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The Mandala of
Iyengar Yoga Practice

Enrich Your Daily Practice With The Philosophy Of The Yoga Sutras

Artemis Yoga is delighted to host this comprehensive program from October 2023 to March 2024. You are invited to join for one or all 3 workshops. 

Now Sundays Only! 

October 29, 2023 | December 3, 2023 | March 3, 2024

10:00am – 2:00pm Eastern Time Zone

Patricia Walden & Gitte Bechsgaard join for their first ever introductory course on the ancient philosophy foundations of yoga in integration with Iyengar sadhana (practice).

LIVESTREAM WORKSHOPS!

Register for one or all three workshops and save! 

Workshops are now Sundays Only! 
Livestream: 10:00am to 2:00pm Eastern Time *

* There will be a 30 minute break.  All times are Eastern Time (Boston, MA). ** Program will be recorded and available for 30 days as well.

Tapah (yoga discipline) and the temple of your body

  • Sunday, October 29, 2023
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Svadhyaya (Self-observation) in practice

  • Sunday, December 3, 2023
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The inward journey of ishwara pranidhana (devotion)

  • Sunday, March 3, 2024
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Weekend Schedule

Details

During the ‘Mandala of Iyengar Yoga Practice’ program, the physical, mental, & spiritual tenets of yoga will be explored in dialogue with study of the Yoga Sutras as well as traditional mantra recitation.

Each workshop has a theme: Tapas (discipline), Svadhyaya (self-study), and Ishvara Pranidhana (devotion).

Your teachers Gitte Bechsgaard and Patricia Walden take their decades of collective experience to hone your newfound understanding into asana & pranayama practices.

Each live, online workshop includes both asana and philosophy expertly guided by Gitte and Patricia. 

The workshop concludes with a joint dialogue and discussion at the end of the weekend facilitated by Rahel Wasserfall of Artemis Yoga.

All participants will receive a limited time recording of the full workshop for 30 days.  After that, the link expires. 

Pricing

Full Course Savings: Three workshops are combined to create a comprehensive course for $175, or available individually with a la carte pricing for $70. 

Registration includes a recording that will be available for 30 days. 

Buy Now

Full Course – 3 Workshops

Only $175 for all 3 Workshops. Save $35 over a la carte pricing!

Single Workshop

$70 for a Single Workshop.

Go Deeper In Your Practice

This is a unique opportunity to explore deeply the philosophical text of the yoga sutras with renowned sutra scholar, Gitte Bechsgaard in harmony with the refinement of asana and pranayama by Patricia Walden, one of the most senior Iyengar Yoga teachers worldwide.

 
To discover the Heart of Yoga you must endeavor on a quest towards inner stillness.

This quest paved the development of a diverse array of practices and focuses on the cultivation of the self from all angles; physical, mental, and spiritual, alike.

Over thousands of years these techniques were developed as part of The Eightfold Path to unify all elements of one’s being.

It’s within the teachings of yoga philosophy that we uncover this blueprint.

The philosophical text of the Yoga Sutras reveal approaches to practice so that you may cultivate the spiritual, mental, and physical layers of yoga in balance.

Instructors

During this program, your teachers Gitte Bechsgaard and Patricia Walden share their decades of collective experience and unique insights on the developmental process behind Iyengar yoga asana to help guide your practice in congruence with the sage Patanjali’s philosophy.

Patricia Walden

Patricia Walden began her study with BKS Iyengar in 1976. Respected as one of the most senior Iyengar Yoga teachers worldwide, Patricia’s dedication to her teacher and to the subject of yoga has defined her life’s journey.

In 2004, Yoga Journal cited Patricia as one of “25 American yoga originals’ who helped to shape yoga in the West.  She has been featured in Time Magazine and recently was featured on CBS news for her work with yoga and aging.

Patricia co-authored The Women’s Book of Yoga and Health with Linda Sparrowe among other writings on yoga and depression.

Active in the Iyengar Yoga community since the mid-1980s, Patricia  co-founded the B.K.S Iyengar Center of Cambridge, helped to start the Iyengar National Certification Committee and she remains active in the Iyengar Yoga  Association of New England (IYANE.)

Gitte Bechsgaard

Gitte Bechsgaard RP, Ph.D. is a teacher, researcher, and psychotherapist renowned for her unique expertise on The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Jyotish Upayas, & the study, as well as the clinical integration, of eastern psychology.

As a Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher, she guides students in unveiling the philosophy behind practice. 14 years in private study with her mentor Sri Krishan Mantriji established Gitte’s unique foundation in Sanskrit and the Vedic teachings of Yoga philosophy, Jyotish, and Contemplative practice. Meanwhile, she continued her empirical Yoga research in various Toronto hospitals over the last 18 years, in conjunction with York University.

Her work in yoga & vedic scripture is further complemented by over 14 years of clinical experience as a registered psychotherapist (R.P.) giving Gitte an integrative perspective on the esoteric psychologies of the eastern tradition and their practical implications for the mind. 

Gitte is the author of The Gift of Consciousness: Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and the recently published, Yoga & Alignment – Upanishads to BKS Iyengar, co-authored with Dr. Gillian McCann with whom she also wrote, The Sacred In Exile – What It Means To Lose Religion.

Find out more about Gitte Bechsgaard

Yoga and allignment

Gitte Bechsgaard & Gillian McCann

“In this unique and excellent book, Gitte present the essential wisdom of classical yoga with inspirational clarity. Erudite as scholars and seasoned in practice, they are steeped in classical language and uncompromising in their devotion to traditional values and views. I am confident that this book will help students of yoga practice more accurately — and teachers of yoga to teach more effectively. Yoga and Alignment has earned its place in contemporary yoga literature.”
Patricia Walden
Instructor

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO INTEGRATE IN YOGA?

Though asana practice is initiated through our physicality, with ‘Integrated practice’ it is equally effective at tapping into the nervous system to cultivate stability and resilience on both mental and spiritual levels.

Iyengar described this state as:

“perfection in action and freedom in consciousness”

Asana is by definition good posture, yet it’s as much a state of mind as it is a state of the body.

The root of the Sanskrit word asana (pose) literally means to be or to abide, implying a restful and yet alert state of consciousness.

Excellence in practice radiates presence and shines beyond the realm of physical observation.

The meditative, spiritual, and self reflective forms of pranayama are often sought out, yet yogic philosophy reveals how to establish pranayama & asana practices in unison to explore your inner landscape more consciously and seek out your inner abiding Self with more clarity.

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Workshop 1

Tapah (Yogic discipline) and The Temple of Your Body

Sunday October 29, 2023

10:00am – 2:00pm Eastern Time

With Patricia Walden and Gitte Bechsgaard

During workshop #1 on the body, we will explore Virya together with Tapas as a powerful combination to empower your soul.

  • In the Yoga tradition, the body is likened to a vessel which must be fired in a kiln.
  • Its raw form is blasted relentlessly with a flame until it’s hardened into something strong enough to hold the powerful energies of the subtle body.
  • In the Yoga Sūtras, the sage Patañjali speaks of Tapah and Abhyasa : – the fire of yogic discipline.
  • The underlying idea is, through practice of tapas, many negative patterns of the body, mind, and soul are burned off. The yoga practitioner is purified.
  • The Yoga Sūtras highlight a direct connection between a mental attitude of enthusiasm and one’s ability to stay on the path courageously (Sutra 1.20).
  • In this context, the ancient yogic scriptures recognize that the Path of practice is accompanied by challenges (antaraya). This is not the result of personal error, it is intrinsic to any process of spiritual growth.
  • The inherent challenges of life are part of the reason that Virya (heroic energy) is such an important virtue in Yoga.
  • A source of clear, unblocked energy is necessary to move us forward.
  • In fact, without such a concentrated and powerful energy, the likelihood of regression and backsliding is great.
  • Virya (heroic energy) provides a clear internal drive that immediately seeks out solutions and doesn’t accept defeat.

Workshop 2

Svadhyaya & Self-Observation in practice

Sunday December 3, 2023

10:00am – 2:00pm Eastern Time

With Patricia Walden and Gitte Bechsgaard

During workshop #2 on the mind, you will learn how to integrate your study of yoga philosophy with guided reflection in practice, placing specialized focus on the embodied purification practice.

  • The daily practice Svadhyaya refers to self-reflective practice and spiritual study. This is one of the central Niyamas laid out by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras.
  • The ancient yogis long recognized self-inquiry and self-observation as an integral component of the practices of self-discipline and Tapas.
  • Svadhyaya helps lift the veil of ignorance (avidya) and the many mental afflictions, and is instrumental in clearing our minds.

 

As Iyengar wrote:

“Giving attention to and reflecting in practice is essential to develop skillfulness in sadhana so that the hidden impurities clouding the intelligence are eradicated.”

 

  • The interplay between study, self-inquiry, and practice is an intrinsic aspect of the eight limbs of Yoga. It is critical that no aspect of our being be left out.
  • The reading of The Yoga Sutras is a good starting point for self-reflection and understanding how the Yogic teachings apply in one’s life.

Workshop 3

Inward Journey of Ishwara Pranidhana (devotion)

Sunday March 3, 2024

10:00am – 2:00pm Eastern Time

With Patricia Walden and Gitte Bechsgaard

During the third and final workshop focused on the Innermost Self or Soul, we will explore the many ways in which we can cultivate devotion as an integrated part of practice.

  • The Yogic Scriptures offer a variety of practices for moving within including Shavasana (corpse pose) and a variety of Contemplative practices.
  • Some of these more devotional practices are termed Ishwara pranidhana, which refers to the process of self-surrender and devotion to the Divine. It is considered central that Yoga helps us to go beyond the dictates of the ego, and inwards towards our Spiritual Core.
  • The yogic tradition does not dictate what form of the Divine is to be practiced. The important element is the recognition of a higher power beyond our ego- based self.

 

Iyengar compares this inward spiritual process to a snake shedding its skin.

“We have many skins, sheaths, thoughts, prejudices, ideas, memories and projects for the future. Shavasana is a shedding of all of these skins, to see how glossy and gorgeous, serene and aware is the beautiful rainbow colored snake who lies within.” — BKS Iyengar

This shedding takes time and consistent practice. It certainly can’t be rushed. It’s cultivated gradually as we learn various practices.

 

  • The Yoga Sutras offer a variety of methods to move inwards towards your spiritual core, one of which is breath control.
  • The yogis discovered the connection between breath retention along with the stilling of mental states and built further upon them. The sage Patanjali referred to a lid which must be removed by pranayama, in order to reveal the innermost Self – Purusha.

Newcomer 2 week Pass

Unlimited Yoga for Just $49

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Newcomer 2 week Pass

Unlimited Yoga for Just $49

Join Today

“HOW TO” GUIDE FOR ONLINE CLASSES

Artemis Yoga offers “live” online yoga classes through Zoom. To join, find an inviting space to practice and follow the steps below:

Print Instructions

Step 1: Use your MINDBODY account with Artemis Yoga to register for the class. 

  • Meeting ID in the class description.
  • Please register in advance to streamline attendance and to allow us to send you a recording if you miss the class or join late.
  • Please register even if the class is listed as “free community class.”

Step 2: Log into https://zoom.us/join and enter the Class-Specific Meeting ID then click “Join”.  

  • Meeting ID in the class description. 
  • Start the login process 10-15 minutes before class so that you are ready.
  • We recommend downloading the Zoom client on your computer, laptop, tablet, or phone. You can enter the Meeting ID number from there.

Step 3: Once you click on the Meeting ID, register with your name and email in Zoom. Please use your real name so we can match with Mindbody. You will then be entered in the “Waiting Room.” 

  • The Waiting Room is where Artemis Staff checks attendance. If we can’t identify you from your Zoom user name, you will not be let into class. 
  • You will be asked if you registered in Mindbody, if you had trouble doing so, please click “No” and stay in the Waiting Room, we will assist you after class. 
  • We start letting people in from the Waiting Room 15 minutes prior to class. Large classes take a bit for us to check everyone in, please be patient.

Step 4: When let in from the waiting room, click “Join with Computer Audio.” 

  • We mute participants during class but you may unmute yourself at any time to ask questions or to say hello! We like to see you and greet you, though you may choose to turn your camera off. 
  • Use “Chat” to communicate if you do not want to speak out loud. 
  • Zoom prompts for consent to be in a recorded class, please accept so you may continue to be in class. Note that the recording is set to record only the teacher who is in the spotlight. Recordings are sent to registrants who are absent.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ONLINE FOR CLASS!