Science of Meditation – Part 1: Breath and the Body
Learn the physiology of breath; and how pranayama (breath/energy control) techniques can influence things like blood pressure, heart rate, blood pH, etc; . Practice simple techniques for diaphragmatic breathing and the use of mudras (hand gestures) to improve breath control.

Presented by Murali Venkatrao, Director of Yoga Teacher Training, Ananda Institute of Living Yoga.

This workshop is part of a series of 4 happening 4 Thursdays in a row from June 5th to June 26th from 7pm to 8h45pm. Buy one ticket for $40 or a pass for all 4 workshops for $70.

The topics of the series are as follow:

June 5 – Science of Meditation – Part 1: Breath and the Body
Learn the physiology of breath; and how pranayama (breath/energy control) techniques can influence things like blood pressure, heart rate, blood pH, etc; . Practice simple techniques for diaphragmatic breathing and the use of mudras (hand gestures) to improve breath control.
June 12 – Science of Meditation – Part 2: Meditation and the Mind
Introduction to Brain wave electromagnetism in meditation.Recent studies on how meditation can influence our generic makeup; the growing field of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Practice simple mindfulness (breath watching) techniques.
June 19 – Science of Yoga – Part 1 Movement, Flexibility and Health – the Magic of Yogasana:
Learn the basic anatomy and physiology of the spine; how simple spinal movements, properly done and over a period of time, can have profound health benefits. For example “curling up” in the fetal position – known as Balasana – produces a sense of peace because of the Flexional Tonal Reflex; stretching the hips reduces pressure on the sciatic nerve and prevents sciatica; etc. We will practice basic yoga postures – accessible to most people – and learn what science has to say about their effects.
June 26 – Science of Yoga – Part 2: Selected Yoga Postures and their Healing Attributes. We will explore several classic yoga postures in terms of their anatomical and physiological effects. The poses include Downward Facing Dog, Bridge, Shoulder Stand, Spinal Twist, and a few others. We will practice some of these postures experience it in our body. Both beginners and experienced yogis are welcome.