Saturday and Sunday 25. -26.3.2023
Ashtanga short forms, yoga nidra and philosophy
“Create space for the new, by letting go of the old”
OPEN LEVEL – FOR BEGINNERS AND EXPERIENCED PRACTITIONERS
Welcome to Alex’s weekend yoga workshop in Espoo
The theme for this weekend is “the art of letting go”, by the means of practice and detachment, which we will study in the philosophy class.
Short form Ashtanga Yoga asana practice
We will practice two different short forms of the ashtanga yoga practice series, with asanas from both primary series and intermediate series, modified to fit the needs of your body.
You can take inspiration from these short form practices for your own practice when you are short on time. We will focus on asanas that are beneficial for the majority of people.
Yoga nidra
Yoga nidra is directly translated as “yogic sleep”. This is a meditation technique where you lie down on your back in śavāsana (corpse pose), and you will be guided to a state of conscious sleep. You body will sleep, but you remain conscious and aware.
Please bring your own blanket for this relaxed meditation.
Requirements
You do not need any prior experience in ashtanga yoga to join, but previous experience in ashtanga is recommended if you wish to deepen your own yoga practice. Anyone who is interested in a physical yoga practice and philosophy can join.
In my teaching style I prefer to teach you healthy set-ups for each pose (for all levels), so that you get versatile and beneficial asana practice on a whole.
Weekend schedule
Saturday 25th of March
16.00 – 16.10 – Welcome and presentation
16.10 – 17.15 – Ashtanga Short form I (primary only)
17.15 – 18.45 – Yoga Nidra
– Short break – (bring a snack/smoothie if you wish)
18.55 – 20.25 – Lecture: The art of letting go – Part 1 [abhyāsa and vairāgya – practice and detachment]
Sunday 26th of March
09.20 – 10.30 – Ashtanga Short form II (primary and intermediate mix)
10.30 – 11.00 – Yoga Nidra
– Short break – (bring a snack/smoothie if you wish)
11.15 – 13.00 – Lecture: The art of letting go – Part 2 [samskara vrtti chakra – the cycle of desire]
The lectures includes chanting of the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali. We will be studying a few selected sutras and commentary from the first chapter, to learn about the wheel of our habits – samskara vrtti chakra.
Shala etiquette – for the consideration of your fellow students
Calm atmosphere 😌
We try to keep a quiet and calm atmosphere in the yoga shala. Try to keep your conversations to a minimum, or avoid conversations that are upsetting you, as this also affects everyone in the shala.
No perfumes 🛀
Avoid using perfumes and any strong deodorants in the shala. Washing yourself before practice, and practice in clean clothes is good enough 👌. A mild or close to fragrance-free deodorant is nice. When you bring your own blanket, try to find one that is close to fragrance-free.
Many people, especially people with allergies, may experience the breathing practice as difficult with strong perfumes in the room, and can even cause anxiety attacks within in the room.
Be on time ⏱️
Should you be late, enter and calmly join the practice. It’s no biggie. The teacher will show you a spot for your mat.
Meet your teacher
Alex is a Swedish-speaking Finn who started practicing yoga at home, and with teachers in 2013, and has been practicing and teaching hatha and vinyasa yoga since 2014 (Seasonal Yoga). In 2015 Alex became a certified hatha yoga teacher.
During the summer of 2015 Alex fell in love with the depth of the ashtanga yoga practice in 2015 with his teachers in Helsingin Astanga Joogakoulu in their summer camp in Houtskari (Petri Räisänen & Juha Javanainen). Ever since Alex makes sure not to miss any of their traditional Ashtanga summer camps.
Alex has been teaching over 3000 hours of yoga classes with a wide range of people, while managing Raseborgs Yogaskola, and has actively been practicing with different world renowned teachers on different workshop, such as Eddie Stern, Kino McGregor, Simon Borg-Olivier, and also online courses with David Garrigues.
“To me it’s important that the practices are taught in a safe, healthy and effective way for each student. As a yoga teacher it is important to understand that all people are different, and to embrace, or celebrate, the movement patterns of each individual.
In my teaching style you will learn to turn your senses inward (pratyāhāra), you will improve your focus and learn to practice to the rhythm of your own breath. The meditation and concentration makes the practice meaningful, and is a gateway to your inner dimensions. A yoga practice should be a practice in concentration and meditation. In ashtanga and hatha yoga we use our bodies to practice and achieve this.
We start simple, and the more you practice, the more you will learn at your own ideal pace while your body becomes stronger and softer, and your mind becomes more focused.”
PRICING
-10% Early-bird offer – whole weekend: 126€
Catch the early-bird offer until the 5th of March 2023. Regular whole weekend price: 140€
Saturday only: 74€
Sunday only: 74€
Due to separate renting of the yoga shala in Kauklahti, we cannot offer any refunds on your payments in case you cannot make it to class.
Main teaching language is English, but Swedish and Finnish will also be possible.
VENUE
Anandamaya Yoga & Wellness Studio in Kauklahti (Köklax) Espoo.
Address: Emil Halmeen tie 1F, 02780 Espoo (Kauklahti)
TEACHER
Alex Lemberg