Pranayama Training with Eddie Stern (10 hrs)

Pranayama is a fundamental practice in classical yoga for calming, strengthening, and focusing the nervous system in preparation for meditative practices. It has been said that when we glimpse our inner essence, the power of that realization can be so profound that the vessel of our body needs to be strong and stable enough to contain the increased flow of energy that comes along with the new revelations about who we are. While asanas give stability to our bodies, they only have a limited impact on the deeper functions of our nervous system, specifically the operations of the autonomic nervous system. When we can begin to have a measure of control over the automatic functions of our body, such as breathing, we can begin to manage our subconscious impulses, thought patterns, and unconscious behaviors.

In this ten-hour training, you will learn two, primary schools of pranayama. The first is the Hatha Yoga school, which uses breath retention, and the second is the Vasishta school, which moves towards natural or spontaneous pausing of the breath, rather than measured holds. Both have benefits and are useful for yoga practitioners. We will also cover teachings from a variety of Hatha Yoga texts; learn about the scientific research currently done on pranayama and slow breathing; and practice simple asanas that open the lung channels and prepare for pranayama. When approached slowly and sensibly, pranayama is a safe and important practice to include as part of your spiritual practice for regular use. You will leave this training with three, simple pranayama plans you can use for daily practice.

DATES
- Saturday 19th October | 13:00-18:00
- Sunday 20th October | 13:00-18:00