Yoga For Living Productions

Beryl Bender Birch
www.power-yoga.com

Beryl Bender Birch graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in Philosophy and Comparative Religion. She has been a formal student of yoga since l971 and has been teaching yoga since l974, where she began in Winter Park, Colorado with "Yoga for Skiers". Then, after several years of study in New York City with her teacher, Norman Allen, Beryl began teaching the astanga yoga vinyasa method in l981 New York City to runners at the New York Road Runners Club. (Allen was Sri K. Pattabhi Jois' first American student and the first Westerner to master the astanga series and bring it to the US.)

Beryl was virtually the ONLY astanga yoga teacher east of the Mississippi for the entire decade of the 80's. Joined by her husband, Thom, as a teacher in l986, Beryl and Thom pioneered the use of astanga yoga as a training discipline and therapy tool for athletes. In the 20 years they have been teaching this system, they have taught tens of thousands of people the primary series of astanga yoga.

Beryl and Thom studied with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, the principle proponent of the astanga yoga vinyasa method, over several years from l987-l990. In l987 Thom and Beryl (and their Siberian huskies, Jesse and Gramfy), traveled the Jois West coast "You Do Tour", as it was fondly referred to by students at the time, for a period of four months. Journeying by car from Montana to San Francisco to Santa Cruz to Santa Barbara to Encinitas they were able to take daily practice with Sri Jois and further their studies of the astanga yoga method.

Beryl's book, Power Yoga has been the best selling yoga book in the U.S. for the past three years and has sold over 200,000 copies since it's publication in January of l995. Beryl's second book, the extraordinary Beyond Power Yoga, was published in January of 2000, and is patiently following in its predecessor's footsteps! Beryl is the founder and director of The Hard & The Soft Astanga Yoga Institute in New York City and East Hampton and resides in East Hampton with her 5 Racing Siberian Huskies, Hopi, Carmel, Cheaten, Moe, and Nellie.

AFTERNOON INTENSIVE

Beyond Power Yoga: The classical 8-limbed methodology for the practice and teaching of the yoga experience

The experience of yoga is the experience of samadhi. It cannot be explained or described in words. The experience is "unspeakable." A teacher cannot give a student "yoga." A person must have the experience of yoga for herself or himself. A teacher can only be a guide. In the same way, no one can really teach anyone else how to "teach" yoga. Yes, we can acquire '"information". We can study anatomy, asana sequencing, therapeutics, hands on work, and so forth (which we will do). But truly, the skill and art of teaching yoga develops as a result of a teacher's personal practice. To be an outstanding teacher requires being an outstanding practitioner, and this requires earnest, uninterrupted commitment to abhayasa, or "practice" over a long period of time, as we are told by the Yoga Sutras.

Classically, "practice" is defined as "effort towards steadiness of mind." If we are doing asana and busy comparing our form to those around us in class, it's not "practice" - it's just exercise, which can be fine. But if we are interested in "practice" - whether it is sutra practice, mantra practice, pranayama practice, asana practice, or chopping carrot practice, then we need to be making a constant effort to pay attention to what is going on.

It is our job as teachers, to direct students' minds as well as their bodies. We may begin with the physical plane, and there is indeed much work to be done on this plane, but our ability to help students learn to focus and relax into being present, is precisely what will help them to move forward in yoga. Our work is not so much to help people get their feet behind their heads, but to help them learn to be awake to the present moment. In order to do this, we must first ourselves, burn the impurities and remove the obstacles that prevent us from "seeing" clearly. This happens only with true practice - not wishful thinking or psychic fantasy. This is hard work. The hard work of disciplining the mind. In the Sutras it is called kriya yoga. This week's focus will be about doing the work: burning obstacles through asana, pranayama, dharana, and dhyana, studying self through active Sutra and scripture study and self-observation, and throughout it all, keeping our minds on God.

This workshop will include the classic astanga vinyasa asana sequence, with focus on the balance between sthira (hard) and sukka (soft) and the techniques of the practice that develop attention: ujjayi breathing, bandhas, and drishti. Some experience with astanga or power yoga practice is helpful, but all are welcome. The work is presented in a safe and accessible style, with modifications available for all level students.

A.M MASTER CLASSES

Track 1 (Gentle Focus)

Yoga Chikitsa - The Therapeutic Side of Abhayasa (Practice)
We often think of our practice, particularly, asana, but really any other "practice" as well, in terms of doing our best. If that "practice" can't be this strong, flexible, still, balanced, non-painful, magical-ride perfect experience, well then, maybe we are doing something wrong or, better yet, maybe we just shouldn't practice that day due to our infirmity. Oh Woe. Learning to use your asana, pranayama, and/or meditation practice to come back from injury, illness, or any other of life's many ordeals, takes truth, reverence for life, relativity of thinking, surrender, and wisdom. "Coming back" is one of life's great gurus. This is a class in both asana and discussion - with relatively slow paced asana and analysis and practice of modifications for various injuries, weaknesses, distresses, imbalances, and/or dis-eases and disabilities.

Track Two (Challenging)

Abhayasa & Vairagya (Practice and Non Attachment) I: The Powerful Methodology of the Classical Astanga Yoga Path

Putting Kriya Yoga (tapas, svadhaya, and Ishvara Pranidana) into action here and now. Developing your own personal practice from this time honored methodology for the realization of the Self. Finding stillness in a hot and sweaty, challenging asana class (Primary Series) with emphasis on pranayama and mindful attention! This class is not about achieving the perfect posture, but it is about developing stillness with correct alignment and awareness. Injury or limitation in asana does not preclude your participation. Not for the fidgety. Not about body building (to help dispel the common illusion that just because a yoga practice has a strong physical component, it must therefore be, somehow, less spiritual).
Come practice with your tribe of the moment and set up your day in the company of like- minded individuals.

Track 3 (Most Challenging)

Abhayasa & Vairagya (Practice and Non Attachment) II: The Powerful Methodology of the Classical Astanga Yoga Path

Bending over backwards is not easy. It involves looking at the world upside down and backwards, which requires practice and non-attachment. Get ready your mind and body ready for backbends through the sequencing of postures in the Nadi Shodana (or nerve purification) series of the astanga vinyasa asana system. This full practice class will help to give you a way to safely enter the fear-conquering world of bending over backwards. Lots of warm up and plenty of heat with therapeutic assists. Emphasis on ujjayi breathing and bandhas. Not recommended for beginners.
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