5-Day Therapeutic Wisdom Training

Transcription

1 5-Day Therapeutic Wisdom Training The Therapeutic Wisdom of Yoga: Rewriting the Story of Our Health and Growth with Doug Keller A TRAINING-INTENSIVE FOR YOGA TEACHERS AND INQUIRING STUDENTS All in all, the training will be an exploration into the many dimensions of wisdom that the ever-evolving practice of hatha yoga has to offer to us as body, mind and spirit work to maintain health and grow in heart in the face of the many challenges including pain, injury and dysfunction that life throws at us. A comprehensive workbook is included in the training for those attending the full training. We ll begin with the neck and shoulders, focusing on upper body and spinal health, with an additional focus on working with scoliosis including both principles for targeted work with scoliosis, as well as insights into how these principles are useful for everyone, since asymmetries that lead to muscular and joint problems are nearly always present, whether one has a scoliosis or not. This will add new dimensions to practice, including the pairing of intentional breathing to realignment actions in asana. The principles introduced regarding the neck and shoulders will be applied specifically in the first two days to the safe practice of inversions: preparations for inversions, safe alignment and action as well as alternative approaches, and contraindications recognizing when and how students may be harmed through the practice of inversions, and what to do instead. From there we will expand into a treatment of the health of the whole body, and in particular the low back, sacrum, hips, knees and feet. The central focus will be on movement impairment syndromes - patterns of movement closely connected to pain problems as well as joint and muscle injury. This approach to pain problems is especially suited to yoga, and will provide teachers and practitioners with a vital toolbox for recognizing and assessing these patterns, and designing an approach through specifically targeted asana practice and remedial exercises aimed at changing them for the better. This year the dimension of the Vayus will be added as well. These will be introduced in the two day immersion, and in this five-day training will be carried forward in the context of therapeutically beneficial asana practice, with practical toning exercises for the core that stabilize the spine and sacrum while liberating the diaphragm for the 1 of 5

2 breath. This practical work is related to the concepts contained in The Fascial Web by Schultz and Feitis, as well as ideas developed by Orit Sen-Gupta in Vayu s Gate. Daily Program Each day will begin with a practice, which will give participants a chance to experience how the principles being covered might be introduced simply in the class setting of an asana practice. And each day will end with some work with the Vayus, pranayama and Yoga Nidra including discussion of the principles behind each practice, and some historical background from hatha yoga texts. The training in the afternoon will include some hands-on experience both in learning how to recognize postural and movement patterns for working with students or clients more individually and for learning to make effective adjustments. Proposed daily schedule (subject to change) 9:00-9:30am doors open for registration 9:30-12:30pm AM Session 12:30-2:00pm Lunch 2:00-5:00pm PM Session Props requirements Please bring your own mat and 2 blocks as well as any props you may need to support your practice. For Further information, please Wai Ying on hello@reconnectyoga.com For registration - Thematic Topics Through the Training: The Head is the Foundation Traditionally we think of the foundation of the body in yoga and in our posture in life in terms of the foundation set by the feet (and how the bones are stacked above it). But we can also look at freedom and spaciousness in posture and movement in terms of the placement and movement of the head upon the spine, with the maxim, As above, so below. The guiding principle will be the yogic insights behind the bandhas Jalandhara bandha in particular. This session will focus on alignment and actions of the head and neck, combined with stabilization of the Core, with special emphasis on stabilization in twists and head rotation and how this attention to strengthening and the release of tension can 2 of 5

3 bring greater freedom and better alignment in the rest of the body, particularly in the low back, sacrum and hips. Special attention will be given to the safe practice of inversions, and how this information about the head and neck enlightens our practice of inversions. Insights into and to be learned from Scoliosis We will introduce an understanding of the asymmetries side-bends and rotations of the spine that affect the rib cage, neck and shoulders that are typical of scoliosis and which are also present to a much lesser degree in many of us who do not have scoliosis, but experience pain and difficulties from more subtle versions of these asymmetries. This will include practical tools for making assessments, along with tools of practice that can be taught to students so that they can learn to be self-correcting, throughout the day as well as in their asana and breath practice. This topic will lead us into basic principles of shoulder alignment combined with the breath and actions for the neck. We will cover all of the planes of movement for the shoulders in asana practice, which will be carried over into the next morning s asana practice. The Myofascial Sutras of the Arms The work with the upper body from the first day will be carried over into the practice and into a deeper exploration of the myofascial lines or sutras that govern the actions of the arms the lines of larger muscles that govern the movement of the shoulder blades and give the arms their power, as well as the deeper lines of muscles that govern rotations and are crucial for the health of the rotator cuffs, elbows and wrists. A main emphasis will be on variations and actions of the arms for those who have difficulty in achieving the classic form of the asanas due to inflexibility or pain, as well as for the sake of protecting vulnerable shoulders from injury as well as supporting the healing process for injured shoulders. We will cover actions, openings and stretches in non-weightbearing poses, as well as the challenges and benefits of poses in which the arms bear weight. Additional connections to scoliosis and asymmetries in the shoulders will be made, with suggestions for practice. 3 of 5

4 Mobilizing: Getting Stiff Students Moving Through Targeted Strengthening and The Secrets of the Hamstrings The problems of stiffness particularly in the hips and hamstrings that present a challenge in yoga class, as well as being a cause of typical pain problems in the lower back, are actually symptoms of our movement habits and patterns, particularly in forward bending (which is what we do more than anything else in our life of movement). We will explore the Lumbar Flexion pattern of movement in the spine that is a significant cause of stiffness, and how to overcome it which will strengthen the lower back, help overcome harmful postural habits, and help us make progress in achieving greater flexibility in the hamstrings and hips. Without awareness of these patterns, one can easily spend years doing hamstring stretches and see little progress! We will also cover sequencing for stretches that address hip pain caused by tightness, as well as sequencing for sciatic pain arising from problems in the piriformis. Feet and Knees The topic of the Flexion Syndrome will introduce the idea particularly in standing poses that how we place the weight in our feet will talk to the muscles of the hips. The afternoon will explore the structure and the actions of the feet more deeply, and how bandhas can be practiced in both the feet and the knees that maintain their health and integrity. This will include both practical exercises for working with the feet (particularly with problems of bunions, plantar fasciitis and some other common foot and ankle problems) and actions and sequencing for floor poses forward bends, hip openers, twists and backbends. This will lead us into the topic of working with hypermobility first the problem of hyperextension in the knees and other knee problems, and then the topic of the second pattern of movement to be covered fully on Sunday: the Lumbar Extension Syndrome. Stabilizing: Helping Flexible Students Avoid Joint Pain and Injury A problem faced by advancing yoga students as well as people drawn to yoga who are more innately flexible is the problem of hypermobility which leads to joint pain 4 of 5

5 and (ultimately) joint deterioration and inflammation, as well as pain in the muscles and ligaments that are meant to stabilize the joints. These problems arise from innate flexibility and even hypermobility, but are also made worse by movement habits and patterns that can be called the Lumbar Extension Syndrome pattern of movement, which gives rise to imbalances in the use of muscles in yoga poses and in life. We will explore this Extension pattern of the lumbar spine and how to overcome it returning to strengthening the Core, especially in relation to the psoas and hip flexors, as well as proper actions of the hamstrings and gluteals to help us make progress in balancing a healthy range of movement balanced with joint stability in yoga practice that can make the practice more pain and injuryfee. Emphasis will especially be on promoting sacral stability, as well as poses and exercises addressing hip pain from a weak piriformis and hip abductors. The ideas presented in this session can be helpful to moderately flexible students, as well as providing helpful tips for teachers dealing with overly flexible students. 5 of 5