with Richard Rosen
Saturdays: 9/6, 9/13, 10/18
12:30 - 2:30 PM
$150
More and more of today’s students are discovering the enormous value of a regular breathing practice, not only to benefit their asana practice, but also their everyday life. This workshop will cover what he calls the five “families,” that is, groups of related exercises, tools, mindfulness and breathing techniques, that compose the foundation of pranayama. The five are:
1. THE ASANA FAMILY. This family includes five essential asana-based exercises to prepare for pranayama.
2. THE SUPPORT FAMILY. Pranayama can be done either reclining or sitting. Reclining is especially recommended for students just beginning a breathing practice. We’ll learn how to create three different reclining supports. We’ll also work on proper sitting: how high you need to sit, how to use certain props to create a stable sitting position.
3. THE WITNESS FAMILY. Self-awareness is a crucial element in pranayama (as well as in everyday life). It helps us to closely monitor both the flow of breath and our emotional response to that flow. To do this we’ll acquaint ourselves with our “witness,” the part of our conscious mind that “stands back” from our breath and observes it without expectation or judgement. This family includes the “unspoken” (ajapa) mantra.
4. THE TOUCH FAMILY. This family uses the hands to enliven the three major sections of the torso, the lower belly, upper belly/lower ribs, upper ribs/collar bones. We’ll also look at the two major “energetic” circuits of the body, the spine and head, and the proper way to use the fingertips to manipulate the nostrils for alternate nostril breathing (nadi shodana).
5. THE BREATH FAMILY. Finally, with the breath family, we’ll learn a few preparatory breaths and breathing techniques, including vertical breathing, circular breathing, and interrupted breathing (viloma).
This workshop is open to all students wanting to begin a regular pranayama practice, or brush up on an established practice. To get the full benefits of this workshop, Richard asks that you maintain a journal and commit to breathing every day for at least 12-15 minutes.
RICHARD ROSEN has written six books on yoga, two on pranayama, the Yoga of Breath (2002) and Pranayama: Beyond the Fundamentals (2006).