A pictorial summary of the first ten days...

Upama Yoga Summer Intensive: 

Module 1 and the start of Module 2

We began the program by getting an overview of gross anatomy, basic physiology, comparative meditation techniques from Modern Secular, Buddhist and Hindu traditions, and lastly began our intro to Sanskrit pronunciation. While these are very intimidating ideas, we approached them from a pragmatic perspective and a fun, light attitude. We looked at what there was to know, isolated what we needed to know, and explored the ideas through a variety of concrete, experiential techniques.

During review, students not only covered muscle keywords, but also noticed how the names of muscles combine keywords together and how it connected to our earlier Sanskrit lesson on how we combine Sanskrit words together to form pose names (connections in red).

After Module 1: Foundations and Introductions, Module 2: Anatomy and Asana started off with a bang!  Even though students were still getting used to just-learned vocabulary, they were able to understand and apply the concepts underneath the terminology. Not bad for the second week into the program!!!

With the help of assisting faculty Skelly Skellington and Clayton Skellington (pictured here), students were able to rapidly grasp the significance and function of key muscle groups and apply this knowledge to their personal asana practice and physical concerns, as well as to the practice of asana more generally.