Workshops & EventsMeditation, Pranayama and Chakra Masterclasses
2a Wrentham Avenue,
London NW10 3HA
2.30pm – 5.30 pm
Students on The Life Centre Yoga Teacher Training Programme may attend both Sunday sessions for the reduced price of £55.
Saturday’s sessions are open to students of all levels of experience. Sunday’s sessions are aimed primarily at yoga teachers, teacher training students and more experienced practitioners.
Saturday 31 May - 10.00 am to 1.00 pm
Finding the Self in Yourself: The Essentials of Meditation
Despite meditation’s natural appeal to yoga students, the details of practice often remain something of a mystery. How can each of us discover the quiet, lucent presence that yogis call the “Self”? The goals of this session are to:
- provide training in all the essentials leading to a satisfying meditation experience
- develop a comfortable seated posture
- explore relaxed breathing
- cultivate a refined understanding of the aims of practice
- begin to practice relaxed concentration and mindfulness
- bring the joy of meditation into daily life.
Saturday 31 May - 2.30 to 5.30 pm
Deepening Meditation through Asana and Pranayama
Meditation practice relies on the various limbs of the yoga system for support. A well-prepared spine, relaxed breathing, systematic development of pranayama, and refinement of the process of concentration all contribute to the tranquility of meditation. This session will focus on:
- how to sit more comfortably by working with back, hip, and leg muscles – all in coordination with muscles of the pelvic floor
- important pranayama practices and their focus along the spinal column
- the role of mantra in deepening meditation
- lengthening your sitting time
- expanding your understanding of the aims of practice.
Sunday 1 June - 10.00 am to 1.00 pm
The Chakras: Windows to the Self
(for teachers, trainee teachers and experienced students)
What importance do nadis and chakras have for those of us who might want to explore the subtle concepts of yoga? How might awareness of the chakras affect one’s regular yoga routine? This practical session will sort out the various levels of symbolism captured in the images of the chakras and turn this knowledge into practice.
- Use restorative and traditional asanas to engage with the chakras
- Combine awareness of the chakras with pranayama techniques
- Learn to use awareness of the chakras as an instrument for relaxation
- Deepen your meditation by using mantras in coordination with spinal awareness
- Link the chakras with the goals of ashtanga yoga, the 8-fold yoga path.
Sunday 1 June - 2.30 to 5.30 pm
Pranayama and Meditation in the Classroom
(primarily for teachers and trainee teachers; experienced students also welcome)
Few teachers have as much confidence in their ability to teach pranayama or guide a meditation process as in their skill at leading students in asanas. Just how do teachers make the classroom transition from the relatively active asana work that comprises much of the class, to the more inward experiences of pranayama and meditation? This session will explore:
- Breathing and relaxation practices for every class
- How to pace the integration of pranayama techniques
- Meditation goals for different level students
- Mantras that can be chosen without guidance from a teacher (and their use)
- Bhuta shuddhi: a key method for any teacher’s personal practice
Dr Rolf Sovik is spiritual director of the Himalayan Institute, under the guidance of its founder Swami Rama and current head, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, and is renowned as one of the west’s leading authorities on many aspects of yoga and meditation. He holds a doctorate in clinical psychology as well as degrees in philosophy, history, music, and Eastern Studies. He began his yoga studies in 1972, and lived and studied with Swami Rama in India in 1984. He is author of Moving Inward: The Journey to Meditation, co-author of Yoga: Mastering the Basics, and author of numerous articles. He is also a clinical psychologist in private practice.