Friday, October 19th, and Saturday, October 20th, 2018
at Ashtanga Yoga Austin

My intention in bringing Angela to AYA:

Angela and I met in Mysore, India at KPJAYI in January 2014, after which she invited me to apprentice with her at her shala in Ann Arbor, Michigan during the summer of 2014. She has continued to inspire and mentor me since that time. By inviting her to visit, I wish for each of you to connect with her personally and find inspiration and enrichment through the depth of her teachings. It will be a special weekend—sharing and celebrating our personal family lineage in this practice; for Angela to witness what she has inspired me to build; and for her to share sweet loving connections with each of you, planting seeds for further connections of all of us on this path.

“Relationship is the medium of nourishment for the spirit in this practice.”

Schedule of Workshop:

Friday, October 19th:

• 6:00 am – 9:00 am Led classes
• 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm Lecture and Q&A

Saturday, October 20th:

• 7:00 am – 11: 00 am Mysore classes
• 12:00 pm – 2:30 pm Lecture and Q&A

Topics of Lectures:

Day 1:

(1) Purpose of Yoga – The Gita, Yoga Sutras and Hatha Yoga Pradipika all have different meta-messages about what is the purpose of yoga. What are they?

This is a talk for beginners as well as seasoned practitioners. It’s a reminder that the spiritual practice of yoga is grounded in study of spiritual wisdom sources, of which these three texts are powerful examples.

We sometimes encounter resistance when asking the question, “Why do we practice?” Maybe it’s just something we do, without analysis or question! This can be an attitude of great faith and surrender. But it can also mask great areas of unconsciousness in the practice, and cut us off from a lot of power. If we know we are practicing to bless all beings in all worlds, or to end our own suffering, or to learn to take enlightened action in the world, the practice actually can get MUCH more clear and strong. This also opens up a space to explore more ego-based motivations that might otherwise remain unconscious. In many places, Ashtanga culture is taking on an addictive pattern, with high profile teachers encouraging a compulsive, addictive relationship to its “high” and its “achievements.” The antidote to such delusions an addictions is explicit examination of our motivation for practice, however uncomfortable this may be.

Day 2:

(2) Gastro-Intestinal Tract as a Gateway to the Inner Body

This is a central theme in all of Angela’s teaching – awareness of the physical, mental, emotional and psychic experience that flows from the tip of the tongue to the anus. There are many hours to be spent interactively coming into relationship with the miles of smooth muscle within the body, understanding the very different way they interact with the nervous system (as compared to the outer body), and appreciating especially how the primary series addresses the patterned activity of the smooth muscles within the body.

I highly recommend you all read this, her most recent writing:
Celebrity is the opposite of relationship

“Any true practice clarifies the personality. Leaves you time-spacehe dark about the subconscious. Therefore MORE yourself. Just with increasing timespace between the stories. Yoga mostly does this through relationship. In person, long term, real relationship. Breathing together, being together in space, over time. Learning to just be present. Yoga transforms through relationship.”

You can read more of her work at insideowl.com.