"Separation is the Illusion!"
- Chuck Miller





"SAMA, Vinyasa, Breath/Roots/Core - Ashtanga Yoga's Essential Principals"

"Choose positive thoughts"
-Nadia Toraman

Chuck Miller & Maty Ezraty
Maui Workshop
Organized by Nadia Toraman, January 8-10, 2010.

Attend one day or the entire 3 day workshop from
Friday January 8th to Sunday January 10th at the Maui Yoga Shala (618 Hana Hwy, Kuau, Paia Maui). Every day there is a morning from11am to 1:30 pm for $45/day and every afternoon there is a workshop from 4 pm to 6:00 pm for $45/day. Contact Nadia for details at 808-283-4123

5 of the Workshops will be at Maui-Yoga Shala and
1 Workshop will be at Paia-Yoga (161 Hana Hwy)
on Friday, January 8th from 4 pm to 6 pm

Align yourself with the basic principles which will connect you to the Roots of Ashtanga Yoga through Practice and Philosophy
“99% Practice, 1% Theory” implies that we know very well that 1%. In fact it is the Center of the Bull’s Eye! Aligning ourselves with the basic principals makes it all work better.

About Workshops:
Align your practice with the 3 Principals of Breath, Roots & Core.
Find Sama, or Balance, and the power that comes from better understanding what Vinyasa means. Including asana practice, focused on a theme determined by what we see in the morning workshop, as well as other practices that support the unfolding of a healthy Ashtanga practice.
Possible themes include:
Shoulders
Hips
Standing Poses
Inversions/Arm Balances
Forward Bends
Back Bends
Restoratives/Pranayama
Philosophy

Ashtanga Yoga, a practice that can be done therapeutically for beginners, experienced old timers, and well into later life.
Let's focus on the Authentic, Organic, Balanced Center of the Practice.

The focus will be on understanding the essential, primary, themes inherent in the practice itself, which are mostly overlooked and/or neglected, but which reveal themselves to all of the dedicated practioners.

Vinyasa needs to be understood, not only as 'the breathing system' but also as the primary guideline for the practice as 'the Gradual, Step-by-Step, Method.' The awareness of what is "Gradual" requires us to remain present with what is going on inside of us at this constantly flowing moment, in the practice and in Life.

Understanding "Gradual" requires us to make adjustments, more frequent, finer and finer adjustments to maintain the Balance between effort and comfort, or surrender. This builds up our ability to Be Present, Here and Now.

This understanding of VINYASA is what enables us to practice in a way that is relevant and effective for each of us, individually, throughout our entire lifetimes.

Breath, Roots, Core: The 3 Pillars
As we practice Ashtanga, or any other form, we need guidelines to keep us focused on what is actually really important and to keep us from falling into the usual traps the Ego is so easily drawn into. We want to make our practice a spiritual journey and not just "Physical Exercise."

Breath: The intention of returning the focus back to the Breath, more often, with less time spent in distraction and more time spent focusing internally, we begin this inner journey of discovering in a more real way who and what we are: Not Separate!

Roots: To be students of Karma, to understand the Root Cause of things, to work from this understanding of Foundation, and to bring this foundation to life, is Roots. It manifests in the Physical realms, the Pranic realms, the Mental realms and leads us to the Spiritual.

Core: This is the idea of focusing inwards, making a conscious choice to look inwards into our self. To travel ever further in, from the outside in, from the periphery into the 'core.' This is NOT about abdominals! This is, on the gross, physical level, about not only moving hands, wrists, feet, neck. But , rather unraveling the layers of armour that keep us from contacting our inner body. To uncover this inner freedom and then allow it to express itself in our outer body and into the world at large.

SAMA: The Ultimate focus of the practice.
Sama means sameness, non-separation. It means Balance, smoothness,
consistency. The practice, filtered through the lens of Sama, is guided back to the Yogic ways; Ahimsa, Satya,... to the Ultimate practice of Samadhi, Sama-dhi, the abidance in the state of Sama, which IS Yoga.