An Introduction to Pranayama and Mantra with Oliver Thorne Sun 1st Sept 19
An Introduction to Pranayama and Mantra
Sunday – 1st September 10am to 12pm
Workshop cost - £15
In this workshop we will explore the relationship between simple Pranayama and Mantra. The session will have four main components:
- Breath and body awareness through simple exercises and movements to prepare us for deeper practice
- Vibhaga Pranayama and Pranava Aum - a three part sectional breathing exercise, combined with the three core sounds (swara) of Aum
- Simple Gyatri Mantra to invoke certain qualities
- Shava Asana with Jnana Yoga Kriya (concentration techniques) to relax and integrate the practices
The workshop is open to everyone and I hope it will be a good general introduction to my classes which will begin at Yoga Blackpool in September.
About Oliver:
My name is Oliver Thorne. I am a teacher of Aikido, Yoga and Tantra, Meditation and Thai Massage and a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Lancaster University. I am currently a Gestalt therapist in training at Manchester Gestalt Centre.
I began Aikido and Yoga together in 2003. Since then I have travelled the world living in both modern and traditional dojo and ashram for a total of about four years. I teach Aikido, Yoga and Tantra as arts of self-transformation in the North West area (Lancaster, Blackpool, Preston and in and around the Forest of Bowland.)
I teach a form of Yoga and Tantra which is modern and systematic in its presentation, while having roots that can be traced back several hundred years. It is a systematic approach which includes the whole spectrum of yogic teachings. We work together gradually from the simplest postures such as sitting, standing, lying down, through the more subtle practices of body-breath co-ordination, breath development, sound vibrations, relaxation and concentration.
To be best of my ability, I teach from my own experience, while following the teachings of the Gitananda Yoga tradition as passed on to me by my teachers Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani (Ammaji) and Yogacharya Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani, and several of their senior instructors, specifically Yogacharya Latha and Yogacharya Cathy Davis. I undertook a six-month live-in training course with them in 2016, after nearly a decade of correspondence and guidance.
The last several years I have been focused on academic studies and writing. Recently I finished a PhD in Religious studies at Lancaster university. My thesis and my interests are in comparative philosophy and transformational practices.
To the best of my ability, I try to pass on the teachings which I have learnt. I do not pretend to be a master of these arts, rather, a student. I teach from my own experience, and in all earnestness, I try to pass on the same teachings I myself have been fortunate to receive from my exceptional teachers.