements that comprise what we are, it also acts as the internal fire which "cooks" the food we eat. We'll learn why and how to cultivate and tend a strong and pure-burning agni within, and enjoy practices that can help help kindle our internal fire, to bring overall warmth, health and increased immunity every day - without simultaneously drying ourselves out, too!
DECEMBER MINI WORKSHOPS: Intro to Second Series 7:45-9:15am Friday 12/6 A workshop for those Ashtanga students who are new to (or in the process of learning) the Second/Intermediate Series of Ashtanga Yoga. As traditional Ashtanga practitioners, we often spend most of our practice time bending forward in Primary series (i.e. in flexion of the spine) - and learning the next series takes a level of dedication, commitment of time, plus access to a knowledgeable and wise teacher - that most students have not had the privilege to experience. Thus, many people become "stuck" in Primary series, and it is possible to become "one-sided" through the longterm practice of only the Primary series. Practicing only Primary series excludes us from the many benefits of back bending (extension of the spine) - benefits that are really only offered SAFELY via the first part of the Ashtanga Second/Intermediate Series. Michelle will give students some background on the intention of the series, followed by a workshop-style approach to understanding this asana series from Pashasana through Laghuvajrasana - the first third of the series. This will be followed by a standard Ashtanga closing practice and rest. Michelle will offer sensible guidance, provide insight into the inner workings and intentions of these asana and the sequencing, and help students integrate the deeper levels of these wonderful, joyful - yet challenging - asana. Note: While many of these asana are taught in other modalities of yoga, and are accessible for many yoga practitioners regardless of their experience in Ashtanga, students who attend must have an existing Ashtanga Primary series practice of at least 2 years to attend this workshop. Supreme Release Yoga 8-9:15am Friday 12/11 and 12/18: FOR ALL LEVELS. Props: please have a chair, ottoman or large bolsters; two blocks (or thick books) and at least one sturdy blanket or more; wear socks and layered, comfortable clothing. SRY is a deeply nourishing practice which can be done regularly to relieve stress, alleviate pain, rebuild strength, and help sustain longevity and vitality. It offers students of ALL levels the opportunity to reset, restore, and release. I have found the practice to be deeply healing and nurturing during the pandemic, reducing my own anxiety, tension, and chronic pain, through an internal, slower exploration of asana, providing a nurturance that goes beyond the accustomed binary of movement-based "stretching and strengthening" one finds with Ashtanga and many other forms of "flow" yoga. It is safe for all levels; if needed, Michelle will offer alternatives for students who might feel it is inaccessible, painful or just "not right" for their body. The 12/11 class will address deeply-held tension and anxiety, focusing on the psoas, pelvic floor, hips and lower spine and is appropriate for all practitioners. The 12/18 class is intended to nourish and open the heart, upper spine, neck and shoulders, and will include several twisting postures, which much be approached carefully by students who are pregnant, in which case alternatives will be provided. |