Pranayama – the power to heal with Phillip Xerri

Location: Space six, Commercial union house, Pilgrim St, Newcastle, NE1 6QE

Date: Saturday 10th October 2020

Times: 10.00-4.00 with a break for lunch

Cost: £55.00

This is Philips only workshop this year so early booking is recommended, please contact to book. Currently there are 2 spaces left.

About Phillip
Philip Xerri is one of the leading authorities on Pranayama in the UK. He originally trained with Swami Gitananda in Pondicherry in 1981 and has been teaching Yoga & Pranayama for over 30 years. In 2000 he devised and produced the Pranayama Foundation Course which runs as a Pranayama Module for the British Wheel of Yoga. This marvellous course is the culmination of decades of experience, practice, research and teaching of Pranayama. You can find out more about Phillip at yogaquests.co.uk

About the workshop
Prana is seen to be the core energy of our being: it is the ‘juice’ of life. Pranayama is the quintessential practice in Yoga whereby this energy is manipulated. Thus, Pranayama can be utilized as a powerful tool in self-healing. On this workshop we will explore this vast subject from four general directions:

Directional Healing
1. The Pranava AUM: a profound and beautiful practice that brings together the physical, the energetic and the vibrational into a whole-body experience.
2. The extension to this is Directional Healing wherein that vibrational energy can be directed to any specific part of the body.

Classical
Various Pranayama’s from the main texts of Yoga will be introduced and their therapeutic applications explored.

Rhythmical Breathing
Manipulating Prana with the introduction of particular rhythms.

Pranayama Kriyas and Mudras
Combining rhythm, movement, relaxation and visualisation to release deep seated tension in the physical and emotional bodies.

Extended Yoga practice

Location: Wellness space, 15 Pickersgill Court, Sunderland, SR5 2AQ map

Date: Saturday 9th May – this workshop will be rescheduled at a later time.

Times: 1.00-3.00

Cost: £15.00

Traditional Yoga texts describe a broad range of practices to enable the practitioner to prepare the mind and body for waking to a deeper sense of self. These ‘tools’ work on the various layers of the self from the gross to the subtle. In Yoga these are referred to as ‘Koshas’, or layers of the body.

This session will focus on a breath-led posture practice with variations to suit, simple Pranayama techniques, cleansing practices, and a short meditation practice to finish. Through this traditional practice we will learn more about ourselves and build resilience for dealing with the modern world.

Suitable to those with some previous yoga experience, bookings via wellnesspace.co.uk

Autumn Yoga retreat at Samye Ling

Location: Purelands retreat centre, Kagyu Samye Ling, Eskdalemuir, Langholm, DG13 OQL map

Dates: Friday 30th October to Sunday 1st November

Cost: £220 which includes your own room, all Yoga sessions and delicious vegetarian meals. Any cancellation within 3 days of the retreat there is only a 50% refund, please contact to book.

Please bring your own Yoga mat. – This retreat is currently on hold.

Come and enjoy a weekend of Yoga at the Purelands retreat centre set within the grounds of Samey Ling, the first Tibetan centre to be set up in the west in 1967. The weekend will be an opportunity to detach from the routine of everyday life, enjoy great food, company and absorb yourself in the joy of Yoga practice. There will be some free time Saturday afternoon to go for a relaxing walk by the river or around the grounds, chill in the Tibetan tea rooms, browse around the shop or simply sit quietly in one of the main shrine rooms.

Arrival time is for 6.00 on the Friday with a light evening practice/meditation followed by three sessions on Saturday comprising of morning, late afternoon and evening meditation practice. On Sunday there is morning and afternoon practice and retreat ends around 3.00. The retreat centre is a very peaceful environment to support your practice and the practice room over looks the countryside and has under floor heating. The weekend is suitable to those with previous experience and is an opportunity to go deeper and we explore a wider range of practices including Asana, Pranayama, meditation and more.

Yoga in the Bhagavad Gita with Daniel Simpson

Location: Space six, Commercial union house, Pilgrim St, Newcastle, NE1 6QE

Date: Saturday 14th November

Times: 10.00-4.00 with a break for lunch

Cost: £50.00

Early booking is recommended, please contact to book.

Unlike many early yogic texts, whose ultimate goal is renouncing the world, the Bhagavad Gita promotes taking action. Encouraging detachment from personal gain, and a view of all beings as essentially one, it highlights ways to serve wider society. Each of its teachings is said to be yoga, combining methods of devotion, meditation, knowledge and worldly activity. Exploring it together, we’ll discuss its main themes and put some of its insights into practice. Please bring a copy of the Bhagavad Gita (any translation), a notebook and pen, and some comfortable practice clothes.

Daniel Simpson teaches courses at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, on teacher trainings and online. His practical guidebook to yoga philosophy will be published soon. Find out more at danielsimpson.info.