Overview of Robert, Scott, & Claudia Workshop at 8 Limbs Yoga Centers

I’ve officially unpacked from an incredible month traveling around CA, TX, and WA, following Dr. Robert Svoboda, Scott Blossom, and Claudia Welch around on Robert’s farewell tour before he retires from public speaking.

For those of you that were unable to attend the workshop at 8 Limbs Yoga Centers in Seattle, here is a brief overview of what was covered:

Dr. Robert Svoboda:
• “Wherever your attention goes, your prana follows.”
• “Attention is good, being attentive is a good habit. Thinking is good, but thinking is a bad habit.”
• “Westerners are always trying to change their destinies before finding out what they are…first find out what they are before trying to change them!”
• “Prana provides continuity for the organism, prana is purposeful vs. vata, which is not continuous, not stable.”
• Remain calm and relaxed. Don’t freak out when there is a crisis, freak out at another time where there is no crisis.”

Dr. Scott Blossom:
• “The seat of prana is in your pelvis, it will help keep your legs strong and flexibile.”
• “The main downward force is gravity, the bones are the tissue response to gravity.”
• “Find stability in your asana or else you’ll have to meditate on the pain.”
• “Get your attention working, not your mind. Listen to the signals coming from your bones.”
• “Move as if all parts of the body are connected to the other parts. When you move to the right, keep your attention on the left, etc.
• “Keep the bones as your “drsiti”, emphasize the whole over the parts...don't over emphasize the “do-er” let your prana guide you. “
• “Let your practice be a communion with the force that gives rise to all of nature.”
• “Yoga is telling you, you know how to move, to trust yourself. When the body releases tension in yoga, the analogy to that is when the mind releases “mis-trust.”

Dr. Claudia Welch:
• “Focus doesn’t take active effort, it just takes focus. It’s more about surrender than effort.”
• “As your focus moves down, it creates space for prana to BE.”
• “Annamaya kosha follows whatever the pranamaya kosha is doing which follows whatever the manomaya kosha is doing.”
• “Whenever you release “crud” in the body, release it, don’t try to name it, put it in a box, or conatin it…let it go!”
• “The more we remember something, the less accurate it is. Each time we recall a memory, we build a new protein chain in the brain, which creates a “glump, or clump”. So each time we re-create a memory, the less accurate it is.”
•“Don’t become anything!” The second you become something, you arrange your prana that will get enforced whenever we are in front of more prana. When you become something, you can "un-become it", which is so much more painful than becoming it."



Upcoming Seasonal Vinyasa Retreats:
7/30-8/2 Breitenbush Hot Springs, OR with Melina Meza and Tamara Newmoon
9/19-924 Esalen, CA with Melina Meza, Tamara Newmoon, & Benjamin Fahrer
More details: http://www.melinameza.com/YogaRetreats.html