Delve a little deeper…
Pranayama Workshop
Date: May 14th 2023, 10am-1pm
Location: The Roundhouse, Algodres, Portugal
Cost: €20-25 per person (pay what you can afford)
The price includes delicious homemade snacks and teas for afterwards plus written summary notes to keep for onward practice.
Pranayama is one of the key ‘limbs’ of yoga and comprises different breathing practices that help us to control and manage our life-force energy (prana). In this workshop we will go more deeply into the nature and benefits/contra-indications of pranayama then we will look at different types of yogic breathing, including diaphragmatic belly breathing and more dynamic thoracic breathing, and when best to use them. We will also look at different practices that help to develop our breathing awareness and internal musculature in order to extend, contract and even suspend our breath at will. Finally, we will look at the following specific pranayama techniques, including how to do them, what the benefits are, contra-indications and when best to use them:
- Ujayi (victorious breath)
- Nadi shodana (single-nostril breath)
- Bhastrika (bellows breath)
- Brahmari (bee breath)
- Shitali (cooling breath)
- Kapalabhati (breath of fire) – NB strictly speaking kapalabhati is a yoga ‘kriya’ (cleansing technique) rather than a pranayama technique but we will include it as a complementary practice.
This workshop will be suitable for all, although some previous experience of yoga and/or breathwork practices is recommended. If you are completely new to breathwork we will just need to have a chat beforehand to see if it will be suitable for you or not. We will be seated on the floor for a large proportion of the class (although I will include brief resting postures in between). Yoga bolsters and blocks will be provided for all to sit on if needs be, but if you feel you might need a chair please let me know in advance so I can set the room up accordingly.
The aims of the workshop are that you leave with more understanding about pranayama and a deeper felt sense of it, plus knowledge of techniques that you can take away with you and practise at home to continue to build healthy life-force and vitality.
Written notes will be provided so that you have ongoing guidance to follow at home, and I will be available for follow-up support where needed, in case of any questions or doubts.
Advance booking essential – please get in touch to book on (email beckymay283@gmail.com), and you will be sent payment details and full details for the day including precise location.
frond yoga with Rebecca May 