Mark Robberds: Workshops & Mysore Classes

Mark Robberds is a guest yoga teacher at the Shala from September 10-14, 2015. He is offering Mysore Ashtanga Yoga Classes and Workshops during his stay on Hawaii. We feel blessed and excited to be infused with Marks energy and approach to the yoga.

Mark has been studying yoga since 1997. He is a Certified Ashtanga Yoga teacher (one of the few Certified by KPJAYI) and spent 10 years travelling regularly to India to practice with the late, legendary Guru Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois, and the last 6 years with his grandson R. Sharath, of Mysore. He also trained as an apprentice, first with Mathew Sweeney and then with Eileen Hall from 1999-2005 at YogaMoves in Sydney.

Mark has studied extensively with some of the world’s best yoga teachers including Richard Freeman and Dena Kingsberg, and his teaching reflects the essence of these influences. He is currently studying Yoga philosophy, particularly Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, with his teacher Professor Nagaraj Rao in Mysore. In 2004 Mark realised that in this lifetime he wanted to wake up to his true purpose. A part of that journey has been to travel all over the world, and to go deeper into his own love of yoga, surfing, teaching and music, and in doing so, find the thread that connects them all.

He has been teaching workshops, retreats and as a guest teacher, internationally since 2005. Mark wishes to share the teachings of yoga in a way that inspires people to develop a passion and love for the practice. He incorporates the philosophy of yoga into his talks, music and devotional songs, so that the deeper aspects of the yoga tradition can connect people and bring them closer together.

Immerse Your Self: Includes all 3 workshops and 4 Mysore Classes. $200 for the five days or participate in individual classes and/or workshops.

September 10-14 is for those yogis and yoginis wanting to experience something more meaningful than just an exercise class. You will learn powerful tools to develop, or deepen your own Yoga Sadhana. You will be shown the techniques that will help you to find the thread that connects and integrates the essence of the Yoga tradition, through the physical, theoretical and practical application of the teachings. Classes and workshops are offered individually as well.

Mysore Ashtanga Yoga Classes – all levels $20 per class
Practice with individualized attention.
Thursday, Friday, Sunday, Monday
September 10, 11, 13, & 14
6:30-9:30am

3 Workshops – All levels

1) Guided Primary Series, Essential Yoga Breathing, & Meditation
Saturday, September 12 7am -10 am
$50

Guided primary series practice and workshop. This will be a led class with instructions. Open to all levels, modifications, tips and options given for all “tricky” postures.

The ancient yogis would retreat to the forest or the caves to do their Yoga Sadhana (practice), to find peace and freedom within themselves. We don’t need to leave everything behind in order to have a taste of that experience. With the tools of asana, pranayama (breath awareness) and mindfulness (sitting practice), and a study of the ancient texts, we too can retreat from the busyness of our daily lives, so that in the midst of everything, we cultivate the ability to find strength, stability and clarity in our everyday living.

Every workshop will contain elements of philosophy, asana exploration – themes such as building strength and stability, arm balances, inversions, back-bending, and the exploration of anatomy as applied to the Primary and Intermediate Series. Classes will also include an introduction to yoga breathing, which will be a continuation of the ideas, techniques, and awareness developed in the asana classes. There will be ‘mindfulness’ sitting practice – often most neglected by asana practitioners -this practice has the ability to really help reveal the nature of the mind and all the patterns that prevent us from realizing our full potential. Be prepared to sit….bring a cushion if necessary. There will also be time given for Yoga Nidra or guided relaxation – a great healer of the body and much can be learnt about the nature of our selves in this practice.

The intention of this workshop is to bring back the sense of Yoga as a wholistic, healing art; that is part of a time-tested ancient tradition, that works on many levels of the physical, mental and emotional body, heart and mind. Some experience of Yoga’s basics will be helpful, but most important – is to come with an open mind and a curious, adventurous spirit.

2) Finding Balance – An Arm Balancing & Inversion Study
Saturday, September 12 3pm – 6pm
$50

In this class we will explore techniques and tools for building more strength and stability in vinyasas – jump backs and jump throughs, arm balances like bakasana, handstands, forearm balance and headstands. We will begin with specific drills for building core strength and finding the ‘hollow body', and the ‘angry cat', which form the foundation for all strength work in the practice. Essential shoulder mechanics will be explained, as well as shoulder ‘openers' to improve ‘overhead reach', as well as tips for improving pelvis mobility and hip extension; which are the foundation for finding good alignment in inversions. This is a fun and interactive class with a lot of partner work involved.

The class will conclude with some breath work and sitting practice and guided relaxation. All levels are welcome; especially those with an open mind and an adventurous spirit.

3) Backbends & Beyond: Re-Discovering the Primary Patterns of Movement
Sunday, September 13 3pm – 6pm
$50

All of us can develop safe and beautiful back bends to the best of our own ability; it is a matter of re-discovering the primary patterns of movement that allow us to find our own, unique way of expressing our back bending potential. From Samasthiti to the final pose, the keys to unlocking this intelligence of the body can be found. This class will explore the ways to find those keys: the fundamental shoulder movements, pelvic/lumbar rhythms, breath patterns and the hip, leg and foot work needed for back bends and beyond – into all areas of your practice and life.

The class will conclude with some breath work and sitting practice and guided relaxation. All levels are welcome; especially those with an open mind and an adventurous spirit.

Please register at http://hiloshala.frontdeskhq.com or email Colee at mamacolee@gmail.com