Experience a weekend workshop with an ashtanga master Friday–Sunday; March 29–31
sign up for the whole weekend, two days, or by the session
If you’re a regular yoga practitioner, you might know him as the author of Ashtanga Yoga, The Practice Manual. If you don’t practice yoga, then there’s no better time to start. Yoga master David Swenson will visit the WAC during the last weekend of March and offer three days of incredible yoga.
Clinics for yogis of all skill levels (including level zero) will be offered with this legend in his field.
Swenson is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading Ashtanga yoga practitioners and instructors.
WAC member pricing: Friday–Sunday, $300; Saturday–Sunday: $250; individual sessions at $55 each.
Nonmember pricing: Friday–Sunday, $350; Saturday–Sunday: $300; individual sessions at $65 each.
To register, contact George Sommerrock at georges@wac.net or 206.839.4781.
Friday:
6–8 pm
Ashtanga Basics
Exploring the FUNdamentals
An introduction to Ashtanga yoga open to all levels of experience. The building blocks of Ashtanga yoga will be explored through what David refers to as the five elements of practice: breath, bandhas, drishti, asana, and vinyasa.
Saturday:
9–11 am
Fully led primary series: Dancing with the breath in a first series flow
A class designed for those familiar with the first series of Ashtanga yoga yet open to all levels of proficiency. Class will be conducted like a choreographed dance, flowing along from opening sun salutations to the closing savasana.
1–3:30 pm
Flying, floating and handstanding: A fun-filled exploration of vinyasa and arm-balances
David will break the vinyasa down into its components and explore the elements of handstands and arm-balances. Open to all levels, including those who never done a handstand.
4–5:30 pm
Breath, bandhas and pranayama:Exploring the mantra of ujjayi and the mystical energy of bandhas
This class will focus on the mantra of ujjayi within asana practice as well as during pranayama. In addition to breath work, the class will explore the invisible world of bandhas.
Sunday:
9–11 am
Nadi Shodhana: A guided tour
An introduction to the intermediate series of Ashtanga yoga
Students should have a regular practice of the first series in order to attend this class. Includes an introductory discussion of the dynamics inherent to the second series.
1–3:30 pm
Inversions, backbends and sitting with your breath
Finding stability when the world is inverted, and returning home to breath
Turn your world upside down in order to explore the dynamics of inverting the body through building a solid foundation. Backbends will be defined as front openings, and sitting quietly will be explored as an active participation in self-exploration through developing a relationship with your breath.
4–5:30 pm
Eight limbs and daily life: How does this practice apply within the context of daily living?
Underlying the mysterious and complex philosophy of Patanjali’s yoga sutras there is a truly profound simplicity that may be applied within the context of our daily lives. Explore the eight limbs of Ashtanga yoga and their applications to our daily lives.
Friday–Sunday: $300 WAC members, $350 nonmembers; Saturday–Sunday: $250 WAC members, $300 nonmembers; per-session: $55 WAC members, $65 nonmembers. To register, contact George Sommerrock at georges@wac.net or 206.839.4781.
About the instructor: David Swenson
David Swenson started practicing yoga at the age of 13, in the park with his older brother Doug. They practiced from any book they could find on this topic, as there were only few sources for yoga at that time. In 1973 David came in touch with Ashtanga Yoga after meeting David Williams and Nancy Gilgoff. In 1975 David Williams and Nancy brought K. Pattabhi Jois to the U.S. for the first time and David Swenson was initiated directly by the master into the studies of Ashtanga Yoga. He traveled the first time to Mysore in 1977 to study daily at K.Pattabhi Jois’ Shala and David Swenson was of only a few Western students to have learned the full Ashtanga System as orgininally taught by K.Pattabhi Jois.
To this day David is considered one of the world’s foremost practitioner and instructors of Ashtanga Yoga. He travels the world year round to teach teacher trainings, workshops and immersion. At the Arhanta Yoga Ashram David will teach an immersion into the teaching techniques of the Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga. Participants will gain great insights and depth of knowledge as to how to share the practice of Ashtanga Yoga with all levels of students in a safe and effective manner.