A WEEKEND IMMERSION OF YOGA THERAPY & CREATIVE EXPRESSION WITH CHARLES MACINERNEY

A WEEKEND IMMERSION OF YOGA THERAPY & CREATIVE EXPRESSION
WITH CHARLES MACINERNEY

Friday 07.26.2024, 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Dive Deep into Yoga Therapy for Heart Health: Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally!

Discover the powerful connection between yoga and cardiovascular wellness in our upcoming workshop. Led by Charles, a seasoned expert with nearly 30 years of experience in Yoga Therapy and cardiovascular yoga, this session offers invaluable insights into managing blood pressure through the ancient practices of yoga.

Explore the science-backed techniques behind yoga’s ability to promote heart health, including asana, pranayama, inversions, bandhas, and isometric stretches. Charles will guide you through tailored practices designed to regulate blood pressure and foster overall well-being.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced practitioner, all levels are welcome to join this transformative workshop. Walk away with practical tools and empowering practices to support a healthier heart and lead a more balanced life. Don’t miss this opportunity to harness the healing power of yoga for cardiovascular wellness. Reserve your spot now and take the first step toward a healthier heart and a happier you.

Saturday, 07.27.2024, 10:00am-1:00pm

Posture as Therapy: Exploring Alignment and Its Impact on Health
Discover the transformative power of alignment in our “Posture as Therapy” workshop. Dive deep into the fundamentals of tadasana (standing pose) and learn how proper alignment can enhance your overall well-being.

In this comprehensive session, we will:

Explore the Health Benefits: Understand how correct alignment in tadasana influences your health and serves as a foundation for more complex poses like triangle, warrior I & II, and more.
Master Core Principles: Focus on the three essential principles—spirals, loops, and bhandas (locks)—and learn how to integrate these into your practice for improved physical and mental health.
Transform Your Posture: Gain insights on modifying your posture habits and learn techniques to help others do the same.
Join us for an enriching experience that will enhance your yoga practice and promote holistic well-being. Embrace the therapeutic potential of posture and make a positive impact on your life.

Saturday, 07.27.2024, 2:00pm – 5:00pm

Unleash Your Creativity: Join Our Creative Writing Workshop!

Calling all writers, whether you’re just starting your journey or have already penned multiple tales! Our workshop offers a nurturing space where you can tap into your innermost thoughts and weave them into captivating narratives, poems or stories.

Led by Charles, a seasoned mentor with over three decades of experience, we’ll explore simple yet powerful mind/body techniques, including breath work, to ignite your creativity and silence the self-doubt that often holds us back. Through a series of engaging exercises and prompts, we’ll break free from the confines of overthinking, paving the way for fresh and vibrant writing.

After the writing session, we’ll come together in cozy, small-group settings where participants are invited to share their work. Receive uplifting feedback and encouragement from your peers, or simply soak in the supportive atmosphere. Our workshop draws inspiration from the renowned methods of Amherst Writers & Artists, with whom Charles trained and was certified to facilitate writing groups. Join us and discover the joy of expressing yourself through the written word!

Sunday, 07.28.2024, 1:00pm-4:00pm

Understanding Polyvagal Theory and How We Can Use Our Breath to Improve our Physical, Mental, and Emotional Wellbeing
Join us for an enlightening workshop where ancient wisdom meets modern science. Delve into the profound connection between Pranayama and the Polyvagal Theory, and discover how this synergy can transform your emotional well-being.

Explore groundbreaking insights into the relationship between our nervous system and emotional states such as anger, stress, PTSD, and depression. Learn innovative approaches to cultivate resilience and achieve a harmonious mind-body balance, fostering a state of “Socially Engaged” bliss.

This workshop offers a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding of yoga therapy and its profound impact on mental health. Through a blend of theory and practice, you’ll uncover practical tools to navigate life’s challenges with grace and resilience.

Don’t miss this transformative journey toward inner peace and emotional resilience. Reserve your spot today and embark on a path to holistic wellness.

  • Friday: 6-8 pm
  • Saturday: 10 am-1 pm & 2-5 pm
  • Sunday: 1-4 pm

$65/ Workshop

$195/Course Entire Weekend

Charles MacInerney at MGY in July!

Friday, 07.28

6-8pm

Meditation and the 7 Chakras: Understanding Consciousness and Spiritual Growth

The concept of the 7 Chakras has been around for thousands of years and offers a deep understanding of human consciousness. By familiarizing ourselves with this system, we can gain valuable insights into our own behavior and the behavior of those around us. Moreover, the Chakra model serves as a guide for our spiritual development and progress.

In this workshop, we will provide a comprehensive overview of the psychological aspects underlying the chakras. We will explore how modern psychology and medicine have drawn from this ancient model to shape their practices. Additionally, we will teach you meditation and pranayama techniques, enabling you to experience and regulate your creative energy as it flows through the subtle channels of your body and ascends through the 7 chakras.

By participating in this workshop, you will have the opportunity to deepen your understanding of consciousness, enhance your spiritual journey, and gain practical tools for self-exploration and self-mastery.

 

Saturday, 07.29

10am-1pm

Understanding Spirals, Loops, and Bhandas in Traditional Asanas

Delve into the intricacies of alignment within a range of classic yoga poses, such as mountain, triangle, warrior I & II, cobra, downward dog, and many others. In this workshop, we will thoroughly explore the application of three fundamental principles: spirals, loops, and locks. By incorporating these principles, you can elevate your yoga practice to new heights, both physically and mentally, while also harnessing a deeper energetic connection.

Drawing inspiration from renowned practitioners such as Rama Vernon, Iyengar, and Swami Rama, we will examine how spirals, loops, and bhandas (locks) enhance the alignment and integrity of each pose. By consciously integrating these techniques, you will develop a heightened awareness of your body, refine your poses, and tap into a more profound energetic experience.

This workshop offers an opportunity to expand your understanding of yoga alignment, refine your practice, and cultivate a deeper mind-body connection. Whether you are a seasoned practitioner or new to yoga, embracing these principles will empower you to take your practice to the next level.

 

2:00pm – 5:00pm

Yoga and the Art of Setting Goals

The practice of setting goals is a crucial skill that brings numerous benefits. When done effectively, goal-setting eliminates boredom and fear, improves focus, and boosts performance.

Goals serve three primary purposes. The first purpose, which is the most obvious, is to enhance the overall quality of our lives. By setting “destination goals” skillfully, we can transform our dreams into reality. These goals serve as the initial steps towards achieving our aspirations, motivating and guiding our actions. The second type of goals, known as “process goals,” help us maintain focused attention in the present moment, even when faced with changing external or internal circumstances. When used skillfully, process goals support destination goals by improving concentration and performance. The third role of goals, often overlooked, is their influence on our consciousness. Instead of perceiving concentration solely as a means to pursue goals, we come to understand that the skillful use of goals can be used to achieve specific states of consciousness.

Athletes often talk about being “in the zone,” corporations strive for peak performance, and psychologists describe states of flow and peak experiences. In the context of yoga, we refer to this as dharana, the sixth limb. Through practice, we can learn to shift our mental state from boredom or anxiety towards deeper states of flow. By learning to appreciate the present moment and engage fully in the process of our yoga practice, the desired results naturally follow. This session will involve hands-on activities, so come prepared to move and have an enjoyable experience!

 

Sunday, 07.30

1:00pm – 4:00pm

Fascia: The Interconnected Web of Our Body

As we journey through life, many of us experience stiffness and a decrease in flexibility as we age. However, this process is not inevitable. The key lies in the health of our fascia, as it determines the condition of our body over time. Fascia, the intricate network that spans throughout our entire body like a dense sweater, requires movement, warmth, and proper hydration to remain vibrant and functional.

The significance and complexity of fascia have only recently gained recognition within the yoga community. This workshop aims to delve into the latest scientific understanding of fascia, encompassing its anatomy and physiology. By embracing this knowledge, we can enhance our yoga practice and optimize its benefits.

Join us in exploring the remarkable world of fascia and discover how it affects our overall well-being. Learn how to keep your fascia happy and healthy through the integration of this newfound understanding into your yoga practice. By doing so, you can enhance your body’s resilience, flexibility, and vitality, allowing you to age with grace and maintain a vibrant physical state.

  • Individual Workshops $65
  • Saturday Full Day $125
  • Full Weekend Workshops $215.00

Early Bird Discount (before 07.21) Full Weekend Workshops $195.00. Register today and save!

Charles MacInerney, E-RYT-500, C-IAYT,

Charles has practiced Yoga since 1971, and taught since 1989. He is known for his fun and playful teaching style as he leads students into a deeper understanding and appreciation for yoga. Charles is a gifted generalist and as one studio owner put it, “the most out-of-the-box thinker that I know.”

Charles was recently recognized by the Consul General of India for his work helping yoga to gain acceptance in Texas by introducing yoga to school teachers, administrators, and eventually directly to students. In addition, Charles has introduced yoga to 4 hospitals, and has taught at 5 universities.

At the University of Texas Charles worked with students, faculty, administration, dormitories, Women’s Athletic Program (Track, Golf and Volleyball teams), and Departments of Dance, Music, Art, Architecture, and Kinesiology. In the business world Charles offered workshops and started yoga programs for IBM, Motorola, Apple, 3M, Sematech and dozens of smaller companies.

He teaches ongoing yoga classes in Austin, offers yoga workshops at studios around the country, and leads Yoga & Meditation Retreats as well as Yoga & Writing Retreats throughout the US, Mexico, Costa Rica and Guatemala. He is the founder of Expanding Paradigms through which he regularly presents at National and International Conferences, including the International Association of Yoga Therapy conference. He has written for numerous magazines including the Yoga Journal and is the author of Toxic Goals, Flow, and the Pursuit of Excellence.

Charles is the Founder of the Free Day of Yoga, Living Yoga Teacher Training Program, and the Texas Yoga Retreat. Please visit his primary website at www.YogaTeacher.com, contact him by email: [email protected], or call or text Charles at 512-459-2267.

Body, Mindy, Spirit
A Weekend of Yoga with Charles MacInerney

Friday, 07.29.2022

6-8pm

The Power of the Breath

Panayama is the yogic practice of breath control. In this workshop, we will first learn and practice a variety of breathing patterns and then explore ways to integrate these breathing patterns into our asana practice. Learn how to use breath to help relax muscles during a stretch, how to improve balance, eliminate frustration with challenging poses, improve stamina, and elevate your physical asana practice to the level of moving meditation.

 

Saturday, 07.30.2022

10am-1pm

Opening Hips & Shoulders

Hips and shoulders are notorious for creating problems for yoga students. Learn a variety of stretches to help you liberate your true potential. This class will focus on opening hips and shoulders using stretching strategies including PNF, Active/Isolated and Passive Stretching, while maintaining the integrity of the torso and protecting the knees and other extremities. We will also explore the use of sand bags, rollers, walls, chairs and other props to accelerate success. We will address how to work with injured or traumatized joints and muscles to ensure safe and sustainable progress. Finally, we will address the problem of tight hips and shoulders at its source… the Sensory/Motor cortex of the brain and practice techniques to help re-map range of motion in the brain resulting in immediate and lasting increases in effortless range of motion for both the hips and shoulders.

 

2-5 PM

Yoga Nidra & The Art of Relaxation 

Yoga Nidra, sometimes called ‘yogic sleep’, is an ancient practice that was introduced to the West by teachers like Satyananda Saraswati and Swami Rama. One hour of Yoga Nidra practice leads to a state of deep and profound relaxation that many claim can replace 4 hours of regular sleep. But the real benefits to this practice go far beyond simple relaxation. The primary goal of Yoga Nidra is to use deep relaxation along with mental imagery and affirmation to root out negative beliefs that sabotage our practice and life in general, and replace them with positive beliefs that help us to explore and live to our highest potential.

 

Sunday, 07.31.2022

1-4 PM

Improving Your Balance 

This workshop is appropriate for all levels, from seniors who wish to reduce the likelihood of falling and learn how to age more gracefully, to seasoned athletes wanting to get an edge on performance, or yoga students wishing to improve in asanas that require more balance. Balance improves concentration of the mind, alignment in the body, and efficiency in movement. Above all else, with the right attitude, practicing balance should be fun.

We will start with an overview of balance theory, then explore these ideas in our asana practice, and after a guided relaxation, we will close with a discussion of how lessons learned in physical balance can be applied to find balance in the larger arenas of life, including relationships, business, wellness and others.

 

  • One Workshop $65
  • Two Workshops $115.00
  • Three Workshops $165.00
  • Full Weekend Workshops $195.00

Early Bird Discounts available. Register today and save!


Charles MacInerney, E-RYT-500, C-IAYT, has practiced Yoga since 1971, and taught since 1989. He is known for his fun and playful teaching style as he leads students into a deeper understanding and appreciation for yoga. Charles is a gifted generalist and as one studio owner put it, “the most out-of-the-box thinker that I know.”

Charles was recently recognized by the Consul General of India for his work helping yoga to gain acceptance in Texas by introducing yoga to school teachers, administrators, and eventually directly to students. In addition, Charles has introduced yoga to 4 hospitals, and has taught at 5 universities.

At the University of Texas Charles worked with students, faculty, administration, dormitories, Women’s Athletic Program (Track, Golf and Volleyball teams), and Departments of Dance, Music, Art, Architecture, and Kinesiology. In the business world Charles offered workshops and started yoga programs for IBM, Motorola, Apple, 3M, Sematech and dozens of smaller companies.

He teaches ongoing yoga classes in Austin, offers yoga workshops at studios around the country, and leads Yoga & Meditation Retreats as well as Yoga & Writing Retreats throughout the US, Mexico, Costa Rica and Guatemala. He is the founder of Expanding Paradigms through which he regularly presents at National and International Conferences, including the International Association of Yoga Therapy conference. He has written for numerous magazines including the Yoga Journal and is the author of Toxic Goals, Flow, and the Pursuit of Excellence.

Charles is the Founder of the Free Day of Yoga, Living Yoga Teacher Training Program, and the Texas Yoga Retreat. Please visit his primary website at www.YogaTeacher.com, contact him by email: [email protected], or call or text Charles at 512-459-2267.

A Weekend with Charles MacInerney – August 10 – 12th

AUGUST 10TH

Friday 6 – 8:30pm
Lucid Yoga (restorative and relaxing)

We will start with 1/2 hour warming up the body with sun-salutations and standing poses. Then we will slow the yoga down to the point that students feel the body pulling their attention deeper, ever deeper into a world of subtle sensations and pleasure. Learn how to use physical exercise and breath control to slow the mind down from beta frequencies (associated with muscle tension and worrying) down into Alpha and Theta frequencies (associated with physical relaxation, creativity, and a profound sense of well being). Learn to practice Hatha Yoga as a form of meditation and experience the amazing stillness and timeless quality of mind that comes from Lucid Yoga.

 

AUGUST 11TH

Saturday Morning 9-12
Variations on a Twist

This workshop will explore some basic principles of twists, and then apply them to a large assortment of twisting poses, from the easy to the challenging. We will include work on reclining and seated twists, then move on to standing twists, and if there is the time we will address partner twists. All levels of experience are welcome. However, this class may not be suitable for those with serious injuries to the spine.

 

Saturday 1:30 – 4:30pm
Science of Breath (introductory – all levels)

This workshop will give you the opportunity to discover for yourself whether you have good breathing habits, and to improve your breathing and thus improve your overall physical, mental and emotional health. Learn specific breathing techniques that: reduce allergies; reduce risks of colds and flu; help control emotions; relax muscles; improve the health of the heart, lungs, & abdominal organs; purify the blood; rest the mind more effectively than sleep; expand lung capacity; balance energy flow throughout the body; and more.

 

AUGUST 12TH

Sunday 1:30 – 4:30pm
Art of Pranayama (assumes basic diaphragmatic breath and no health issues)

This is a more advanced workshop on Pranayama (breath control). It is for students who have attended the Science of Breath or already have a basic understanding of the anatomy and mechanics of breath and have good diaphragmatic breathing habits established. In this workshop, we will learn and practice a variety of more advanced and exotic breathing patterns and exercises from the ancient yogic traditions.


 

  • One workshop – $60

  • Any Two workshops – $105

  • Any Three workshops – $145

  • All Four workshops – $180

A Weekend with Charles MacInerney – August 10 – 12th

AUGUST 10TH

Friday 6 – 8:30pm
Lucid Yoga (restorative and relaxing)

We will start with 1/2 hour warming up the body with sun-salutations and standing poses. Then we will slow the yoga down to the point that students feel the body pulling their attention deeper, ever deeper into a world of subtle sensations and pleasure. Learn how to use physical exercise and breath control to slow the mind down from beta frequencies (associated with muscle tension and worrying) down into Alpha and Theta frequencies (associated with physical relaxation, creativity, and a profound sense of well being). Learn to practice Hatha Yoga as a form of meditation and experience the amazing stillness and timeless quality of mind that comes from Lucid Yoga.

 

AUGUST 11TH

Saturday Morning 9-12
Variations on a Twist

This workshop will explore some basic principles of twists, and then apply them to a large assortment of twisting poses, from the easy to the challenging. We will include work on reclining and seated twists, then move on to standing twists, and if there is the time we will address partner twists. All levels of experience are welcome. However, this class may not be suitable for those with serious injuries to the spine.

 

Saturday 1:30 – 4:30pm
Science of Breath (introductory – all levels)

This workshop will give you the opportunity to discover for yourself whether you have good breathing habits, and to improve your breathing and thus improve your overall physical, mental and emotional health. Learn specific breathing techniques that: reduce allergies; reduce risks of colds and flu; help control emotions; relax muscles; improve the health of the heart, lungs, & abdominal organs; purify the blood; rest the mind more effectively than sleep; expand lung capacity; balance energy flow throughout the body; and more.

 

AUGUST 12TH

Sunday 1:30 – 4:30pm
Art of Pranayama (assumes basic diaphragmatic breath and no health issues)

This is a more advanced workshop on Pranayama (breath control). It is for students who have attended the Science of Breath or already have a basic understanding of the anatomy and mechanics of breath and have good diaphragmatic breathing habits established. In this workshop, we will learn and practice a variety of more advanced and exotic breathing patterns and exercises from the ancient yogic traditions.


 

  • One workshop – $60

  • Any Two workshops – $105

  • Any Three workshops – $145

  • All Four workshops – $180