AVAILABLE Topics
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ASANA / ANATOMY
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BREATHING & MEDITATION
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HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY
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THERAPEUTICS
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INTERMEDIATE & ADVANCED
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TEACHING
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Most weekends have 5 workshops. Choose one workshop from each category.
Some weekends add a 6th workshop for the teachers. |
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SUGGESTED SCHEDULE* Choose one workshop from each category above.
FRIDAY :: 6–8:30pm SATURDAY :: 9:30am–12pm SATURDAY :: 2–4:30pm optional SATURDAY :: 5–7pm SUNDAY :: 9:30am–12pm SUNDAY :: 2–5pm Scheduling is flexible based on your class times and clients. |
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS
The Basics of Practice :: Building a Strong Foundation
2 1/2 hours
2 1/2 hours
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PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:
We are always practicing something. Often we are building bad habits that we don't realize and moving farther away from the goals of our practice. In this workshop, we refine the basics of our practice to make sure we are on the right path. We will look into how to practice for maximum gain. After talking about practice techniques, we will focus on how to breathe correctly and how to correctly use our muscles. You will leave with your postures feeling easier, a better understanding of where to focus your effort and with an understanding of how to make progress. This workshop will include a lecture, a chance for questions and a full practice. STUDIO OWNER DESCRIPTION (MORE INFO): This workshop will focus on how to practice and the central elements of the physical practice: breathing and correct muscle usage. The breath is a central element to asana practice (and life itself). Because of how the muscles of breathing are integrated into the body's movement, the two are often confused and work against each other. We will discuss and clarify how to use the breath in each specific posture. This practice brings powerful integration of the body and breath, allowing the student to calm the mind and focus intently. Once we have an understanding of the breath, we will talk about how muscles function in the body and how to use them in asana practice. We will talk about strength, flexibility and sustainability in practice. |
The Purpose of the Practice :: Refining Your Understanding
Advancing Your Practice :: Intermediate & Advanced Asana plus Pranayama
1:30 - 4:30pm
1:30 - 4:30pm
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PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:
Progress beyond beginning practices and concepts with this 3 hour immersion. We will discuss what it means to be an intermediate and advanced yogi, including practice philosophy and how to use the body and mind with more detail. Asana practice work toward Arm Balancing & Inversion, Full Backbending, and Leg Behind the Head. Practice will conclude with Pranayama: breathing exercises that are the next step beyond Asana in a yogi's progress. STUDIO OWNER DESCRIPTION (MORE INFO): This class is in service of dedicated yogis who are longing for deeper practices but don't know where to find them. We will discuss practice principles to cultivate a practice that is advanced AND sustainable, like effort and posture selection. We will explain in-depth the proper way to bend the spine, and why we do it (hint: the nervous system). The same goes for Leg Behind the Head, a practice that scares a lot of people away, but is actually quite simple and powerful if done with the correct technique and intention. We will break down several ways to build the necessary strength to balance on the arms and go upside down. This is often a question of muscular strength and control. The asana practice contains all of these elements as well as intermediate postures for the complete body. This practice balances the body and prepares it to safely approach advanced practices like those discussed. Finally, we offer the most advanced practice element of the whole weekend: breathing exercises or Pranayama. The last 20 minutes of class will be spent breathing, a profound shift for yogis who generally practice only asana. |
Building Balance :: The Feet, Knees & Hips
2 1/2 hours
2 1/2 hours
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PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:
An all levels class. Learn how the feet and legs are designed to transfer weight and hold us in balance. Examine the workings of the knees and hips to understand how to carry the body with stability and ease. We will explore "flat feet" and "locking the knee," leaving you with a better understanding for how weight and balance are handled by the body, especially when standing on one leg. Practice will include multiple sets of standing postures, plus additional explanations, preparations and exercises. You will leave this class with better stability, feeling energized and in balance! STUDIO OWNER DESCRIPTION (MORE INFO): Balance is often seen as a sheer act of will, but there are many factors which play into your students' ability to stay upright. Flat feet and collapsed arches are common in our culture, and standing on one leg is very difficult for anyone with this condition. We will discuss the most common causes and remedies for flat feet, showing exercises that can strengthen the delicate structure of the feet. "Locking the knee" is a complex concept that is often misunderstood. When it is confused with hyperextension, it actually causes the structure of the leg to deteriorate over time, making it harder to balance the longer we practice. Properly "locking the knee" creates incredible strength and stability but is difficult to do. We will discuss hyperextension, "locking the knee," and how to integrate the muscles of the leg and pelvis to make balance stable and increasingly effortless. |
Yoga Therapeutics :: Back Pain & Stress Reduction
2 1/2 hours
2 1/2 hours
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(This class is a great opportunity to invite people from outside the community who may be afraid to practice yoga.)
PUBLIC DESCRIPTION: Therapeutic exercises are simple body movements to improve functional health, strength and range of motion. This workshop will focus on bringing stability and relief to the spine, especially the lower back. Also we will focus on calming the body, breath and mind, reducing stress and creating a restful state. Learn how to recognize and manage pain in your everyday life, and also how to calm yourself at bedtime or in stressful situations. This workshop is ideal for beginners, elders, non-yogis and yoga teachers. Bring your family members or friends who have injuries or pain. STUDIO OWNER DESCRIPTION (MORE INFO): Back pain is one of the top health complaints in the US, along with stress and poor sleep. In this workshop, we will explain and instruct therapeutic yoga exercises to target these common maladies. Most lower back pain comes from sitting and a rounded lumbar curve. We end up feeling like we need to stretch our back when we actually need to strengthen it; stretching it makes it worse. This workshop includes many take-home exercises to improve people's back pain and hopefully their whole lives. Stress is huge. It compromises the immune system, hurts digestion, creates cardiovascular issues and headaches, and generally makes life frustrating. Luckily there are lots of yoga exercises to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which increases relaxation, immune function and reduces the heart rate and blood pressure. We have actually had students fall asleep while sitting up in this class. That's how powerful therapeutic stress reduction can be (and how tired they were!). |
Be the Mind, Free the Mind :: Concentration & Awareness in Asana Practice
2 1/2 hours
2 1/2 hours
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PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:
We all know that the mind is a vital part of yoga practice, but how do we use it most effectively? Should we be concentrating, spreading our awareness or striving to remove thought? In this workshop, we will the yogic states of the mind called the five modes of chitta, and discuss the various ways to use the mind and their respective benefits and drawbacks. Then we will practice postures, breathing and a short meditation using the knowledge and techniques. In just two and a half hours, you will develop profound awareness and concentration that can be applied to your yoga practice or any element of life. STUDIO OWNER DESCRIPTION (MORE INFO): We will discuss the modes of the mind according to the yogic system: scattering, darkening, gathering, one pointed, suspension of activity. In the first part of the workshop - about 60 minutes - we will talk about their differences and what they mean both in daily life and applied to asana. Then we will practice for about 90 minutes, including asana, breathing and a brief seated meditation. Throughout the practice we will instruct the specific mental awareness and control, so the students can experience firsthand the power of these concentrations. It can seem daunting or cerebral, but in reality it is quite liberating - realizing the power of your mind to access the body and achieve your goals. |
Bending the Spine :: Benefits of Forward & Backward Bending
2 1/2 hours
2 1/2 hours
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PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:
Forward and backward bending postures are the gems of an asana practice. They create movement in the spine leading to better posture, circulation, digestion and greater energy. In this all levels class we will explore effective engagement of the abdominal and back muscles (making your postures feel easier!) and learn how the combination of the spinal movements balance the nervous system. You will learn how to adjust your postures based on your current mobility, and leave knowing how to get the most out of your practice. STUDIO OWNER DESCRIPTION (MORE INFO): Forward and backward bending postures are hugely beneficial to the body, however many students struggle with effective muscular engagement. We will explain how the muscles in the body work in pairs, and how effectively engaging one side of the body can release the opposite. This muscular function is called reciprocal inhibition and utilizing it in forward and backward bends can make the postures both easier and deeper. Additionally we will explore how the postures stimulate the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Put together, forward and backward bends balance the nervous system. This is a gem of Ghosh Yoga, especially in contrast to other lineages that do not do "counter" poses. Integrating the Breath, Abs & Glutes
2 1/2 hours PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:
Practice well-known postures with a new focus. Learn how to breathe in each position to support the body instead of working against it. Learn the complementary functions of the abs and glutes (butt muscles) to control the pelvis and spine, bringing new stability and ease, especially in the standing and balancing postures. STUDIO OWNER DESCRIPTION (MORE INFO): The breath is a central element to asana practice (and life itself). Because of how the muscles of breathing are integrated into the body's movement, the two are often confused and work against each other. We will discuss and clarify the concept of 80-20 breathing, breaking down how to use the breath in each specific posture. This practice brings powerful integration of the body and breath, allowing the student to calm the mind and focus intently. Abdominal dysfunction and "glute amnesia", issues regarding the lack of proper engagement in these important muscle groups, are becoming more prominent in our society. This workshop will explain the importance of the abs and the glutes, how they support our spine and control the movement of our pelvis. We will begin with some simple exercises to awaken the muscle groups and the practitioner's awareness of them. Then, through specific instruction, we will integrate the muscles into the posture practice, leading to safer, supported, controlled, more sustainable physical practice. |
Ghosh Lineage History
2 1/2 Hours
2 1/2 Hours
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PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:
An all levels class. Explore the history of Ghosh yoga beginning from its origins in Kolkata, India. Learn how this lineage evolved out of body building and therapy to what is practiced today. You will become familiar with the great students of Bishnu Ghosh and explore concepts such as sequencing, heat, and competition. STUDIO OWNER DESCRIPTION (MORE INFO): This workshop will start with a lecture on the key players involved in the evolution of Ghosh Yoga. They include Bishnu Ghosh's son Biswanath Ghosh, Buddha Bose, Dr. Gouri Shankar Mukerji, Dr. Prem Sundar, Dibya and Kushala Das, Bikram & Rajashree Choudhury. We will explore different instructions for practice as taught by different Ghosh lineage teachers and look at charts from India documenting the first systems for a beginning practice. This workshop will greatly inform teachers' knowledge of the lineage as well as aid in giving them a confident and educated foundation from which to teach. |
OPTIONAL TEACHER-FOCUSED WORKSHOP
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- Common Injuries & Modifications
- Seeing & Teaching Skills (contact with further questions) |
PRICING
Ghosh Yoga Weekend w/ Scott and Ida
Travel + 70/30 split
- Travel price includes air travel, transportation to and from the airport and lodging for Scott and Ida. We are happy to stay with the studio owner or friend of the studio. If air travel is unnecessary (in the Midwest), travel price includes cost of gasoline.
- Out of the gross profit, travel costs are subtracted, then a 70/30 split with 30% going to the hosting studio.
- Pricing for the weekend as a whole and individual workshops can be set by the host studio taking into account their clientele and previous experience hosting workshops.
Travel + 70/30 split
- Travel price includes air travel, transportation to and from the airport and lodging for Scott and Ida. We are happy to stay with the studio owner or friend of the studio. If air travel is unnecessary (in the Midwest), travel price includes cost of gasoline.
- Out of the gross profit, travel costs are subtracted, then a 70/30 split with 30% going to the hosting studio.
- Pricing for the weekend as a whole and individual workshops can be set by the host studio taking into account their clientele and previous experience hosting workshops.