Class description
MYSORE STYLE
Mysore, not Master style, is an individual group practice that allows the student to receive individual guidance and assistance, as well as to learn the Ashtanga Vinyasa method at their own pace.
In this style of practice, students learn methodically and systematically the asanas – one by one. The asanas are added by the teacher, who observes the student’s practice, corrects him, gives him guidelines on how and on what to work. When the student has mastered an asana, the teacher shows him a new one. Thus, everyone progresses individually according to their needs and abilities and has the opportunity to practice with their own rhythm of breathing and movement.
Everyone in this class is welcome – from beginners to advanced students who want to deepen their knowledge in practice. Usually in the beginning there is an emphasis on a more detailed explanation of the new students. As they progress, they gain more freedom and are corrected only where they need to. This allows the practice to become more profound and meditative.
LED CLASS
The led class is an important addition to the Mysore program for both beginners and experienced students. It gives a very good opportunity to correct or learn the exact performance of each of the vinyasas in the series. During this class, the teacher names the asanas, counts the vinyasas, and gives basic guidelines for breathing and performing the asanas.
Following the counting, rhythm and instructions of the teacher, the student has an excellent opportunity to gain an idea of how to practice, while increasing his physical and mental strength and endurance.
Led PRIMARY SERIES
In this class, all poses from the first series will be performed with the appropriate vinyasas, breathing and drishti. The class is suitable for persons who have experience in Ashtanga and have a sustainable practice.
Half PRIMARY SERIES
In this class, only the asanas to Navasana (half of the series) will be practiced with the corresponding vinyasas, breathing and drishtis. This makes the class accessible even to persons who do not practice Ashtanga regularly, but have previous experience in yoga, and anyone who has established Ashtanga practice. Students will be guided through the asanas, and modification options will be given where needed so that the practice is accessible to all.
Led INTERMEDIATE SERIES
This guided class is only suitable for those who are very well established in the Primary Series and practice parts of the Secondary.
INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTALS IN ASHTANGA VINYASA
This is a course for beginners and for those who want to learn the Ashtanga Vinyasa method and gradually be able to join Mysore classes on their own. In this course, students will learn the basics of the Ashtanga method and the basic techniques of practice known as Tristana – specific yogic breathing, techniques for concentrating the mind during practice (drishti) and techniques for mastering and cultivating life energy (bandha). In addition to these things, they will learn the basic asanas known as sun salutations (surya namaskar) and the upright series of asanas, which are fundamental to each of the main series – 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.
In a series of classes and workshops you will receive individual instructions on how to practice the Ashtanga Vinyasa method. In the beginning the practice is shorter, as with mastering the asanas new poses are added and the practice is extended. In this way the student will be able to experience the maximum therapeutic benefits of the practice.
ASHTANGA FOR EVERYONE
This is a guided type class suitable for everyone, especially for those who do not come to Mysore style or the traditional guided class is heavier for them, but who want to get acquainted with the method of Ashtanga Vinyasa. In this class there are more verbal instructions and demonstration by the teacher to the students, giving them a little more time and guidance compared to the traditional guided class. The sun salutations, the upright series of asanas and some of the asanas from the final series are performed here. The goal is for the student to get used to and start the practice, and in the future to have the opportunity to join the traditional guided or Mysore classes.
MOBILITY
Mobility is the ability of a person to move his body freely and efficiently. The word “freely” here means movement without pain and restriction, which come from the lack of joint movement capacity, flexibility of muscles and tendons. The word “efficiently” means to have a proper distribution of muscle and joint load, without making “compensation” (processing of muscles and joints that compensate for the dysfunction of others).
Good mobility training leads to movement without restrictions and pain. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) says that mobility is one of the most important elements for physical activity, as it leads to proper body structure, which prevents it from making non-functional movements that increase the risk of pain and injury.
Mobility training is definitely one of the best ways to keep your joints healthy, your tendons elastic, and your muscles flexible and strong. They cultivate a sense of freedom and ease of movement and reduce the likelihood of injuries and degenerative diseases of the joints and spine. They also increase the body’s ability to cope with sudden movements and thus reduce many times the likelihood of injuries – sprains, tears of ligament, muscle or tendon, which very often occur in everyday life and sports.
- LEVEL I
In this class we will work with simple and effective exercises to improve mobility in the hips, knees, pelvis, blade-bones, shoulders and spine. The idea of this practice is to help us straighten our posture, create a sense of freedom of movement and eliminate blockages and pain in joints and muscles. This class is suitable for complete beginners in mobility training and for all who practice a sport (fitness, football, tennis, swimming, skiing, snowboarding, basketball, calisthenics, crossfit, etc.), mainly focused on strength and endurance. The class is also suitable for those who want to improve their fitness, cope with pain or restrictions in movement.
- LEVEL II
This class is aimed at those who want to deepen their practice, focusing in detail on specific parts of the body such as hips, knees, ankles or different parts of the spine and shoulders. This class is related to more practice directed to focused exercises with which we aim to prepare and go deep into the specific area. The practice is suitable for people who have little experience with mobility training and those who train a sport (fitness, football, tennis, swimming, skiing, snowboarding, basketball, calisthenics, crossfit, etc.), mainly focused on strength and endurance. The class is also suitable for those who want to improve their fitness, cope with pain or restrictions in movement.
If you want to find out more and get involved in a suitable mobility practice for you, welcome to Taruna Yoga Shala in Sofia.
FLEXIBILITY
No matter what sport or physical activity we practice, we sometimes have difficulty performing some of the movements. Most often they are expressed in difficulties with bending forward, bending backwards and mobility in the hips and shoulders. Flexibility in problem areas can be significantly improved with focused work. During this practice we will use exercises that progressively improve the flexibility and mobility of the body in problem areas.
During the practice we will focus on several main elements:
– cultivation of passive and active flexibility of the legs;
– cultivation of passive and active flexibility of the back;
– improving the mobility of the hips and shoulders.
- LEVEL I
Whether you want to improve your flexibility to help you with your dance, sports, fitness, or just get in good shape, this flexibility class is right for you. Generally speaking, it will help you increase your movement capacity and gain muscle strength and endurance. It is suitable for beginners and intermediate. It is aimed at those who want to develop a flexible and healthy body – sustainable and safe.
- LEVEL II
If you want to develop depth of movement, strength, endurance, balance and proper technique of body flexibility, this class is just for you. Here we will go into details with the help of various exercises. They will improve your passive flexibility and your ability to move and will help you cultivate muscle strength so that your body can enter more complex positions safely and with minimal extra help. Here every practice will have a certain focus, for example – bending backwards, bending the hips behind the head, twine, bending the thoracic spine, shoulders and more.
This practice is suitable for intermediate and advanced persons who already have some level of flexibility and are ready to deepen it.
* The class is suitable for practitioners at all levels.
** Places for practice are limited and pre-registration is mandatory.
HANDSTANDS
- LEVEL I
We all know that it is difficult to turn our perspective and learn to stand on our hands. Handstands can be a great challenge and “mission impossible” if we do not have the right equipment and enough strength and mobility. The purpose of this class is to help you develop enough strength, mobility and proper technique to learn to balance on your hands. We will show you, step by step, what you need to do to understand the mechanics of handstands, as well as to be able to find the point of balance.
* This class is suitable for beginners and intermediate.
- LEVEL II
If you have already learned to keep balance in a handstand without the help of a wall, and you want to develop your skills such as making a scorpion, twine or lotus in a handstand or learn to lift a handstand with force from a place instead of a jump, this class is just for you. Here we will teach you, step by step, how to develop the necessary mobility, strength and endurance to perform these amazing poses with grace and ease.
PRANAYAMA
Pranayama – breathe like a yogi!
- LEVEL I
Pranayama is one of the most valuable techniques in yoga. It is the bridge between human physics and metaphysics and has a profound effect on all aspects of the human personality, starting with the body, passing through the mind and reaching the consciousness. Breathing is one of the most important processes for the human being, but there are only a few people who know how to breathe consciously and fully, and even fewer who actually do it. In this class we will lay the foundations of proper, deep and controlled breathing. It can change your life, help you gain vitality, inner balance and calm, good mood and clear mind. This class is important for those who want to participate in the higher Pranayama classes.
- LEVEL II
This class is suitable for those who already have the basics of proper breathing and bandhas (locking the energy centers in the body) and want to deepen their knowledge and experience with basic Pranayama practices such as Nadi Shodhana, Ujai, Brahmari, Sitali, Bhastrika and others. By practicing these Pranayama practices regularly, the body becomes healthy and energetic and the mind clear and calm.
- LEVEL III
If you have already mastered the basic Pranayama practices and want to immerse yourself in the art of Pranayama, this class is for you. It uses various techniques of concentration, visualization, chanting mantras in sync with breathing, bandhas and holding the breath. This class requires a certain level of breath depth (minimum 8 sec. inhalation), a good level of mastery of the various bandhas and a good level of kumbhaka (the ability to stop breathing after inhaling or exhaling).
If you do not know if you are ready for this class, you can consult with the teacher.
YOGA KNOWLEDGE
Weekly classes
How do you imagine yoga? Maybe a flexible person standing on the mat in a difficult position, from which you can not even understand how to unravel. Or a man sitting in the lotus with his eyes closed? Definitely these are the associations we make most often, but how many of us understand yoga as a way of perceiving the world, thinking, words, actions, moods and attitudes?
In fact, it is much easier to practice yoga when we are on the mat. Then we are all (or almost all) humble, patient, tolerant, kind, responsive, and so on. But what happens when we encounter difficult situations in life and with people, or things that unlock our hidden negative traits. In fact, our yoga practice on the mat is very limited, 1 hour or hour and a half…, but real yoga starts when we go out of the mat. Then we have the opportunity to practice yoga 24/7 without any space and time restrictions.
In order for this to happen, we need knowledge that will give us the right perspective and position from which to look at the world and interact with it. In these weekly classes we will have the opportunity to study the ancient yoga texts and receive their deep wisdom, which will dispel the darkness in our lives and serve us as a guiding light.