Order of courses Introductory workshopThe purpose of the introductory workshop is to educated the students on what lies ahead. This provides those students who are uncertain about the beginners course an opportunity to gain insight into what the course compromises of and to make an informed decision on what is best suited to them. Beginners course The Beginners course is suitable for people with no knowledge of yoga and/or for people who are not familiar with the Sivananda yoga style. By the end of this course, students would have been introduced to the general Sivananda style class. At this stage students will be ready to either follow a General class, to progress onto the more advanced Intermediate course, or to maintain their own personal practice. General class General classes are suitable for those who have completed the Beginners course or have completed a corresponding level of learning offered by any of the Sivananda organizations world wide. Intermediate course The Intermediate course is suitable for people who already have a well established practice in the general Sivananda yoga style class and are looking for more challenging variations and new postures. This course is not suitable for beginners and a personal consultation with the teacher is recommended for people who intend to participate in this course. Conducting the class All classes are conducted by qualified teachers who have successfully completed the official Teachers Training Course at a Sivananda organization and have obtained a certificate to do so. All classes are fully guided. When introducing new posture, benefits, precautions and the correct practice of the posture are explained. The posture is demonstrated and only then incorporated into the students practice. The practice of all the postures is supervised by the teacher; and if necessary verbally and/or physically corrected. Sivananda yoga style does not require use of any special props - yoga mat and in some cases block for sitting are satisfactory. In Sivananda yoga the tradition is that teachers wear uniform (white/yellow) and never exercise together with their students. Ethics and guidelines In order to maintain tranquil conditions for students, participants are encouraged to be on time. Waiting till the end of the class is respectful towards the teacher and other practitioners. Modest clothing covering knees, midriff and shoulders is recommended. If for any reason (injury, tiredness etc) students are unable to follow certain postures, they are asked to relax in Savasana. We kindly ask students to be respectful of their fellow practitioners and not watch other students while they practice asanas. Yoga is not a spectator sport, 'watching' not only intrudes on others privacy but also does not contribute in anyway to your own practice. Students have the right to refuse any physical corrections from the teacher. Please feel free to ask not to be corrected. During the class all students are expected to observe silence. This allows the teacher to maintain the natural flow of the class without interruption. Observing silence helps to soothe and calm the mind hence increasing the ability to focus on your asana practice. There has been time allocated at the conclusion of the class for any questions that may arise during the class. Duration Duration of all our classes is 1hour 30 min. Each class has it's own time block of 2 hours to allow students to settle down before the start of the class and to have enough time to leave the class in a peaceful state of mind. Equipment Mats and blocks are provided. Students can borrow any equipment for free or can buy their own. Yoga mats (4.5 mm, black color) $20 Sitting blocks (high density, straight edge) $15 We recommend loose comfortable clothing that does not restrain breathing or movement. Cotton T-shirt and cotton loose pants will perfectly do the job. A large light cotton/woolen (natural fibers are preferred) blanket for final relaxation and a big towel are not mandatory, however some people find them very useful. Dietary Recommendations A yogic diet is a lacto-vegetarian one. As we do not require you to change your regular diet to that of a yogi's to attend our classes a few recommendation have been made to assist you gain optimal benefit from your practice. It is recommended that you:
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