June/July/August

July 11 – 17, 2013 – Isla Colon, main island of the Bocos del Toro Archipelago in Panama. Join Certified Ashtangi and Lineage Holder, Melanie Fawer, for an amazing week of yoga and fun.

Price: Double Occupancy: $1850; Single Occupancy: $$2555. Includes round trip flight from Panama City to Bocos Del Toro, one night stay in Panama city, five nights stay at Bluff Beach Retreat, 3 delicious meals a day at the retreat center, morning and afternoon yoga sessions at the retreat center, transportation from hotels to airports, a group island hopping boat tour with snorkeling and a walking tour of the jungle behind the resort. Does not include international travel to Panama City or meals in Panama City.

For Full Details: ashtangayogaroom.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/panama.pdf

“The Practice of Teaching” pdf final

Melanie Fawer:

My yoga journey began in high school where my interest in eastern philosophy and spirituality was ignited as well as my desire to travel to India.  In my early 20’s, I started exploring different styles of yoga which I enjoyed but I knew there was more.  I was increasingly driven to travel to India and experience authentic yoga and traditional teachings.  This is where I met my teacher in Mysore, India in 1994, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, the father of Ashtanga yoga.  I made annual trips to study extensively with him until his passing in 2009.  With his blessing I became a lineage holder in 2001, when he certified me to carry on the Ashtanga teaching tradition.  This rare honor of Certification is held by only 18 others in the United States.  I feel an incredible obligation to pass on this authentic knowledge to others of all levels who want to teach as well as deepen their own yoga practice regardless of previous experience or yoga styles.

Training Philosophy:

Pattabhi Jois ingrained in me that yoga is 95% practice and 5% theory.  This philosophy is the basis for this training.  The foundation is your individual Ashtanga practice which will be developed with Melanie during the first weekend.  You will incorporate the essential Ashtanga principles: dristi (visual focal points), bandha (internal energy locks), ujjayi (breath) and vinyasa (breath with movement) to ground your practice in your body and breath.  Once we establish these core principles through experience, we will integrate invaluable teaching techniques of alignment, self analysis and theory.   As you learn new concepts you will apply them to your practice.  The way you learn is the way you are going to teach.

Training Overview:

Weekend sessions will begin each day with Guided or Mysore Style Ashtanga practice then center around different aspects of yoga interspersed by relevant topics.  Mysore Style is learning a fixed sequence of poses in a group setting but based on your own breath rate and level.  Our amazing team will educate you on subjects such  as yoga philosophy, yoga history, yoga psychology, Hinduism, Buddhism, Tantra, Pranayama, Meditation, Indian Mythology, there will be a Sanskrit primer, Ayurveda, Chanting, inspirational readings, Energetic Anatomy and other healing modalities.  You will leave the training with a full toolbox of resources and an understanding of how to apply them to teaching.

In the Anatomy and Physiology weekend you will learn a basic map of the body with key terms, concepts and the language of anatomy.  You will sharpen your ability to see and understand the body and its movement patterns.  Later in the program, when you begin to practice teaching you will learn how and when to incorporate anatomical instruction into your lesson.

Alignment oriented weekends will use the Ashtanga series’ to teach the fundamentals of basic poses, how they relate to more advanced permutations and how to teach, explore and adjust all levels of  asana.  Yoga as a form of physical therapy will be integrated throughout; how to alter and examine a practice specifically for rehabilitation, how to prevent injury by understanding pre-existing conditions, contraindications and common limitations.   You will also learn how and when to use props to most effectively teach.

The Art of Adjusting weekend will focus on when, how and why to adjust various poses.  You will learn to identify and correct blind spots through hands on techniques that teach alignment and deepen a student’s experience of a pose without taking them away from the breath.

There will be ample time to practice teaching and adjusting.  On these weekends, you will gain invaluable experience and feedback.  You will practice teaching Mysore and Guided Style Ashtanga classes, Vinyasa yoga classes and Intro Level classes based on your interests for teaching and/or practice.  You will hone the skills you are building and learn how to assess the level of a group class within the first few minutes, learn to teach to mixed levels while maintaining an individual approach, sequence effectively, build confidence in verbalizing what you see and discovering your own voice.   You will develop essential skills of observation, assessment, prioritization, breath awareness, pacing, counting, intention and centering.

The direct experience of practice will be the testing ground  for each new grain of knowledge and information that you acquire during your training.  You will leave with the deep understanding of how to be your own best teacher and therefor the best source of inspiration for yourself and others.

The program is ideal for:

• Students who love the technical and want a deep understanding of the mechanics of asana and adjustments;
• Students wanting to deeply explore their own yoga practice, spirituality and yoga in its entirety;
• The basic practitioner wanting to fast track to another level;
• Teachers wanting to build on their knowledge and experience;
•   Aspiring Ashtanga teachers ;
• Aspiring teachers that want the tools and experience to tailor a yoga class for any level independent of a formal yoga style.

For more information and the Application Form go to:  “The Practice of Teaching” pdf final

Concentration is fixing the mind to a place.

Shiva, being the lord of yoga, would spend all his time in contemplation.  He was entirely free of samsara and the cycle of life, and had no need to engage in worldly pursuits.  However, it greatly vexed Brahma, creator of the universe, to see all the followers of Shiva renouncing the world to pursue spiritual liberation.  Brahma preferred for everyone to work and procreate, but Shiva’s devotees would do none of that.  Brahma brought his concerns to Vishnu, preserver of the universe, and Vishnu suggested a compromise.  Since moksha, spiritual liberation, is balanced by dharma, worldly duty, Brahma and Vishnu conspired to find Shiva a wife who would stir his interest in the material world, and inspire his followers to do the same.

Shakti, the divine female force, took human form as Sati, the daughter of Daksha.  Daksha was one of the Prajapati, the servants of Brahma, and his particular responsibility was to guard tradition and maintain order, so that civilization would endure.  He considered himself to be quite important, dispensing laws and rules and judgments, and expected everyone to bow before him.  Daksha was accustomed to being indulged this way, but Shiva was unimpressed, and treated Daksha as though he didn’t exist.  When Sati announced her intention to marry Shiva, Daksha would not hear of it.  He fumed over the ways that Shiva was an unsuitable candidate to marry his youngest daughter: no family, no job, no possessions, no manners, and so forth.  In reality this was all pretext, though.  Daksha’s immense ego simply couldn’t tolerate being ignored.

Raising any objections made no difference to Sati, as she had already made her decision.  Through great effort she convinced Shiva to take her as his wife.  As Shiva became established in a blissful marriage, the balance of the world was restored, to the great relief of Brahma and Vishnu.  Daksha however, was very unhappy.

To all the gods, demigods and sages, throughout all the planes of existence, invitations were sent for a great fire ritual to be hosted by Daksha.  Everyone was invited–except Shiva and Sati.  Of course Shiva had no interest in such things anyway, but Sati was completely infuriated.  She insisted that they go: whether it was an oversight or an intentional slight was immaterial.  Shiva counseled temperance, but Sati was adamant.  She left for the party without her husband.

In great finery and with many attendants, Sati arrived at the great hall but was acknowledged by nobody.  Daksha, offering no courtesy at all, announced to everyone present that she was uninvited, and he continued with a few choice comments about her husband.  Sati was unable to abide this humiliation.  She summoned the full force of her prana, spontaneously burst into flames, and was completely consumed in fire.

Sitting in meditation, Shiva received word of what happened.  His suffering and anger were deep.  He responded by tearing out a lock of his hair, lashing the ground with it.  From the ground sprang Virabhadra, a warrior of wrath such as had never been seen or heard of.  On Shiva’s instructions, Virabhadra interrupted Daksha’s fire ritual and killed every guest, one by one.  Dragging Daksha to the fire altar, Virabhadra raised his axe and severed Daksha’s head, throwing it into the fire after drinking Daksha’s gushing blood.  The ritual hall was reduced to rubble, and the grandiose ego of Daksha was no longer.

Thus ends the story of our Warrior pose, Virabhadrasana.  The two forms of this asana show Virabhadra performing his primary task.  The first form has the arms raised, preparing to swing the axe; the second form has the arms extended out, the axe-blow having been struck.

The preceding pose, Utkatasana, also has significant meaning.  With a slight difference in pronounciation, utkata can translate as either “a state of longing or regret,” or simply “furious.”  Probably both meanings could be ascribed to Shiva’s state just before the wrathful vengeance began.

So next time you get on the mat, summon your fury and channel your inner Virabhadra, and see if afterward the roses smell even a little sweeter.

Don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your practice and understanding of Ashtanga Yoga.

Full Workshop $250 (Early Bird: $225 by 3/1)

Number of participants is limited!  Registration: Register in the Store or mail your check to The Yoga Room, 4905 Freret Street New Orleans, LA 70115.

For more information: Annie Pace    (719) 256-5668    www.shaktisharanam.com