Kriya Yoga and Yoga Nidra with Glenn Black

Glenn Headshot approved 2013Yoga Teachers Association of the Hudson Valley (YTA) is excited to kick off its fall workshop season on Saturday, September 12, with “Kriya Yoga and Yoga Nidra,” presented by master yogi Glenn Black.

Kriya yoga is a system through which the student can reach a more profound experience of higher conditions of consciousness. In practicing the sequence of specific kriyas, the rotation of awareness through the body and mind encourages a change in the perspective of the student. When the body and mind dissolve, the witness of awareness is then able to directly experience that which is hidden from view due to the obstacles that the mind and body put in place. In the 42 years that Glenn Black has practiced, kriya yoga has proven to be the most effective way to achieve the ultimate goals of yoga.

The 3-hour workshop will introduce participants to Chankramanam (yogic roving or movement), a practice of awareness and presence in all activities, including walking and eating. Additionally, instruction on arohan and awarohan will enable participants to access the ascending and descending internal energy pathways. Together these practices form the essential foundation of kriya yoga. Pranayama breathing techniques to relax the body and prepare for yoga nidra (yogic sleep), a systematic method for moving into deeper realms of consciousness similar to the dream state, will also be presented.

Glenn Black has been teaching and consulting in human movement and bodywork for over four decades. Drawing from his experience in dance, athletics, martial arts, animal movement, and observing his students in each class, Glenn teaches with innovation, intuition, and humor. Glenn began kriya yoga studies in the mid 1970s with the Bihar School’s Swami Vivekananda. He studied with B.Y.S. Iyengar in India and is a longtime student of Swami Satyananda. Like the ancient “forest yogis,” Mr. Black has devoted years to intensive practice in solitude. He leads workshops and retreats internationally. For more information about Glenn or his offerings, contact [email protected].

The workshop will be held at the Yoga Studio at Club Fit Briarcliff, 584 North State Road, Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510, on Saturday, September 12, from 1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. The cost is $35 for YTA members and $45 for nonmembers who register in advance; $45 and $55 at the door. Preregistration is requested and necessary in order to receive materials from the instructor. Register at YTAYoga.com. Ample parking is available. Please bring a yoga mat and arrive early to check in and set up. For more information, contact YTA c/o Michael Sassano, [email protected] or 914-709-4150.

The Fall 2015 workshop season also includes “Speaking of Yoga” with Sarah Bell, Deborah Wolk presenting “Yoga and Scoliosis” on Saturday, November 14, and “The Principles of Backbending,” led by Freddie Wyndham and Darcy Bowman, on December 12.

YTA, a nonprofit membership organization for yoga teachers and students, was created in 1979.  Its mission is to provide quality continuing education to yoga teachers and create a community of people interested in yoga. Visit us at YTAYoga.com.