Animalia Asana® workshops are dedicated to the animal postures and accompanying animal-named/-themed practices in yoga. The endeavour is to connect with our own animal nature and with non-human animals through being inspired as we travel through many yogic animal poses. Animalia Asana® workshops are infused with a mix of the animal biology (both human and non-human) and the animal-based spirituality or mythology of each animal asana. Workshops usually comprise a wider breadth and balance of Animalia Asana® practices, including the animal-named mudras, animal-oriented chanting and animal-based meditation.

The animal postures alone allow for a full and varied practice. They include forward folds, back bends, supine poses, prone poses, balances, standing poses, arm balances, inversions and twists – keeping movement in the human body in every way intended. They can be combined into restorative and physically demanding sequences, into slow and deep practices or flowing repetitions, organic sequences or set sequences… and in many other creative ways! Animalia Asana® sessions can also be dedicated to one particular animal posture and work towards preparing the human body for a particular animal posture as a peak posture in a session.

The shared intention set for each class is always in dedication to animals, offering inspiration, connection and compassion. Everyone is welcome – each posture can be adapted to suit everyone’s physical ability.

Please ask for more details and see testimonials here.

 


You can find the following three classes currently on You Tube and more will be online soon:

 

There are exemplar class/workshop templates for the following:

NB: As soon as time allows, we will work on the development/adaptation of animal sequences for chair yoga and other more accessible versions. These will feature soon – get in touch if you’d like to aid with this!

 


 

Of course, there is also Animalia Asana® for Kids! Please ask for more details and see testimonials here.

Animalia Asana is predominantly an online resource. However, Animalia Asana® Facilitators have led wholesome past Animalia Asana® workshops in the UK (Eastbourne, Meads, Kent, London, Fife), Germany, Hungary and Spain thus far including restorative, advanced and standard ones. Any funds raised from any Animalia Asana activities go to both the not-for-profit FIAPO and the charity International Animal Rescue.


 See if you have an Animalia Asana® teacher near to you… we are willing to travel! Get in touch to arrange a class or workshop near you/at your centre. Animalia Asana® practices can be tailored to your needs (e.g., even for chair yoga).

Are you already a certified yoga teacher and feeling drawn to teach an official Animalia Asana® class or workshop to help spread further compassion towards animals, helping both people and animals? Why not complete our Animalia Asana® Specialization Training and do just that?

Photographer: Kim Sweet
Photographer: Kim Sweet
Image courtesy of Cesar Vargas, sourced from Flickr Creative Commons.
Image courtesy of Cesar Vargas, sourced from Flickr Creative Commons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YLS relax
Photographer: Eva Kristlova
Photographer: Kim Sweet
Photographer: Kim Sweet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pictures courtesy of AA teachers Jenny & George and Danny Chapman on Flickr (crow).

Yin & Yang AY Workshop

LizLPrakashakaRukhminiDeviDasiAhimsaBhagavad-Gita5_zps37fb0e5f LizLPrakashakaRukhminiDeviDasiAhimsaBhagavad-Gita8_zpsdc162476

I don’t hold animals superior or even equal to humans. The whole case for behaving decently to animals rests on the fact that we are the superior species. We are the species uniquely capable of imagination, rationality, and moral choice – and that is precisely why we are under an obligation to recognize and respect the rights of animals.
— Brigid Brophy

 

Image courtesy of Mozzercork, sourced from Flickr Creative Commons.
Image courtesy of Mozzercork, sourced from Flickr Creative Commons.
Image courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey, sourced from Flickr Creative Commons.
Image courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey, sourced from Flickr Creative Commons.

 

Image courtesy of Filipa Machado, sourced from Flickr Creative Commons.
Image courtesy of Filipa Machado, sourced from Flickr Creative Commons.

 

 

Specially translated for Animal Yoga™ by Shashi at Authentic Sanskrit.
Specially translated for Animal Yoga™ by Shashi at Authentic Sanskrit.

=    prerana, sambandha, karuna (inspiration, connection, compassion)

 

 

 

Poster

Image courtesy of Jimee, Jackie, Tom & Asha, sourced from Flickr Creative Commons.
Image courtesy of Jimee, Jackie, Tom & Asha, sourced from Flickr Creative Commons.

 

 

 

Teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar is as valuable to the child, as it is to the caterpillar.
~ Bradley Miller

 

There is no better time to begin yoga than as a child! This is when we begin to form habits of a lifetime – mentally, physically, emotionally and socially. The benefits are limitless including improved concentration, increased sense of calm, easing stress, increasing body awareness, improved positive body image, less intimidation for kids that don’t like competitive sports and increased respect for other beings in the room, in the class, in the school, in the town, in the country, and ultimately… in the whole world!
~ Founder of Animal Yoga™