Looking for an alternative to your standard asanas? Saturday, November 12th has an afternoon stacked with out-of-the-box and off-the-mat yoga workshops. Whether you are trying to find a fun and fit date or refresh the powers within, dedicated teachers are waiting to share their science behind the stretch.
Kundalini: Unleash and Empower Your Intuition
Where: Balance Yoga, Foty Fort PA
When: Saturday Nov. 12th, 6 – 8 p.m.
Price: $30 Drop In, $25 Preregister
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This one-time workshop, where students will be armed with example meditations and kriyas (the combination of posture, breath, and sound), is focused to improve one’s intuition.
Certified trainer Bryan Dewey will be walking through the exercises founded by Yogi Bhajan, as well as equipping attendees with the necessary information to carry on these practices at home.
Classes are open to any skill level, as Dewey says “it is not essential to be incredibly fit or flexible to benefit from any Kundalini class, as the practice is centered on increasing one’s own awareness.”
What is Kundalini? This school of yoga shifts to a(n even) more spiritual focus. An ancient Sanskrit word that literally means “coiled snake,” the goal of Kundalini is to release the coiled energy that is believed to rest at the base of each human.
Or, how Dewey more philosophically put it, Kundalini “attempts to raise the infinite divine energy latent within us up through the chakras to unite with the ever present divine infinite energy surrounding us.”
“A primary difference most students will recognize is that there is greater attention to spirituality in Kundalini Yoga classes, as well as a blending of nearly all elements of yoga, including mantra (chanting, either aloud or mentally), mudra (hand gestures), pranayama (breathing techniques), asana (movement/postures), and meditation,” Dewey said.
Holding a PhD in Philosophy and M.A. in comparative Literature, Dewey stumbled upon this hyper-spiritual exercise through his other areas of study.
“I became much more interested after studying Hindu Philosophy and the works of Carl Jung, whose seminar on the topic in 1932 was published as a collection entitled The Psychology of Kundalini Yoga, ” Dewey said. “After experiencing a few kriyas…I remember being amazed at feeling I had worked out for a few hours even though it had only been a few minutes.”
“I definitely feel [my previous] studies blend well with the practice of Kundalini….My dissertation at Binghamton University focused on apocalypse studies, and as the word ‘apocalypse’ literally translates to a ‘removing of the veil.’ I continuously find connections between my practice and my studies, as yoga essentially works to remove many of the veils, blocks, and illusions from our own lives to reveal a deeper, more profound relationship with our own being and with others,” Dewey explained.
The two hour workshop is modeled to help us all begin to remove these veils and rely more on instinctive feeling rather than clouded logic.
Other Upcoming Workshops by Dewey:
Workshop for the Immune System at Balance From the Inside on 11/20
Kundalini Yoga classes at Mrida Seva yoga on 11/27/16 and 12/18/16
Winter Solstice Workshop for Manifesting New Beginnings at Balance Yoga and Wellness, Forty-Fort, PA on 12/17/16
Acro Yoga Playshop!
Where: Studio B Yoga Center, Danville PA
When: Saturday Nov. 12th 2 – 4 p.m.
Price: $40 Per Pair, $25 Individual
Preregistration is required
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Grab a friend, get grounded, and learn how to fly high with instruction of Sarah Lasoski and acro partner Wes Knorr.
Lasoski holds a rainbow of training certifications. She graduated from 200 hour Hatha Vinyasa yoga teacher training in 2013, became certified in Vaihyasa Aerial Yoga in 2015, and is currently pursuing a 300 hour training certificate in advanced yoga.
Lasoski discovered acro yoga, the blend of acrobatics and yoga, three years ago. Students work together to base, spot, and fly to create captivating poses with the combined effort of their movements. Lasoski found a special connection with this yoga study because its open communication breaks the boundaries of a typical class.
“In our society today, we have this guard up. When walking down the street, we look away from strangers,” Lasoski explained. “[with acro] you are encouraged to partner up with someone new. In a regular mat class, you only have to be mindful of your own body. In acro, you are literally holding people up in the air, so you need to communicate and support others.”
In this workshop, each student will have a chance to learn to be the base of their partner’s pose, get lifted and “fly” by means of their partner’s base, and take turns learning how to spot these exercises (because safety first!).
This playshop is open to all skill levels. Although the exercises may be at first intimidating, Lasoski invites everyone to take on the challenge. You may end up surprised with just how much your body can do.
“The thing I enjoy most about these acro workshops is seeing people succeed in poses they never thought they could do. It’s so amazing to see people break down barriers of trust and see their faces afterwards. They know they accomplished much more than the pose itself,” Lasoski said.
Aside from the pair launching into acro poses just about anywhere they go, Lasoski and Knorr have taught playshops at Beardfest Music and Arts festival, and Lasoski was even invited to teach at Return to Roots Gathering Arts Festival this past summer.
Lasoski regularly teaches at Studio B Yoga in Danville. You can find her Hatha yoga classes on their weekly schedule here.
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