Ashtanga Sanskrit-Counted Program (150 min)

starts Monday 25 july 2022 at 18:30

This 2 ½ hour in-studio workshop is taught in English.

In this special Ashtanga class, a student is introduced to the counted practice of a select portion of the Ashtanga primary series. The use of Sanskrit count puts an emphasis on the vinyasa aspect of the practice, whereby a conscious attention is brought to combining breath and movement. Such a practice directs our experience away from bodily performance, steadies the mind, and eventually unveils the internal world of our embodiment.

Cultivating a deep connection with the breath is a baseline practice in order for this experience to manifest. For this reason, we will spend the necessary time at the beginning of the class to get in touch and explore the qualities of ujjayi and breath regulation. The vinyasa and the count will also be explained. In the movement part, we will proceed slowly and attentively, without forcing our bodies in postures, while exploring longer breathing and longer stays in several asanas.

The class will close with guided pranayama and/or meditation practice.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The asana instructions in this class are minimal, so students attending this class need to have a solid knowledge of standing and some seated asanas of the primary series. However, the physical mastery of asanas is NOT a prerequisite for attending. The teacher will suggest the postural variations where needed.

Price

This 2 ½ hour program is 25 Euros early-bird if registration and payment is made no later than July 18th. Otherwise, 30 Euros.

Cancellation Policy

Payment is refundable if cancellation is done no later than July 18th. If you cancel after July 18th, we would give you a credit for a summer weekly class or you may only be refunded if you are able to find a replacement for your place.

Style: Ashtanga Yoga

Ashtanga vinyasa is a hatha yoga practice transmitted to Pattabhi Jois from the great yoga master Krishnamacharya. It is for students seeking an invigorating approach that purifies, stimulates and energizes. It consists of postures practiced in a fluid rhythm with a concentrated breath, steady gaze, and internal contractions to direct vital energy. Due to the dynamic nature of this practice, one feels completely energized and purified in each cell of the body and also in the mind. Go to the Ashtanga yoga page.

Teacher: Marija Bjekovic

Marija's teaching path started after the completion of 200 hours Ashtanga yoga teacher training with John Scott and Lucy Crawford Scott in 2015. Over the years, she found the grounding for both her studies and teaching in the legacy of Sri T. Krishnamcharya, the father of modern yoga and a pioneer in yoga therapy. She has been studying his legacy through the lens of his two long-term students, Srivatsa Ramaswami and A.G. Mohan. She is currently completing a 300 hours Svastha Yoga Therapy Foundations program with A.G. Mohan and his family. The practice has shown her that strength, stability and flexibility are qualities to be found at other levels than purely physical. The physical form is paradoxically merely the background for contemplation of constant interplay and alignment of energies within. When she teaches in Ashtanga vinyasa context, she does so from an understanding that such a layered practice is primarily meant as a framework to start cultivating subtle breath and calm mind. The physical aspect of practice can and should be individualized, without compromising the more profound nature of the practice. She loves to encourage students to explore the practice from such a perspective, and to support them in growing a sustainable and nourishing yoga practice through different fluctuations of life. Go to Marija's page.

Location: Strassen

147 route d'Arlon, Strassen. With oak floors and a warm ambiance, our Strassen center is a haven from the hustle and bustle of city life, located on route d'Arlon near rue de Reckenthal, just 200m from the A6/E25 autoroute. Go to the Strassen page.