Les Leventhal ~ Workshop Weekend
Join world renowned yoga teacher Les Leventhal for a weekend of vinyasa yoga not to be missed, set against a backdrop of the rugged South Coast of New Zealand’s North Island.
Urban Yoga is thrilled to have Les join Wellington’s Yoga Community for a weekend of practice, self discovery and play.
Whatever your level of yoga practice experience, if you’re joining the full weekend or a single session, this is sure to be a unique workshop with a highly skilled, internationally recognised teacher; an experience guaranteed to deliver a potent, intelligent and enlivening yoga practice, along with a wonderful lighthearted gathering of community!
All Levels Welcome. Early Bird Pricing and Single Sessions available.
Workshop Schedule & Session Themes
Saturday 11 June
9:00-11:30am ~ DETOX FLOW (Hips & Twists)
2:00-4:30pm ~ FACING FEARS (Arm Balances)
Sunday 12 June
9:00 – 11:30am ~ ANAHATA CHAKRA VINYASA
~ DETOX FLOW – Hips & Twists ~
It’s time to liberate your hips and free your spine. Opening the hips begins by cultivating awareness of the challenges we hold in our hips and pelvic region. We can begin to relax and strengthen the quads, the inner and outer muscles of the thighs and stretch the hamstrings. While unlocking this area of our bodies we will also free the spine with twists which can infuse the body with vitality and well being and release enormous amounts of tension. Twists are associated with toning and rejuvenating the abdominal and pelvic regions. When these regions are engaged, blood flow naturally increases and toxins are released – a natural internal massage. Relaxing and strengthening these areas releases lower back tension and frees limitation in the neck and shoulders. This very fun workshop is great for beginners, intermediate/advanced practitioners and teachers who want to learn how to up level in creative ways and also provide a safe foundation for their beginning students.
~ FACING EMBRACING FEARS – Arm Balancing and Inversions ~
Arm Balances and Inversions can be some of yoga’s most challenging yet fun poses to practice. Learn to safely defy gravity, starting with a single breath. In this workshop you will strengthen your core to better support your arm balances. Build upper body strength which will help support and build healthier wrists, elbows and shoulders. Engage the legs, so they don’t take refuge in Savasana. Begin cultivating awareness of your body being upside down and moving through space, while surfing from one pose to another. Yoga should be satisfying and fun, not a chore. This workshop will launch you there. This very fun workshop is accessible for beginners, intermediate/advanced practitioners and teachers who want to learn how to teach newer students the foundations and set up of arm balancing and provide safe up leveling for the advanced practitioner. Flying is like a great fire of courage – once that flame is ignited – it never goes out.
~ ANAHATA CHAKRA VINYASA ~
Heart Openers (and backbends) are some of yoga’s most exhilarating postures. In this workshop we will open the entire front body, with emphasis on the heart center. We will flow through a sequence of postures that will bring your heart chakra back into balance and harmony. We will explore many different ways of working with and without props, along with physical, psychological and spiritual aspects of a backbend. Your heart will dance through the fine art of balancing and effortless surrender. We will also bring more awareness to pranayama and ujjayi breathing in this workshop, as the lungs are an integral part of this area of the body.
Pricing:
Full Weekend (EB Pricing available until May 1st) $165
Full Weekend (from May 2nd) $180
Single Sessions: $70
Bookings online at Urban Yoga NZ Online
Email enquiries to Sarah – bookings (at) urbanyoga.co.nz
Please read the Urban Yoga Policies.
Venue: Island Bay Surf Club (aka Octopus HQ)
Opposite 250 The Esplanade,
Island Bay, Wellington
Weekend Workshop(3)
About Les
Les Leventhal is a highly experienced and much-loved teacher, leading workshops, trainings and retreats around the world. Most recently in New Zealand, Les was one of the featured teachers at this year’s Wanderlust, Great Lake Taupo.
His Vinyasa classes and workshops are filled with technique and alignment cues for all levels, including beginners. Variations and longer sequences will also challenge and inspire seasoned practitioners.
Having completed Ana Forrest’s teacher training, then studying and assisting extensively with her, Les’ studies and ceremonies are steeped in the Forrest tradition. Les has also trained with Max Strom and completed several trainings with Tias Little, with whom he continues to deepen and strengthen his appreciation of alignment. In his classes, you will have the opportunity to heal your heart, laugh, cry, dance, sweat and just let go.
“One of the things that is vitally important to me as I continue on this path towards my final Savasana is to remain always a student, and a student teacher, and a teacher. I came to teaching because I was such a passionate student, and I want always to retain that passion and to continue studying with amazing teachers and amazing people. Every single yoga class I’ve ever attended has brought me some new lesson and given me a chance to explore more intuitively how I hold my yoga both on and off the mat.”
Currently based in Bali, Les has twice been featured in Yoga Journal magazine and interviewed by Darren Main, author of Yoga and The Path of The Urban Mystic and by Voice America – Your Life Without Limits, Joe Sarti.
“Les inspires love, joy, laughter, sweat, tears, and peace, and hearing his voice makes me grin ear to ear!! “~ Megan Ramsay
“Les provides me with the instruction and space to go inside myself and find the joy, the grief, the triumphs, and the struggles; letting that all go and returning to the world with an open heart to be of better service to myself and others. “~ Joe Thompson
“Yoga with Les is always an invitation into the unexpected and the unimaginable spaces in my practice; more like a dish of salted caramel ice cream topped with fresh unsweetened whipped cream. “~ Megan Windeler
“Les has the ability to challenge me and make me laugh at the same time. He also teaches me to respect my body’s abilities and limits, and this has truly helped my practice tremendously. “~ Monica Farris
More information: www.yogawithles.com
