Exploring the Practice and Principles of Yin Yoga
with Bobbie Marchand
Saturday, Mar. 11th, 3:30-5:30pm
A quietly passive, though deeply challenging practice, yin yoga is designed to elongate the connective tissues of the body (ligaments, tendon and fascia) resulting in a greater sense of space within. For a therapeutic effect, poses are sustained for along period of time; practitioners are encouraged into the depth of the pose by the guidance and patient listening to their own breath.
This workshop will offer information about a full yin yoga practice; the principles behind Yin and Yang; the desired effect of a yin practice on our begin as a whole; connective tissue and it’s relevance to the practice of yin; how and when to incorporate yin principles into a traditional practice; and pranayama for a yin practice.
Bobbie Marchand, in pursuing her love of dance, moved from her native Toronto to NY in 2005. Though the transition of dancer to yoga teacher is a common one, it was an illness that tuned her in to the power of a daily, dedicated practice. Bobbie’s Vinyasa classes are creative, challenging and fun. Drawing on her dance background, the sequencing is expressive and fluid while encouraging alignment (and a healthy use of props!). Her yin/stretch/restorative classes are an invitation to pause, yield to the sense of support, turn inward and take the practice to a quiet, nourishing place away from the external stress of our busy lives. Endless gratitude to teachers Diana Lockett, Amanda Harding and Raghunath for their encouragement, support and loving guidance on this incredible journey.
The sea in Tulum is as bright an aquamarine color as you can imagine. The sunrise boasts pastels and contrasting colors that are tough to capture on camera, and the friendly community is off the grid but features comfortable amenities, fantastic food, and many healing services, from massage to clay baths to sweat lodges.
The mission behind this retreat – Be Love – is to nourish the spiritual warrior in each of us. As yoga practitioners, we are already inclined to lead lives of compassionate action, and I aim to support you as you develop and awaken the super soul-dier within. When “Be Love” is your guiding mantra, the right choices seem to simply present themselves and life unfolds like a flower delicately, sensuously revealing its precious inner essence. Think of this week as a time to renew your commitment to letting love light the way.
ough self-care practices, intelligently sequenced warming flows, (optional) sunrise meditations, restorative afternoon yoga, and powerful daily intentions, we will become the embodiment of love and the bricklayers of a cooperative human future.
Edwin Bryant received his Ph.D in Indic languages and Cultures from Columbia University. He taught Hinduism at Harvard University for three years, and is presently the professor of Hinduism at Rutgers University where he teaches 
In addition to his academic course load, Edwin currently teaches 
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is the classical ancient Indian treatise on the practice of Yoga. While Yoga conjures up images of bodily postures and stretches in popular western culture, this aspect of yoga, the asanas, is only the third limb of the eight limbs outlined in the Yoga Sutras — and, indeed, Patanjali pays only passing attention to this aspect of the system. This seminar series will consist of a close reading of Patanjali’s original text, focusing on the opening section of the work, wherein Yoga is defined and the state of samadhi, liberation, described, as well as on the eight limbs of yoga covered in the heart of the text, which outline the step by step methods for attaining this enlightened state. Attention will be paid to the pre-modern commentaries of the text, thus exposing students to the traditional understanding of the practice of classical Yoga and its goals. Students are advised to bring any copy of the Sutras which has the Sanskrit text in romanized script as attention will be focused on the original source rather than its westernized manifestation.
