Category Archives: Workshops

Janet MacLeod Workshop Recap

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I live really close to Tree House Yoga, an Iyengar yoga studio in Shoreline, a suburb adjacent to Seattle on I-5 North. This past weekend, Senior teacher Janet MacLeod came up from San Francisco for a workshop, and though I had never worked with her before, I came to see what I could learn from her.

Janet immediately put me at ease with her smile and Scottish humor. She told us stories from classes she’s taught, like when Mr. Universe came to her class all oiled up, and classes she’s taken, like the time she was in a really small class with Geeta Iyengar, and Ms. Geeta “seemed to be everywhere I turned to”, which kept people on their toes (and heels) because, as Janet put it, “usually you’re in class with 800 other people, and you can get away with a thing or two.”

Her jokes made me temporarily forget that I was working really hard. We were in variations of Upavistha Konasana for what seemed like eternity, her instructions for Salamba Sarvangasana put me in the most hardest shoulderstand I’d done yet, and I could barely maintain a seat with Jalandhara Bandha for Pranayama for any respectable length of time.

One thing Janet said that’s stuck with me is about the asana and our resistance: “When you’re doing an asana, there’s always a part of you that resists, that doesn’t want to do it, so you have to work with that.” She said that this is a theme that Prashant, Mr. Iyengar’s son, works with a lot.

This reminds me of an article I recently read about some truths and myths of being fit, in which the author, Daniel Duane, learned from rehab specialist Kevin Brown that: “Somewhere inside every man’s body, there’s a weak link, a weak muscle waiting to fail.” Kevin Brown’s job, working with world-class athletes, was to find the weak muscle, and of course, make it strong.

How true is that for some other things in life too. Sometimes the resistance is more, sometimes less, but it’s always there. For me, waking up at 5 to go to the gym is a daily negotiation. Meditating at least 15 minutes every day? Another struggle. Creating? Designing? Writing in my blog, or writing anything? Pulling teeth. Wisdom teeth.

This is like, some sort of sign for me, who’s constantly working with things like writer’s block and designer’s block and yoga blocks (ha!). The work is clear, in Asana, Pranayama, and in matters off the mat: there’s always something resisting, how can we figure out what it is? How do we work with it?

Felicity Green Workshop Recap

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When I signed up for Felicity’s workshop, I had heard a few things about her, and I was prepared for them. One of those things is that she is a sort of “my way or the highway” teachers.

She gave us a homework to reflect and write about our relationship to things that are of shreya and things that are of preya nature.  In short, preya are things that are pleasant, but may or may not bring you the results you want. Shreya are things that you avoid, but they’re things that are good for you, like bitter Chinese medicine.

During a discussion, a student in class spoke out that she was in fact angry at Felicity for being adamant about putting her in a certain pose that she feared would cause her injuries. Felicity then replied with something that left me thinking a lot.

“You are like the small young birds, you all are,” said Felicity Green, “My job is to give you the worms that I’ve found. My job is to give you what I’ve learnd and found. Your job,” she said with emphasis, “Is to take it, digest it, take the nutrients that you need, and leave what you don’t need. Your job is to also tell me what doesn’t work for you. But recognize that sometimes you don’t do things out of fear, and it’s my job to help you work through your fear.”

Wow.

The Role of a Teacher, the Role of a Student

This really got me thinking, because as a student, for the longest time, I shunned and shied away from the “mean teachers.” I am in yoga to relax. I didn’t need to stress out because my feet weren’t in the place someone thought they ought to be. I much preferred the classes where I could groove to DJ McYogi dropping some beats while I became one with the Universe.

As my practice grew, I realized that some of tactics used by the “mean teachers” had a purpose. They were trying to keep me in my body. They were keeping me and my attention in the room, and not off to some fantasy land. (Of course, there are teachers who are, well, working on their own stuff too.) As a teacher, I’ve also learned that I can definitely be overprotective, or I can try to hard to win the approval of my students. I’ve learned that if you over-coddle someone, you can also stunt their growth.

What a delicate line it is to walk, to be both a supporting, encouraging teacher, and also to be firm and authoritative. Also, how do you know what’s good for someone? Experience, for sure, and experience is what Felicity has. At 77, she is strong and graceful. She said that Mr. Iyengar, who is still practicing at age 94, gives her the inspiration to continue to practice and teach.

The Role of a Sangha

On the third day of the workshop, I brought my mom, who had been practicing Iyengar yoga for 3 years. She’s turning 61 this year, and she was afraid that she’s getting too old to “be good” at yoga. I think it was good for my mom to see other older practitioners, and of course, Felicity. It’s no big secret that you can be any age and practice yoga, but seeing others like yourself doing it is both encouraging and reassuring that you aren’t alone.

And speaking of alone, at the end of the workshop, Felicity said that there aren’t very many people who are truly dedicated to yoga, studying it and also practicing it in their own lives. So, if you find them, make friends with them, create a community with them. She said it’s nice to have people who understand the work you’re doing.

And so, to you, whomever you are reading this blog, thanks for being a part of this. Thanks for somehow being on this path with me.

And thank you, Felicity.

Seattle Yoga News – The Inward Journey with Felicity Green at Two Dog Yoga

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This weekend I’ll be doing a workshop with Felicity Green at Two Dog Yoga in the Lake City neighborhood in North Seattle.

I was all in when I heard that Felicity was coming, because I know that she’s one of the handful Iyengar teachers with Advanced Certificates, and I can learn a thing or two from her.

Then, seeing my long to-do list growing even longer in recent days, I told myself that “something’s gotta give”, and decided to forgo the workshop. A part of me kept second-guessing this decision, and, as if to help me out, I came across what neuropsychiatrist Peter Whybrow called ‘American mania’ from the Figuring Out Fulfillment blog:

“How many of us feel mandated to read every email as it arrives in our inbox, or check our work voicemail as soon as the light turns red? Stop, the light announces; you must check me before refilling your coffee cup, before proceeding with your life.

How many of us tell ourselves the anxiety we feel is normal and that an inability to cope with it is a personal failure? How many of us live to fulfill a list instead of ourselves, hoping that if we can just keep up, just maybe we will earn a few minutes to sit in tranquility and escape, if only in our minds.”

Well, that hits home.

So, I will make time to go see what the inward journey is all about through the 5 koshas. From the Two Dog Yoga website:

Yoga is a process of learning about ourselves: “Svadhyaya”
We start of by learning about our muscles and bones: “Anamayakosa”
We learn about the effects these bodily actions have on our physiology: “Pranamayakosa”
Now we go deeper to feelings, thoughts and emotions: “Manomayakosa”

To do this we take Patanjali’s Sutras, the wisdom of yoga, to explore these deeper aspects of Pranayama, the Yamas and Niyamas the ethical suggestions of how to live our lives more peacefully with awareness.

Join us on this journey of asana, pranayama, philosophy and self-reflection.

Felicity Green is a Senior Iyengar Yoga instructor and has over 30 years of experience teaching worldwide. Originally trained as an Occupational Therapist, her years of study with B.K.S. Ieyengar in India and Swami Radha in Canada have greatly influenced her style of teaching. She blends a clarity and precision of instruction with warmth and devotion, taking the physical and spiritual practice of yoga to a deep level of attention.

Iyengar teacher Felicity Green. Photo by Steven Horn, stevehorn.net

Iyengar teacher Felicity Green. Photo by Steven Horn, stevehorn.net

George Purvis Workshop Recap

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George Purvis was in town at Taj Yoga last weekend, and I hung out with him for most of it, except for skipping out one afternoon session to go to my friends Kristel and Mikhail’s wedding.

George is a long time Iyengar teacher and is my teacher Theresa Elliott’s mentor. Though he’s been coming to the Pacific Northwest regularly every year. I only got to meet him last year, and ever since then, I had made sure that I come to at least one of his workshops once a year.

How do I describe George? I can’t. He’s completely offbeat and laugh-out-loud funny, which is a cover for his crazy and precise instruction on asana techniques. If you have ever had a “bad” experience with an Iyengar teacher, or if you have a preconceived notion that Iyengar yoga is some sort of deranged beat down of your yoga ego, you are in for the surprise of your life. George is more down to earth than Australia.

Humor obviously makes people relax and makes them more open to listening to what yoga has to offer them. It promotes a certain level of open-mindedness and relaxation. I think of humor as sort of like shaking out the muscles of the brain. – George Purvis, Yoga Journal interview

As one of the senior Iyengar teachers in the United States, George has played his part in the upbringing of many prominent yoga teachers. “But, I’ve never heard of him,” you say. Well, it’s possible that he, from my understanding at least, seems to lay low and away from the lime light. It’s also possible that it’s partly due to his health. He was diagnosed with cancer in 1999 and has had surgery and extensive treatments since then.

Anyway, during the workshop, we got to hear stories about his two mentors, Ramanand Patel and Mary Dunn, and of course Mr. Iyengar. We got to work on our peroneus. Oh boy, did we get to work on our peroneus.

The one thing that’s most striking to me about George is his dedication to teaching. I can’t quite explain it to you in a way that reflects how I experienced it, but I was so moved by how he just wanted to… well, teach. He gave all of himself to making sure he answered our question, and, as he was running late to catch his flight home, he was still explaining things and adjusting people with one foot out the door.

Hey George, thanks. See ya and your cowboy boots next year.

George Purvis, courtesy of http://www.clearspringstudio.com/

George Purvis, courtesy of http://www.clearspringstudio.com/

Classical Yoga Weekend with Kathryn Payne

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Attention yogsters in the Pacific Northwest, Kathryn Payne will be teaching at The Yoga Community in Kennewick, Eastern Washington the first weekend of November 2010, and if you can, you ought to come.

Because Kathryn is learned, funny, down to earth and an all around awesome teacher, that’s why. Plus, it’s usually a lot sunnier and nicer in that part of the state in November.

From the website:

Practice is at the heart of yoga because it is during practice that we find the teachings revealed in a personal and direct way. This workshop is a full weekend of practice – a “retreat” to deepen our understanding and commitment to yoga.

Classical yoga is an integration of sitting, pranayama, and asana, and includes a group discussion of classical yoga texts. This combination is inspiring and students find their abilities naturally enhanced in a meaningful application of breath, movement and “just sitting.” We will work with eight vital principles as a guidelines for the asana practice and the application of pranayama will extend our awareness and vitality throughout the weekend.

Friday, November 5: 6-8:00PM
We will begin the weekend by considering the state of mind in our practice. How can we use our yoga practice to bring about the quality of mind we seek from yoga? How can we cultivate the meditative state of mind in the practice of yoga posture? This evening introduction includes pranayama, yoga posture and sitting.

Saturday, November 6: 11-2:00PM
Continuing on our theme from Friday; we will use the breath to retain a focus that is not only vital to the practice of asana, but aligns our body in a way that is natural and “unimposing.” The asana focus will be standing poses within a “mala” (thread) of unhurried Sun Salutations.

Saturday, November 6: 4-6:00PM
Bring your tea, and we will sit together and contemplate an ancient yoga text! In traditional yoga study working with the texts is a basic component of a student’s practice and it brings profound insight. The afternoon practice includes appropriate forward bends or twists and inversions for all levels.

Sunday – 9 am – noon
A more extensive pranayama practice followed by a practice of asana and completion of our text study.

Here’s the printable flyer of  Kathryn Payne’s workshop at The Yoga Community [PDF].

See ya on the flip side, kids.

Tias Little Workshop The Middle Way Recap

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I took a workshop with Tias Little when he came to town at 8 Limbs Yoga a few weeks ago. I wanted to see him because he has a wealth of knowledge in Anatomy, he understands both the Chinese meridian system and the Indian nadi system, and he’s a scholar, having done his masters in Eastern Philosophy.

Compared to a workshop I took from him two years ago, this time around there was equal amount of time devoted to physical work in the asana and  amount of time for dharma talks and meditation. Even when we were moving, there were times when the movements were more subtle, in the sense that we were not pushing or exerting a great amount of effort. I could tell that the exercises that we were doing were influenced by his studies in cranial-sacral, rolfing, and somatics.

The theme of the workshop was The Middle Way, and Tias kept going back to that point. He talked at lengths about certain Buddhist concepts, such as Impermanence and Acknowledging the Current Moment. He admitted that he spent too much time training only in the physical aspect of yoga. “I used to believe that ‘Practice and all is coming. I don’t anymore.” (I have to say I differ with Tias slightly here, because “practice” can also mean the whole path, but I understood what he meant.)

Tias drove the point home that it’s not always rainbows and unicorns. That’s not how life goes. “You have to live in the world, this world,” he’d say, and knock on the hard-wood floor we were all sitting on. I really appreciated that he said that to a large audience. I get super uncomfortable around the “yoga speak”, you know the one, when yoga teachers start to sound like they’ve left planet Earth and talks about nothing but joy and more joy and ecstatic bliss.

Don’t get me wrong, that kind of flowery language has its place, but I think it does a disservice because it makes people think that if you do yoga, you can’t be angry, you can’t be sad, you can’t have any negative emotion, which of course, could not be further from the truth. But if I say that, I would probably not be taken as seriously as if Tias said it. He just has way more clout than I do.

I took away some practical tools from Tias to bring some symmetry to the body, too, which I have already incorporated in my own practice. If you’re thinking about doing a workshop or training with him, I’d say go for it.

This path is not just about the mat, that’s not much of a path. – Tias Little

Seattle Yoga News: George Purvis at Taj Yoga this weekend

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I first met George Purvis last year, and immediately understood why he is my teacher Theresa Elliott’s mentor. Let’s see: there’s the dry and more dry sense of humor, there’s the wild hair, there’s the Texas twang, and the impeccable attention to anatomical details in asana techniques. Did I mention he’s funny? Honestly, I got one of the best abs workout with George the first 30 minutes after meeting him from laughing so hard at his jokes and demeanors.

George will be back at Taj Yoga this weekend, and if you’re in town, you are in for a treat if you come to any, or all the workshops.

From the website:

Iyengar Workshop with George Purvis

September 24-26, 2010 (3 days)
Friday: 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. (10 hours)
Cost: $185

George has been teaching since 1980, drawing on his exceptional personal practice and years of study with B.K.S. Iyengar. Students will learn impeccable asana technique and gain unconventional insight from this much-loved teacher and devoted practitioner of yoga.

Taj Yoga
9250 14th Ave NW, #2
Seattle, WA 98117

George Purvis in kilt

George Purvis in kilt

Revisiting the Definition of Yoga, Part II

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Last week at a workshop with Tias Little, I ran into Janell Hartman, a fellow yoga instructor friend, and one who gave me my very first yoga teaching gig: she asked me to sub for a Punk Rock Yoga class when my 200-hr certificate still smelled of fresh ink.

We were catching up and talking about life when she told me a story of when she worked in Social Service. She was conducting an ice-breaker type of group exercise, where everyone would stand in a line, she would make a statement, like, “I like the ocean”, or “I like dogs”. People would take a step forward if the statement is true for them, and one step back if not.

Everything was going along smoothly, until she said, “I have a regular self care routine.” The stepping forward/stepping back halted. Two people out of a group of 40 stepped forward, and a good number paused, not knowing where to go. After a couple minutes, some stepped forward, and some stepped back. Some remained in their place.

This story was so revealing to me. What it says to me is

  1. Not a lot of us have a regular self-care routine
  2. Not a lot of us know what self-care really means in the first place

And hey, honestly, just because someone is “in the industry”, just because someone might be a yoga teacher or a wellness educator, doesn’t mean that they have a regular self-care routine. Knowing something and doing it are two very different things.

When I took my Restorative Yoga Teacher Training with Judith Hanson Lasater, on the very first day, her homework for us was:

  • Unless you go to bed at 10pm, whatever time that you regularly go to bed, go to bed 30 minutes earlier (this I failed miserably)
  • Whatever activity that you do for the next 5 days (the duration of the training), ask yourself, “What component of this activity includes taking care of myself?”

That one single question alone was a rude awakening for me. It made “turn the light back on itself”, as the Zen saying goes.

Judith went on to make a very strong case for self-care: If you are tired, if you are exhausted, you cannot be compassionate. And being compassionate is the seat, the foundation of teaching Restorative Yoga.

As a dedicated student of Yoga thought and philosophy, very often I find myself digging in old texts and sayings, ruminating about how Yoga is defined in this book and that book and by this person and that other translation. Sometimes the definition stares at me in the face, and I don’t have to go hunting for it. Yoga, I would say, in whatever form and definition, must involve self-care.

Seattle Yoga News – Unwinding into the Middle Way with Tias Little at 8 Limbs Yoga September 2010

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This weekend I’ll be spending 3 days with Tias Little, a yoga teacher I met two years ago at this time of year. I had just started my 200-hour yoga teacher training then, and like the song goes, “oh how the years go by”. Though two years may seem like a really short time to you guys, I’ve come a very long way from where I’d been in my growth and understanding of this thing we call yoga.

What impressed me about Tias was his vast knowledge of the Chinese meridian and Indian nadi system. I also appreciated his sound teaching of the human anatomy. Beyond listening to his lectures on muscles and bones and alignment during the workshop, I listened to Tias’ dharma talk In the Flow of Presence every day for a couple months in my car, and, as I was going through a particularly rough time at work, the CD and Tias’ voice was good to have around.

Here are the details of the workshop, copied and pasted here from the 8 Limbs Yoga website for my record, since they do not archive their workshops, and there’s no direct permanent link. See you there if you’re going as well.

ABOUT THE WORKSHOPS

Freeing the Foundation: Feet, Ankles and Knees
Friday, 2: 00 – 5:00pm
A yoga practice begins with the feet, for the feet are the foundation to the temple of the body. This class guides students to activate their feet, initially by lying on the back and then in standing poses. We explore the architecture of the foot and review common strain patterns that reside in the feet and ankles. An invaluable class for yoga teachers to learn to help students activate their arches and stabilize their knees.

The Middle Way
Friday, 6:00 – 8:00pm
The Middle Way is a place free from extremes, extremes that polarize and isolate and cause imbalance. The Middle Way path is accessible mystically and physiologically as our central axis through the body. One of the names for the mid line is the Madhya Nadi or middle channel. This class works deep with the spine—the vertebrae, the discs and surrounding musculature– to harmonize and illuminate the central channel.

The Sacred Sacrum
Saturday, 9:00am – 12:00pm
The sacral bone is the key bone of the pelvis and it is the key bone of the spine. Postural balance and centering occurs at the sacral level (svadhisthana, the second chakra) and the sacrum initiates the strong centering movement of the tailbone (mulabandha). This class looks at the powerful ligaments and muscles that hold the sacrum in place and we practice postures that balance the sacrum.

Unwinding the Low Back
Saturday, 1:30 – 4:30pm
Lower back compression is so common in our culture– 85% of our society suffers from low back pain at some point in their lives. Typically this pain is due to asymmetrical strain patterns, i.e excess tightness one side of the body. The class aims to release constriction in the lumbar and sacral area through gliding and rocking and stretching movements. In particular, our aim is to unglue the tightness in the muscles, tendons and ligaments by irrigating blood into the lower spine and sacrum.

Unwinding the Spine
Sunday, 9:00am – 12:00pm
The ideal of a yoga practice is to align the spine so that there is a free flow of nerve impulse through the spinal cord. All too often, however, the vertebrae are twisted, rotated, stuck forward or stuck backward due to compression and tightness. This class will focus on releasing the musculature around the spine and unwinding compression in the small ligaments and tendons that hold the vertebrae together. Our practice will aim to bring fluidity and greater buoyancy and support to the inter-vertebral discs. It is very common for yoga students to force their spine into poses without addressing the underlying holding patterns in the soft tissues. This can create further hardness and strain. In this intensive, we will use gliding and rocking and stretching movements in order to gently re-align the spine.

Unwinding the Neck
Sunday, 1:30 – 4:30pm
I always joke with my students that chiropractors make their living adjusting imbalances in the neck given that neck pain is so common! This class is aimed to release foreshortening in the neck muscles and compression around the nerves and discs of the neck region. Neck pain frequently results in headaches, insomnia, jaw strain and fatigue. Given that the neck is so tied into the shoulders, this class will address the ways that neck tension is coupled with shoulder restriction. We will use non-force techniques to unwind tension in the neck, particularly with spiral movements for the neck and shoulders.

ABOUT TIAS LITTLE
Tias Little’s teaching is steeped in the classical yoga tradition, while his clear and insightful approach offer a contemporary perspective. He combines the precision of Iyengar Yoga with the grace of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. Tias’ teaching is a rich weave of poetry, anatomical detail, precision in the asana forms and wisdom that stems from the Dzogchen, Vipassana and Zen traditions. Tias has a Masters degree in Eastern Philosophy from St. John’s College. Since 2006 Tias has been studying trauma and recovery through Somatic Experiencing. Find out more at www.prajnayoga.net.

Sexy Yoga and Meditation

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Okay, I admit it, the word “sexy” didn’t need to be in the title of this post. I literally spent at least five minutes trying to figure out how to work the words “sexy” or “hot” in with the words “meditation”, to no avail.

I suppose that’s why meditation, or Patanjali’s Dhyāna, gets nowhere near the attention that Asana gets. It just doesn’t go with hot or sexy. I mean, when was the last time you saw a magazine headline with tips to “Last Longer Tonight”, and they’re talking about sitting on your cushion, closing your eyes, and concentrating on your breath? Yup, I thought so.

What’s funny is *both* Dhyāna and Asana are branches of the 8 Limbs of Yoga. What’s funny is we now have to say Yoga *and* Meditation. Oh well, that’s the all verbiage, I guess. And really, it’s better to just do it. Talking about swimming does not get you wet. (Like sexy… or… unlike sexy… or… oh, never mind.)

If I haven’t lost you yet, this post is intended for two things: 1) As a response to yet another exciting development in the world of Yoga and Polititics, and 2) To point out a couple of meditation trainings and resources if that strike your fancy.

Can Yoga be, uh… Sexy? What is Yogic, Really?

If you’re keeping track with the exciting world of Yoga and Business, Business and Yoga, recently, Judith Hanson Lasater wrote a letter to Yoga Journal expressing her confusion and sadness with the gratuitous nudity in the magazine’s ads. She said: “These pictures do not teach the viewer about yoga practice or themselves. They aren’t even about the celebration of the beauty of the human body or the beauty of the poses, which I support. These ads are just about selling a product. This approach is something I though belonged (unfortunately) to the larger culture, but not in Yoga Journal.”

Judith Hanson Lasater is not just any ol’ disgruntled YJ reader. She is one of the magazine’s original founders. And then Roseanne Harvey, who runs It’s All Yoga, Baby wrote about The Letter, and followed it up with an interview with Judith. Even Yoga scholar Georg Feuerstein came out of his semi retirement to write several blog posts about this.

Yeah, it’s gotten pretty, uh, exciting?

Amidst the noise, if you are new, or newish, or even oldish to yoga, you might be challenged with questions such as “What is yoga”? Or, “Is nudity yoga?” Or, “Can Capitalism and Yoga co-exist peacefully?”

I’m sorry to say that I don’t have the answer to any of these questions. (And I’m not sure that anyone really does.) Besides, defining what Yoga is is like defining what Love is, or Compassion is. As Judith said recently in a workshop: “Have you noticed how we can’t really define the things that are most important in life?”

So, like I said, you’re on your own with those inquiries. What I *can* tell you, however, that if you like yoga, you might also like meditation. Yoga is about learning about your Self. Self-inquiry requires meditation. Meditation is hard, it’s frustrating, it’s juicy, every once in a while you get it right. Yes, I’m describing meditation. And hey, if people can call web sites or iPhone apps sexy, I’m gonna call meditation sexy. And you, too, can do it.

Some Meditation Trainings and Resources

Recently my student Marco (hi Marco!) asked if I teach meditation. The short answer is no. The convoluted answer is yes and no. I teach primarily hatha yoga: the techniques of asana and pranayama. I sprinkle in stories, info, lores from historical texts, the other branches of Classical Yoga. In the poses I talk about things like observing where your body is in space, listening to the body’s feedback, focusing in something, stability, ease, etc. Those are things that Patanjali described as the ingredients leading to Samadhi, let’s call it Happy Place (that doesn’t involve roller coasters) for now. In my class, I prepare people for meditation.

However, I do not currently teach meditation. In my mind, one must meditate for a very long time to teach it, like, 10 years, 20 years, 40 years.

So, here are some great trainings that I personally do:

Shinzen Young’s Basic Mindfulness Home Retreat

This is a monthly home retreat usually lead by meditation teacher Shinzen Young on the second weekend of every month. I recommend you follow the Prerequisites, or that you have listened to his lectures The Science of Enlightenment first. Shinzen’s teaching is methodical. His techniques and vocabulary are highly developed, and quite frankly not for the faint of heart. If you are determined to learn meditation, however, I can’t recommend him more. Check out his CD: The Beginner’s Guide to Meditation.

The next dates for the home retreat are:

  • August 13-15, 2010
  • September 10-12, 2010
  • October 8-10, 2010
  • November 12-14, 2010
  • December 10-12, 2010

Beyond Sequencing: The Art of Meditation with Chase Bossart

Yoga teacher Chase Bossart will be doing a workshop at Shala Yoga of Portland in 2 weeks on August 20-22, 2010. From the website:

Meditation is one of the most important and potent tools in yoga. In many ways, it is the crown jewel of all yoga practices. Yet many people experience it as one of yoga’s most difficult and confusing tools. These difficulties, however, can be greatly reduced through proper sequencing of the meditation practice.

When properly constructed, a meditation practice gradually develops the attention and mental stability required to stay with the focus. This happens naturally as the practitioner moves through the different steps of the meditation. Learn the principles of proper sequencing of meditation practices and develop these skills through numerous practical examples. This practical ‘how to’ workshop will be useful for practitioners and teachers of all levels.

There you are. Go sit down and shut up. (Though, if your mind is anything like mine, it will be anything but quiet.)

Do you know of any meditation trainings or events? Do you have any personal favorite resources? Please let me know.

David Tolmie gave me this CD as a gift. This rivals any nude + yoga photography I've ever seen.

David Tolmie gave me this CD as a gift. This rivals any nude + yoga photography I've ever seen.