Posts In: Yoga workshops

The group of Iyengar yoga teachers and students who gathered at Unfold to soak up the inspiring teachings of Senior Iyengar teacher, Lulu Bull did not even notice the wind and rain pounding the windows. Lulu’s joy for the practice and the precision of her teaching both warmed and focused those attending. It was fantastic to welcome yoga students and teachers from the Hills and Plains sharing the love of yoga and practising in community.

Lulu expertly guided teachers and experienced practitioners during the Friday late afternoon session through a series of standing postures that opened the hips in preparation for the floor work. Lulu supported students to experience more depth in asanas than they may have otherwise felt, including deep work in Hanumanasana, Tittibhasana and Kurmasana. The joy of yoga was palpable in the room and the abiding peace of that final Savasana was felt by all.

On Saturday morning a larger group of students explored the grounding and stabilising nature of the standing poses, focusing on the strength of the legs to lengthen the spine. Lulu guided students to focus on the downward release of the ‘skin body’ and the energetically upward lift of the ‘skeletal body’. With Lulu’s clear communication, students could deeply engage with the subtleties of the Iyengar lineage of teaching. A deeply restorative afternoon class balanced the more dynamic morning asana class. Students experienced the ‘three gems’ (see below) which open the body whilst simultaneously quietening the nervous system. The steady focus on the breath in supine and seated Pranayama settled the mind. Students could understand more deeply the yoga sutra, Yoga Chitta Vritti Nirodha, yoga calms the fluctuations of the mind. The weekend culminated on Sunday morning with an uplifting backbends practice which opened both hearts and minds.

We are so grateful for Lulu taking time away from her Blue Mountains Iyengar yoga community to generously share her deep knowledge and understanding of yoga. Her teachings and love of yoga will continue to resonate in our local yoga community for some time.

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At first a series of yoga workshops can seem a little daunting…What is there to do for a whole 2-hour session? Do I really need to come back again in the afternoon? Will I have enough energy for that length of time? Am I good enough??? Can I commit to this???

The benefits of attending a yoga workshop series are profound on all levels, mentally, physically, and spiritually. It is a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in the practice of yoga for an extended period and deepen your understanding, no matter what your level of experience.

The extended time for a workshop session provides space to explore aspects of the poses and the practice that is not always available in a regularly timetabled class. Teachers can use the extra time to direct students to pause, observe, reflect, and synthesise their learning. Students often experience ‘breakthroughs’ in their understanding of the practice. Teachers are experts at pacing the practice so that students can maintain focus and energy for the duration. As well as more time for active asanas, there is also more time available for the more cooling, restorative poses, often concluding with an extended Savasana.

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