A Different Look at Ashtanga Yoga

Adam is delighted to be coming to Bath for the first time and is being hosted by Mark Grover.

This workshop is an exploration of to how modern Ashtanga can be accessible everyone, working with for your strengths and limitations in a most practical sense. The aim is that you will leave feeling reinspired for your practice knowing how to make it work for your own body and the various challenges that arise in lie. You will also gain a deeper understanding of the context of how the practice developed which also makes a difference as to how we understand it.

SATURDAY

08.00 – 10.00: Ashtanga Self-Practice

This practice is based on individual exploration, kindness, and fun. Adam gives yoga assistance in a safe and non-intrusive way. He does not believe in forcing people into postures, rather, he uses verbal and light physical touch to open new directions for you to follow if you wish.  All are welcome to the Mysore class. Adam is happy if you need practice sheets, but you should have memorised at least the sun salutations A and B and some of the standing sequence.

10.30 – 12.00: Finding Bandha in the Standing Postures

Using the standing postures, we will examine how we can use the legs to take the force of gravity up through the spine rather than down allowing for a most energizing experience and beneficial effect. We will also consider the relationship of the ‘sacred’ sacrum to the rest of the body; how and why this bone came to be known as such, and why it is essential to discover it here in these early positions.

12.00 – 13.00: Break

13.00 – 14.30: Revelations in the Fundamentals

Paschimottanasana the ‘forward fold’ is known as is literally translated as ‘westward faced back-stretch’. With yoga traditionally practiced facing east, meaning this is a way to stretch the backwards. This changes everything about our approach to the Primary Series. Now the series can be used to help unlock the deep muscles of the back, while avoiding the common problems encountered in these series to do with stretching forward - overstretched hamstrings and a sore lower back.

SUNDAY

08.00 – 10.00:  Ashtanga Self-Practice  (as above) 

10.30 – 12.00: Jump Back & Jump Through for Everybody

Everyone can all do a version of this movement. And it doesn’t mean we need to ‘fly’ – although we may (or may not). There are unique benefits of this movement for both the scapula as well as the digestion. It’s simply a question of breaking the component movements down then into ‘bite sized’ chunks, so that everyone can effectively worked with it. You might feel your arms are too short or your tummy too big, but you’d be surprised how a few tips for this can change the whole experience for you, taking you from frustration and confusion to grasping what you need to do to keep developing these somewhat elusive movements.

12.00 – 13.00: Break

13.00 – 14.30: How To Make Ashtanga Work For You, Q&A

In this final wrap up we will discuss various practical challenges or barriers to practice that occur in real life and look at practical solutions to keep you or get you back on the mat. These will include:

• Returning to practice after a break
• Practising with injury  or physical restrictions and adapting to these
• Using modified shortened practices,
• Modifying practice for those with a degree of hypermobility
• The value of breath bandha and drishti in the practice