Workshop/intensive...how does that work?

Is there a difference between a workshop and an intensive?

Same thing, no?

Or is it something like a ....concept album, everything related, themed?

So, Richard Freeman's workshop/intensive coming up Thursday, there may still be places, the yogacampus website does say the course is still available.

here's the course outline
http://www.yogacampus.com/attend/yoga-intensives/postures-on-a-thread-and-the-middle-path-of-love/

That's the day after tomorrow, mysore rug in the washing machine, spinning as I type.

I have no idea how these things work,workshops not washing machines.

Actually washing machines too...why are there all those different numbers and settings, you just chuck it on 40 and hit start, then spin again when it stops...why cant there just be two buttons.

I came across an article on Elephantjournal where somebody mention me and this blog and that I'd been on loads of workshops, nope, this is the first one.

Ramaswami's TT was I suppose an extra long (five week) workshop but then I was living on campus.

So how does it work?

Are there showers? There doesn't seem to be, do you walk around all hot and sweaty until the second portion (talks on the Gita).


The workshop has two parts and you can book either or both separately

'We are delighted that, for his 2012 visit, Richard Freeman will be exploring not just the multiple subtleties of the Ashtanga Vinyasa system, also looking at the Bhagavad Gita, a core yoga text with, , as relevant today as they were 2000 or so years ago.

For the first time, it will be possible to book just the morning practice sessions (£ 265 ), just the afternoon philosophy and discussion sessions (£250) or both together ( £475 ).

Actually I'm missing the afternoon sessions on the Gita, want to head home and do a practice and try and reenforce and internalise the morning session. Besides I have his Yoga matrix, studio talks ( just bought his gazing, prana and banhdas CD's , Excellent) and Pranayama course to digest....besides, Krishna annoys the hell out of me (which is probably why I should take the course). but then of course richard being Richard the Gita is a launch pad for going off all over the place.

Here's the outline of the afternoon session...still tempted, really tempted

"The afternoon sessions The Bhagavad Gita, the Middle Path of Love will use lecture and discussion to explore:

Day 1. Context and Crisis.
The crisis of a unified value code, the crisis of death, the crisis of knowledge, the crisis of relationship and the crisis of love.

Day 2. Waking up in the middle of a paradoxical pot.
The story within the story of the extended, infinite Mahabharata, the revitalisation of the dharma, and the dilemma of Arjuna. What is the effect of the layers of narration, the frames in frames? What is between the armies? Compassion?

Day 3. Nirodha is not what you think.
It is not negative. The field of citta accounts for content, structure and belief of and about experience, including sacred forms.

Day 4. The atman in the atman.
The various philosophies of Sankhya, Karma, Yajna, Jnana and Yoga form the Russian nesting doll quality of themes in the Gita, as atman is within atman within atman. The vision of “Seeing Me within all beings and all beings within Me” is a pattern that runs all the way into the two mirror metaphor of lover and beloved being each others’ heart.

Day 5. The Gita as a universal text like the Yoga Sutra.
The plurality of paths is essential, unavoidable and is at the heart of the insight of the Gita. Even the worship of various gods is all part of a meandering path to Krishna, also various philosophies and concepts of Krishna are a meandering transformation to Krishna. Does the Gita make any explicit reference to self-reference paradox? A new interpretation of the Gita is always needed. We never stand on the same ground in the same circumstances. There is no final interpretation, but what interpretation there is must be new, less dogmatic, more open."

See also my earlier posts on, The Gita as it wa.s
http://grimmly2007.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/original-gita-no-surrender.html
and
http://grimmly2007.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/phulgenda-sinhas-gita-as-it-was.html

.....but back to workshops, how do they.......work?

Is there anywhere to get changed or do you just head home in your sweaty clothes...does everyone turn up in their brand spankin' new Lululemon  or fifteen year old Adidas.

Where do you put your stuff?

This morning I thought I should prepare, get used to practicing on a regular size mat. I struggled with that, I'm so used to my extra long manduka, kept jumping off the end of the mat.

If anyone's reading this going to the same workshop....you really don't want to be directly behind me....or beside me,  can't get the hang of bringing the arms up to the fount.

Is it considered bad form to turn up to a workshop with an extra long mat and/or extra wide rug...I thought so.

Few weeks ago I thought I'd better get with the program and switch back to regulation, by the numbers,  Ashtanga. So hard not to tweak it, slow it down and chuck in some extra vinyasas, long stays or kumbhaka's, I tried, I really tried.

I've also been practicing with Richard's DVD and trying to get the hang of his approach to breathing, the whole pressing the prana down into the apana, drawing apana up into prana...then the heart and pelvic floor awareness, dropping the pubic bone on to the coccyx, relaxing the palate, stilling the tongue, opening the ears, relaxing the palate, kidney hoods and patanjali wings (?), did I mention relaxing the palate.... found this morning I can hardly stand up straight in tadasana with all that going on let along know my down dog from my up, it's gonna be messy.

Lots going on with Richard, love it.

And thus the workshop, to try and make sense of all this and internalise it better.

One workshop got me thinking, what other workshops might I like, also something to do with this post from micqui

Where would be on your list for the perfect ashtanga yoga world tour...?

I realised I'm not interested in mysore style sessions, I'm a home ashtangi, not used to adjustments, used to working things out on my own.

Although an alignment intensive might be a good idea.

And I'm tempted by Mark Darby's workshops, focusing on fundamentals.

I'm interested in David Williams and Danny Paradise's workshops, Nancy's too of course. not just because I'm fascinated in how it was back in the day, though that too,  but more importantly how they have managed their practice over so many years, that relationship with your practice over time fascinates me.

David and Kino seem to focus on the mechanics of practice a lot, would have liked that a year or two ago but I'm less interested in that side of things these days. David's longer workshops are very tempting though.

Manju of course and for so many reasons. For me he's that link to the time before the western students came to Mysore in the 70's. The Mysore shala might have got bigger but Manju continued to work small rooms in the US, decades of workshops.

And of course looking outside of Ashtanga to workshops in other traditions, also an option.....

Unlikely to be blogging through the workshop but will no doubt do a post at the end on some of the things that blow my mind and rock the foundations of my practice.

Update
Just been checking with the Journey planner, Paralympics is messing with the trains, Paddington's a hotspot, Kings Cross also. Had hoped to do my practice early then head on in to London for the course. So Plan B. go in really early, miss the commuters and practice in Regents park, short practice and some pranayama before heading over, If the weather's nice it's a walk in (read across) the park.

Venue : Cecil Sharp House