Astanga Yoga: Connect To The Core With Power Yoga

Astanga yoga is an ancient system of moving, breath-connected postures which can be choreographed into dance-like sequences. It is also the most talked-about and fastest-growing form of yoga today, endorsed by celebrities such as Madonna, Willem Dafoe, Demi Moore, Sting, Ralph Fiennes and Mariel Hemingway. Mainstream healthclubs are increasingly holding astanga yoga classes, reflecting the growing interest in this form of exercise. Astanga yoga produces a remarkable combination of strength, flexibility and stamina, as well as mental well-being. Postures are linked by 'vinyasas', breath-connected movements which create a purifying heat, detoxifying the body and nourishing the internal organs. Deep relaxation follows the practice, accompanied by a sense of rejuvenation and vitality. Liz Lark is an experienced yoga teacher, fully qualified to take you step by step through the stages of an astanga yoga session. Performing the primary series will allow you to 'connect to the core' and 'raise the bindu' (vital energy). Table of Contents: Foreword; INTRODUCTION: Astanga Yoga: Connect to the Core; The Chakra System: an Introduction; Unlocking the Secrets of the Sacrum; THE PRACTICE: Yoga Chikitsa - The Primary Series - * Sun salutations * Standing postures * Seated postures * Finishing postures * Relaxation phase. Key Teachers, Living Icons Author Biography: Liz Lark is an experienced yoga teacher who is passionate about bringing yoga into people's lives. She teaches in London and on special-interest holidays around the world. She has also travelled extensively to India and Crete to deepen her practice and teaching of yoga. With a Masters degree in Performing Arts, she incorporates elements of complementary body disciplines into her work, including the Alexander Technique and release work. She has a wide variety of pupils, from beginners to experienced practitioners, and her famous clients include Ralph Fiennes and Mariel Hemingway. Liz is recognised as a leading astanga yoga teacher and has been featured in the Daily Telegraph and the Express. She is also the co-author (with Mark Ansari) of Yoga for Beginners (Gill and Macmillan) and Yoga for Life (Carlton, February 2001).