🌟Adam Keen Ashtanga Yoga - A Weekend Workshop plus a 4 Day Intensive combined in Cheadle 🌟

We are delighted to be hosting Adam Keen here at Yoga Sangha in Cheadle. He is with us for a weekend and also for a 4 day intensive (please see separate entry) Adam has been a yoga practitioner since 1999 and has taught internationally for over 20 years. His style is open, non-dogmatic and eclectic while remaining rooted in an appreciation of the tradition

This is the most special opportunity to spend 6 days in practice. A full weekend and a 4 day intensive combined

All details below - including the timetable

WEEKEND WORKSHOP

ASHTANGA YOGA: VERTICAL PROGRESS V LINEAR PROGRESS

A weekend with Adam is always enlightening and at the same time grounding. He shares his unique perspective freely and enthusiastically, based on his years of experience and idea exchange with top asana practitioners from all schools as well as scholars.

SATURDAY

08.30 – 10.00 & 10.15 – 11.45: Ashtanga Yoga Self-Practice (two groups) please choose your time when booking

This practice is based on individual exploration, kindness, and fun. Adam gives yoga assistance in a safe and non-intrusive way. He does not believe in forcing people into postures, rather, he uses verbal and light physical touch to open new directions for you to follow if you wish. All are welcome to the Mysore class. Adam is happy if you need practice sheets, or he or Theresa will show you the postures.

12.30-14:00: Mobility v Flexibility
Yoga is about mobility, not flexibility. In this workshop you will learn how to work effectively with muscles and not damage your joints in your yoga practice.

14.30 – 15.30: How to Use the Bhagavad Gita to Make Choices
This fundamental text on yoga is all about when to act and when to not act, practice patience and forbearance. This is the deeper exploration of dharma it gives, which is a lot more nuanced than simply doing one’s duty.

SUNDAY

08.30 – 10.00 & 10.15 – 11.45: Ashtanga Yoga Self-Practice (two groups)
This practice is based on individual exploration, kindness, and fun. Adam gives yoga assistance in a safe and non-intrusive way. He does not believe in forcing people into postures, rather, he uses verbal and light physical touch to open new directions for you to follow if you wish. All are welcome to the Mysore class. Adam is happy if you need practice sheets, or he or Theresa will show you the postures.

12.30 -14:00: Arm Balances
Building strength from a strong foundation, in this workshop, we will build up arm balances from the basics and will go as high as you can go.

14.30 – 15.30: Over Pushing in Yoga
We will discuss the phenomenon of why we tend to over-push ourselves in yoga and Adam will give practical advice on how you can manage this, including creating short sequences based on the traditional series, which are good for home self-practice.

4-DAY INTENSIVE – ASHTANGA YOGA AS A HOLISTIC PRACTICE

This intensive is a very practical deep dive into principles of asana and philosophy that you will likely not have encountered in your typical TT. Adam brings his years of practice experience, having been one of very few Europeans to complete the full Advanced A series with Sharath in Mysore in 2012, he didn’t stop his learning and exploration there.

In fact, having hosted most of the renowned Ashtanga teachers in the world as well as having interviewed top yoga scholars on the Keen on Yoga Podcast, Adam has a unique insight into asana and philosophy. He shares his knowledge in a grounded way that will give you much to digest over the coming months, bring a pen and paper, you will want to take notes.

MONDAY
9.00 - 11.00: Ashtanga Yoga Self-Practice (as above)
This practice is based on individual exploration, kindness, and fun. Adam gives yoga assistance in a safe and non-intrusive way. He does not believe in forcing people into postures, rather, he uses verbal and light physical touch to open new directions for you to follow if you wish. All are welcome to the Mysore class. Adam is happy if you need practice sheets, or he or Theresa will show you the postures.

11.30 - 13.00: Breathing Basics
The difference between abdominal and thoracic breathing and the role of the diaphragm is the key to understanding an asana practice. We will explore these techniques and the asanas that you can most easily access them.

14.00 - 15.30: Common Injuries, How to Prevent and Manage Them
At some point in the practice, we are bound to encounter setbacks and there are ways to safeguard against this as much as possible. We will discuss common injuries, such as knees, lower back, and shoulders along with other less common complaints like wrists, ankles, and neck and look at measures to protect against them, whilst also offering options of how to keep practicing.

16.00 - 17.00: Alternative Yoga Sutras
Adam presents an alternative view of The Yoga Sutras

TUESDAY
9.00 - 11.00: Mysore Self-Practice (as above)

11.30 - 13.00: Exploring Bandha
Bandha is a shape in the body. Holding the two triangles is one analogy to help you find this for yourself and we will explore this on a practical level.

14.00 - 15.30: Working with Gravity
Using the standing postures, we will look at how gravity can be used as a tool.

16.00 - 17.00: Classical History of Yoga
We will discuss the roots of yoga as an idea and as a practice, and where yoga asana fits into the paradigm.

WEDNESDAY
9.00 - 11.00: Mysore Self-Practice (as above)

11.30 - 13.00: A New View on Forward Folds
A forward fold is essentially a backstretch, and the aim is not to simply stretch your hamstrings. We will look at the unique differences in each of the forward folds of the Primary Series that are not always discussed.

14.00 - 15.30: The Sacrum
Opening the hips means the sacrum; there is a lot more to hip opening than baddha konasana.

16.00 - 17.00: Modern Yoga: How Did Asana Develop in the 20th Century

THURSDAY
9.00 - 11.00: Mysore Self-Practice (as above)

11.30 – 15.30: Offering Physical Assistance

Whether you teach yoga, want to teach or simply interested in how to recognise your teachers this session will be helpful. We will look at applying in a practical sense the information that has been discussed or the rest of the week. This is the very best way to clarify confusion and ask questions.

The sessions will be based on group work in looking at how to assist the postures of the primary series without ‘adjusting’ them (pushing people further into postures) and what this might look like. It will be fun, informal and act as an overall conclusion of the rest of the weeks’ work.

16.00 - 17.00: Ashtanga and ‘Mysore Tradition’, final Q&A