Surya Namaskar
Surya Namaskar is the backbone of the Ashtanga Vinyasa system, the thread along which the entire melody of the practice is composed. Each posture is situated with a unique instance of Surya Namaskar, and these instances are contracted to join the postures together in a lyrical flow. This course is an illuminating exposition of Surya Namaskar, and so of the foundational patterns of breath and movement on which the Ashtanga practice depends. The course develops the visceral vocabulary of prana and apana, and shows you how to practice Surya Namaskar as an attempt to balance these patterns and to feel them interpenetrating throughout the sensorium of the moving, breathing body.
In the subtle anatomy of yoga, the Sun is the primary symbol of prana, the natural force that sustains the vital processes of the body and lights up our experience from within. In this course, we learn to practice Surya Namaskar to contemplate that force, by feeling it move through us, quickening our senses and illuminating the open space of our consciousness.
Simple and Profound
Whatever you know about Surya Namaskar, this course will give you another angle on your experience. It will teach you to practice Surya Namaskar with finer attention to the internal movement of the subtle breath, and with an expanded awareness of the immediate impact of your alignment on the mind. Appropriate for beginners and seasoned practitioners alike, this course will deepen your appreciation of Surya Namaskar, and lift your experience of the practice to new heights. The course contains roughly 90 minutes of simple but profound instruction.