David Swenson: October 10-12th 2014

We are overjoyed to welcome David Swenson back to New Orleans!  His Friday workshops will be held at Balance Yoga & Wellness, and the Saturday & Sunday workshops will be held at Swan River Yoga.  Please book ahead, he is a very popular teacher!

We will kick the weekend off with a Special Workshop for teachers:

Friday October 10th
1-5pm Tools, Talents & Techniques for Teachers: Presenting Yoga to the Individual for Health, Healing and Happiness.   (Cost:  $100; Class limited to 30. Note that this workshop is not included in the weekend workshop booking).  Book this workshop now!

6-8pm  BREATH, BANDHAS and PRANAYAMA:  Seeking the Unseen and Experiencing the Intangible

Saturday October 11th
9-11am   Fully Led Primary Series Flow:  Dancing with the Breath in a First Series Rhythm

1-3pm  Really Hip Openings for the Hips :  A Pleasant Exploration of Gentle Methods To Open the Hips

3:30-5:00pm   Life, Love and Living With Purpose:  Seeking A Path, Building Dreams and Finding Peace

Sunday October 12th

9-11am   ASHTANGA’S GREATEST HITS:  Playing the Edge and Enjoying the Ride

1-3pm   So You Think You Can Balance?  A Fun-Filled Exploration of Not Falling Over

3:30 – 5:00pm  Pleasant Pursuits of Personal Practice Yoga for Life with David Swenson

Workshop Costs:
Full Weekend (All seven 2-hour workshops):  $275 Early Bird, paid by September 27th, 2014; $300 thereafter.  Book now!
Single Workshops (2 hours):  $45 if booked by Sept. 27th, $50 thereafter.
Special Teachers Workshop (4 hours):  $100 Book now!

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Workshop Descriptions:

Friday October 10th

1-5pm Tools, Talents & Techniques for Teachers: Presenting Yoga to the Individual for Health, Healing and Happiness.   

It is quite easy to teach someone that already knows how to do something. It only requires a verbal command and then waiting for the action to take place. But is that really teaching? Actual teaching requires specialized skill sets in order to apply the yoga to the needs of each individual. Every class that we teach can be considered a mixed-level class. This means special attention needs to be paid to those that are not readily able to do an asana or grasp an instruction. This requires patience, insight, sensitivity, experience and the ability to communicate clearly. Teachers need to be ready to deal with any circumstance that they are confronted with. It is our duty to find a way to present the yoga to anyone that is interested. Ashtanga is not meant to be some kind of elite fitness program just for people with two arms, two legs and a strong, flexible body. Pattabhi Jois once worked with a quadriplegic boy in Mysore. He did not refuse him due to limitation.

This class will look at ways to work with both people with a healthy body as well as those with injuries or special conditions that limit their ability. By learning to recognize the inherent lines of energy in an asana a teacher can discover ways of bringing the student into harmony with those lines while also working within the realms of their limitations and abilities. This will be done through Q and A to explore specific conditions and situations as well as practical work with partners to apply the techniques.  This class is great for teachers or those just wanting to gain more insights into personal practice or helping others with theirs.

6-8pm  BREATH, BANDHAS and PRANAYAMA:  Seeking the Unseen and Experiencing the Intangible

Our first act of life as we enter this world is to inhale and our last act before departing is to exhale. Breath is our most elemental form of life and unites all of humanity yet we think little about it. The ancient yogis gave it great thought and in so doing developed intricate methods of harnessing breath to gain control of the mind and to see the world with greater clarity.

This class will delve into the realms of specialized Yogic Breathing as well as the subtle and highly misunderstood internal energy valves known as Bandhas. There is much confusion surrounding these mystical tools and the part they play in the regulation and control of pranic flow. David will share information he gained directly from K. Pattabhi Jois as well as a series of practical exercises he has developed himself to assist the practitioner in gaining a greater understanding of these subtle yet powerful energy gateways of yoga. David has an amazing ability to convey complex ideas in simple terms. All are sure to leave with new insights and useful tools for personal practice regardless of their system.  Come and Feel the Prana!

Saturday October 11th
9-11am   Fully Led Primary Series Flow:  Dancing with the Breath in a First Series Rhythm
This class is designed for those already familiar with the First Series of Ashtanga Yoga yet it is open to all levels of proficiency from the daily-practicing aficionados to the novice fit-it-in-when-I-can weekend warriors and everyone in between. The class will be conducted like a choreographed dance flowing along all of the way from the opening sun salutations to the closing savasana. David will spend time at the beginning of class to introduce alternatives to some of the more challenging asanas as well as offer user-friendly vinyasa options. There will be time at the end of the flow to enjoy a soothing, deep relaxation.   Required Items: Mat and Breath

1-3pm  Really Hip Openings for the Hips :  A Pleasant Exploration of Gentle Methods To Open the Hips

Tight hips can cause problems in other areas such as the knees and back. David has devised an approach of exploring the hips through slow and gentle movements, stable holding of postures and deep breathing which all combine to bring greater openness to the hips without forcing or pushing. To create stability David will share methods of activating one area in order to relax another. This balanced approach is both safe and effective and can be applied to other regions of the body as well. As always, David will manage to make this enjoyable experience.  Bring Those Tight Hips In For a Tune-Up!

3:30-5:15pm   Life, Love and Living With Purpose:  Seeking A Path, Building Dreams and Finding Peace

David will share Stories, Anecdotes and Insights gained over his more than 40 years of yoga practice and pursuits of spiritual life, love, health and adventure. David is a witty, humorous and inspiring storyteller. His life is filled with colorful, sometimes wild, sometimes sad, sometimes hilarious and always entertaining pursuits of knowledge of the world around him and the wonders that reside within us all. Within his tales of travel, fasting, chanting, seeking, studying, laughing and crying there is always a thread of sincerity of purpose that anyone seeking greater meaning of life can relate to and possibly even gain tools of insights of their own from the mistakes, successes, failures, triumphs and bumps along the road of life that David shares with honesty and heart-felt sincerity.  Buckle Up It’s a Wild Ride!

Sunday October 12th

9-11am   ASHTANGA’S GREATEST HITS:  Playing the Edge and Enjoying the Ride
Curious about some of the more intricate or advanced asanas but have felt intimidated by them or uncertain about how to approach them in your practice?  Then this class is for you!  David will take the group on a special guided tour of select asanas from the Primary, Intermediate and even from the Advanced Series of asanas. If you are not familiar with the more challenging postures there is no need to be scared of them! David has an amazing ability to break down the essence and energetic foundation of any asana to allow practitioners of all levels to feel comfortable and confident when exploring realms of the practice that they find most challenging. There are always plenty of safe and sensible alternatives offered so that the student may utilize the most comfortable approach for their particular level. David’s classes are always full of valuable information as well as plenty of laughter and joy.

1-3pm   So You Think You Can Balance?  A Fun-Filled Exploration of Not Falling Over Whether standing on our feet, hands, head or any other body part balance can be one of the most challenging aspects of practice. David will share his personal insights and methods of finding balance in an unstable world. The class will contain partner work as well as individual pursuits of balance in an array of asanas. Interestingly there are many parallels between the techniques used for physically balancing in our body and also in finding balance in our life. David has an amazing ability to convey complex ideas in a simple, fun and practical way. Regardless of what system of yoga one does there is sure to be a wealth of knowledge gained from this class that can be applied on the mat and in life!  Falling Is Optional!

3:30 – 5:15pm  Pleasant Pursuits of Personal Practice Yoga for Life; Avoiding Injury, Seeking Depth and Enjoying the Ride
One of the greatest challenges in Yoga is not the creation of a practice but rather the maintaining of a practice over a long period of time. It is quite easy to get something started or to demolish it but maintenance is the real challenge. In this class David will offer simple, down-to-earth concepts, tools and techniques for maintaining and growing a practice for a lifetime. Life can become overwhelming and it is easy to lose the time for practice and even lose motivation to get on the mat. Acknowledging this dilemma David will offer techniques for the individual to build an effective personal practice within the constraints of a busy life. Using a basic concept of creating a Minimum Daily Practice of 15 – 30 minutes as a foundation to build upon the students will leave with tools to develop their own routine to suit their special circumstances and needs. Whether new to yoga or a seasoned practitioner this class is sure to inspire, encourage and empower all that attend!   There will be partner work, sharing and practical applications presented.