Workshop Details

The fruition of yoga is the state of connection with the deepest source of our consciousness, often described as a sacred and blissful union between the student and the Divine. In shorter yoga classes we are often preoccupied with the physical aspects of our practice as we try to achieve various physical yoga postures (asanas). For many students yoga can be reduced to a stretching and strengthening exercise. We may miss or forget that the true aim is to more fully experience and express our intrinsic goodness and beauty, our divine inner light.
In this course, Carl Swanson and Nora Matten will guide students through an exploration of yogic practices as a way to open the heart, mind, and body in a spirit of bhakti, or devotion. Participants will learn how to bring awareness to the felt sense of each posture and move energy and consciousness through the body, rather than just assume yogic shapes. In addition to asana, we will practice pranayama (breathing techniques) and kirtan (devotional chanting). As we surrender ourselves into these practices, we further open our hearts to realizing our connection with the divine, and we can carry that awareness with us out of the yoga room into a richer more fulfilling experience of life. All levels of practice and experience are welcome. Please bring a yoga mat.