Weekend of Workshops (or Bodywork)
with Leslie Kaminoff
4th – 6th October
In-Person or Online

 

Leslie is also offering bodywork sessions on Monday Oct 7 and Tuesday Oct 8.
Bodywork sessions offered by Leslie can be an invaluable tool for rapid transformation of your yoga practice or athletic activity, and can help address a wide range of functional and structural issues. Leslie employs a variety of hands-on techniques, including myofascial release, joint alignment and gait analysis. Individually-tailored exercises can also be developed for ongoing practice and the reinforcement of benefits. Spots are limited while Leslie is in London so book now to avoid disappointment!

History and Foundations

Anatomy through the Lens of Yoga

Friday 4th October: 2.00-5.00pm
£75 or £300 for full weekend

The study of yoga and the study of Western anatomy are deep and rich fields that offer ways to organise our understanding of ourselves and how we move, think, feel, and experience the world. These studies give us ways to engage with questions about the nature of life, what it is to be human, how our existence began, and what its purpose might be.

 

In this session, we’ll dive into how these two studies meet: what information can we glean, what questions arise, and what new perspectives are possible when we apply a biological lens to our view of yoga fundamentals?

 

Topics

  • Antiquity may not equal authenticity, but it may be closer to nature’s elements
  • The cellular basis of yogic concepts:
    – Prana, apana, agni
    – Sthira, sukha
    – Sukha, dukha
  • Anatomy as a story told with a sharp instrument
  • Stories of structure, stories of experience

Structure and Movement

Musculoskeletal Essentials of Asana

Friday 4th October: 5.30-8.30pm
£75 or £300 for full weekend

Our bones are incredible structures; they play essential roles in physiological functions of the body such as synthesising hormones and blood, and storing calcium and heavy metals. They’re also strong enough to resist collapsing under the force we send through them, light enough that we can move them through space, and resilient enough to adapt to stresses that come from all directions.

 

From a movement perspective, our bones and ligaments transmit their compressive and tensile forces caused by the pull of gravity and by the actions of our muscles to the earth, which in turn permits the opposing upward force of the earth to be experienced as support.

 

Topics

  • What is a joint?
  • How can we define alignment from an anatomical perspective?
  • What is the role of fascia in stretching and postural support?
  • How can we define healthy movement in the context of asana cueing?
  • The architectural formula for building an asana from the ground up:
    – BOS (base of support)
    – COG (centre of gravity)
    – ROM (range of motion)

Dynamics of Breath and Prana

The Literal Core of Yoga

Saturday 5th October: 12.00-3.00pm
£75 or £300 for full weekend

What is breathing? Yoga offers a multi-dimensional model for understanding human complexity on every level, and breath occurs at all levels of our system. Starting with the mechanical level of respiration, we will define breathing and link it to the most potent moments we practise in yoga.

 

Topics

  • What is breathing?
  • What is the difference between primary and accessory muscles of breathing?
  • What is the “core” of the body according to a yogic view?
  • What is the relationship between spinal movement and breathing?
  • How can we reimagine breath cueing in vinyasa practice to produce different effects?

Sthira, Sukha, Spirals and Serpents

A Yoga of the Spine

Saturday 5th October: 4.00-7.00pm
£75 or £300 for full weekend

What is the spine? Why do we need one? Why is yoga asana and breathing practice so focused on our spine? To answer questions like these, we need to understand the basics of how the central nervous system, with its complex physiological, sensory, and motor functions, evolved over millions of years and became essential to survival.

 

We will take a birds-eye view of billions of years of human evolution to gain an appreciation of the uniqueness of our spines, and how we can maximise their potential in yoga practice.

 

Topics

  • How can the lens of sthira and sukha inform our understanding of the structure and function of the spine?
  • What are the normal ranges of motion and limitations of the spine?
  • What is “intrinsic equilibrium” as it relates to spinal practices in yoga?
  • What’s the deal with disc degeneration, and is it responsible for most of the back pain in the world?
  • What is T. Krishnamacharya’s unique perspective on kundalini, sushumna and pranayama?

The Sage's Seat

Reflections on the Neurophysiology of Yoga

Sunday 6th October: 12.00-3.00pm
£75 or £300 for full weekend

A deeper experience of our interoceptive reality is available through a yoga practice.  The beating of our hearts, the electric coursing of our nerve impulses, the hormonal aliveness of our endocrine systems, the constant emotional dialogue with our guts… all of these can be brought into a more harmonious relationship through a balanced yoga practice. We’ll explore some of the key elements of these systems and their implications for the teaching of yoga.

 

Topics

  • Is the heart a pump?
  • How does yoga practice affect our body’s need for metabolic energy?
  • What is the relationship between breath rate, volume and body mass?
  • How can we understand resilience from the perspective of yoga, breath and mindful practices?
  • What is the physiology of deeper states of concentration and meditation?
  • What’s the deal with the phrenic nerve and why is it so popular?
  • Do the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system relate to “sun and moon” or ida and pingala?
  • What about the chakras?

Your Teacher

Leslie Kaminoff

 

Leslie is one of the best-known and most-respected teachers of contemporary yoga with a direct lineage to the grandfather of modern yoga himself, Sri Krishnamacharya. Leslie is the leading authority on yoga anatomy, having co-written the cult classic book “Yoga Anatomy,” which sold more than one million copies in 24 languages. He is an internationally recognized specialist with four decades’ experience in the fields of yoga and anatomy. Leslie leads workshops for many of the leading yoga associations, schools and training programs in the world.