Learn the importance of the breath and how it affects your practice in Leslie Kaminoff’s workshop series, The Anatomy of Yoga, The Yoga of Anatomy. Leslie draws on his five decades of teaching and bodywork experience to share the anatomical basis of yoga’s practical, theoretical, and philosophical principles. His experiential approach to teaching simplifies complex, often misunderstood concepts. 

In this workshop series, you’ll explore some of the most commonly taught yoga poses in a whole new light. You’ll build upon the essential foundations of breath, movement, and alignment to re-imagine your practice. Leslie will combine traditional ideas with uniquely innovative ones in a way that will open your mind and make more techniques available to you in your daily yoga practice.

When you sign up, you’ll…

• Gain access to 14 hours of instruction previously recorded live at Miami Life Center. Learn key yogic principles followed by practice sessions designed to lock in your new knowledge.

• Watch rare video footage of T.K.V. Desikachar as he explains the key tenets of his therapeutic approach to yoga practice.

• Cultivate body awareness. Once you’re finished with these sessions you’ll be able to combine your new knowledge of breath, movement, and alignment into a practice that is creative and safe.

WORKSHOP SERIES

Session 1: Desikachar’s Yoga: The Breath, the Individual, the Relationship

In homage to the groundbreaking contributions of his teacher, Leslie will share rare video footage of Desikachar explaining the key tenets of his approach to therapeutic yoga: an utmost respect for the individual, the central role of the breath in yoga practice, and above all, the definition of yoga as relationship. In addition, ample time will be devoted to interactive Q&A, along with simple practices illustrating Desikachar’s teaching style.

Session 2: Basics of Breath-Centered Yoga

Details of breath sequencing, coordination with movement, and spinal action are just some of the subjects we will explore in this highly interactive, experiential, and informative session. Leslie will introduce these breath-centered teachings from a historical, scholarly, and anatomical perspective while leading participants into a progressively deeper understanding of the vital forces at work in the human breathing mechanism during yoga practice.

Session 3: The Bandhas: Anatomy and Application

The popularity of vinyasa-based yoga practice has created a broad interest in the theory and practice of mula, uddiyana, and jalandhara bandha – the “yogic locks.” In this session, Leslie applies his unique, experiential approach to clarify and, above all, simplify the practical, anatomical basis of these powerful yet widely misunderstood tools for uncovering our innate ability to find support and spaciousness through breath-centered practice

Session 4: The Warrior Series – Vinyasa Practice Reimagined

This practice-heavy session will lead students through a specially-designed vinyasa that powerfully works the legs and moves the spine in all possible directions without putting any bodyweight on the upper extremities. The sequence will focus on the details of alignment and its relationship to safety objectives and individual adaptation. 

Session 5: Defining and Refining Alignment in Asana

In this session, Leslie will promote an experimental, experiential atmosphere of inquiry regarding the teaching of alignment, safety, and effective cueing of asana. Starting with clear, simple principles and definitions of alignment and healthy movement, participants will explore some of the most commonly taught poses to encourage better body awareness and safer, more creative practice strategies. The common cueing language will be critiqued and re-imagined for long and short-term skill-sequencing.