Join Gary Kraftsow in a workshop designed for students and teachers of all levels who are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of āsana. Practitioners will learn to use āsana as a means to better understand their bodies and begin to transform their present conditions. Teachers can further their understanding of what is happening in their students’ bodies, and learn how to use adaptation in āsana to move their students toward transformation.

Yoga is an ancient system of practical tools to help us heal and transform. Āsana is one of those tools, and can help practitioners create a conscious relationship with their bodies. It is often the gateway that leads students to study other tools such as prāṇāyāma, meditation, and the deeper teachings of yoga. Building a strong foundation can create sturdy roots to continue the deep study of yoga.

Friday 6:30-8:30pm: Introduction to Viniyoga Āsana Principles
Āsana is a tool, not a goal. Learn how āsana can help you understand and transform your present condition.

Saturday 10am-1pm: The Biomechanics of Āsana
Explore the five different directions of movement in āsana: forward bend, backward bend, lateral bend, twist, and axial extension. Learn about “release valves” in āsana and how you can change dysfunctional movement patterns to replace them with healthy ones.

Saturday 2:30-5:30pm: Form Adaptation in Āsana
The goal of āsana is to serve the practioner, not the posture. Study the use of repetition and stay in āsana practice, and how to use adaptation to make the postures work for you.

Sunday 10am-1pm: Breath Adaptation in Āsana
Kṛṣṇamācārya once told Gary that if you are not using breath in āsana, you are only doing calisthenics. Explore the importance of coordinating breath and movement in an āsana practice, use of the directional flow of breath, and how breath initiates movement in āsana. Then notice the beginning of subtle transformation in your body and mind.

Sunday 2:30-5:30pm: The Art & Science of Sequencing
In Viniyoga, we say that sequencing should be effective and elegant. Learn more about the art and science of sequencing āsana in relation to each other, as well as sequencing āsana as part of an integrated practice that may also include prāṇāyāma, meditation, chanting, and/or mantra.

14 hours of CEUs available.