Leslie Kaminoff is a yoga educator inspired by the tradition of T.K.V. Desikachar. For over three decades he has led workshops and developed specialized education in the fields of yoga, breath anatomy and bodywork. His approach to teaching combines intellectual rigor, spontaneity and humor, and is always evolving. Leslie is the founder of The Breathing Project, a New York City based educational non-profit dedicated to teaching individualized, breath-centered yoga. His unique year-long yoga anatomy course is now available online at yogaanatomy.net. He is the co-author, with Amy Matthews, of the best-selling book “Yoga Anatomy.”
A good portion of Leslie’s teaching is lecture/demo format. He creates a rich environment for thoughtful inquiry into the practice and teaching of yoga. Experienced students and teachers will encounter new material and may have longstanding notions challenged in a thoughtful way. Newer students will find inspiration for progress and reassurance in areas of concern. This weekend will include asana practice, but not in continuous or physically taxing style – bring an open mind and a rested body, but leave notions of a sweaty workout at home.
Friday evening, 5:00p - 8:00p
Intro to Healing Through Breath Centered Yoga. Yoga practice in the tradition of Krishnamacharya and Desikachar exhibits many distinctive principles and practices not found in other Hatha Yoga lineages. The current popularity of vinyasa-based yoga practice has created a wide interest in the theory and practice of bandhas. The good news is the moment you first learned to coordinate breath and body movement, you were immediately, implicitly learning bandhas. In this visually rich lecture-demo, Leslie will review Krishnamacharya’s teachings from a historical, scholarly and practical perspective.
Saturday early afternoon, 12:30p - 3:00p
Preventing and Healing Injuries through Yoga. Injuries occur when we provoke too much movement from too few places. This day-long intensive is essentially a crash-course in the fundamentals of therapeutic yoga education. We will review the fundamentals of musculoskeletal anatomy in relation to the most common sources of stress in yoga practice. Practical modifications to the cueing of postures and movements, and the creative use of breath, language and imagery will be explained and practiced. Ample time will be devoted to working directly with the individual concerns of participants.
Saturday late afternoon, 4:00p - 6:30p
Re-imagining Alignment. This highly interactive workshop relies on students to bring questions about their own asana practice and teaching language. Leslie will promote an experimental, experiential atmosphere of inquiry regarding the teaching of alignment, safety and effective cueing of asana.
Starting with clear, simple principles that govern musculoskeletal function, Leslie will help you put your yoga on a solid foundation literally from the ground up (and from your head down). Topics include:
- Functional principles of alignment
- Breath-centered, anatomically-based cueing
- The relationship of bandha to support and movement
- Why instructions like “tuck your tail,” “lengthen your spine,” “square your hips” may be doing more harm than good, and what kind of language to use instead
- The use of gazing (drishti) and imagery to foster increased neuromuscular integration
Sunday afternoon, 12:30p - 4:30p.
Case Studies and Clinical Observation. Leslie will dive deeper into advanced topics such as preventing and healing injuries, diagnostics, and explore issues around alignment, muscular support and breath-centered postural corrections. He will lead a hands-on assisting lab in which he shares techniques developed working therapeutically with groups and individuals. The case studies and clinical observation workshop – a perennial favorite for students around the world – provides an opportunity for guests to work one-on-one with Leslie.
On the last day of a workshop series, two or three guest clients will have a unique opportunity to work one-on-one with Leslie on specific anatomical issues, build awareness of their particular pattern of holding tension and receive support and encouragement from a group of people interested in their wellness.
We send out a request to all registrants a couple of weeks before the workshop asking for suggestions for clinic guests, along with a link to an intake form online. From those submissions we select a few lucky people who come in to work with Leslie in front of the class.
Registration Options:
Intro Session: $75
Full weekend $299