ALAN FINGER
(www.beyoga.com)

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Alan Finger, Founder of Be Yoga Studios, is a second generation Yoga Master who has been practicing yoga for over 40 years. ' His path began as a teenager in his native South Africa under the tutelage of his father, Kavi Yogiraj Mani Finger. ' His father studied both at home and on regular travels to India, a study that would transform his own life and that of his son, Alan. ' From the age of 15, Alan has dedicated his life to an in-depth study of yogic traditions, and the scientific exploration of the exact blend of postures, breathing, and meditation that accesses human potential to the fullest and benefits all levels of being.

Alan became a Western Yoga Master and developed a form of yoga called ISHTA Yoga, the Integrated Science of Hatha, Tantra, and Ayurveda, a physical and spiritual form of yoga that addresses the individual needs of each student who practices it. The beauty of what Alan brings to yoga is warmth and simplicity. ' Alan's yoga is a modern, dynamic distillation of spiritual traditions blended into a form of yoga that's joyful, accessible and vibrant. ' His serious knowledge is spiced with humor. ' He has a stillness that calms and an energy you can feel. ' At the end of each of his classes he sends his students on their way with this traditional mantra: HARI OM, OM TAT SAT "Immerse yourself in unconditional love and saturate yourself in unlimited consciousness."

WEEKLONG INTENSIVE

Take Charge of Your Life!  Invigorating Body, Mind & Spirit with the Integrated Science of Tantra, Hatha & Ayurveda (ISHTA).

Moving beyond the study of asana - and even pranayama - there is a path of yoga sadhana in which the subtle aspects of the chakras, the nadis and the vital forces of Ojas, Tejas and Prana merge with the science of Ayurveda in a holistic and life-affirming manner.  This weeklong intensive  will probe such questions as:  What are the chakras?  How do they come about, and what is their relationship to the major nadis? 

Working within the context of the the seven chakras, three doshas and five elements, this intensive will bring to life in a profound, yet practical way the following subjects: 

  • Learning to balance the earth and water elements with their subtle essence, Ojas.
  • Dealing with your fire and its subtle essence, Tejas
  • Harnessing the wind element with its subtle pranas in order to learn how to glide through life.
  • The command centers of your being:  How efficiently you deal with your karma, which leads you to Samadhi (unbound intelligence).
  • Purification of the elements to release the grip of your unconscious (kundalini) and allow Shakti to move back to Shiva.

TRACK 1

Kapha Practice: Rebuilding Ojas:  The Rejuvenating Nectar of Life.

What happens when ojas is depleted?  What types of asana and pranayama practices revitalize and rebuild ojas?  When ojas is depleted your vitality is low, especially on a cellular level. A healing, peaceful, slower practice helps to revitalize and rebuild ojas. This rejuvenating practice will help you to restore the vitality of your physical condition and bring wholeness into your life.  Pranayama (alternate nostril: nadi shodana) Asana: Slow and gentle with a focus on the breath.

TRACK 2

Pitta practice: Developing Pitta to Burn Impurities:  A Vigorous Heat-Building Practice.

What are the benefits of a heat building practice? A heat building practice develops magnetism, strong metabolism, and vigor. Through this active practice you will develop mental clarity and physical strength.  Pranayama: Bhastrika  Asana: More intense heat building practice.

TRACK 3

Vata practice:  Distributing Prana Through Asana: Using Tretabandha to Charge the Body.

Prana is life force. When prana cannot circulate to your cells they become weak and you lose vitality. By bringing prana to your cells they become alive and vital, which in turn energizes your brain and nervous system. Tretabanda, also known as maha mudra, is the great seal composed of mula, uddiyana, and jalandhara bandhas. In this class Alan will teach you how to use tretabandha to channel your life force and re-energize and re-vitalize your system on a cellular level.

KEYNOTE

Tantra: Bringing the Wisdom of Shiva Into Your Life to Empower and Inspire Shakti.

Alan will speak about the marriage of Shiva and Shakti that radiates unconditional love and unbound intelligence from param atman (the big self) to jiva atman (the individual self), and how this marriage brings the yamas and niyamas to life.