Descriptions of some of the foundational yoga workshops with Dianne Kadonaga are listed and then described below. If you are interested in sponsoring a workshop in your area, please contact us at (614) 841-5396 or email yoga@arjunaworld.com yoga@arjunaworld.com. Workshops can be modified and adapted, or directed to specific topic areas in accordance with participant requests. For a schedule of Dianne's National Yoga Workshops, please click on the "touring schedule."

Experiential Anatomy Series of Workshops
for Yoga Practitioners With Dianne Kadonaga

Explore how a kinesthetic understanding of accurate anatomical information can transform your yoga practice toward increased efficiency of movement, flexibility, strength, & endurance. These workshops are designed to:

• Increase the accuracy of your perception of joint location & function to improve efficient alignment through the bony structures of the body, thereby increasing muscular strength & endurance
• Emphasize sequencing of joint movement to increase range & distribute movement evenly across joints to prevent stress & avoid injury
• Find & eliminate excessive muscular effort to improve sensory reception, allow muscles to relax to their full length, which leads to improved flexibility, ease and freedom of movement.

Learn how these ideas are integrated into yoga postures & breathing practice. There are several workshops in the Experiential Anatomy Series designed to address particular areas and structures of the body:

Experiential Anatomy Topic Areas

• Experiential Anatomy of the Spine - Learn how you can increase flexibiltiy and range of movement by refining your perception of the 33 bones of the spine. Find comfort and ease in backbends, forward bends and twists by distributing movement sequentially through the spinal joints to prevent stress and avoid injury. Approaching your practice based on a sound understanding of anatomical structure and function of the body can help find and eliminate habituated patterns of muscle tension in neck and torso muscles, leading to greater freedom of movement.

• Out on a Limb:
  Experiential Anatomy of the Arms - In this yoga workshop, we will hone our perception of the joints of the shoulder, elbow, wrist & fingers, identify patterns of muscle tension that prevent these joints from moving freely, and integrate the anatomical information through the exploration of yoga postures, while addressing symptoms such as tight or stiff shoulders & necks, elbow tendonitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

• Exploration of the Belly:
  Experiential Anatomy for Strength & Breathing - Explore how a kinesthetic understanding of accurate anatomical information of bones of the pelvis and hip joints can transform your yoga practice toward increased efficiency of movement, flexibility, strength and endurance. We will also distinguish between the workings of your outer & inner abdominal muscles (iliopsoas group), and the abdominal contents which can be used for support and play in yoga postures for a full belly integration of information!

• A Leg to Stand On:
  Experiential Anatomy of
  the Hips, Knees, Ankles & Toes - Explore how a kinesthetic understanding of accurate anatomical information of hip, knee, ankle & toe joints and the muscles that move them, can transform your yoga practice toward increased efficiency of movement, flexibility, strength and endurance, in standing and balancing postures. This experiential workshop will also address how to avoid knee pain, bunions, plantar faciitis, weak or sprained ankles, and hip problems that can lead to back pain.

• The Power of Sound:
  Chanting Yoga Workshop - The resonance of sound vibration has the potential to free areas of blockage in our bodies and minds. Join Dianne in this fun, revitalizing workshop, directed toward clarifying some of the mechanisms of sound (vocal) production as we map the location of the lungs and breathing apparati, the tongue, jaw & neck muscles experientially. We will then play with vocalization of vowel sounds, bija mantras, and sanskrit chants in call & response fashion. Come experience the power of sound for yourself! Previous experience with yoga or singing is NOT necessary.

To book these or other yoga workshops in your area, call Arjuna Movement Arts at (614) 841-5396 or contact us by e-mail: yoga@arjunaworld.com

Yoga Remedies for
Common Medical Conditions

This series of yoga-based workshops are designed to provide participants with some simple information about the bones and muscles to help understand how joints can work efficiently to alleviate symptoms of pain and discomfort, and avoid further stress and injury. Participants will learn basic yoga postures and gentle stretches that can be done at home, to bring awareness to these problem areas which can help tense muscles relax, resulting in greater flexibility and freedom of movement. Previous yoga experience is NOT necessary, but working in your range of comfort is!

Yoga Remedies Series Topics

• For the Relief of Headaches, TMJ, and
  Stiff Necks & Shoulders

• For Addressing Medical Conditions of the
  Upper Extremity: carpal tunnel syndrome,
  elbow tendonitis, rotator cuff &
  frozen shoulder syndrome.

• For Relieving Pain or Discomfort in the Legs:
  Hammer Toes, Bunions, Plantar Fasciitis, Knee Pain, and Stiff Hips
  

• To Alleveiate Breathing Difficulties due to
  Anxiety, Sinus Congestion, & Allergies

• Fibromylagia, Chronic Fatigue & Pain:
  A Yoga Based Approach to Health & Healing

To book these or other yoga workshops in your area, call Arjuna Movement Arts at (614) 841-5396 or contact us by e-mail: yoga@arjunaworld.com

Lightness of Being:
Exploration of the Dark Side
With Dianne Kadonaga

All of our life's experience has come through our sensory organs and therefore our experience is relative to, or only in comparison with our past experiences. It can be helpful then, to explore what heaviness feels like through yoga postures - of muscles working, gravity tugging on body parts, the pressure of weights; or to bring awareness to our mind's limitations - the ropes and knots that tie us down. And from these explorations of the "dark side," let's see what lightness of being can emerge...

Double Your Fun: Partner Yoga
With Dianne Kadonaga

Take your yoga practice to new places with the assistance and support of another person. We are sometimes unaware of patterned ways of moving or thinking, that influence everything we do. Enjoy working with a partner, to provide opportunities to work outside of your usual ways, bring new awarenss to your work, and try alternatives that can set these patterns free! Some previous exposure to yoga is helpful but not necessary.

Restorative Yoga:
Facilitating Relaxation & Rejuvenation
With Dianne Kadonaga

Sometimes our lives are so busy doing that we don't have time to release the tension, knots, and aches that can lead to illness and disease. Come experience for yourself, the powerful effects restorative yoga can bring, as we learn how to undo, by draping the body over blankets and bolsters, giving ourselves to gravity, and allowing the innate healing capacities of the body to heal and rejunvenate.

Transcending the Limits:
Releasing Habituated Patterns of Tension

In this workshop, we will identify restrictive patterns of tension, and explore ways to set them free through observation and hands-on assistance in basic yoga postures.

Yoga for Golfers
With Dianne Kadonaga

Golfers are possibly more obsessive in their pursuit of perfection than any other recreational athlete. Any golfer will tell you that this compulsion calls for the intervention of all earthly and supernatural powers. Seriously, the practice of yoga can help give your golf game an edge by improving range of motion (longer drives!), motor control (for accuracy), concentration (for consistency), and even enjoyment of the game! Dianne will introduce simple postures and exercises to help you better understand your most important golfing tool - your body.