Sādhanā : a period of disciplined and intentional practice in order to achieve spiritual or ritual objectives.
Join Suzanne Dunning for a three-week yoga intensive to help bring you into vitality and back into alignment with your true self by building yoga into your daily routine.
The program will begin with an initial gathering to clarify what is needed in our life. From there we will meet early, twice per week on Monday and Wednesday mornings. Throughout the rest of the days you will be guided in building a home practice daily.
A sādhanā is a period of heightened intensity of practice- it’s essentially stepping up our game for the purpose of growth and spring is the perfect time; the earth is coming to life- warming up and burning off what’s dead and ready to be renewed. Buds are emerging and seeds are cracking open.
After all the heaviness and darkness of the past many moons there is a great deal of forgiveness that needs to thaw internally so that we can move on and new projects, energy and life can grow from within us.
This program is focused on clearing waste and distractions to reveal an existence that is simpler, less stressful, and overall, more vibrant.
Initial Gathering ::
by Annika Botha
Sunday April 3rd
2:00-5:30 pm
The program will begin with an in-studio afternoon session to drop in deeply with truest self.
We will use gentle Yin Yoga and meditation to unravel any constricted mindsets of scarcity and shame and to set a tone of ease and clarity.
From there we will use inquiry, journaling, and group work to assess our life; looking at everything from our daily routine to our diet to our home to our relationships.
You will then tailor a plan for the program that address the parts of your life that need attention. Suzanne will give you some dietary and lifestyle recommendations.
Let’s release what’s ready to be released
Let’s nourish what wants to come alive!
Morning Yoga Intensive ::
by Annika Botha
Getting up early is hard for some of us- but deeply invigorating as well. We will do a full practice twice weekly- focusing on poses that encourage elimination and detoxification along with pranayama and a brief meditation.
Monday and Wednesdays
April 4th-April 20th
6:30-7:50
Daily Yoga:
On non-studio days you will build the habit of a home practice using the container of the program for support. Establishing a self practice is challenging- the distractions are endless and it’s easy to become discouraged or bored. We have to remember that our practice will ebb and flow with our life- sometimes we will be very consistent and other times sporadic or completely absent. When feel to call to come back to the practice- we can teach ourselves to return without shame or guilt.
This period of sustained effort is designed to bring you to a place where the morning practice doesn’t require so much effort- and instead is something we look forward to each day.
.… We resist whatever is unfamiliar-
by practicing daily- we make it familiar to feel good ….
To enroll in the sādhanā:
be ready to commit to practicing yoga daily for three weeks
be motivated to make changes to your diet - this will be modifiable to meet your needs and life constraints
be able to set aside at least a few hours a week to self-care, cooking, and a home re-vamp
be willing to release old patterns and step into change and growth
$180
initial Sunday retreat
two morning classes per week- April 4th-20th
handouts for dietary and herbal suggestions
support and guidance in building discipline
A $60 non-refundable deposit holds your spot in the course. The remaining amount of $120 may be paid in cash on the first day of the course or with Venmo @toshayoga.
Suzanne has led seasonal yoga sādhanās for years - it is one of her favorite ways to share yoga because it is a sustained and deep enough commitment to really witness the transformative power of the practice.
She has her degree in Integrative Medicine from UC Berkeley and has worked as a coach teaching people about the healing powers of food as medicine.
She also trained as clinical herbalist.
(photo by Annika Botha)