Laughter is the best medicine and this laughter yoga class is designed to show you how to receive some of the amazing health benefits laughter has on the mind and body. Laughter is scientifically proven to reduce stress, anxiety, depression and increase physical and mental energy levels. Laughter actually boosts your immune system keeping you stronger and healthier overall. When we laugh together we feel more open and accepting of ourselves and others, what a fun way to build new friendships.

The class will start with gentle warm-up techniques which include stretching, and body movement. These help to break down inhibitions and develop childlike playfulness. Breathing exercises are used to prepare the lungs for laughter, followed by a series of “laughter exercises” that combine the method of acting and visualisation techniques with playfulness. These exercises, combined with the social dynamics of group, lead to prolong and hearty unconditional laughter. Laughter exercises are interspersed with breathing exercise.

A laughter session may finish with a “laughter meditation”. This is a session of unstructured laughter whereby participants may stand, sit or lie down and allow natural laughter to flow from within like a fountain. This is followed by a deep relaxation and guided meditation.

Teacher Bio

Deborah had been practicing Ashtanga yoga since 2012 and decided to explore other styles of yoga. She was drawn to laughter yoga as she loves to uplift and inspire people and what better way to uplift than to make people laugh. She credits laughter yoga as helping her to over-come self-judgements and self-consciousness as well as reducing stress and anxiety. Teaching laughter yoga really allows her spirit to shine through and she loves to be able to bring this out in her students. Deborah really promotes a fun and open energy in her classes. She received her qualification from the Laughter yoga international university in 2014.

Class Cost: €15
*Class fee is non refundable but is transferable.

Class Date and Time:
Tuesday, April 25th, 2017
8.30pm – 9.30pm

Bookings for this workshop can be made on www.yogacorkireland.com, the MindBody app,
by phone on 02 427 9696, by email: info@yogacorkireland.com or call in to the office!

Asana Intensive with Yogacharya Lalit

Friday 6 – Sunday 8 October 2017

BACKBENDING WORKSHOPS

Level 1 & Level 2-3 with Lalit

Learn to backbend with strength & integrity in this workshop with Yogacharya Lalit. Find more space in your back bends whilst developing safe preparatory back bending skills that you can incorporate into your own practice.

A combination of heart opening and lower backbending postures that build strength and flexibility. Workshops include chanting, pranayama and plenty of interesting backbends! Lalit will assist students who are open to receiving adjustments into deeper poses.

Backbending Workshop Level 1
This workshop is open to beginners and improvers.
Date: Sunday 21st May 2017
Time: 10am-12pm

Backbending Workshop Level 2-3
This workshop is open to intermediate and advanced practitioners.
Date: Sunday 21st May 2017
Time: 1pm-3pm

Cost Per Workshop: €25 or €15 for Himalaya Yoga Valley Members on Unlimited Passes

Please note that Lalit’s workshops fill quickly and spaces are limited so book early to avoid disappointment! Payment essential to reserve a space for these workshops.  *Workshop fees are transferable and non-refundable.

Please book online, the MindBody app, email: info@yogacorkireland.com or call 021 427 9696.

Hip Opening Workshops Level 1 & 2-3 with Lalit

Lalit will take students through a series that includes standing and seated hip opening postures that release energy and tension in this area. The hips hold tension and become tight from daily repetitive activities such as sitting at office desks and driving- tight hips can lead to lower back pain and imbalances throughout the rest of the body.

By exploring hip opening postures and deepening our existing hip opening poses we can release this area and improve our overall asana practice. This workshop will include chanting and pranayama and deep hip opening poses.

Hip Opening Workshop level 1 :
This workshop is suitable for beginners and improvers.
Date: Saturday 23rd September, 2017
Time: 2pm – 4pm

Hip Opening Workshop levels 2-3 :
This workshop is suitable for intermediate and advanced practitioners.
Date: Sunday 24th September, 2017
Time: 2pm – 4pm

Price Per Workshop: €25*
Please note that Lalit’s workshops fill quickly and spaces are limited so book early to avoid disappointment! Payment essential to reserve a space for these workshops.  *Workshop fees are transferable and non-refundable.

Book online, the MindBody app, email: info@yogacorkireland.com or call 021 427 9696.

6 Nights /7 Days Yoga Retreat & Immersion with Yogacharya Lalit
Immerse yourself in traditional practices with an expert yoga teacher from India in beautiful Portugal!

We are delighted to announce that school founder Yogacharya Lalit from India is hosting his annual retreat in the Algarve, Portugal this year! The Retreat is located at Vida Pura Centre. Following three wonderful retreats in the Sierra Nevada ranges in Spain over the past years, we have decided to have a change of scenery and are hosting our retreat in a new location with a direct flight from Cork, London and other major airports.

It is a retreat to help practitioners of all levels to deepen their practice under Lalit’s guidance. Daily classes will be Vinyasa flow and Ashtanga Primary Series yoga and yoga practices. As a taste of what to expect for yoga and relaxation, here is a video below taken at a recent Retreat in Spain with Lalit and his retreat group.

Location
Vida Pura Portugal- this beautiful retreat centre is located on the Algarve in a quiet, peaceful coastal national park location with amazing views and direct access to Odeceixe Beach. This area has lovely walks and hikes and the beach is a great place for learning to surf or simply relaxing and soaking up the sun. Pura Vida is located 1.5 hours from Faro airport which has direct flights from Cork with Aer Lingus. Airport transfers are available to Pura Vida from the airport.

Sample Daily Schedule
(Times are approximate and may vary)
7.00am: Chanting Pranayama Meditation
8.00am: Yoga – Dynamic or Full Primary Series
10.00am: Breakfast
1.00pm: Lunch
4.00pm: Yoga – Mixed Level Flow

Accommodation and facilities
Shared accommodation is on site at the retreat centre and is perfectly appointed for relaxing and practicing yoga. The retreat centre is in a beautiful pristine location close to the ocean and serves natural and delicious cuisine. You can find more detailed information about accommodation and location about the retreat location at www.vida-pura.com

Dates: 1st July – 7th July 2017

Price:
€695 which includes twice daily yoga, meditation and pranayama, shared accommodation and delicious vegetarian breakfast and dinner. Airport transfers can be arranged from Faro airport with local reputable car services for €30. Flights are not included.

Booking
You can book with a 25% deposit and by registering here: http://yogagoaindia.com/events/22/ashtanga-retreat-with-lalit/.
For any further queries please contact our Cork office by emailing info@yogacorkireland.com, contacting us at reception or by calling 021 427 9696

Bandhas – The Key to Asana

Ground and Reach – Connecting the Lower & Upper Body’

Use the following codes at Checkout to get this offer!!

3 month unlimited pass: 3MJANSALE2017

6 month unlimited pass: 6MJANSALE2017

12 month unlimited pass: 12MJANSALE2017

This January, lets ring out the old and welcome the new with a practice of letting go of the body’s waste, stagnation and tension to give our immune system a much needed boost.

Deep breathing, pranayama exercises and gentle backbends allow our chest and lungs to open, strengthening our respiratory system and boosting our mood.

Twists, forward folds and inversions pump fluid through our lymphatic system allowing for increased drainage and detoxification of whatever has become stuck or unnecessary to us.

Specific asanas will also be included to balance our endocrine system which controls our hormones.

This workshop will move through a dynamic phase to shake up and cleanse our systems, followed by a slow and grounding phase to activate our parasympathetic nervous system for restoration and rejuvenation. The workshop will finish with Yoga Nidra (yogic sleep) to deeply rest all systems in the body.

And the best bit…. While improving our health and radiance in our lives, all proceeds of this workshop will support our Social & Support Group for Women in Direct Provision! We are hosting  a group of women who are asylum seekers in Direct Provision every week in the centre. They are doing various activities such as practising yoga, knitting, having cups of tea and just generally getting away from the stark reality of living in Direct Provision in a comfortable, supportive environment. These women have been marginalised and segregated from society in general and we are supporting this group to find some positivity in their weekly routines. We are fundraising via this workshop for money for necessities like tea, coffee, travel to and from the centre, etc. You can find out  about the group here: https://www.gofundme.com/2q3fqd8

Workshop is open to all levels.

Workshop Cost: €25
*Workshop fees are non refundable but are transferable.

Workshop Date and Time:
Saturday January 28th 2017
2pm – 4pm

Bookings for this workshop can be made on www.yogacorkireland.com, the MindBody app,
by phone on 02 427 9696 or call in to the office!

About Laughter Yoga

This two hour laughter yoga workshop will uplift and inspire your soul. This playshop will encourage you to bring out your childlike sense of playfulness and show you how to have fun while releasing stress. Laughter is the best medicine and this workshop is designed to show you how to receive some of the amazing health benefits laughter has on the mind and body. Laughter is scientifically proven to reduce stress, anxiety, depression and increase physical and mental energy levels. Laughter actually boosts your immune system keeping you stronger and healthier overall. When we laugh together we feel more open and accepting of ourselves and others, what a fun way to build new friendships.

In this workshop we will be incorporating guided meditation to meet our creative and fun selves, we will delve into learning about chakras (energy centres in our bodies) and how chanting can help calm, ground and centre ourselves. Laughter is great to boost the mood and lift our spirits so come along and join us for a work out like no other.

What To Expect In The Workshop

This workshop will include introductory talk so everyone can learn what laughter yoga is and the benefits.

There will be Savasana incorporating deep breathing, body awareness and guided meditation to meet and bring out their creative, fun inner child.

Chakras and chanting; teaching them about the different energy centres in their bodies, colours and feelings associated with each chakra and then chanting each individual chant for the chakras. Benefits of this: helps clear energy body, raises vibration and brings about a peaceful and centred feeling.

Gentle warm up exercises to prep the mind and body for the laughter exercises.

Clapping and movement of body.

Laughter exercises.

Guided mediation in Savasana to ground, balance and calm the mind and body.

Teacher Bio

Deborah had been practicing Ashtanga yoga since 2012 and decided to explore other styles of yoga. She was drawn to laughter yoga as she loves to uplift and inspire people and what better way to uplift than to make people laugh. She credits laughter yoga as helping her to over-come self-judgements and self-consciousness as well as reducing stress and anxiety. Teaching laughter yoga really allows her spirit to shine through and she loves to be able to bring this out in her students. Deborah really promotes a fun and open energy in her classes. She received her qualification from the Laughter yoga international university in 2014.

Workshop Cost: €30
*Workshop fees are non refundable but are transferable.

Workshop Date and Time:
Sunday Feb 26th 2017
2.30pm – 4.30pm

Bookings for this workshop can be made on www.yogacorkireland.com, the MindBody app,
by phone on 02 427 9696, by email: info@yogacorkireland.com or call in to the office!

Karen Barry is a full-time secondary school teacher who is passionate about the benefits of yoga in schools.  She completed her teacher training with Himalaya Yoga Valley in Cork in 2015 and has been teaching at the centre for just over a year.  Currently, Karen can be found teaching New Beginnings Level 2 on Wednesday evenings at 19.45.

What was your path from practitioner to teacher?

I had dipped in and out of yoga for many years in my twenties, attending six week courses here and there. A few years ago I moved overseas and lived in a small rural town with very few amenities so I bought myself a yoga DVD and started to practice in the living room. Initially the aim was to increase my fitness but over time the draw to the mat became about so much more. When I returned to Ireland I started to attend classes in Himalaya Yoga Valley Centre and then the real journey began. I slowly began to build up a regular practice, experiencing the transformative benefits of pranayama and asana first hand. With guidance and encouragement from both Lisa and Lalit I decided to sign up for the teacher training here in Cork.

What is your favourite pose and why? Are there any poses that are difficult for you?

I love backbends. I find them accessible, liberating, uplifting and energising.

I have a love hate relationship with arm balances. While I relish and really enjoy the challenge I do find many of them difficult and frustrating. I used to beat myself up about them but now I use them them as a way of focusing my mind and keeping my competitive streak in check!

What’s the most important thing yoga has taught you?

The importance of yoga as an investment in my own well-being, not to be so hard on myself, to enjoy the successes and respect the limitations within my own practice.

How does your own practice fit in? 

I am a full-time secondary school teacher and I teach yoga in the evenings so my week can be quite busy. Yoga is not just something I do on my mat. I consider it to be a tool that supports me in my everyday life.

I like to start my day with diaphragmatic breathing to ground myself, to set myself up for the day as it were. Throughout the day I try to remind myself to come back to the breath when the monkey mind starts to go into overdrive. I like to do seated stretches and breathing exercises during my school day (often with my students) to release muscle tension, shift the energy and to help me focus.

On days when I feel strong, energetic, full of the joys of life or even frustrated with something I enjoy an invigorating challenging asana practice. Other days when the energy is low I find myself drawn to a slow gentle restorative practice. I am enjoying exploring my own practice and tailoring it to how I am feeling on any given day.

What’s one of the biggest misconceptions about yoga that you’d like to address?

That yoga is for women. Yoga is for everyone and everybody!

Any gentle etiquette reminders you’d like to give students?

We can often be very eager to move on to the next pose.  A gentle reminder to follow the teacher’s cues when coming out of each pose so that students come out of the poses safely and with awareness.

How do you see the future of yoga?

I would love to see yoga as part of the core curriculum in our schools. I strongly believe in yoga as a tool for building resilience in children and adolescents.

Favourites:  food, place in Ireland, vacation destination, book?

Food: Italian

Place in Ireland: Kerry

Vacation destination: Anywhere in Africa.

Book: Jonathan Livingston Seagull- Richard Bach, haven’t read it in about 15 years, must go back to it!

What would you like your students to take away with them after a class with you?

People are drawn to yoga for many different reasons. Whatever the reason, I would like my students to leave my class with that “Ah…that’s why I do yoga!” feeling.