Solar Sessions @ South Harringay School

Yoga Wednesdays – The Solar Sessions 

 

When:  Weekly Wednesday evenings 6.30 – 8pm

  • The last in-person class for 2022 is on the 14th of December 2022
  • In-person classes will recommence 11th January 2023

Where:  South Harringay School, (main hall 1st/f swimming pool building) Mattison Road, London N4 1BD

Costs: 

 

What are the Solar Sessions?

This is a sequence that combines yoga poses and stretches with callisthenic conditioning.  It’s combined with a healthy smattering of inversions to bring you a strong dynamic practice that addresses both strength and flexibility.

It is a strong sequence that has a fair amount of conditioning exercises in it. You can opt for variations that make the practice easier if you are building up strength and/or recovering from an injury.  I would encourage everyone to work progressively and do what you can, and with repetition and time, it will get easier. 

The Solar Sessions has its lineages in AcroYoga and has drawn influence from gymnastics training and callisthenics with the intention of building confidence and strength to do inversions, be it headstands, forearm-stand and or handstands, none of which are a requirement nor a prerequisite, more the potential.

During the sessions, I will be presenting fact-finding rabbit whole themes in class.  Past subjects covered include:-

  • Rainbows
  • Peacock Mantis Shrimp
  • Bamboo
  • Mandalas
  • Methane Hydrates
  • Ecocide
  • Portuguese man o’ war

In-studio what to bring

  • Yoga mat
  • Hand sanitiser
  • Towel
  • Props that will support your practice blocks and straps
  • Mask to enter in and out of the premises

Those joining in-person classes are required to complete a Personal Liability Waiver as part of the building’s Risk Assessment Report. Please do so below.

 

Notes for online streaming

To participate in these classes you need a device to stream from, a laptop, tablet or smartphone. All listed classes will be presented on the Zoom Video Communications platform. You can either download the Zoom App on your smartphone or tablet or log in with your computer/laptop via their website.

Please be aware that I will be limited in my ability to give accurate, on-the-spot corrections; this is dependent on what I can see with the webcam set-up and video screening. I will, however, endeavour to give as many common corrections during the class.

 

CLASS CANCELLATIONS

There is no certainty as to how the Covid pandemic will evolve in the coming months.  For this reason, there may be occasions where in-person classes will have to stop running to follow Government guidance on social distancing. We will endeavour to inform you of any changes as soon as we are able to, this could be via a newsletter or on our social media platforms Facebook or Instagram

If you would like to join online on these dates from 6.30 – 8pm BST/GMT please message me at hello@jaquiwan.com 

Arm Balances and Inversions @ Evolve Wellness Centre

Discovering the art of arm balancing and inversions

 

When:  Saturday 11th June 2015, 2.30 – 5.30pm

Where: Evolve Wellness Centre, 10 Kendrick Mews, London SW7 3HG

Costs:  £35 (bookings are made directly with the studio)

Back by popular demand.  An afternoon session to delve into the world of balancing on your hands.  Have you ever been baffled by arm balances?  Is it strength? Is it flexibility?  Or is it fear that’s stopping you from getting your head round them?  This is workshop is an opportunity to explore the mechanics of balancing on your hands.

We will cover handstands, but that is only part of the offering, we will explore a range of arm balancing including Tittibasana / fire fly, Parsva Bakasana / side crow and Eka Pada Koudiyasana / split leg arm balance,  but there is more we will cover.

The session will begin with an asana practice and will progress lab style into the world of hand and arm balancing.  Do not be fooled into thinking you will be able to do all by the end of the session, that takes practice, practice, practice.  What you will get is a direction and an approach to mastering them.

 

 

This workshop is ideal for the regular yoga practitioner practicing for at least 9 months to a year and who are keen to explore their hand and arm balancing potential.

Inversions and Arm Balances at Yonder

Inversions & Arm Balances @ Yonder Studio E17

 

When: Saturday 22nd February 2020, 3pm – 5.30pm 

Where: Yonder Studio E17, 4-6a Hookers Road, London, E17 6DP

Cost: £25 for bookings please book via Eventbrite

A two and a half-hour introduction to the world of balancing on your hands.

This workshop is ideal for those who are comfortable being upside down, with a regular yoga practice and who are keen to discover more about their hands and arm balancing potential.  
 


We will cover the three classic inversions: – 

• Sirsasana / headstands, 
• PIncha Maryasana / forearm balances and 
• handstands.


But we will explore a range of arm balancing including: – 

• Tittibasana / firefly, 
• Parsva Bakasana / side crow and 
• Eka Pada Koudiyasana / split leg arm balance, 
• but there will be more to explore. 


We will cover alignment techniques, strength elements, the embodiment of inversions and safely taking weight on your arms and hands. We will build up progressively working on upper body stamina, core conditioning and wrist awareness. 

Prerequisites: Comfortable with doing a headstand against the wall. 

An AcroYoga fundamentals weekend @ Studio K

CANCELLED DUE TO THE COVID19 PANDEMIC

An AcroYoga weekend @ Yoga K, Montreux, Switzerland

When:

  • Saturday 14th March 2020, 10am – 5pm: Exploring the fundamentals
  • Sunday 15th March 2020, 10am – 5pm:  Calibration through collaboration

Where: Centre Yoga K, Rue de la Ruvenettaz 2 – 1820 Montreux, Switzerland

Cost:  For bookings see FB event link to follow or contact Karine Gammuto 

  • All weekend: CHF170
  • Friday Only: CHF100
  • Saturday Only: CH100 (please see the prerequisites for attending Sunday only)

Am very happy to announce a joint venture with Helen Green and Studio K; in presenting an AcroYoga elementals weekend.  We will cover the spectrum of this practice from ‘Lunar’ healing therapeutics through to ‘Solar’ partner balancing and acrobatic sequencing. 

What we offer: –

  • bilingual teaching in English and French;
  • an experienced teaching team with over ten years of practice;
  • joyous hilarity, fun and support;
  • yoga, partner balances, Thai massage and flying therapeutics;
  • attention to the details required for same size partner calibrations;
  • L basing sequences, that can cater for the beginner, intermediate a& advanced;
  • a two-hour lunch break to allow for food digestion, free time to play, train & review.

The weekend will present the fundamentals and move onto collaboration and calibration. Each day will present a combination of: –

  • the Solar acrobatic practice covers: –
    • the art of spotting;
    • smart partner training progressions;
    • the skills and principles to inversions;
    • the nuances to partner balances, how to be precise and be challenged as we move into flying sequences and transitions; and
    • how to collaborate with creativity and believe in your potential. 
  • the Lunar therapeutic practice covers: –
    • the world Thai massage and leg love techniques;
    • the use of gravity, body weight, touch and harmonics;
    • the principles to suspended flying therapeutics; and
    • how to train AcroYoga with longevity with self-care making its a marathon, not a sprint.

 

Saturday 14th March 2020 – Exploring the fundamentals

This day will focus on the foundations of AcroYoga.  We will cover the basics and the building blocks that can create fantastic human structures.  We will present a spectrum of drills to get you into your acrobatic body and thereafter move onto calibrations by working in groups.  We will refine the principles of handstands and partner inversions and thereafter move into a variety of static balance to transitions, exploring basic sequences and flows.

There are no prerequisites in attending Saturday only.

The latter half of the day will be allocated to self-care combining Thai massage, leg love and flying therapeutics.

 

Sunday 15th March 2020 – Calibration through collaboration

Once warmed up we will recap on the principles of the previous day we will cover the nuances of both calibration and collaboration through the process of a progressive range of motion and points of contact. Thereafter we will present partner transitions and flows, moving onto washing machines and repeatable sequences.  We will again allocate time later in the day for self-care and massage.

Prerequisites for attending Sunday only: to be able to base and fly Star / Shoulder-stand of feet, without the active use of a spotter.

‘You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.’ Plato
 

Headstand & Handstands weekend at Yoga K, Montreux, Switzerland

Discover your inversions a focus on headstand and handstands @ Yoga K, Montreux, Switzerland

 

When:

  • Friday 6th Dec 2019, 7-9pm: The Art on Headstands
  • Saturday 7th Dec 2019, 10am-1pm: The World of Inversions & Arm Balances
  • Sunday 8th Dec 2019, 10am-1pm: Partner Inversions & Partner Balances 

Where: Centre Yoga K, Rue de la Ruvenettaz 2 – 1820 Montreux, Switzerland

Cost:  For bookings see FB event link or contact Karine Gammuto 

  • All weekend: CHF140
  • Friday Only: CHF40
  • Saturday Only: CHF60
  • Sunday Only: CHF60 


 

The Art of Headstands – Friday 6th Dec 2019, 7-9pm:  

This two-hour workshop will focus on the technical skills required to do the classic yoga inversion the headstand is also known as Sirsasana.  
 
We will: –  
  • breakdown the strength elements that will embody the foundations of this pose and
  • learn how to support and spot a headstand, what to look for? and how to keep the headstander safe whist they are balancing.
 
Once the principles of balances and safety are covered we will then move onto variations of headstands looking at both hand positions and leg variations.  
 
We will end with a therapeutic massage sequence to help release any built-up tension in the neck and shoulders. 
 
No experience necessary, just an interest in learning how to do and or play with headstands.  
 
Please seek further advice directly with the teacher if you have any of the following conditions: – low blood pressure, neck, head or shoulder injuries.    

 

The World of Inversions & Arm Balances – Saturday 7th Dec 2019, 10am – 1pm: 

This three-hour offering to delve into the world of balancing on your hands.  Have you ever been baffled by inversions or arm balances?  Is it strength? Is it flexibility?  Or is it overcoming the fear? 

This workshop is ideal for those who are comfortable being upside down, with a regular yoga practice and who are keen to discover more about their hand and arm balancing potential.  
 
We will cover the classic yoga inversions: – 
  • Pincha Mayurasana – forearm balances and 
  • Adho Mukha Vrksasana – handstands 

But we will explore a range of arm balancing including: – 

  • Tittibasana / firefly, 
  • Parsva Bakasana / side crow and 
  • Eka Pada Koudiyasana / split leg arm balance, and 
  • there will be more to explore. 


We will cover alignment techniques, strength elements, the embodiment of inversions and how to safely take weight on your arms and hands.  

 
We will also be working in pairs and cover how to support and spot with confidence so as to help maintain safety in the room.

Prerequisites: Should be able to do a headstand against a wall for 15 seconds.

 

Partner Inversions & Partner Balances – Sunday 8th Dec 2019, 10am – 1pm: 

We will focus on the collaboration involved when working in pairs.  We will be delve into the world of partner inversions and balances whilst working in groups of three maybe four to ensure there is both sufficient support and safety in the room.
 
We will explore the push-pull nuances of partner balancing and the calibrations that allows the creation of symmetrical and asymmetric shapes and poses.
 
We will build it up progressively working on both partner stamina and confidence and will cover: –
  • partner conditioning,
  • partner inversions,
  • symmetrical counterbalances, and 
  • inversions on body parts.
Come with an open mind and willingness to play.  No partner needed.  

‘You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.’ Plato
 
Prerequisites: Should be able to do a headstand against a wall for 15 seconds.
1 2 3 4 5 13