PRIVATE
Yoga & Breathwork
Private Sessions
Yoga, Breathwork & Spiritual Guidance
The amazing benefit of Private Sessions is the deeper connection you receive with your mind, body and spirit.
Yoga & Breathwork are ancient tools that help give you peace of mind, flexibility of body and vitality of spirit.
Working one on one with a facilitator increases these benefits exponentially!
Yoga Asana
Modern day yoga pictures throughout the internet, fashion & fitness magazines portrays people in incredibly difficult postures that make practicing yoga look like a contortionist act.
The main goal of yoga is union. Union of what?
Mind, Body and Spirit
Learning the basic postures (asanas) of yoga is the main function in cultivating a flexible body. You don’t need to be flexible already to practice yoga. All you need is willingness to practice the postures to help bring you flexibility.
Yoga Asana
The ancients found that the unity of mind, body and spirit excelled when the mind is still and the breath is long, unrestricted and retained. The physical movement was developed because after sitting for long periods of time the body cramped up and needed movement.
The physical movement of yoga is to loosen tense muscles, bring mobility into the joints and spine, and to increase overall strength and flexibility. Yoga is intended to create a balance between your emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual bodies. The journey of practicing yoga starts with the willingness to try something out of the ordinary.
Yoga For Each Season
Autumn. During this season, it is best to schedule your yoga practice every day at the same time and for the same duration. This routine will help calm your nervous system and create balance from the changing environment. Do yoga poses that include twists, backbends, side stretches, sun salutations and standing postures. With the cooling weather patterns in the air, you want to encourage warmth in the body, mind and spirit - what better way to do that than saluting the sun!
Winter. If there ever was a best time to practice hot yoga, it’s during the winter season. Please be very mindful of your sweat and going into the cold air after your practice. It is imperative to stay warm and bundled up after an intense practice, if you’re not able to immediately shower. Hot, intense and vinyasa flows are the best to practice during this season.
Spring. Postures that open up the airway and chest such as backbends and standing postures will help your respiratory system as pollen enters the air. This is the best season to practice Breathwork (Pranayama). Your practice is best at a moderate pace and can incorporate vigorous as well as restorative postures. This is the best seasons for a vin-yin practice.
Summer. You will focus on more cooling and relaxing postures. Taking your practice at a much slower pace will keep your body, mind and spirit in balance for the intensity of the heat. This is the season you probably have the most energy to practice invigorating sequences. These sequences should only be practiced during the hours of 6am-9am or 6pm-9pm.
Breathwork - Pranayama
Cultivating a discipline of using your breath to increase your Life Force Energy not only increases your own inner healing power but also the confidence in yourself to be your True Self.
During your private session with Shamanic Yoga, you will have one on one Breathwork lessons with founder and creator Athanasia Medenas.
Whether you have been practicing yoga for years or have never done a class in your life, starting a Breathwork practice can truly change your life.
Pranayama refers to the practice of extending, expanding and controlling prana - Life Force energy. When you extend your Life Force, you extend your life. You build stronger respiratory and immune systems, a calmer nervous system, and cultivate a deeper sense of awareness of yourself and the way your life is unfolding.
Breathwork Benefits
There are numerous studies coming out regarding the health benefits of yoga and breathwork.
The benefits specifically of practicing breathwork:
Increase your vagal tone (the main nerve in your parasympathetic nervous system).
Decrease sympathetic discharge (this is associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, cardiovascular diseases (hypertension, heart failure), renal pathologies, and metabolic disturbances (diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome).
Improves vital capacity of lungs (the maximum amount of air you can forcibly exhale from your lungs after fully inhaling).
Induces calm, relaxation and clarity of mind
Alkalizes your blood PH and has an anti-inflammatory effect
Spiritual Support
Yoga and Breathwork are spiritual practices that take you on a special journey to getting to know yourself on a deeper level.
The intricacies of this ancient science and art bring about healing, positive change and more awareness to your life.
‘Yoga is for internal cleansing, not external exercising. Yoga means true self-knowledge.’
- K. Pattabhi Jois
‘Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind and spirit.’ - B. K. S. Iyengar
Supporting the Layers of Your Being.
Within yoga philosophy, it is said that our bodies are actually made up of 3 bodies (Treya Sharira); the physical, astral and causal. Encompassing these 3 bodies are 5 sheaths (koshas), think of the sheaths like the layers of a Russian doll. Within the 3 bodies are also 7 energy points (chakras) which are energy centers that help you navigate your earthly experiences. The 3 bodies, 5 sheaths and 7 chakras cover, protect, transport, and house your soul (atman, aka Self).
3 Bodies
Physical Body (sthula). This is what is literally referred to as body in body, mind and spirit. It is the skin and bones you are made up of. Your physical body is made up of five elements; earth (prithvi), water (apas), fire (agni), air (vayu) and ether (akasha). You balance or increase these elements through your physical yoga-asana practice.
Astral Body (sukshma). In our modern world, we sum this body up as ‘mind’. Your astral body is used for your way of feeling, sensing and thinking. It is related to your 5 senses (pranas), 5 organs of action (karma indriyas), 5 organs of knowledge (jnana indriyas), and 4 elements of the inner instrument (antahkarana). This antahkarana is made up of the mind (manas), intellect (buddhi), subconscious (chitta) and ego (ahamkara). So in total there are 19 elements that make up our astral body (your mind).
Causal Body (sukshma). The casual body, aka your spirit, is your blueprint of the physical and astral bodies. It is a body that is much harder to sense and connection with if you don’t have a spiritual practice. This body links to your higher Self (your soul). Your casual body contains all your previous experiences, memories, habits and imprints (samskara) from all the lives you have already lived. When you exit your physical body, your astral and causal bodies remain together at the time of death if there is still attachment to desire.
5 Koshas
Annamaya kosha - the food sheath
This sheath belongs to your physical body. Your physical body is made up of the material elements of this world. You are made up of the food you eat. And, this sheath will eventually return back to the earth, where your food came from.
Pranamaya kosha - the vital sheath
You are composed of five vital energies (prana vayu). Each of these energies flow through your physical body via the astral plane. They are called prana, apana, samana, udana and vyana. The pranamaya kosha also contains the five organs of action (karma indriyas); mouth, hands, feet, anus and genitals. This vital sheath is how you experience hot, cold, hunger and thirst etc.
Manomaya kosha - the mental sheath
This sheath is how you expereince thought. Thinking, emotions, ideas, feelings are all a part of this sheath. The elements of this sheath are your mind (manas), your subconscious (chitta) and your organs of knowledge; eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin (jnana indriyas).
Vijnanamaya kosha - the intellectual sheath
Here resides your intellect (buddhi) which analyses the information you receive from the outside and inside world. This is also the center for your ego (ahamkara), which is your self-assertive principle. This sheath is expressed by your discrimination and decision making processes.
Anandamaya kosha - the bliss sheath
This tends to be the most difficlut layer of your existence to experience. When there is a loss of connection to the bliss sheath, your less likley to experience pure bliss, joy and unshakeable peace. This is the only kosha that sits in your causal body. The aim of yoga is to reach connection with the anandamaya kosha. When you reach the inner stillness where everything is silent and calm, you will have found your connection with anandamaya kosha.
7 Chakras
Muladhara - the root chakra
This chakra sits at the base of your spine and is associated with the element of earth and the color red. Referred to as the root chakra, it is connected to your sense of security, safety and stability. The bija mantra (seed syllable) that corresponds with this chakra is Lam.
Svadhisthana - the sacral chakra
Located in the area of the pelvis and lower back. This is the center of creativity, pleasure as well as the chakra associated with sexual desire (or the lack thereof). Its color is orange and its element is water. The bija mantra that corresponds with this chakra is Vam.
Manipura - the navel chakra (also referred to as the solar plexus chakra)
This chakra, you will find under your diaphragm and above your belly button, and center of your back. It is associated with your personal power, energy, and transformation. Its color is yellow and its element is fire. The bija mantra that corresponds with this chakra is Ram.
Anahata - the heart chakra
In the center of the chest, and right in between your shoulder blades, lies your heart chakra. This center is associated with love, compassion, forgiveness, and peace. Its color is green and its element is air. The bija mantra that corresponds with this chakra is Yam.
Vishuddha - the throat chakra
Here you have your center of expression, associated with speaking your truth and hearing the truth. Its element is space or pure potentiality (akasha). The color associated with this chakra is blue. And, the bija mantra that corresponds is Ham.
Ajna - the third eye chakra
The sixth chakra is found at the center of your head, the third eye (think of a cross section in between your eyebrows and in between your ears). Seeing reality clearing, making decisions, and your intuition, are connected with this chakra, whose color is purple. The bija mantra that corresponds with this chakra is Om.
Sahaswara - the crown chakra
At the top of your head is your seventh chakra. This chakra is your connection to Oneness (Source, Higher Intelligence, Spirit, or the Collective Consciousness). Its color is white or ultra-violet. This chakra does not have a bija mantra and corresponds with silence.
“You must purge yourself before finding faults in [yourself and] others…Do not look at others’ bodies with envy or with superiority. All people are born with different constitutions. Never compare [yourself] with others. Each one’s capacities are a function of his or her internal strength. Know your capacities and continually improve upon them.”
— B.K.S. Iyengar
Private Yoga & Breathwork
Terms and Conditions for Private Yoga & Breathwork
Individual Sessions vary according to your needs in the present moment. A session can include: Yoga Asana, Breathwork, and/or spiritual support.
Session options: In-person local to Downey, Ca (address given after payment is received). Virtual sessions through Zoom.
Not included in in-person pricing: Transportation to and from location of session.
Payment Processing: All payments non refundable. In-person sessions are $150/hr. Virtual sessions are $120/hr. Packages are available for a discounted rate.
Cancellation Policy: If you cancel for any reason or do not complete your package during the allotted timeframe, there will be no refunds given.
Additional Information: For in-person sessions, the exact address will be sent via email once you complete the registration in the link below. For virtual sessions, the Zoom link will be sent via email once you complete the registration below. You are asked to arrive no earlier than 5 min. before your session. Sessions start and end on time.
Contact: If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to info@shamanicyoga108.com. We are happy to help!
Thank you for choosing Shamanic Yoga as your spiritual compass for Yoga-Asana, Breathwork and Spiritual Guidance!!
Thank you for trusting our Private Sessions for your Spiritual Journey 🙏
“Yoga, as a way of life and a philosophy, can be practiced by anyone with inclination to undertake it, for yoga belongs to humanity as a whole. It is not the property of any one group or any one individual, but can be followed by any and all, in any corner of the globe, regardless of class, creed or religion.”
— K. Pattabhi Jois
Want to know more about how to heal yourself?
Find out your Shamanic Archetype and your Ayurvedic Dosha to learn about more about how nature made you and how to be in balance!
The results from the Shamanic Yoga Quiz give you a deeper understanding of yourself to live a life full of health, passion, joy and vitality!