2020 Northwest Yoga Conference

Incorporating the developmental journey of the chakras into your yoga practice bridges your practice from the physical body to the subtle body, opens these energetic centers as gateways for healing, vitality, and integration, and prepares you for the deeper practices of pranayama and chanting to be truly accessible and transformational.

With 7 chakras and a lifetime to dedicate to practice, this workshop will focus on the developmental imperatives of the last four chakras including the life purposes, the emotional potentials and challenges, and the community responsibilities for each chakra.

We will incorporate asana, pranayama, chanting, and meditation.

Discussion Time: 60
Practice Time: 120
Physical Exertion: Moderate
Recommended Props: Yoga mat, 2 blocks, 2 blankets, Journal
Continuing Education: 3 hours

Join us as we explore the powerful teachings of Atma (Soul) and Soma (Water essence / Rejuvenation) within YOGA and how we can bring more fluidity ( juiciness), restoring and rejuvenating power to our yoga practice and life. We will explore somatic principles of movement, tantric based hatha, Ayurveda and intuitive self practice as we move deeper into the river of life within. All are welcome. Aum Somaye Namah.

Discussion Time:
Practice Time:
Physical Exertion: Moderate
Recommended Props:
Continuing Education: 2 hours

"How can the knower ever be known?" is one of the existential questions posed to us in the Upanishads, an illuminated yogic text from approximately 500 BCE. The questions still persist in the modern practitioner, as we face a changing world,longing for clarity and connection. In this workshop that blends yoga philosophy, discussion and practice, give yourself time to reflect on the ever evolving history of yoga and explore your capacity to integrate ancient teachings into contemporary life. The lifestyle we seek emerges from recognizing that internal and external landscapes are in continual flux, and yoga practice offers us a place to look inward and reflect outward. Open to practitioners and teachers, Diana will begin with a lecture on Vedanta and the Upanishads. lead a lively and accessible discussion, then guide a practice that includes Sanskrit mantra, movement and meditation.

Discussion Time: 60 minutes
Practice Time: 120 minutes
Physical Exertion: Moderate
Recommended Props: Yoga mat, 1 blanket, Journal
Continuing Education: 2 hours

Sivananda hatha is a traditional, slow paced, meditative class that helps encourage proper breathing, flexibility, strength and vitality in the body while calming the mind. Because Yoga is a spiritual system with a physical component, this non-competitive approach helps the practitioner gain much more than just a healthy body.
A typical open level class includes pranayama (breathing exercises), warm-ups including Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar), 12 basic asanas (postures) and deep relaxation. The focus is on mastering the basic asanas from which variations are then added to further deepen the practice. The asanas follow an exact order that allows for the systematic movement of every major part of the body in a balanced way that enhances prana or life force energy, keeping the mind quiet and without the need to think beyond each individual pose. Additional variations may also be taught.

Discussion Time: 15 minutes
Practice Time: 1 hours and 15 minutes
Physical Exertion: Moderate
Recommended Props: Yoga mat
Continuing Education: 0

Healing your Chakras is a journey through the subtle body. Just as we have a physical body, we also have a body of energy, called the subtle body. And just as we have a physical spine that acts as the central channel through which nerve impulses flow, we also have a subtle central channel called sushumna through which prana, or life force, flows. Deep within the sushumna lie spinning centers of energy, called chakras, which are like intense vortices of energy that act as distribution points for prana.

Blocked energy in our 7 chakras can often lead to illness or distress on systems of the body. Chakra balancing creates a sense of equilibrium between your body, mind and spirit. When your chakras are returned... to their natural frequencies, inner peace, wellbeing, and joy will follow.

In this workshop, experience the deep relationship between yoga asanas (or postures) and the chakras. When the asanas are combined with breath, visualization and mantra, they can have a direct effect on the energy flow within the chakras.

We will begin with a discussion on how to recognize imbalance and ways to realign, followed by an all levels kundalini practice designed to clear blocked energy along the sushumna nadi and help to rebalance the subtle body systems. Then finish with a savasana to help the body absorb the shifts and truly inspire a transformation from deep within.

Discussion Time: 30 minutes
Practice Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Practice Intensity: Moderate to High
Recommended Props; Blocks
Continuing Education: 0