10-Days Intensive Iyengar Yoga Retreat
Iyengar Yoga Mandir conducts regular intensive retreats in the worlds capital of yoga at the bank of the Ganges in Rishikesh. We invite you to participate in this residential Iyengar Yoga Retreat spanning 10 Days and which is designed for Yoga students who are interested in exploring Iyengar Yoga and enhancing their Yoga practice. The daily program includes Asanas, Pranayama,Therapy classes, Meditation, Vedic Chanting and Beginner Sanskrit classes.
| The classes will emphasize on: | proper alignment of each pose | adjustments |
| safety points and contraindications | how to use yoga props | |
| sequencing | ||
Participants will receive the book 'Yoga in action' : A Preliminary course – with photos and diagrams of each pose – to support their own practice. Students should devote themselves entirely to self-exploration, change and transformation during this retreat. With the retreat beginning in the early morning and continuing until 9.30 pm - leaving very little or no time for other activities. Swami Dayananda Ashram yoga hall is fully equipped for teaching Iyengar Yoga. Vegetarian meals, breakfast along with afternoon tea, are provided daily to all retreat participants.
Tentative Retreat Schedule
4.30 am - Tea & Coffee (optional)
For early birds ... Chai (Indian tea) will be served, ideal to warm-up after early (optional) bath in Ganga
5 - 6 am - Temple Puja (optional, recommended)
There will be temple puja with Rudra Abhishekam every morning starting at 5 am at the ashrams Lord Gangadhareshwar temple on the bank of the Ganges. It is early but worth going ...
6.00 to 8.30 am - Morning Asana Class
Week One : During daily two and a half hour classes students will be
taught the B.K.S Iyengar- style of basic asanas. These will
incorporate sitting poses, standing, inversions, forward and back
bending, twisting, sun salutation and relaxation. There will also be
full instruction on how to use yoga props.
These classes should provide enough knowledge to incorporate into,
and enhance daily practice.
Week Two : New asanas will be added to those taught in week one,
and the first weeks asanas will be practiced, corrected and explored
in greater detail.
9 am - Healthy Breakfast
Breakfast will include light, healthy fare which will include seasonal fruit, cereals, milk and chai.
11.00 to 12.00 pm - Yoga Video Session / Patanjali Yoga Sutra
On other alternate days, there will be video sessions highlighting B.K.S. Iyengar, his teaching philosophy and his life. Iyengar, known to his disciples and students as Guruji, is revered internationally for having introduced yoga asana to the world. Video footage of his personal practice sessions will instill discipline and motivation into all who aspire to make yoga a part of life. The other days Yoga Sutra will be taught by Swami Brahmavidyananda Saraswati.
12.30 pm - Vegetarian Lunch
Lunch will feature healthy, sattvic vegetarian food in keeping with the ethics of the retreat
3.00 pm- Tea
Masala chai & Biscuits3.00 to 4.30 pm - Introduction to Sanskrit / Vedic Chanting
In the two weeks of this retreat you will learn to read and write in Sanskrit. The Sanskrit alphabetization will be taught along with the meaning of some of the significant Vedic prayers which are commonly recited in the context of Yoga.
5.00 to 6.30 pm - Posture Correction / Pranayama
Evening classes:
On alternative days there will be either yoga therapy or classes in
pranayama.
Those who require special treatment for ailments will be taught how
to correct and deal with the problems and given body alignment and
special asanas to incorporate into daily practice to correct and heal
themselves.
Pranayama classes: Pranayama calms and strengthens the mind. It is to be incorporated
into daily practice once the body, respiratory and nervous systems
have been strengthened by asana practice. Basic Iyengar-style
pranayama will be taught.
6.15 to 7 pm - Meditation
Daily for 30 minutes, the class will sit for instruction on meditation.
They will come to understand its benefits in terms of awareness,
peace and the joy and transformation regular practice can bring into
one’s life. These classes will bring the class together in terms of the
retreat ethic which needs to be focused on exploration and
transformation.
7.30 pm - Vegetarian Dinner
Dinner will feature healthy, sattvic vegetarian food in keeping with the eithics of the retreat8.30 pm - Satsanga / Introduction to Vedanta / Cultural Evening
On alternate days there will be satsanga, question & answer session with Acharya Sri Swami Brahmavidyananda Saraswati
who will also give some introductory talks introducing Vedanta. We will also have cultural events like classical Indian musical concert in the evening sessions.