Spineful Yoga Weekend Workshop with Eve Johnson

November 15, 16, 17

Spineful yoga Warrior I

 

Yoga poses are supposed to teach us good alignment. But all too often we take our misalignments into class and compound them. Worse yet, because of our culture’s profound misunderstanding of human alignment, some common yoga instructions can be actively harmful.

In Light on Yoga, B.K.S. Iyengar is in natural alignment as he demonstrates the poses. The most important distinguishing feature: a short, sharp arch where the last spinal vertebra meets the sacrum, and a long straight spine.

Few of us have maintained our natural arch. I instead we bend further up the spine. We try to lengthen the low back by lifting the front of the pelvis and lengthening the buttocks away from the waist. The result is front ribs that poke out, and for many students, a pose that brings on back pain. “Deepening” the posture won’t help, neither will practicing in the hopes of becoming stronger.

What we need is to learn a new alignment that will give us strong, light, pain-free poses.

From the point of view of our culture, Spinefulness is a revolutionary way of looking at posture. But in pre-industrial societies, this way of standing, sitting, bending and walking is simply the way people move. It’s no accident that in these cultures, people remain strong, erect and graceful into old age, while we expect age to bring pain and disability.

In this Spineful Yoga weekend workshop, you will learn the basics of Spineful alignment, and see how they translate into yoga poses. Expect a Warrior I that doesn’t stress your lower back, freer twists, more core connection, deeper relaxation, and a path towards more lightness in the poses.

  •  Learn how  to bring relaxed, natural alignment into your yoga practice.

  •  Learn the physics of posture.

  •  Relieve pain caused by unhealthy posture.

  •  Release tight muscles as you put your weight back in your bones.

  •  Dramatically reshape your spine, no matter what your age.

  • Find a deeper connection to your Self based on moment-to-moment awareness in daily life.

 

Eve Johnson has spent the last three years immersed in Spinefulness. At the same time, she has explored how integrate her new understanding into the Iyengar Yoga she began studying in 1987, looking for a practical, effective way of gaining freedom in and through the asanas.

Dates and times:
Friday, November 15, 6 to 8:30 pm
Saturday, November 16, 9:30 am to noon, 1:30 to 4 pm
Sunday, November 17, 10 am to 12:30 pm

Pre-registration required. Email evej@shaw.ca to hold your place.

Cost: $250 + GST = $267.50

Friday night intro session, and sitting poses, $50 + GST = $52.50.

Payment by e-transfer, cheque or credit card. Email me for an invoice if you wish to pay by credit card.