Held over the weekend of January 25-27, 2013, the workshop was attended by local and international guests. The sessions, designed to introduce beginners to the Astanga Vinyasa yoga system, took participants from basic poses to dynamic, flowing postures.

All proceeds of the weekend were donated to the Grenada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The GSPCA offers programs including low cost and free spay/neuter clinics, vaccination clinics, a volunteer vet program, which Nick’s wife Rachel is involved in, and more. In a cooperative effort to maximize the amount to be donated, Laluna donated the space for the workshop, and Nick donated his time and expertise.

In the future, Laluna would like to offer additional workshops exploring different styles of yoga and wellbeing, in hopes of benefitting local charities. Those interested in leading such events should contact wp@laluna.com for more information.

About Nick Loening

Nick Loening is director of the ecoYoga Centre in Scotland. Nick has been teaching and practicing yoga for over thirty years, introducing the Astanga system to Scotland  in 1998 when he and Rachel founded the Yoga Centre in Edinburgh. In 2005, he opened the ecoYoga Centre, teaching fun and lighthearted classes with an emphasis on safe practice for beginners.

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Guests to Grenada the week of January 20th will be in for a special rejuvenation treat: Laluna Resort will be holding a three day Astanga yoga workshop from Friday, January 25th – Sunday, January 27th. The prefect way to end a day, sessions begin in the early evening. Each session is an hour and a half long, with Friday and Saturday’s sessions beginning at 5:30 pm and Sunday’s session beginning at 5:00 pm. The cost of the entire weekend is $75US, with all proceeds benefiting the Grenada Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (GSPCA).

The workshop will be lead by Nick Loening, director of the ecoYoga Centre in Scotland. Nick has been teaching and practicing yoga for over thirty years, introducing the Astanga system to Scotland  in 1998 when he founded the Yoga Centre in Edinburgh. In 2005, he opened the ecoYoga Centre, teaching fun and lighthearted classes with an emphasis on safe practice for beginners.

Sessions are led by Nick Loening of ecoYoga. Image source: ecoyoga.org

Designed as an introduction to the Astanga Vinyasa yoga system, the three yoga classes are ideal both for yoga beginners and experienced in other forms of yoga. Combining practice with theory, the classes will be interspersed with explanations of the Sanskrit names of postures and their health benefits.

The first session acts as an introduction to the core principals of Ashtanga yoga, where participants will learn how to connect the breath to the flowing movements of the Vinyasa. Basic postures will be introduced, adding together to create a flowing yoga form; time will be allowed for explanation, theory, and questions. The class will focus on the opening sequence of the “primary series” and will end with the closing sequence to cool and relax the body.

The second session will begin by practicing the yoga poses learned in the first session, then build upon them with standing postures with precise instructions to enable a safe and healthy yoga practice. The session will end with inverted (upside down) postures which will leave participants feeling energized and relaxed.

Image source: ecoyoga.org

The weekend workshop will end with the third session, which recaps the first two sessions and leads into the basics of sitting yoga poses. The most dynamic class of the weekend, the session will build heat in the body and bring together the three fundamentals of the Vinyasa system of Breathing, Bhanda, and Dristi.

With a limited amount of space available in the workshop, those interested in participating will want to book early. Contact Wendy at wp@laluna.com to reserve your space today. Those suffering from severe mobility issues or that have recently undergone surgery or treatment should check with their doctor before enrolling in these sessions.

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