boundless
Yogananta means yoga without limitation. It invokes the infinite possibilities of an ever evolving, boundless practice. In its innate power it defies labels and systems. It is an articulation of truth and a way inward towards freedom.
The Yogananta program is an immersion into discovery. We rely on the inherent intelligence of the human design as the backbone of our studies. We tune our senses and hearts to the limitless potential of the human experience. We let the yoga – the union of form and the formless – permeate the depths of our passion for self reflection, truth, dynamism, and awakening into presence.
personal practice
Discovering an intuitive personal practice is essential for all yogins and is fundamental to understanding our connection with the Divine and the source of original creativity. From this wellspring of inner wisdom we learn to trust intuition and return to a state of primal synergy with Nature. We personally experience the same stillness from which the practice of yoga emerged. We return to the essence of the practice. We move beyond system and technique to find our true voice as a voice of the One Teacher and to be an essential part of the natural evolution of an ancient and profound spiritual practice.
choose your journey
The 200 hour course curriculum is presented in two formats. The 5-month program spans nine weekends between Fall and early Spring each year. This is the perfect program for locals, or anyone who may be able to spend the time in beautiful Santa Fe for the duration of the course. The weekends are full, and with two to three weeks between them there is ample time to reflect and explore the expanding practice.
As an option, especially for those who live outside of Santa Fe, students may attend the immersion program, consisting of three week-long sessions spread out over the course of a year. The week-long sessions are perfect for getting away and immersing yourself fully into the practice without disrupting your flow at home. With the months in between sessions, you'll find that the seeds that are planted during the training begin to sprout and provoke the creativity and depth of your practice.
wide perspective
The presentation and structure of the course constantly play the dynamic between classical tradition and progressive insight. We study deep anatomy to see the reflection of the intelligence of the formless shining through the form. We study the body as the house of the Soul. We look at other healing modalities such as Rolfing and the Chinese medicinal system as confirmation of what the ancients knew intuitively, bringing various perspectives together to outline the same truth.
The group dynamic of the training serves as a core of support for transformation. It is not a one-way flow of information from teacher to student since teacher and student are one in the same. Space is held for the mutual learning that happens when the many voices of the One Teacher speak through the group experience. Yoga is so much more than a physical practice, and the group interaction and process is a vital part of the evolution students experience as they move through the journey together.
curriculum
Throughout the course, the Yogananta curriculum flows through a logical progression of study within the various aspects of the teaching outlined below. Since asana is an entry point for so many to the whole of the yogic practice, we will track our studies through the exploration of our soul vessels – our bodies. This becomes a passage into the study and reflection of the vast life-practice of yoga. What begins with the body and breath unfolds into the limitless expanse of human evolution through the yogic practice of presence. It becomes a full expression of life.
The function and form of the anatomy is presented based on the understanding of structural and energetic partnerships in movement and in breath. A third of the course is dedicated to each of three primary relationships as they are applied in asana, all of which are gateways into much deeper insight than what we see in the body. Other elements of the program curriculum are taught throughout the course, with an ongoing study of philosophy, learning sanskrit as the language of yoga, and much more.
The anatomical geography taught throughout the course serves as a way to ground the practice in practical application, while emphasizing the global–body experience through breath awareness. Our studies include joint mechanics, myofascial interconnectivity, the neural net, vascular net, and associated physiology. Throughout the course we find that all of these threads are weaving themselves into a beautiful language that describes the inseparable nature of our bodies. It also shows us the deep function of the postures and their most powerful gifts.
Posture sequencing is of primary concern throughout the course. The art and science of sequencing is perhaps the most vital aspect of practicing in addition to the canvas of breath awareness and proper alignment. We support a life-long, maximally dynamic, optimal body-appropriate practice. When teaching from this understanding, from your personal practice and experience, it is easier to strike the balance between the creativity of the intuitive core and the language that we find to express it.
session 1: past & future
In part one we begin by introducing the fundamentals of structure as relationships between opposites in the body as is the case in all of Nature. Anatomy is presented in a myofascial context, emphasizing the focus on the global breathing body. We will examine the front and back lines of the body as a vital structural harmony, delving fully into the patterns that we often carry in the front-back structure, and the energetic imprints that often are a result of being off the midline. Metaphorically, we can study this in the context of the future-past continuum. We'll apply the anatomy through asana as a reflection of the practical reality of living in a body in the world. We'll begin our studies of yogic philosophy, introducing through group discussion the teachings of Patanjali as a guide to spiritual practice.
session 2: mirrors of presence
In part two we continue our exploration into the structural and subtle aspects of the lateral and deep core body, and how the side body and its capacity to receive and give back the breath is a reflection of the midline and stillness. This is where we begin to dissolve the stickiness in the continuity of the future–past relationship of the front and back, and let presence take up proper space. Applied functional anatomy continues as we find that the simpler and purer the posture, the deeper it takes us. This third of the course greatly expands our breath awareness, reconnecting us with our sense of intuition, instinct, and the divine play of the dancing midline. Philosophy discussions continue our group discussion of the sutras and their application to the study of the ego and living in the world.
session 3: the spiraling dance
In part three we wrap our awareness around the entire human experience as we study the magic of the spiral bodies and the nature of detoxification and reorganization. We study the spirals and their function in twisting postures and in life, and their unsurpassed power for healing. We add to this the in-depth study of the dynamism and complexity of the arm and shoulder systems. The philosophy discussions continue as does our practice of chanting the sacred mantras and healing hymns. In this final third of the course, our sequencing studies come to fruition as we learn to apply sequencing to gain specific structural and energetic results. This is a fundamental primer for understanding the larger picture of finding the balance between intuitive sequencing and the applied sequence for the whole of a public class.