Yoga Conditioning Workshop Series - Lower Body
2023-07-29 14:00 - 16:00 (Australia/Sydney) | North Sydney Yoga, Shop 1, 144 Blues Point Road, McMahons Point, NSW, 2060, Australia
A wonderfully invigorating, challenging if you wish, and inspiring Workshop mini-series of the running Yoga Conditioning class. Two Saturdays for the in-depth exploration of the foundational elements of muscle coordination, joint mobility and strengthening. In July, as our focus is ‘grounding’ , we will go through the feet, ankle, knee and glutes. These body parts play a key role in all standing postures, but also in walking or running. In August our focus will be on the upper body and its musculoskeletal system. Starting from mobilisation and strengthening the wrists, shoulders, core and back. Exploring the body through different exercises and how they translate into the Ashtanga yoga practice as much as to our everyday movements.
Saturday 29th of July 2-4pm
LOWER body: the workshop will focus on muscles and joints from the hip below and how to utilise them for grounding in asanas, walking or running and other activities
Saturday 5th of August 2-4pm
UPPER body: everything between the hip and the head Everyone welcome

Yoga Conditioning Workshop Series - Upper Body
2023-08-05 14:00 - 16:00

Back-bending: Strength and Flexibility Workshop with Amy
2023-08-13 11:30 - 13:30
Our spines are the central support structure of our body and an essential element to movement in our everyday life. A healthy spine is an incredible balance of strength and flexibility – of Sthira and Sukha. In this two-hour class, students will follow a sequence of recurring asanas designed to reduce muscle rigidity and increase flexibility.

With a strong focus on stretching and opening the whole front body; the quadriceps, hip flexors, psoas, chest muscles and shoulder joints, while also building strength and power in the legs, arms and back muscles. This energising practice aims to reduce stress while increasing circulation and oxygen levels throughout the body, leaving students with a new feeling of increased vitality.

It is recommended to eat a light meal at least 2 hours before the class and ensure you are well-hydrated to avoid feeling lightheaded or dizzy during the class.

Everyone welcome

Gaia and The Luminous Mind – Kirtan and Workshop
2023-09-16 02:00 - 16:00
We are delighted to announce that North Sydney Yoga will host Ayya Yeshe for an exceptional afternoon in September 2023. Ayya is a mindfulness teacher and socially engaged Buddhist nun of 22 years. They are also a student of Thich Nhat Hanh (Nobel peace prize nominee) and the Dalai Lama. They run a charity empowering poor ex “untouchable” Dalit women and children in Nagpur, central India.
The workshop/talk part of the event is about embodied spirituality & indigenous wisdom – based on Buddhism and the Native American Medicine wheel. Learn about the directions and stages of life, how Native Americans live life in a sacred and dignified way connected to the earth, nature, the sacred and community and your sacred connection to nature and animal archetypes, finding your true calling and rights of passage and managing thoughts to find more peace and in inner freedom. This is based on authentic traditional philosophy from both the Native American medicine wheel and the Buddhist eightfold path (also a complete spiritual path with many parallels to the medicine wheel). Re-write your destiny.
About Ayya Yeshe
Coming to India in 2004, Venerable Yeshe studied for two years in a monastery but felt a need to make Buddhism accessible and socially engaged whilst still trying to maintain her contemplative way of life. She met Indian Buddhists in 2005 and has been working with them ever since. Her teachers are Sakya Trizen (the second-highest Lama in Tibetan Buddhism) and Ven Thich Nhat Hanh, the Nobel peace prize poet and peace activist. Ayya is an engaging speaker, and as someone who was once a street kid, lived in India for 17 years, and whose story has been published by Harper Collins and the Sydney Morning Herald will add altruism and value to our yoga studio and community.
Ayya Yeshe Bodhicitta is the author of ‘Everyday Enlightenment‘ published by Harper Collins, and is featured in the documentaries ‘life beyond the begging bowl‘ and ‘Through the Eastern Gate‘. She also made a Buddhist chanting CD with one of Australia’s top world music groups – India Jiva, called ‘Dakini’.
Today, she runs a monastery in Tasmania, the Bodhicitta Monastery. They are focusing on bringing the modern world and the Buddhist philosophies and other traditions together. It is a place where Western monastics can come and receive training and make retreats, as well as lay people and those interested in monastic life.
The Bodhicitta Foundation NGO works in India and other developing countries to empower mainly women and children with education, job skills, human rights, health and well-being. We have a range of projects such as women’s job training, girl’s home and education facilities and so forth.
More about the Bodhicitta Monastery here.
Click here to know more about the Bodhicitta Foundation’s work and engagement
And watch Ayya’s videos here.

Full Primary Led Class
2023-10-13 06:00 - 19:45
Full Primary Led class
Ashtanga yoga has six series (read more about the different series here). The first one is the Primary series (Yoga Chikitsa or yoga therapy), the second is Intermediate series (Nadi Sodhana), the third and fourth are Advanced A + B.
All series are built up from the same building blocks and practiced in a linear manner:

Surya Namaskaras (Sun Salutations) A + B
standing poses
‘seated’ poses
back bending poses
handstand + its variations
finishing sequence
relaxation and rest

Each of the six series introduce a different set of poses (asanas) for the ‘seated poses’ section. The Ashtanga Focus and Led classes in our studio, cover the Sun Salutations, standing poses, part of the seated poses (most often up to Navasana or boat posture), back bending, finishing sequence and the relaxation. This is usually being referred to as ‘Half Primary’. The asanas, following Navasana are taught on the Mysore style classes, as practicing these postures safely can require a bit more time and 1 on 1 instructions.

The Full Primary Led Class will go through all poses from the Primary Series. The asanas will be called in the same manner like on a half primary led class (for the tricky ones leaving a more time), with the Sanskrit names and counting of vinasas. The aim of this class is provide the benefits of a led class to the students who practice the second half of the Primary Series, not to teach new poses.
Who can attend the Full Primary Led class?
Anyone, who have been practicing at least the half primary series (on led or mysore classes), with a weekly regularity for some time now and find the practice manageable.
If you haven’t finished the Primary Series, you can still attend the class. Just stop at the last asana you have been practicing regularly, stay seated on your mat until the others finish the sequence.
If you’re unsure, just ask Bogi (or the teacher who’s class you’re attending)
Rules /suggestions:
This is not a class to teach you new poses. Stop at the last pose which you have been practicing, stay seated on your mat until we finish the primary series, then join in for the back bending poses and the finishing sequence.
Even if you know the sequence well, please don’t rush ahead. The point of a led class is to snap you out of your ‘routine mode’ and stay present.
If you practice a pose in a modified way, keep doing the modification on this class as well.

Spring Awakening Workshop
2023-10-14 13:15 - 15:00
As the world awakens from its winter slumber, so do our bodies and souls. Spring, the season of renewal and rebirth, beckons us to shed the layers of winter and embrace the vibrant energy that courses through the Earth. It’s a time of transformation, a symphony of colours and scents, a dance of life and growth. And what better way to sync with this season of change than through the ancient art of Yoga?

Harnessing the Energy of Spring
In this afternoon journey of self-discovery and revitalisation, you will learn how to harness the boundless energy of spring. We’ll guide you through a holistic experience that mirrors the natural world’s transition from the dormancy of winter to the vibrancy of spring.
Clearing Out Winter and Preparing for the Warmth of Summer
We’ll start by shedding the weight of winter, both physically and mentally. Through specific asanas (poses), mantras, and breathwork (pranayama), we’ll release tension and stiffness that may have accumulated over the colder months. It’s a clean slate for your body and Spirit, ensuring that you are ready to embrace the warmth and vitality of summer that lies ahead.
Enjoying the Present
With winter’s remnants cast aside, we’ll immerse ourselves in the present moment. Through guided relaxation and mindful meditation, you’ll experience a profound sense of peace and presence. Feel the warmth of the sun on your skin, the gentle breeze on your face, and the joy of simply being alive.

Bring/wear:

Comfortable yoga attire
Yoga mat (or use one of the studio mats)
Water bottle
An open heart and a curious spirit

Prerequisite
Some level of asana experience is required but no matter where you’re at, Robyn will guide you through this transformative spring journey. If you’re unsure of attending, please feel free to ask any staff after attending a yoga class or contact us via email.

Join Robyn in embracing the season’s energy, celebrate the present, and prepare for the warmth of summer

Mysore with Angelika
2023-11-09 05:30 - 08:00
Angelika is back in Sydney!
Catch Angelika’s first class and practice again under her guidance at North Sydney Yoga studio!
Thursday early morning Mysore style class
from 5:30 to 8:00 am
See you on the mat!

Angelika's welcome party and Diwali
2023-11-11 13:00 - 16:30
Angelika is back
After the well deserved sabbatical in Europe, Angelika is back to Sydney and to North Sydney Yoga.
It has been way too long since our last get together, so join us in the studio from 1pm on Saturday, 11.11.2023. to celebrate Angelika’s return to Sydney and to the shala!
Often we rush in to yoga class or off to somewhere afterwards, and we don’t get the chance to chat and to enjoy each others company. This afternoon there will be plenty of time to meet with regular and new members to our yogi community. Share a bite and a laugh.

You can catch Angelika on the mat:

Thursday, 9.11.2023. 5:30 am Mysore
Saturday, 11.11.2023. 9:30 am Mysore
Saturday, 11.11.2023. 11:30 am Beginners class

Bring:

yourself and a smile 🙂
if you have the chance then some drink or food to share
the studio has plates and some cutlery, but opting for finger foods is always the easiest

Everybody is most welcome

Ashtanga Yoga Intro Course Wednesdays
2023-11-15 18:00 - 2023-12-20 19:00
An uplifting class for those with little or no experience of Yoga. The course offers a structured Introduction to the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga method. During the course you will develop and discover strength, flexibility, confidence, dynamic energy… your Self!

Suitable for pure beginner or a refresher

What’s included

For new students*:
Six weeks ‘Ashtanga Yoga Intro Course Wednesdays’ PLUS after the course we gift you an additional two weeks of unlimited free classes.
$160

Existing students:
Use your 12 class pass

*clients who have not attended any classes in our studio

Ease by Tension
2023-11-18 13:00 - 15:00
Yoga Conditioning Workshop
‘Ease with tension’ might sound strange, confusing or even contradictory at first glance. I don’t blame you if you raised your eyebrows while reading the title.
In everyday language, we often use ‘tension’ to describe a strained state, physical or mental, or a disagreement between parties. Yet, the English word comes from the Latin tendere, which means ‘stretch’. One of the definitions of ‘tension’ is either of two balancing forces causing or tending to cause extension.
This extension, created by tension, is what we will explore more deeply in the workshop.
In the yoga practice, all poses (asanas) are whole-body (and mind, I might add) movements. As much as many poses get a label, such as ‘hip opening’ pose or a ‘back strengthening’ pose, we can’t create the ‘opening’ effect without some form of opposing force. There is no lifting without grounding, no extension without flexion and no strengthening without relaxation. Aligning with the monthly focus of November, the exercises we will do in the workshop centre around relaxation.
Immerse yourself into a balanced and holistic approach to mindfully employ tension during the yoga postures to create a sense of ease, achieving relaxation and increase the mobility of the joints safely.
Everybody is welcome!

Intro to Mysore Course
2023-11-20 06:00 - 2023-12-13 07:00
An uplifting class for those with little or no experience of Yoga. The course offers a structured Introduction to the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga method through the Mysore style class. During the course you will develop and discover strength, flexibility, confidence, dynamic energy… your Self!

Suitable for pure beginner or a refresher

What’s included
Two Mysore style beginners class per week on Mondays and Wednesdays for four weeks.
For new students*:
Four weeks ‘Intro to Early Morning’ PLUS after the course we gift you an additional two weeks of unlimited free classes.
$160

Existing students:
Use your 12 class pass

*clients who have not attended any classes in our studio

Full Primary Led Class
2023-11-24 06:00 - 07:30
Full Primary Led class
Ashtanga yoga has six series (read more about the different series here). The first one is the Primary series (Yoga Chikitsa or yoga therapy), the second is Intermediate series (Nadi Sodhana), the third and fourth are Advanced A + B (Sthira Boga).
All series are built up from the same building blocks and practiced in a linear manner:

Surya Namaskaras (Sun Salutations) A + B
standing poses
‘seated’ poses
back bending poses
handstand + its variations
finishing sequence
relaxation and rest

Each of the six series introduce a different set of poses (asanas) for the ‘seated poses’ section. The Ashtanga Focus and Led classes in our studio, cover the Sun Salutations, standing poses, part of the seated poses (most often up to Navasana or boat posture), back bending, finishing sequence and the relaxation. This is usually being referred to as ‘Half Primary’. The asanas, following Navasana are taught on the Mysore style classes, as practicing these postures safely can require a bit more time and 1 on 1 instructions.

The Full Primary Led Class will go through all poses from the Primary Series. The asanas will be called in the same manner like on a half primary led class (for the tricky ones leaving a bit more time), with the Sanskrit names and counting of vinyasas. The aim of this class is to provide the benefits of a led class to the students who practice the second half of the Primary Series, not to teach new poses.
Who can attend the Full Primary Led class?
Anyone, who have been practicing at least the half primary series (on led or mysore classes), with a weekly regularity for some time now and find the practice manageable.
If you haven’t finished the Primary Series, you can still attend the class. Just stop at the last asana you have been practicing regularly, stay seated on your mat until the others finish the sequence.
If you’re unsure, just ask Bogi (or the teacher who’s class you’re attending)
Rules /suggestions:
This is not a class to teach you new poses. Stop at the last pose which you have been practicing, stay seated on your mat until we finish the primary series, then join in for the back bending poses and the finishing sequence.
Even if you know the sequence well, please don’t rush ahead. The point of a led class is to snap you out of your ‘routine mode’ and stay present.
If you practice a pose in a modified way, keep doing the modification in this class as well.

Ashtanga Advent Calendar
2023-12-01 - 2023-12-24
This month’s focus are the Yamas. To connect the practices described in the Yoga Sutras, we prepared you 24 tips, wisdom, or food for thought and soul. We will share these every day till the 24th of December. The advises are based on the application of the five Yamas to everyday yoga practice.
How will this work?
The Yama wisdom will be posted in our story on Instagram and Facebook daily between 1-24 December.
Before attending your next yoga practice, check out our story and set your intentions for the practice to implement them with curiosity and without judgment.

Mysore Led Focus
2023-12-06 06:00 - 07:15
Mysore Led Focus:
the Yamas
Setting the pace for December with a special Mysore class, we will wander into the all-embracing world of one of the most important yogic scriptures, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and within it, the Yamas.
Rather than the usual Mysore program, in this fun class we will explore certain aspects of the practice in more detail, within the structure of a led class. Following the Focus of the Month, the class will give you guidance on the timeless relevance and universal importance of the Yamas, on and off the mat.
The Yamas are the first of the eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga. Angelika will share her wisdom and insight on how to apply the principles described in the five Yamas in your asana practice, but also in our everyday life.
Join us on Wednesday for this special Mysore class!

The class is suitable for all levels of experience

Pranayama class with Angelika
2023-12-09 11:30 - 12:30
Indulge in the beautiful practice of Pranayama – the control and release of the breath. Feel the empowering and cleansing effects of these ancient techniques, which have been for ever a part of the practice of Yoga.
Gain clarity, focus, and a deeper understanding of the meaning of ‘Prana’.
In these classes we will be practicing some basic Pranayama techniques. You will be encouraged to introduce these practices into your regular routine, and guidelines will be given as to how to incorporate them.
No prior experience in Pranayama is needed
All levels welcome!
Please note, the Ashtanga Yoga Beginners class and course will not take place on the 9th. Those who attend the beginners class are welcome to join the Pranayama class instead

Pop-up Xmas Market
2023-12-16 08:00 - 13:00
North Sydney Yoga x One Thread Collective

Pop-up Xmas Market
On Saturday (16.12.2023. 8am -1pm) the studio’s change room will host a Pop-up Xmas Market of traditional handwoven bags and yoga straps from the Wayúu Indigenous tribe of Colombia. With the help of One Thread Collective, all profit is supporting women’s empowerment programs in Colombia.

One Thread Collective
While working in La Guajira with NGOs in 2018 and 2019, One Thread Collective cofounders Jackie Gilbert and Megan Battaglia witnessed first-hand the many challenges afflicting the region – food insecurity, water scarcity, corruption, displacement of indigenous communities, environmental destruction, climate change, and extreme poverty. Jackie and Megan were determined to help the community, but these women were not interested in charity; rather, they approached Jackie and Megan for help in selling their mochilas internationally. Without access to a smartphone and a bank account, the only option for most Wayuu women is to sell their weavings in the marketplace where they barely break even. Read more about the One Thread Collective here.

Ashtanga Yoga - December Solstice Led class
2023-12-22 06:00 - 07:45
Class
The Ashtanga Yoga classes are suited to practitioners with some experience in Yoga who want a joy-filled challenge! The focus is on linking movement with breath throughout the Ashtanga Primary Sequence.
The Led class is an excellent opportunity to become familiar with and learn the vinyasas of the sequence, including Sanskrit counting. For the regular Mysore style practitioners, the class helps to highlight the parts of their practice where the ‘autopilot’ kicks in, where distraction often occurs and where fidgeting emerges due to habits.
Integrating Led classes into your regular practice schedule, can improve focus and the ability to balance one’s energies more evenly for the entirety of the sequence.
December Solstice
On Friday the 22nd, it is also the day of the December Solstice. A solstice is an event that occurs when the Sun appears to reach its most northerly or southerly excursion relative to the celestial equator on the celestial sphere. Two solstices occur annually, around June 21 and December 21. In many countries, the seasons of the year are determined by the solstices and the equinoxes ( a solar equinox is a moment in time when the Sun crosses the Earth’s equator, which is to say, appears directly above the equator, rather than north or south of the equator).
For Australia, the December Solstice marks the day with the longest daylight of the year. In 2023, this day is December 22, and we will have an astonishing 14 hours and 24 minutes of light!

Set yourself up for the longest day of the year with an energising yoga class!

Intro to Mysore Course with Angelika
2024-01-29 06:00 - 2024-02-19 07:00
An uplifting class for those with little or no experience of Yoga. The course offers a structured Introduction to the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga method through the Mysore style class. During the course you will develop and discover strength, flexibility, confidence, dynamic energy… your Self!

Suitable for pure beginner or a refresher

What’s included
Two Mysore style beginners class per week on Mondays and Wednesdays for four weeks.
For new students*:
Four weeks ‘Intro to Early Morning’ PLUS after the course we gift you an additional two weeks of unlimited free classes.
$180

Existing students:
Use your 12 class pass

*clients who have not attended any classes in our studio

Ashtanga Yoga Intro Course Wednesdays with Iris
2024-02-07 18:00 - 2024-03-13 19:00
An uplifting class for those with little or no experience of Yoga. The course offers a structured Introduction to the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga method. During the course you will develop and discover strength, flexibility, confidence, dynamic energy… your Self!

Suitable for pure beginner or a refresher

What’s included

For new students*:
Six weeks ‘Ashtanga Yoga Intro Course Wednesdays’ PLUS after the course we gift you an additional two weeks of unlimited free classes.
$180

Existing students:
Use your 12 class pass

*clients who have not attended any classes in our studio

Ashtanga - Enriching the Experience with Angelika
2024-02-11 10:45 - 2024-04-21 15:00
‘Ashtanga – Enriching the Experience’, is a course designed to take you beyond the yoga class and heighten your experience of the practice. It’s perfect for students who wish to broaden their understanding of the ancient art and its relevance to our daily lives.
Throughout the course, you’ll receive mentorship and training from Angelika Knoerzer, the director of North Sydney Yoga, along with a support system of professional teachers and fellow practitioners.

Course Benefits
Gain an overall understanding of the science of yoga & Ashtanga Yoga in particular. Heighten your concentration and observational skills. Understand how to apply yoga to your day-to-day life. Experience internal stability, clarity, physical and emotional well-being through yoga. Learn how to look deeply into your asana practice and beyond, for a life changing experience. Be a part of our yoga community, where you can share your experiences with like-minded people.
Course Content
Theory classes on selected Sundays – 24 hours
Weekly practice with your teacher and other participants
Discussion and chanting of the Yoga Sutras

In-depth discussion of Asana, including execution, alignment and benefits
Asana adjustments, including for special needs
Understanding Vinyasa, Ujjayi breath, bandhas and dristis
The practice of Pranayama and meditation
Discussion of the eight limbs of yoga, focusing on the first four limbs and deep self-inquiry
Yoga physiology, philosophy and history

Participation Requirements
Students with a minimum of three months of consistent yoga practice are welcome to apply.
You are also required to have:
A genuine interest in and understanding of yoga and your own practice
Willingness to undertake considerable self-inquiry
Commitment to asana practice four times each week
Openness in communicating with the group and your teacher
The time and mental space for weekly homework, assignments, self-reflection and processing

Dates
Sundays 10:45am – 3:00pm

February 11 & 25
March 10 & 24
April 7 & 21

Cost

Option 1 – Theory & all practice classes
$1,650 This is inclusive of all Sunday theory classes and practice classes for three months.
Option 2 – Theory only $950 This covers all Sunday theory classes. Practice classes will have to be covered separately e.g. monthly passes or multiple class passes.

Cost includes
All theory classes held on above stated Sundays
All weekly practice classes for the length of the course (option 1 only)
Additional contact time with your teacher as required
10% discount on workshops held during the course – 11 February – 21 April
Bank Details
North Sydney Yoga, Bendigo Bank BSB 633000 A/C 154 764 955
Please let us know if you require a payment plan. *
All training fees are non-refundable and non-transferable
Secure your space on the course with a deposit of $450

Early Morning Ashtanga Led Class
2024-02-16 06:00 - 07:30
About the Class
The Ashtanga Yoga classes are suited to practitioners with some experience in Yoga who want a joy-filled challenge! The focus is on linking movement with breath throughout the Ashtanga Primary Sequence.
The Led class is an excellent opportunity to become familiar with and learn the vinyasas of the sequence, including Sanskrit counting. For the regular Mysore style practitioners, the class helps to highlight the parts of their practice where the ‘autopilot’ kicks in, where distraction often occurs and where fidgeting emerges due to habits.
Integrating Led classes into your regular practice schedule, can improve focus and the ability to balance one’s energies more evenly for the entirety of the sequence.

Ashtanga Yoga - Adjustment Workshop with Angelika
2024-02-17 14:00 - 2024-02-18 16:30
Content
In this workshop you will learn to connect with your own and other students’ energy field, through practical exercises. You will explore how to best assist someone in a posture, beginning with subtle corrections/adjustments, then deepen someone’s experience of a posture, and ultimately to assist someone in reaching the fuller expression of a pose.
Emphasis will be placed on the recognition of the students’ abilities, limitations, and the honouring of those. We focus on the respectful and mindful execution of an adjustment. You will occasionally work in pairs to explore the ideas and techniques presented.
We will discuss the alignment of the posture before each adjustment.

Suitability
You are welcome to join in this workshop if you are interested in exploring the more subtle aspects of our beautiful practice. Yoga teachers of all lineages are invited and most welcome.
Note: In the workshop we will explore selected postures, but it does not include a whole asana practice. You are expected to have practiced before-hand.

About Angelika
I have always considered it a privilege to be able to assist students in their practice of yoga, using hands-on adjustments. This special contact with a student enables me to deepen my understanding of the student’s practice and current state of well-being. I hope to use this knowledge to better assist the student.
After more than 30 years of teaching, out of which I have spent the last 26 years in the Mysore room, I still regard it an honour for students to trust me in this way. There is always so much more to learn. What I have so far experienced and understood about adjustments – their subtleties, as well as the great variety of requirements needed to cater for each student’s needs – I am looking forward to sharing with you in this workshop

Intro to the Vedas, Hymns of India
2024-03-03 11:00 - 12:30
About the Vedas
The Vedas are the oldest spiritual texts in the world, inspiring virtually all traditions that have emerged from the Indian subcontinent. The authors of these texts take no ownership over them; rather, the contents of the Vedas – song, poetry, and prose that speak to the sacred nature of reality – were “received” by the ancient seers in deep meditation. As received/inspired texts from the universe itself, the Veda are given preeminence in the Hindu tradition as the source material for the countless other practices and philosophies that have flourished over millennia.
The Vedas and our yoga practice
How are we to make sense of this as yoga practitioners? This is for everyone to decide for themselves… But sooner or later as students of yoga, it may be useful to consider the context from which yoga emerged. The first aim of the workshop will be to provide some of this context. Our conversation will be deeply enriched however with your own questions and perspective, and there will be time allotted for student-led discussion. The Veda are intended to be chanted, so the second portion of the class will introduce the traditional call-and-response method of learning a well-known Vedic mantra, Saha Navavatu.

About David
David Cross is a student of Shantala Sriramaih, who is herself a student of purohit Sri M.S. Sreenivasan of the Challakere family in the lineage of the Krishna Yajur Veda. David was inspired by the chanting of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras that often graces the Mysore room, and is excited to share in his own studentship.

Proceeds will go to the OM Tare Free Education Trust, offering education to low income families in rural Bihar, India.

Early Morning Ashtanga Led Class and Holi
2024-03-22 06:00 - 07:45
Holi, the Festival of Colours, originates from India and it is celebrated by many all around the world by throwing colourful powders at each other and engaging in banter. The Holi festivities also mark an occasion to reset and renew ruptured relationships, end conflicts and rid one’s self of accumulated emotional impurities from the past to welcome the arrival of Spring on the Northern Hemisphere.
On the Friday Ashtanga Led class, following this tradition, dress up into colourful (but still comfortable and non-restrictive) attire for a light hearted yoga class.

Colours for Holi on sale at a market in Mysore

About the Class
The Ashtanga Yoga classes are suited to practitioners with some experience in Yoga who want a joy-filled challenge! The focus is on linking movement with breath throughout the Ashtanga Primary Sequence.
The Led class is an excellent opportunity to become familiar with and learn the vinyasas of the sequence, including Sanskrit counting. For the regular Mysore style practitioners, the class helps to highlight the parts of their practice where the ‘autopilot’ kicks in, where distraction often occurs and where fidgeting emerges due to habits.
Integrating Led classes into your regular practice schedule, can improve focus and the ability to balance one’s energies more evenly for the entirety of the sequence.

People celebrating Holi
Holi
Holi is the festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love, and Spring. It celebrates the eternal and divine love of the deities Radha and Krishna. Additionally, the day signifies the triumph of good over evil, as it commemorates the victory of Vishnu as Narasimha over Hiranyakashipu. Holi originated and is predominantly celebrated in the Indian subcontinent, but has also spread to other regions of Asia and parts of the Western world.
This ancient Hindu festival with its own cultural rituals started from the Prahladpuri Temple, in the city of Multan, in what is now Punjab, Pakistan. The festival finds colour in numerous scriptures, such as in works like Jaimini’s Purva Mimamsa Sutras and Kathaka-Grhya-Sutras with even more detailed descriptions in ancient texts like the Narad Purana and Bhavishyad Purana. The festival of “holikotsav” was also mentioned in the 7th century work, Ratnavali, by King Harsha. It is mentioned in the Puranas, Dasakumara Charita, and by the poet Kālidāsa during the 4th century reign of Chandragupta II.
Radha Krishna
In the Braj region of India, where the Hindu deities Radha and Krishna grew up, the festival is celebrated until Rang Panchmi in commemoration of their divine love for each other. The festivities officially usher in spring, with Holi celebrated as a festival of love. Garga Samhita, a puranic work by Sage Garga was the first work of literature to mention the romantic description of Radha and Krishna playing Holi. There is also a popular symbolic legend behind the festival. In his youth, Krishna despaired whether the fair-skinned Radha would like him because of his dark skin colour. His mother Yashoda, tired of his desperation, asks him to approach Radha and ask her to colour his face in any colour she wanted. This Radha did, and Radha and Krishna became a couple. Ever since, the playful colouring of Radha and Krishna’s faces has been commemorated as Holi.
Vishnu
There is a symbolic legend found in the 7th chapter of the Bhagavata Purana explaining why Holi is celebrated as a festival of triumph of good over evil in the honour of Hindu god Vishnu and his devotee Prahlada. King Hiranyakashipu, the father of Prahlada, was the king of demonic Asuras and had earned a boon that gave him five special powers: he could be killed by neither a human being nor an animal, neither indoors nor outdoors, neither at day nor at night, neither by astra (projectile weapons) nor by any shastra (handheld weapons), and neither on land nor in water or air. Hiranyakashipu grew arrogant, thought he was God, and demanded that everyone worship only him. Hiranyakashipu’s own son, Prahlada, however, remained devoted to Vishnu. This infuriated Hiranyakashipu. He subjected Prahlada to cruel punishments, none of which affected the boy or his resolve to do what he thought was right. Finally, Holika, Prahlada’s evil aunt, tricked him into sitting on a pyre with her. Holika was wearing a cloak that made her immune to injury from fire, while Prahlada was not. As the fire spread, the cloak flew from Holika and encased Prahlada, who survived while Holika burned. Vishnu, the god who appears as an avatar to restore Dharma in Hindu beliefs, took the form of Narasimha – half human and half lion (which is neither a human nor an animal), at dusk (when it was neither day nor night), took Hiranyakashyapu at a doorstep (which was neither indoors nor outdoors), placed him on his lap (which was neither land, water nor air), and then eviscerated and killed the king with his lion claws (which were neither a handheld weapon nor a launched weapon).
Kama and Rati
Among other Hindu traditions such as Shaivism and Shaktism, the legendary significance of Holi is linked to Shiva in yoga and deep meditation. Goddess Parvati wanting to bring Shiva back into the world, seeks help from the Hindu god of love called Kamadeva on Vasant Panchami. The love god shoots arrows at Shiva, the yogi opens his third eye and burns Kama to ashes. This upsets both Kama’s wife Rati (Kamadevi) and his own wife Parvati. Rati performs her own meditative asceticism for forty days, upon which Shiva understands, forgives out of compassion and restores the god of love. This return of the god of love, is celebrated on the 40th day after the Vasant Panchami festival as Holi. The Kama legend and its significance to Holi has many variant forms, particularly in South India.
Significance
The Holi festival has a cultural significance among various Hindu traditions. It is the festive day to end and rid oneself of past errors, to end conflicts by meeting others, a day to forget and forgive. People pay or forgive debts, as well as deal anew with those in their lives. Holi also marks the start of spring, an occasion for people to enjoy the changing seasons and make new friends.
People smear and drench each other with colours. Water guns and water-filled balloons are often used to play and colour each other, with anyone and any place being considered fair game to colour. Groups often carry drums and other musical instruments going from place to place singing and dancing. Throughout the day people visit family, and friends and foes come together to chat, enjoy food and drink, and partake in Holi delicacies. Holi is also a festival of forgiveness and new starts, which ritually aims to generate harmony in society.
The spring season, during which the weather changes, is believed to cause viral fever and cold. The playful throwing of natural coloured powders, called gulal has a medicinal significance: the colours are traditionally made of neem, kumkum, haldi, bilva and other medicinal herbs suggested by Āyurvedic doctors. Some of the traditional natural plant-based sources of colours are:

Orange and red
Green
Yellow
Blue
Magenta and purple
Brown
Black

Ashtanga Yoga – Adjustment Workshop with Angelika
2024-04-13 14:00 - 16:30
We had so much fun in our recent adjustment workshop that we all decided to have another afternoon of exploring postures.
During this workshop, we will focus on good alignment and how to approach an asana we might find challenging to practice. We will also cover adjustments in various forms, on selected postures.

Early Morning Ashtanga Led Class
2024-04-19 06:00 - 07:45
About the Class
The Ashtanga Yoga classes are suited to practitioners with some experience in Yoga who want a joy-filled challenge! The focus is on linking movement with breath throughout the Ashtanga Primary Sequence.
The Led class is an excellent opportunity to become familiar with and learn the vinyasas of the sequence, including Sanskrit counting. For the regular Mysore style practitioners, the class helps to highlight the parts of their practice where the ‘autopilot’ kicks in, where distraction often occurs and where fidgeting emerges due to habits.
Integrating Led classes into your regular practice schedule, can improve focus and the ability to balance one’s energies more evenly for the entirety of the sequence.

Who can attend the Full Primary Led class?
Anyone, who have been practicing at least the half primary series (on led or mysore classes), with a weekly regularity for some time now and find the practice manageable.
If you haven’t finished the Primary Series, you can still attend the class. Just stop at the last asana you have been practicing regularly, stay seated on your mat until the others finish the sequence.
If you’re unsure, just ask Bogi (or the teacher who’s class you’re attending)
Rules /suggestions:
This is not a class to teach you new poses. Stop at the last pose which you have been practicing, stay seated on your mat until we finish the primary series, then join in for the back bending poses and the finishing sequence.
Even if you know the sequence well, please don’t rush ahead. The point of a led class is to snap you out of your ‘routine mode’ and stay present.
If you practice a pose in a modified way, keep doing the modification in this class as well.

Graeme & Leonie Northfield - Stability & Balance
2024-06-01 13:00 - 2024-06-02 15:30
In this increasingly unstable and turbulent world, it’s beneficial to have strategies we incorporate into our daily practice that assist in establishing and maintaining a sense of safety, stability, balance and calm.
Graeme and Leonie have a wealth of wisdom and experience to share from their own dedicated Ashtanga Yoga journeys, spanning 42 & 38 years respectively.
Join us for an informative and fun weekend.
Practitioners of all levels warmly welcome.
Saturday 1 June 2024
1:00-3:00 pm Mysore style class
3:30-5:30 pm Exercises for stability and balance, breathing techniques and deep relaxation
Sunday 2 June 2024
11 am-1 pm Mysore style class
1:30-3:30 pm Exercises for stability and balance, breathing techniques and deep relaxation
About Graeme & Leonie Northfield
More than 42 years of self-practice, exploration, evolution and insight have refined Graeme’s gift for transmitting the essence of Ashtanga Yoga with clarity and humour.
Leonie shares experience gained from 38 years of dedicated Ashtanga practice & the supportive disciplines of Sumarah Meditation, Amerta Movement, Qi Gong & theTaKeTiNa Rhythm Process.
Yoga Workshop – establish and maintain a sense of safety, stability, balance and calm! A weekend with senior teachers Graeme & Leonie Northfield

Ashtanga Yoga Intro Course Saturdays with Angelika
2024-11-09 11:30 - 2024-12-14 12:30
The Ashtanga Yoga Intro course is an uplifting class for those with little or no experience of Yoga. The course offers a structured Introduction to the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga method. During the course you will develop and discover strength, flexibility, confidence, dynamic energy… your Self!
Suitable for pure beginner or a refresher
What’s included

Weekly Yoga class with an inspiring teacher for six weeks. Plus afterwards you receive an additional two weeks of unlimited classes for free. You can explore and consolidate what you have learned until you feel ready to step up to the ‘Ashtanga Yoga’ classes.

Ashtanga Yoga Intro Course Wednesdays with Iris
2024-11-13 18:00 - 2024-12-18 19:00
An uplifting class for those with little or no experience of Yoga. The course offers a structured Introduction to the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga method. During the course you will develop and discover strength, flexibility, confidence, dynamic energy… your Self!
Suitable for pure beginner or a refresher
What’s included
Weekly Yoga class with an inspiring teacher for six weeks. Plus afterwards you receive two weeks of unlimited classes for free. You can explore and consolidate what you have learned until you feel ready to continue practicing in the ‘Ashtanga Yoga’ classes.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Chanting and Discussion
2024-11-17 10:45 - 2024-12-08 11:45
On three Sundays in November and December we will meet after the morning class to chant some of the key Sutras, followed by an interpretation and discussion.
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras are considered the most important text in Yoga literature. They outline and explain the problems our mind presents – of which the patterns still persist in a most similar way to how they did for humans thousands of years ago. The Sutras also provide us with ideas as to how to overcome those mental difficulties. It is always fascinating to recognise how contemporary these ancient teachings are.
Join us on Sundays at 10.45 am for about one hour.
Recommenced Literature
Bernard Bouanchaud – The Essence of Yoga – Reflections on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Frans Moors – Liberating Isolation, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Gregor Maehle – Ashtanga Yoga, Practice and Philosophy (the back section of the book contains an interpretation of the Yoga Sutras)
Everyone welcome!
