September 2, 2024

November 2024 Yoga Therapy with Doug Keller

Yoga’s Healing Path with Doug Keller
Exploring Our Myofascial Network for Optimal Practice
November 8-10, 2024, Arlington, MA

Combining modern science and contemporary language, Doug Keller illuminates the therapeutic value of yoga practice with a new perspective that is at once profound yet accessible and practical. By using a multi-layered approach to entering the inner world, you will discover a new experience of yoga through the foundational practices of asana, breath, and meditation by one of the world’s foremost yoga therapists

A Three-Day Workshop for Yoga Teachers and Inquiring Students
The Arlington Center, 369 Mass Ave, Arlington, MA
• Friday,  6:00-9:00 pm 
• Saturday, 12:00-3:00 pm; 4:00-7:00 pm (1-hour lunch break) 
• Sunday, 9:00 am-12:00 pm; 1:30-4:30 pm (1.5-hour lunch break)
• Includes a full-color, detailed PDF for each session.

Cost:
$345, limited to 35 participants. Individual sessions are available for $70 each.
 
Register for All Sessions Register for Individual Sessions 

Elevate your practice and empower your journey toward lifelong vitality and well-being.

Theme
This year’s workshop on the “Therapeutic Wisdom of Yoga” focuses on the practical applications of the myofascial ‘Sutras,’ which are essential for a safe and effective asana practice. Drawing on Tom Myers’ influential work in “Anatomy Trains,” these ‘Sutras’ highlight the interconnected myofascial lines that link muscles, tendons, and fascia into coordinated movement patterns.
This approach provides valuable insights into common pain patterns and the root causes of pain and inflammation. By exploring these connections, we aim to develop clear, actionable asana principles that reduce stress and promote the body’s natural healing processes.

This workshop is particularly valuable for those interested in aging gracefully. The fascial insights provided by the ‘Sutras’ offer a profound understanding of how yoga can be a powerful tool in mitigating the challenges of aging when practiced with mindfulness and precision. 

Support Materials
PDF downloads of the slide presentations will be provided.

Practice
Every session will include an asana and pranayama practice, with the asana segment focusing on a particular area of the body or aspect of the practice that illuminates the theme in a practical, experiential way.

 

Friday

Session One: The Primacy of Joints Comes First 
Mastering the Interplay of Movement and Stability

Understanding the fundamental role of joints is crucial before addressing muscle dynamics in yoga. This session emphasizes the principle of ‘Joint Play’—the necessary freedom of movement within the joints. Without this freedom, the body’s natural reflexes limit both flexibility and strength, leading to increased stress on tendons and the onset of pain due to muscle spasms.
Building on this foundation, the myofascial lines of the back body (Paschima Sutra) and front body (Purva Sutra) will be explored, examining their role in both stable postures and dynamic movements. This approach provides essential insights into the interconnected issues of the foot, knee, hip, and lower back, as well as the mechanics of forward and back bending. By mastering these connections, participants gain a deeper understanding of how to maintain joint health and prevent pain, enhancing both stability and ease in their practice.

Saturday

Session Two: Abdominal Core Dynamics
Fortifying Sacral and Back Health
This session will deepen your understanding of low back and sacroiliac health. Here we build upon the foundational understanding of the front and back myofascial lines (Paschima and Purva Sutras) by exploring the deeper layers of the ‘Core.’ We’ll dive into the crucial roles of the abdominal layers, the psoas, and the central stability provided by the “Madhya Sutra”, as well as the lateral support offered by the abductors and side body from the “Parsva Sutra”. By integrating these core components, we’ll explore how to effectively address and prevent low back and sacroiliac pain while enhancing overall stability and balance in your practice.

Session Three: Spirals for Structural Integrity
Mastering Twists with Balanced Postural Rotations
This session explores the vital role of the ‘Spiral’ or Parivritta Sutra, a double-helix of myofascial lines that wrap around the legs, torso, and neck. These spirals govern the natural twisting actions of the feet, ankles, knees, hips, sacrum, and up to the neck and shoulders, playing a crucial role in maintaining the stable space or ‘tensegrity’ of the joints. Understanding this Sutra is essential for mastering twists in yoga, from head to toe, and for ensuring joint health. It also offers valuable insights into addressing pain caused by imbalanced postural rotations. Mastering the Spiral Sutra, you’ll learn to support joint integrity and prevent common pain issues associated with misaligned twists.

Sunday

Session Four: Unlocking Upper Body Health
Mastering the Shoulder ‘Sutras’
We’ll explore the ‘Shoulder Sutras’—the intricate web of muscle connections that link the shoulders to the neck and upper limbs. These Sutras, including both deep and superficial layers, are vital for maintaining the body’s spiral dynamics and addressing common issues in the neck, shoulders, elbows, and wrists. Through focused asanas and remedial techniques, participants will gain practical tools for managing and preventing pain, and how to apply this knowledge in their yoga practice.

Session Five: Resolving Imbalances in the Torso and Diaphragm
The Breath and Meditation
Udana Vayu is the ‘fire’ of yoga, and as such drives the intention and clarity of one’s practice. Through this Vayu we explore the transformative power of yoga practice in mind and emotion as well as in body. We will also look at the subtle influence of our mental intentions and the “vrittis” (the whirlpool of thoughts that surface in consciousness) on our overall health.
• The ‘fire’ of Udana Vayu is related to later ideas of the “Kundalini”.
• The asana practice will center around the health of the neck (and how different kinds of neck tension impact the health of the shoulders) — with practical variations for the release of neck tension with the proper application of Jalandhara Bandha.
• The pranayama practice will explore deeper levels of meditation working with ‘”drishthi” (the influence of the gaze or focus of the eyes) and Yoga Nidra, as guided by intention, mantra, and visualization.

 

Doug Keller has been teaching workshops and trainings in the therapeutic applications of yoga for over thirty years, and is known not only for his effectiveness in communicating this ever-evolving approach in these workshops, but also for his extensive writing on the topic in magazines, journals, and his two-volume work on ‘Yoga As Therapy.

He is also, in addition to his traveling and teaching, a Distinguished Professor at the Maryland University of Integrative Health in their Master’s Degree program in Yoga Therapy. This program is state-approved and accredited for granting a Master’s degree in this field, and is fully accredited by the International Association of Yoga Therapists.   

Visit Doug at www.doyoga.com