Bandhas and beyond

Date and time : Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. 10am-12noon PST

Venue: In person at Almaden Yoga, San Jose

Format : Interactive workshop where we will practice asanas in the style of traditional Hatha Yoga with explanation of concepts through demonstrations and using material from the classical Yoga scriptures.

All levels of asana practitioners are welcome

Cost: $40

Registration link

About the workshop facilitator

In Ayurveda, it is believed that if the body's fire or the Agni (also called the Jatara Agni) is strong, then most diseases are held at bay. In fact the scriptures on Yoga consider this fire divine. In the 15th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, there is a famous shloka which is mentioned below.

अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रित: |
प्राणापानसमायुक्त: पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम् || 15-14||

ahaṁ vaiśhvānaro bhūtvā prāṇināṁ deham āśhritaḥ
prāṇāpāna-samāyuktaḥ pachāmy annaṁ chatur-vidham

"It is I who, becoming the body's fire (Vaishvanara), resides in the bodies of all beings. By balancing Prana and Apana, I digest the four kinds of food (solid, liquid, etc.)", says Shri Krishna in Shloka 15.14 of the Bhagavad Gita.

Prana is the life force. It is the blaze that emnates from the body's Agni. "By mastery over the Prana, great feats can be performed ", says the Yoga Sutras. One way to attain mastery over the Prana, is through the use of locks or Bandhas. This workshop will give the participant an experiential feel for these bandhas. More information on how one can attain prowess in poses can be found in the links below.

References:

1) Bandhas Demystified

2) Bandhas as great protectors in asana practice

3) Prowess in poses: The secrets they do not tell you 

4) Flexibility vs malleability in asana practice

5) The subtler dimensions of asana practice (General information and slides)