Let your practice come from within you while receiving support from without.
Abhyāsa
"Practice"
If Yoga has intrigued you in some way, even on the physical level in a class practicing yoga postures, it may be the principles underlying the practice that that you are hearing as they speak to you. Build on that awareness.
For example, when the teacher emphasizes the importance of not pushing the body over its limit, many principles are upholding that reminder. Or when you shape your body to reflect a certain animal, what ideas sit with you, teach you? Power? Grace? Courage? What are these principles underlying the physical practice, and how can you live your whole life accordingly?
This program helps you incorporate the essential guidelines of living a Yogic inspired life.
Practice is KEY.
Practice is rhythmic.
Practice is consistent.
Practice is focused.
This mentoring program will help you develop, refine, integrate, and advance a new or existing yoga practice in your daily life.
Physical yoga is a part of this practice, but definitely not the entire practice!
Physical yoga is one of the many aspects of Yoga which we will also focus on. According to his students, the Father of the modern physical yoga movement himself, Krishnamacharya, stated that "Asana-s do not become yoga unless when done with yama-s and niyama-s." This means, unless our thoughts and actions are based in yogic philosophy during our physical practice, we are not practicing physical yoga, we are just exercising.
The objective of this ongoing program is to build a Yogic foundation with living principles that are integrated in your life, your practice, to help guide and enrich your life.
Individualize this practice with the online tools. You can weave it into your busy schedule, the best way to practice! We are all busy, myself included, and this is one way to work around that.
I have not been to a studio in years and my devotion to practicing Yogic principles has only strengthened, not wavered one bit. Wherever you are, you can practice, because this program goes beyond Downward Facing Dog, though we will explore that and other postures in-depth as well. After all, physical postures prepare the mind!
I'm here to support your desire to go further, dive deeper, within yourself and within this ancient yet living tradition called Yoga. Practicing yoga for 22 years, teaching for 8, and constant studying and dedication to the principles underlying this practice, I am here to support you and show some of the guideposts as best as I can.
The details:
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On-going sessions on-line, both pre-recorded & live
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No start or end date to the program
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One live session per week, streamed and recorded
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Monthly subscription-based with 3 tiers to choose from. Subscriptions will recur monthly until you leave the mentoring group.
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You can begin your monthly subscription any time and end it anytime, based on your needs.
Recorded & Live Sessions include but are not limited to the following:
Hatha Yoga Practice sessions
-Practice segments that run from 5-75 minutes
-Techniques, modifications, alignment
Discussion of yogic principles
-Utilizing a relevant & easily approachable book as a study guide
-Discussion of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras and commentary
Chanting / Concentration / Meditation
-Learning to chant in Sanskrit and incorporating mantra
-Guided Yoga Nidra meditation
Discussion of Integrating Yoga & Challenges
-Meditation practice techniques and challenges
-Maintaining a practice
-Integrating yogic principles in your life using various techniques
If you are going into a deeper practice with me:
You will choose at least one from of artful self-expression.
The form of expression that speaks to you will be felt in your heart. This will be included in your concentration, contemplation, meditation practices. Whether through writing, visual art, dance, song, music, poetry, it will be a form of expression that can be artful but also, healing and meditative. You will practice this on your own, and can share with the group if you choose.
Second & Third Tiers offer more one-on-one time, as stated in the subscription tiers, to work on your physical postures, alignment, chanting, self-expression, reaching a specific goal, working with challenges you may be facing.
I am here to support you, as you identify your individual goals and incorporate the way of Yoga into your life.
~Sandy Naimou
There are various forms of Yogic techniques and practices, but they share the same philosophical foundation and ultimate goals.
Nonetheless, they exist because we are individuals with varying dispositions and temperaments.
This support & mentoring program honors that your practice is as unique as you. It is meant to establish a strong Yogic foundation that you'll integrate into every part of your life in your own unique way.
I have suggestions that worked for me, as do all of us in the support community, but in the end, each one of us must learn our way.
Daily practice directs mental and physical energy towards the way you want to be in the world.
Yoga Practice
Support & Mentoring Program
Subscription Tiers
Choose what you can pay per month within the range of each tier.** These are recurring monthly payments for as long as this program works for you. Payments will be set-up in late September 2019.
basic
basic plus PERSONAL
PERSONAL PRACTICE
*This tier offers flexible pricing to meet your financial needs if $10 doesn't work for you. Other options anywhere from $6-9/month
$10/month*
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Access to 2+ weekly live streamed videos on private Facebook group covering above listed topics & more.
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Get direction with concrete tools on creating a daily practice, tested and tried myself for years.
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Access to a community of like-minded people enrolled in the program via closed Facebook group
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Post questions to be addressed in live videos and discussion
$25/month
Everything listed under Basics
PLUS:
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30-minutes/month of one-on-one time, either all at once or in multiple sessions. We'll connect via Skype or Facetime, focusing on specific questions, challenges, goal achievement, any part of your practice, etc.
$70/month
Everything listed in Basics PLUS,
IN ADDITION TO:
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60 minutes/month of one-on-one time, either all at once or in multiple sessions. We'll connect via Skype or Facetime, focusing on specific questions, challenges, goal achievement or any other part of your practice, etc.
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Ask questions during the live streams or post prior to recording.
Explore the depths of your practice and you explore the depths of your soul.
Sink in.
When you are taking care of body and mind as a service to your spirit, all is aligned.
Take care.
Transform a casual practice into a devotional one.
Ritualize.
Make it sacred.
More Details
BODY
Yoga asana, breathwork, pranayama
Directing energy through the physical body and mind
Co-create a unique physical yoga practice (yoga asana) with me to suit your specific needs. Whether you are focusing on building strength, flexibility, targeting specific postures, building endurance, learning sequencing, or more, the practice will be well-rounded on many levels. Additionally, proper alignment will consistently be addressed.
You'll build a strong foundation so that you can experience artfulness, creativity and intuitive flow in your practice on your own, as it becomes more and more of a meditative experience over time.
MIND
Practicing virtue, directing thoughts, concentration, & meditation
Embedded in all of this work is your focus, where you are putting your attention, how you are experiencing awareness.
Working with the mind has many aspects and levels and we will meet you where you are. The Yamas & Niyamas, the first limbs of Yoga, lay the groundwork which help refine the instinctual and conditioned mind toward a more proactive mental approach to the world. In other words, let's lay the mental groundwork of the Yogic path.
From there, we can build the spiritual mind, which is more of a "'letting go' than of 'building up' something which naturally takes time," (I.K. Taimni, The Science of Yoga). Once we operate in the service of the spirit, things begin to fall into place, opening a gateway toward knowing, becoming, experiencing more of who we are.
relaxation
Journeying inward through relaxation
Relaxation is extremely important for both mind and body. Relaxation is a tool to slow the mind and it's acrobatic tendencies, giving more energy to the body to restore itself and function fully. Relaxation also shifts the mind from over-identifying with everyday problems and instead, experience ourselves as awareness. In other words, we learn to watch and observe our experiences rather than get wrapped up and blinded in and by them. A relaxed state is key to operating from within rather than feeling pushed from without.
Guided meditation, yoga nidra, and sound healing are a few ways to work with you in facilitating a deep state of relaxation. In deep relaxation, the mind and body can restore and regenerate. After our time together, you'll more easily be able to switch over to a relaxed state at will.
The powerful meditations will also aid the process of releasing the layers, tensions, conflicts, and areas of resistance in your mind. You'll be able to see them with less confusion and more clarity.
self-expression
Body and mind work together intuitively when we are expressing
Having dealt with the mind on many levels, we can relax into self-expression more easily and do away with any lingering hesitations. You'll identify what modes of expression speak most to you. Be it visual art, music, writing, singing, whatever it may be, we'll spend time incorporating this form into your practice.
Self-expression, this is a soul activity integrating into the physical world through the body. From idea to full manifestation in the physical world, this form of expression is something you can keep private or share with others, that's totally up to you.
The form of expressions I have personal experience in includes mantra, singing for spiritual connection, drumming, various forms of self-reflection techniques including journaling, visual journaling, and more. Your chosen form is not limited to these.
