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Yoga off the Mat by Prema

Being part of the Hatha Yoga Teacher Training program as faculty is such a blessing in so many ways, and one of my favorites aspects of the program is our diving into discussion and contemplation of the Yamas and Niyamas. I find that as students continue their yoga practice over time, inevitably they are drawn to the deeper teachings that exist behind the asana we do in public class. Here is the ideal place to begin in discovering the rich history, philosophy and spiritual opportunity that yoga has to offer, for studying the Yamas and Niyamas means studying the Yoga Sutra.

The role the Yamas and Niyamas have played in my life and practice has first been an accessible way to take the heart of yoga off the mat and into my moment to moment existence. These principles and observances reach into the very soul of the practice and assist individuals in leading a life that embodies yoga fully, not just one hour a day or a few times a week in asana practice. You can take yoga to the supermarket, the hiking trail, the gridlock traffic on Mopac during rush hour! I look forward to sharing these principles with students and am most inspired by Nishala Joy Devi’s interpretation in The Secret Power of Yoga and Dr. Alberto Villoldo’s impression in Yoga, Power, and Spirit. I will share wisdom from these two works as well as get you involved in the discussion! After, we will practice together and spend some time in meditation.

Click here for more information or to register for this weekend's Yamas and Niyamas workshop.

Richard Miller's iRest Training Retreat - November 2009

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Exploring the Heart of Viniyoga with Mirka Kraftsow

We were fortunate to have Mirka Kraftsow offer a weekend of classes at Yoga Yoga in October.  We received the following feedback from one of our students, Janet Daum, that we wanted to share:

Recently, I had the pleasure of studying with Mirka Kraftsow.  I originally signed up for this weekend because I have a strong interest in Viniyoga and would like to study at their institute.  As a teacher training student I also wanted to deepen my knowledge of teaching and practicing yoga.  I came away from the weekend with that and so much more. 

Mirka has an amazing presence!  From the very beginning her inviting and warm manner drew us together as a group.  She is a font of wisdom and experience but more importantly her words and teachings come from the heart.  Her generosity comes from her love of sharing all aspects of yoga with her students.  She was open and curious about how the practices she gave us worked for each of us.

My favorite part of her teaching is how she weaves breath work and mantra into asana practices.  I felt that this allowed me to access a deeper level of self knowledge than keeping those as separate practices.  We worked very hard during this workshop but received a deep level of nourishment not only from Mirka but from the support of the group.

I left the weekend with not only new techniques and knowledge but with a strong curiosity and enthusiasm to continue on the path of yoga.

Thank you so much to Yoga Yoga for hosting Mirka.  Please bring her back soon! 

 
Note: Janet is the student to the left of Mirka (center)

Thanks, Janet, for sharing your experience and thanks to everybody who shared in the Heart of Viniyoga weekend with Mirka Kraftsow.  We will definitely bring Mirka back!

You can see more pictures from the weekend on our facebook page!