Gregor Maehle & Monica Gauci Workshop
in Glastonbury - August 17 & 18th, 2024
I am absoluted delighted that, following his last visit to Glastonbury in August 2018, Gregor Maehle is returning to Glastonbury, along with Moncia Gauci, for this very special weekend! They will be teaching a whole programme of yoga - physical and philosophical, and this is not to be missed if you wish to deepen your understanding of yoga practice, your body, along with the deeper aspects of yoga.

Since publication of Gregor’s first book (published in 2007) of seven, his textbooks have been the primary resource that myself, and many other yoga teachers & practitioners, go to for understanding of the postures, and all aspects of yoga practice and philosophy. His teaching style is deeply knowledgeable, accessible, and humorous, imparting wisdom freely with plenty of opportunity for questions.
Alongside her yoga teaching, Monica has studied for many years in anatomy and movement as well as manual, movement, yoga and mantra therapies. Her education as a Rehabilitative Chiropractor inspires her teaching and application of movement principles that support and promote a healthy body.
Gregor and Monica have been practicing yoga deeply since 1978, and met when studying Ashtanga Yoga in India in 1995. They set up their own yoga school in Perth and ran it successfully for 21 years before moving to a mountain top in the Australian rainforest near Byron Bay in 2012. Pre-pandemic they were touring the world to teach, then took many of their courses and trainings online. I hosted Gregor virtually in 2020 as they continued to share their teachings so generously. Although they have been travelling to teach again, this will be their first visit to the UK since 2019, and the first workshops that they will be teaching here together. Their content and knowledge complement each other perfectly. Gregor will be teaching karma and bhakti yoga, which will include philosophy, pranayama, meditation, while Monica will be teaching anatomy and movement on day one, with a led Primary Series on day two.
Although there is the opportunity to book one day only, it is thoroughly recommended that you attend the whole weekend to get the most out of these 2 wonderful teachers!

Programme 
Saturday August 17th
10am to 12.30
CARING FOR YOUR SACROILIAC JOINTS - Functional Knowledge to Preserve Our Sacroiliac Joints On & Off the Mat - Monica Gauci
"Our sacroiliac joints are the largest joint in our body and are designed to give us stability between our spine and pelvis. Unfortunately, they are often compromised during yoga practice and can cause low back, hip and knee problems when destabilized.
In this workshop you will learn how to practically assess SI joint problems and differentiate them from other sources of low-back and pelvic pain.
We will explore and practice important adaptations to seemingly benign yoga postures and hands on assists to protect and preserve our sacroiliac joints.
And you will learn specific therapeutic exercises for SI joint pain as well as practical tips on how to avoid injury both on and off your yoga mat.
*Each student will need one block and a yoga strap.
If you have a blow-up Pilates ball or a ~10cm soft ball, please bring it along."

1.30 - 4.30pm
Karma Yoga - How to Live Your Life’s Divine Purpose - Gregor Maehle

Do you remember a time when you knew that your life would be amazing and that you would live to make a meaningful contribution to life on Earth and the life of others? And then what happened? Somehow our education and the process of enculturation cut us off from this sacred knowledge and élan vital. We became cynics and “realists”.
Since time immemorial human societies were organized around the idea that the life of the individual and of society have divine purpose. This workshop traces this knowledge to indigenous cultures, to the Bhagavad Gita, the Bible and the Yoga Sutra. Our loss of this knowledge is what has led to our environmental destruction and the 6th mass extinction of life as well as the current epidemic of mental disorders.
This workshop not only shows how we lost the knowledge that all life is sacred and purposeful, it also introduces layers of technique to lead us back to finding and gradually implementing our life’s divine purpose.
Also covered are:

• Our life’s divine purpose in relation to quantum mechanics, astrophysics and evolutionary psychology
• Connection to bio-symbiosis, brain development and homeostasis
• The practice & psychology of finding one’s life’s divine purpose
• Overcoming obstacles
• How do we know it’s the right voice? 
• Daily cleansing regime of the subconscious mind
• Being in the zone and absence of internal dialogue
• Importance of forgiveness, gratitude, acceptance and surrender
• How to embody your life’s divine purpose
• Humanities collective divine purpose

Sunday August 18th
10am to 12.30pm
GUIDED / LED ASANA CLASS -
Monica will guide you through a modified version of the Primary series of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, which is accessible to an able-bodied student of any level.
Her focus is on inner alignment and core support that students can build strength, stability and resilience whilst enhancing joint mobility and tissue flexibility.
Monica’s style is explorative and educational. She uses techniques that encourage students to be fully present, to develop an astute awareness, working from the inside out to be a diligent student of their body and breath and, in this way, become their own greatest teacher.
Performing postures with precision and awareness makes them safe and efficient, enabling students to deeply explore the various asanas effectively and without unnecessary energy expenditure. This method also allows conditioning and emotions lodged within our tissues to be released, bringing ease, quietude and peace of mind.

1.30 - 4.30pm

Bhakti – Yoga of Love - with Gregor Maehle

Bhakti is the yoga of divine love. In this workshop we will establish a definition of what the Divine is and what it is not. The Divine will be shown to promote intensity, creativity, novelty and co-creation with all life forms. We will also come to understand that the Divine is not a solid state but an ongoing process.

We will analyse various historical Bhakti movements and will attempt to learn from their strengths and weaknesses. We will also look at the psychological advantages and obstacles to practising a yoga of love. Finally a non-sectarian, 21st century approach to bhakti will be presented, including practices designed to improve our quality of life, happiness, contentment and the knowledge that each of us matters to the Divine. An important part of that is to learn to see the Divine in all those we struggle to understand.

The main source for Bhakti is the Bhagavad Gita, the Divine Song. The Gita itself presents a sophisticated mix of Jnana Yoga (yoga of knowledge), Bhakti Yoga (yoga of devotion) and Karma Yoga (yoga of action). We will learn to chant some of the important stanzas and then analyse the practical lessons for life that the Gita imparts.

The Raja Yoga of Patanjali is also described in the Gita. Whereas in the Yoga Sutra the focus is on Raja Yoga and Bhakti (here called Ishvara pranidhana) takes up only about 5% of the stanzas, in the Gita Ishvara pranidhana takes centre stage. In the Gita Ishvara is called Purusha Uttama (Purushottama), the Supreme Being. The definition of the Purushottama very much interdigitates with the description of Ishvara in the Sutra but friends of the Sutra can find a lot more detail in the Gita to increase their understanding of the Divine. To facilitate this further Gregor will not only analyse and juxtapose viewpoints from the ancient commentators on the Gita such as Shankaracharya and Ramanujacharya but will also integrate the insights of recent luminaries such as Shri Ramakrishna and Shri Aurobindo.

Venue: The Red Brick Building, Glastonbury. There is a good café within the building catering for all dietary preferences (lunch booking recommended), country walks around, and a Premier inn next door, along with many other accommodation options nearby.

Cost: £220 for the weekend. One day £120. Limited to 30 spaces.
Early bird price £200 weekend/£110 a day, if booked and paid for by April 30th.
A deposit of £80 secures your space with the balance due on or by June 17th (unless claiming the early bird).
Early booking very much recommended! We are over half full already in January 2024!
At least 6 months yoga practice and a desire to learn are the only qualifications required

To book or any questions email Jane
You will find more information about Gregor Maehle and Monica Gauci on their website 8 Limbs Yoga – Gregor Maehle & Monica Gauci

Joey Miles - Ashtanga Workshop in Glastonbury.
March 16/17th 2024
We are honoured that Joey will be travelling to Glastonbury to teach his first workshop here next March!
Now fully booked! Get in touch to be put on the waiting list.

In 2004 Joey was authorised to teach the primary series by Pattabhi Jois and following that taught daily Mysore classes from 2005-2008 at Triyoga in Primrose Hill, London. In 2009 he relocated to Hebden Bridge and set up Ashtanga Yoga Leeds with the intention of supporting people’s daily yoga practice.

In 2012 he received Authorisation Level 2, meaning he has Sharath’s blessing to teach the full Intermediate Series. More recently in 2014, Joey completed the 3rd series under Sharath’s guidance at the KPJAYI in Mysore.
Programme - Morning sessions 3 hours/afternoons 2.5 hours
Saturday March 16th
9.30am to 12.30
In Joey’s words “The morning class starts with 25 minutes of ‘just sitting’, followed by preliminaries, surya namaskara and standings. This led class will focus on clarifying basic actions and directions of extension within each pose. We will mostly be dissecting the body, coming back to sensations of a felt body and thereby dissolving the mind’s construction of the body as an object”
2 - 4.30pm
”Another dynamic class but this time we will follow the seated sequence from the primary series forward bends and twists. The aim of the class is to link the various actions and directions of extension from the standing poses and bring this skill and understanding into the seated poses. The class will finish with some simple supine poses and pranayama.”

Sunday March 17th
9.30am to 12.30pm
”We start with ‘just sitting’ – this will be partially guided before resting in and listening to the silence. Faster passed cycles of surya namaskara and standings, followed by front body extensions – we will look at many poses from the intermediate sequence. The aim is to teach and practice the leg work required to support and broaden the back, whilst extending the front body and chest. (Students are not required to have a regular practice of the 2nd series for this class – but it is not advisable for raw beginners to show up! If in doubt please contact Jane or Joey.)”
2 - 4.30pm
”Restorative Sequence: We will do something active for 30-40 minutes – specifically aimed at expanding the chest and learning to activate and position the shoulder girdle. This will then create an imprint to explore supported supine poses such as setu bhandha, sarvangasana and halasana. The aim is to dive into the space of the heart and experience a gentle reminder that we are already the peace and happiness we seek. (Warning, Joey will probably read poetry that might tilt the ‘normal’ waking state.)”

Cost: £180 for the weekend. One day £100. Limited to 25 spaces.
Earlybird price £170 weekend/£90 a day, if booked and paid for by January 16th.
A deposit of £50 secures your space with the balance due on or by Jan 31st (unless claiming the earlybird - details above).
Book early to avoid disappointment - this will be a very popular workshop that everyone has waited a long time for! Concession available on request.
Venue: St. Mary’s Hall, Glastonbury, BA6 9EJ

To book or any questions email Jane
Website www.ashtangayogaglastonbury.com
Joey Miles Welcome to Ashtanga Yoga Leeds | Ashtanga Yoga in Leeds and Hebden Bridge

Brian Cooper Workshop in Glastonbury - ”Maximising your practice”
Brian returned to teach a weekend in Glastonbury November 2023 - it was one of very few chances to experience his refreshing yoga teachings outside of my teacher training.

Brian Cooper has been my main teacher since 2002. I have always been attracted to his refreshing approach to yoga teachings and the world of yoga. He challenges my beliefs and makes me think for myself, which is a valuable attitude in the modern yoga world. Brian set up Yoga Alliance Professionals in 2006 as a way to raise teaching standards in the UK, while supporting teachers and trainers in their growth.
His book, Yoga: The Art of Adjusting, is one of the very best on the subject.
He is constantly researching and honing his skills and understanding, while keeping a healthy open mind.
You can read some of his articles here
 

We have been lucky enough to have international visiting yoga teachers travel to Glastonbury to share their knowledge for the last 20 years. These include Brian Cooper, Gregor Maehle, Petri Räisänen, Lucy Crawford, and the wonderful Nancy Gilgoff. I am truly grateful that they have come to our corner of the world to enrich the yoga community in Glastonbury, and hope that they will visit us again.

Next planned workshops include Brian Cooper November 11/12th, 2023 and Joey Miles March 16/17th, 2024. Full details will follow very soon!

Ashtanga Yoga Glastonbury have proudly hosted workshops by Brian Cooper, Lucy Crawford, Petri Räisänen and Wambui, Nancy Gilgoff and Gregor Maehle.
 

Jane Piddington also holds day and weekend workshops in Glastonbury and is available to travel and teach wherever she is needed!