CELEBRATING THE BIRTH OF THE SUN * Yalda Younes

DATE Saturday December 22
TIME 10:00 am > 12:00 pm
PRICE $35
REGISTER unionsquareyoga@gmail.com

DESCRIPTION
Some cultures celebrate the winter solstice as the symbolic birthday of the sun, since it is the longest night of the year, after which the days start getting longer.

In our culture, the winter solstice also coincides with the festive season and the temptation to indulge the senses and fall prey to excesses (such as overeating, over-drinking and over-consuming). To counter this and inspire this workshop, we will use the sun as the object of focus for our yoga practice, cultivating internal heat for the purification of the body, and light for clarity of mind.

We will start with an energizing brahmana practice, flowing through several variations of the sun salutations, some of which incorporate mantras and breath retentions that generate heat in the body. Following on with detoxifying twists, backbends and gentle inversions to stimulate our digestive fire (agni), the practice will wind down with calming pranayama, preparing the mind to focus and introspect. We will then finish with a meditative practice on the wonderful gayatri mantra, which honors the sun and invites it to kindle our intellect.

This workshop will benefit those looking to energize and detoxify their body and mind during this hectic period of the year, laying the foundations for positive intentions.

It is not tailored for beginners, although beginners are welcome provided they work at their own pace, respecting their breathing capacity and their body’s limitations.

YALDA BIO

Yalda Younes is a certified yoga teacher from the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai (500+ hours), India, where yoga is mainly taught one-on-one as per the Krishnamacharya lineage. The strength of this method is the ability of the teacher to use appropriately, safely and intelligently different tools of yoga to adapt them to each individual, rather than asking the individual to accommodate herself/himself to a fixed idea of yoga.
However that doesn’t mean that one-on-one is the only way of learning yoga. When teaching in a group setting, Yalda gives personal care and attention to every individual in the group, while at the same time fostering a sense of community and generating an environment that is supportive and comfortable.
Yalda Younes is also a contemporary flamenco dancer who has taught dance for over 2 decades hundreds of students in Lebanon and France, an experience which rewarded her with refined body awareness, sharpened observation skills and empathetic pedagogical methods.