Sample schedule, class times subject to minor changes

Arrivals: Friday, December 20^th, check-in after 3.30 pm, welcome talk at 6.00 pm followed by dinner.

Meal times:

10.30 a.m.:  Brunch

7.00 p.m.:  Dinner

Talks on Buddhism with Ellen: 5.00pm to 6.00pm Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

Yoga Schedule is below

Saturday to Wednesday 6.30 to 8.30 a.m: Mysore Class

Adam teaches traditionally as he learned and experienced it in Mysore, defined by subtle, inner techniques. Following the sequences as they are in Mysore, adaptations will be given to keep you moving forward. Practitioners will be approached individually and offered a gentle and holistic approach to physical assistance (if you want that).  All are welcome to the Mysore class. Adam is happy if you need practice sheets, or he or Theresa will show you the postures.

Thursday, 6.30 to 8.30: Led Primary

This is a unique led class as it features both the vinyasa count as well as fundamental pointers for each posture. Everyone will be made to feel welcome and safe in participating in this class as options are given so everyone can do the whole series in a way that suits their own bodies. Adam doesn’t believe in stopping people, the ‘perfect’ posture, or, dictating exactly how something should look.

Workshops with Adam 9.00 am to 10.30am as below

Saturday: Fundamental Openings

There are a relatively small number of fundamental movements that yoga asana requires we grasp to progress. However, these openings are subtle; and not necessarily straightforward to understand on the level of the body.  And, from the basic standing postures where they’re first presented in their most simple form, they get increasingly complicated. Therefore, we shall look at these postures, consider them in detail, and find they translate into a deeper understanding of what’s going on in a variety of problem postures further on down the line.

Sunday: Hip Openings

It’s often assumed that opening the hips simply means the ability to get the knees to the floor in baddha konasana or achieve mari D. However, this particular opening is only a small part of a much more complex process of hip opening; less to do with the inner thighs than opening the sacrum. In fact, it’s no exaggeration to say that the whole practice is based on sacral opening. So, to practice effectively we need to be aware of all that this entails, for it is much more than simple external rotation of the hips.

Monday: Short Practices For All Levels - How to Create and/or Teach Them

Not all of us have the time, energy, or, even, motivation, to do our whole practice every day. But we still want to do something all the same. However, it’s hard to know what to do to know that your practice is still balanced and effective. There are ways of going about modifying your practice to suit your demands of time and energy. Here, we shall look at the basic principles of how to structure a short practice no matter what your level. There are basic principles that, once learnt, will allow you to feel confident in how to suit your practice to your life daily.

Tuesday – no workshop

Wednesday: History Mysore Ashtanga Yoga

The Ashtanga tradition of Pattabhi Jois, as much as it has been claimed to have been given directly to Jois by Krishnamacharya, has never been so rigid as it can be presented to be nowadays. Instead, it has always been in evolution. Especially since the first Westerners landed on Jois' doorstep almost 50 years ago, leading to Ashtanga yoga becoming a worldwide phenomenon.

Indeed, what has been formed over the years is a community with a rich and shared history and love of the practice. This presentation looks at how this happened, starting from the first students to practice in Mysore, all the way up to the modern day and the use of social media to spread and teach the practice. A highly interesting and fun discussion which Adam has put together through his podcast conversations with a huge variety of older and newer teachers.

Thursday: Q&A

An open discussion on the workshops so far and anything else that’s on your mind in practice.  An enjoyable finale for the first week, where Adam always talks honestly about his background too. This is always a great time to share one’s own experiences, clear up doubts and consider new ways of approach.

Friday: Departures, check out by 10.00 a.m.