Exploring how to Customise and Personalise our Practice of
Āsana Mudrā Prāṇāyāma Dhyāna and Chanting
As well as studying the Yoga Practice Study Workshop and Course Modules individually and progressively there is an option where the primary and intermediate levels of study are collectively combined into one single Programme for a group of around 5 students offering 150 hours contact tuition through 30 days of in-depth Yoga Practice Techniques and Theory Study over 2 years in the fields of:
- Āsana Practice and Theory – 90 hours
- Mudrā Practice and Theory – 10 hours
- Prāṇāyāma Practice and Theory – 30 hours
- Dhyāna Practice and Theory – 10 hours
- Sound and Chant Practice and Theory – 10 hours
Taken together the Programme content will initiate and empower the student in the arts of learning to skilfully work with the principles that underpin creating and sustaining a personalised Yoga practice.
The outcome will be the ability to independently and intelligently choose, adapt and ultimately self-develop and self-refine our personal Yoga practice through the study of Yoga practice techniques and Yoga theory.
Based in the Cotswolds, it is intended for those students who wish to explore, within the framework of a constant group and frequent meetings, the primary principles and teachings from T Krishnamacharya and TKV Desikachar on the study of Yoga practice techniques and theory either for personal development or, if relevant, to enhance professional skills.
It is presented with the aim of reflecting the fundamentals of Śrī Krishnamacharya’s teaching, namely, transmission occurs through the direct experience of the teacher with the students personal practice and study Sādhana.
The Art of Personal Practice Study Programme Framework
The Personal Yoga Practice and Theory Study Programme reflects the teachings of TKV Desikachar and his father and teacher T Krishnamacharya as taught to Paul Harvey over 25 years through:
- Guidance in emphasising a personal Yoga Practice to support your everyday life.
- Understanding the principles in the application of Yoga which inspire and shape Yoga practice.
- An overview of Yoga teachings relating to Yoga practice.
- Familiarisation with Yoga terminology and practice techniques.
- Appreciating how your body and mind can work more effectively with personalising practice..
- Deepening our work with and importance of our Personalising Yoga Practice.
To present a view from the Yoga Texts through which students can develop their own practice and appreciation of Yoga. The role of this Course is not to train students as Yoga teachers
The Art of Personal Practice Study Programme Professional
Even though the Yoga Practice teachings developed in the Art of Personal Practice Modular Courses can enhance any Yoga Teachers professional skills there is no requirement to teach or to intend to teach Yoga. This is not the role of the course.
In fact not everybody wants to or actually needs to become a Yoga teacher to further their practice and study. Here the priorities are towards personal development and thus questions relating to our personal practice and study are the priorities. These Courses reflects this viewpoint.
“Abhyāsa, when performed with reverence, without interruption, over a long period of time,
will result in a healthy body, acute senses and extraordinary alertness.”
– T Krishnamacharya
The aim is that we are all here in this course as students and it offers an opportunity for all teachers to step back from their teaching role and re-enhance their personal study and practice path.
The Art of Personal Practice Combined Study Programme comprises over 30 days through:
Yoga Practice Techniques and Practice Theory Study Modules in the following areas –
- Āsana Practice Workshop Module One – 2 days or 10 hours
- Āsana Practice Course Modules Two to Five – 16 days or 80 hours
- Mudrā Practice Workshop Module One – 2 days or 10 hours
- Prāṇāyāma Practice Workshop Module One – 2 days or 10 hours
- Prāṇāyāma Practice Course Module Two – 4 days or 20 hours
- Dhyāna Practice Workshop Module One – 2 days or 10 hours
- Sounding and Chanting Practice Workshop Module One – 2 days or 10 hours
The Art of Personal Practice Study Programme Syllabus totals over 150 hours through:
1. Personal Practice Planning and Self Observation – 22 hours
- Group projects to develop self planning and observational skills.
- Building and working with personalised recovery, support or developmental practices.
- Learning practice techniques, observation skills and awareness processes to help refine your short term and long term personal practice in the fields of Āsana, Mudrā, Prāṇāyāma, Dhyāna and Chanting.
2. Yoga Practice Techniques and Practice Theory Study – 120 Hours
– Study of Āsana Practice and Theory – 72 hours
- Exploring Āsana Practice according to Age
- Exploring Āsana Practice according to Health
- Exploring Āsana Practice according to Lifestyle
- Exploring Āsana Practice according to Constitution
- Definition, purpose and benefits of Āsana
- Introducing the components that make up an Āsana practice
- Why and how we use Sequence Building in planning Āsana practices
- Why and how we use Counterposes and Transitions in planning Āsana practices
- Why and how we use the Breath in planning Āsana practices
- How we use Energetic and Psychological characteristics of Āsana in planning practices
- Why and how we use Movement or Staying in planning Āsana practices
- Why and how we use Modification or Variation in planning Āsana practices
- In-depth exploration of Primary Āsana in planning Āsana practices
- Personalising Āsana techniques within recovery, support or developmental situations.
- Apprenticeship into the art and theory of observation of Āsana in practice.
– Study of Mudrā Practice and Theory – 8 hours
- Exploring Mudrā Practice according to Age
- Exploring Mudrā Practice according to Health
- Exploring Mudrā Practice according to Lifestyle
- Exploring Mudrā Practice according to Constitution
- Exploring the components that make up an Mudrā practice
- Definition, purpose and benefits of Mudrā
- Introducing how Mudrā are arranged sequentially in building a practice
- Introducing how counterposes are used within Mudrā practice
- Introducing how we breathe in Mudrā practice
- Introducing the Energetic and Psychological characteristics of Mudrā
- Introducing how we use movement or stay as tools in Mudrā practice
- Introducing how we modify or vary Mudrā within our practice
- Why and how of using Primary Mudrā within a Yoga practice
- Personalising Mudrā techniques within recovery, support or developmental situations
- Apprenticeship into the art and theory of observation of Mudrā in practice
– Study of Prāṇāyāma Practice and Theory – 24 hours
- Exploring Prāṇāyāma Practice according to Age
- Exploring Prāṇāyāma Practice according to Health
- Exploring Prāṇāyāma Practice according to Lifestyle
- Exploring Prāṇāyāma Practice according to Constitution
- Exploring the components that make up an Prāṇāyāma practice
- Definition, purpose and benefits of Prāṇāyāma
- Detailed study of the theory of Prāṇa and Nādī
- Introducing the Energetic and Psychological characteristics of Prāṇāyāma
- Introducing how Prāṇāyāma are arranged sequentially in building a practice
- Introducing how counterposes are used within Prāṇāyāma practice
- Introducing how we breathe in Prāṇāyāma practice
- Introducing how we use movement or stay as tools in Prāṇāyāma practice
- Introducing how we modify or vary Prāṇāyāma within our practice
- Why and how of using Primary Prāṇāyāma within a Yoga practice
- Additional techniques within Prāṇāyāma practice
- Personalising Prāṇāyāma techniques within recovery, support or developmental situations
- Apprenticeship into the art and theory of observation of Prāṇāyāma in practice
– Study of Dhyāna Practice and Theory – 8 hours
- Exploring Dhyāna Practice according to Age
- Exploring Dhyāna Practice according to Health
- Exploring Dhyāna Practice according to Lifestyle
- Exploring Dhyāna Practice according to Constitution
- Exploring the components that make up an Dhyāna practice
- Definition, purpose and benefits of Dhyāna
- Introducing the Energetic and Psychological characteristics of Dhyāna
- Introducing how Dhyāna is arranged in building a practice
- Introducing how counterposes are used within Dhyāna practice
- Introducing how we use the breath in Dhyāna practice
- Introducing how we use movement and stay as tools for Dhyāna practice
- Introducing how we modify or vary Dhyāna within our practice
- Basic techniques of Dhāraṇā and Bhāvana applied through Āsana, Mudrā and Prāṇāyāma
- Āsana within a Meditational framework
- Mudrā within a Meditational framework
- Prāṇāyāma within a Meditational framework
- Application of Dhāraṇā and Bhāvana as meditational techniques
- Application of Dhāraṇā and Bhāvana within recovery, support or developmental situations
- Personalising Dhyāna techniques within recovery, support or developmental situations
- Apprenticeship into the art and theory of observation of Dhyāna in practice
– Study of Saṃskṛta, Sound and Chanting Practice and Theory – 8 hours
- Understanding the important Saṃskṛta terms in Āsana, Mudrā, Prāṇāyāma, Dhyāna and Chanting
- Application of voice work and techniques for sound in personal practice
- Indexing Sound and Chant Material
- Origins and context for Chanting
- Guidelines for Sound and Chant
- Saṃskṛta alphabet and pronunciation of the Sound and Chant
- Saṃskṛta grammar and Saṃskṛta Sound and Chant rules
- Sound and Chant and Āsana and Mudrā Practices
- Sound and Chant and Seated Prāṇāyāma and Dhyānam Practices
- Reciting the Yoga Sūtra and Yoga teachings
3. Review Sessions and Home Study Guidelines – 8 hours
- Informal support of a practical nature through review, reading, questions for reflection and guidelines for core and developmental personal Āsana, Mudrā, Prāṇāyāma, Dhyāna and Chanting practices
- Home study of a practical nature through reading, practice planning, questions and exploration through personal practice
They are offered as 2 day or 4 day meetings over a period of around two years.
The Art of Personal Practice Study Programme Prerequisites
A minimum of one year’s attendance at a Yoga group class of any Yoga approach, or 10 individual Yoga lessons with any Yoga teacher.
The Art of Personal Practice Study Programme Feedback
Support and advice will be offered on the students’ progress and on possibilities for further development after the course. There is also the possibility of written work being suggested to help the transmission of the teachings.
The Art of Personal Practice Study Programme Certification
The Personal Yoga Practice and Theory Study Programme Certificate is awarded to successful students with full attendance. This Certificate is awarded in recognition of the commitment in studying the Application of Yoga Practice Techniques and Practice Theory respecting the spirit of TKV Desikachar’s teaching.
The Art of Personal Practice Study Programme Dates
The group size for the Art of Application of Yoga Modular Programme is limited to around five students to allow for a personalised approach and in-depth transmission between teacher and student.
There will be 30 days of tuition through either 4 day or two day meetings spaced over two years. This is also a specialised learning intensive, so rather than fixing diary dates in advance each Course will be arranged once I have received around four applications from interested students.
If you are interested then please do feel free to contact me. From there I can advise you on the current state of the waiting list, advise you on when the next Course can be anticipated and talk over any questions you may have.
The Art of Personal Practice Study Programme Fees and Booking
The 2018-2019 Course fee is based around five students and will be £3450 for 30 days.
The 2019-2020 Course fee is based around five students and will be £3600 for 30 days.
For 2018 a deposit of £750 is required and a yearly fee of £1350 payable over the years meetings.
For 2019 a deposit of £800 is required and a yearly fee of £1400 payable over the years meetings
The deposit will not be refundable but will be offset against the final fees. All the Application of Yoga Modular Programme must be paid for even if the student is unable to attend.
Missed meetings can be taken on future courses free of charge subject to spaces. The fees are payable at each meeting and the cost includes a further Course manual, tuition, a delicious vegetarian lunch each day and all refreshments.
All the Art of Application of Yoga Modular Programme deposits can be paid by Postal cheque or Bank draft. Please contact Paul to indicate your preference. Confirmation of your payment and place will be sent. All Fees are non-returnable and non-transferable. In the case of Courses not running an acceptable alternative or a full refund will be offered.
All the Modules may also be taken independently rather than as a fixed group
The Art of Personal Practice Study Programme Venue and Accommodation Options
All the weekends are based in the Cotswolds with a country setting and retreat atmosphere.
Do note that the fees will include lunch and, if staying overnight, evening supper to help with costs. Thus, if staying there is no need to incur any further costs until you leave.
View or download a PDF with Locally Based Accommodation options
