Year One: Developing Your Own Practice
Weekly Requirements (September-June)
• Special Studies Class
Mondays, 7:30pm-9:30pm
• Developing Your Own Practice Class
Tuesdays, 3:30pm-5:30pm
• Ongoing Yoga Class
Level 2 or Level 3 class of your choice
• Home Practice
5x/week (one 1 hr. & four 1⁄2 hr.)
Special Studies Classes:
Anatomy 1; Sanskrit; Philosophy 1; Anatomy 2;
Philosophy 2; Anatomy 3; Body Reading
Developing Your Own Practice Classes:
Standing Poses; Forward Bends; Twists & Core;
Backbends; Inversions & Restorative; Breathing
Coordination
Ongoing Yoga Class:
Participants in Year One: Developing Your Own
Practice are required to attend a weekly Level 2
or 3 class at Yogasana Center.
Home Practices:
Year One students are required to practice 5
times per week on their own—once for 1 hour
and four times for a half hour. Students will
keep a practice journal and turn it in weekly to
receive feedback from the teacher.
Evaluation:
To be eligible for Year Two: The Art of Teaching,
students must have completed the application
procedure for the Two Year track, successfully
completed all of the courses, attended a weekly,
ongoing Level 2 or 3 class, and maintained a
consistent home practice.
Courses
September – October 2007Anatomy 1: The Skeletal System
Taught by Nicola Weiner and Rachel Lynch-
John
Mondays, 7:30–9:30pm, Sept. 17–Oct. 22
This section will focus on the bones and joints
of the body. We will explore the connections
of pelvis to feet, shoulder girdle/ribs to hands
and the way in which the dynamic movement
of the skull and spine integrate the actions of
the limbs. The information will be presented in
lecture and experiential formats to provide intel-
lectual and kinesthetic understandings of how
the skeletal system supports individuals’ asana
practices.
Standing Poses: Developing Your Own Practice
Taught by Kristen Davis
Tuesdays, 3:30–5:30pm, Sept. 18–Oct. 23
Standing poses are the foundation of Iyengar-
style yoga; they create the organization in the
body that leads to all other types of poses. This
class will focus on the correct action and align-
ment, use of props, and sequencing of standing
poses, with special attention paid to individual
issues that come out of the students’ home
practice.
October-December 2007
Sanskrit
Taught by Jon Yamashita
Mondays, 7:30pm–9:30pm, Oct.29 & Nov. 5
This course is a general introduction to Sanskrit.
It will cover basic sandhi and pronunciation
rules, emphasizing the importance of accurate
pronunciation. We will concentrate on the
meaning and phonetics of the Sanskrit names of
yoga poses, with sufficient time for practice.
Philosophy I: Foundations and Techniques
Taught by Witold Fitz-Simon
Mondays, 7:30–9:30pm, Nov. 12–Dec. 10
Beginning with an overview of the history of
the Indian philosophical tradition, this course
will explore the roots of the Vedic religion out
of which classical yoga was born. We will sur-
vey the various schools of philosophical inquiry
to gain an understanding of the key concepts
essential to the study of yoga. From these firm
foundations, we will look at the yogic path
outlined in Patañjali’s Yoga Sutra, including the
eight limbs of Ashtanga yoga, the three limbs of
Kriya Yoga, and the many practical techniques
given for stilling the mind.
Forward Bends: Developing Your Own Practice
Taught by Erin Fitzgerald
Tuesdays, 3:30–5:30pm, Oct. 30–Dec. 11
This class will focus on the mechanics and
correct alignment of forward bends, differ-
ent ways of sequencing, and using props and
modifications to address individual limitations
and issues.
January – February 2008
Anatomy 2: The Muscular System
Taught by Rachel Lynch-John and Nicola Weiner
Mondays, 7:30–9:30pm, Jan. 7–Feb. 11
This section will concentrate on the muscles
and their actions, exploring proximal and distal
movement and the way energy flows through our
muscle fibers, allowing for the actions in asanas.
The information will be presented in lecture and
experiential formats.
Twists & Core: Developing Your Own Practice
Taught by Witold Fitz-Simon
Tuesdays, 3:30–5:30pm, Jan. 8–Feb. 12
Delving deeper into the core support of our spines
and postural muscles, this class will focus on
twisting poses that create flexibility and mobility
along with poses that build strength and organiza-
tion. There will be specific attention paid to align-
ment, sequencing, the use of props, and issues
that arise in individual’s home practices.
February – March 2008
Philosophy 2: Consciousness, the Brain and Yoga
Taught by Witold Fitz-Simon
Mondays, 7:30–9:30pm, Feb. 18–Mar. 24
Though medical science has made great strides
towards demystifying the workings of the brain, it
has yet to draw a complete picture of the function-
ing and source of consciousness. In this course we
will explore the meeting-place of neuroscience and
yoga as we study the deeper underpinnings of the
quest for emancipation outlined in Patañjali’s Yoga
Sutra.
Backbends: Developing Your Own Practice
Taught by Kristen Davis
Tuesdays, 3:30–5:30pm, Feb. 19–Mar. 25
Known for their energizing and stimulating effect
on the nervous system, backbends are a challeng-
ing yet essential element of a yoga practice. This
course will create a deeper understanding of the
alignment and muscular actions of backbends and
explore different ways of sequencing and using
props to safely work with these poses in your
home practice.
April-May 2008
Anatomy 3: Organs and Ligaments
Taught by Nicola Weiner and Rachel Lynch-John
Mondays, 7:30–9:30pm, Apr. 7–May 12
We will study the internal support of the organ
system, considering how different asanas affect
their placement and function and how we may
initiate movement in asanas from the organs.
Through an exploration of the inner latticework of
the ligaments, we will look at ways to balance and
align the body without forcing and stressing the
ligaments.
Inversions & Restorative: Developing Your Own Practice
Taught by Witold Fitz-Simon
Tuesdays, 3:30–5:30pm, Apr. 8–May 13
This course will break down the four major inver-
sions: shoulderstand, headstand, forearmstand,
and handstand. We will study the alignment
issues of each and props and modifications to
address different individual issues. We will also
establish an understanding of basic restorative
poses, including the how and why of prop use in
these poses.
May-June 2008
Body Reading
Taught by Witold Fitz-Simon
Mondays, 7:30–9:30pm, May 19–Jun. 23
In this course we will deepen our understand-
ing of anatomy as we apply it practically to
reading the body. We will begin to educate and
develop the eye by exploring several techniques
of analysis and assessment. With a special in-
vestigation into the way the fascia—the body’s
connective tissue—supports and structures
movement, we will learn to assess poses and
find ways in which to assist our students and
ourselves.
Breathing Coordination
Taught by Kristen Davis
Tuesdays, 3:30–5:30pm, May 20–Jun. 24
This course concentrates on developing the
breathing coordination through the work of
F.M. Alexander, Carl Stough, and B.K.S. Iyengar.
We will study the anatomy and mechanics of
respiration, and practice simple restorative pos-
es and breathing awareness exercises. Through
these, we will deepen our awareness of how
we habitually interfere with our natural breath
mechanism and we will begin to practice ways
of strengthening and redeveloping our bodies’
natural respiratory coordination.