Workshop: Ashtanga Yoga with Andrew Eppler (17. - 19. October)
- Boris Georgiev
- 14. Feb.
- 8 Min. Lesezeit
Aktualisiert: 5. Sept.
We feel very happy to welcome Andrew Eppler back in Ganesha! Please join his very inspiring workshops!
Schedule:
Friday 18:30 - 21:00 - Introduction: Ashtanga Origins and Elements
Saturday 9:00 - 11:30 - Led Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga 12:00 - 14:00 - Siting Practice and Inner Stillness: Mudra/ Bandha and Breath Optional: 15:30 - 18:30 - Thai Bodywork (Nuad) - Informed Assists for Aṣṭāṅga
Sunday 9:00 - 11:30 - Introduction to the Intermediate Series of Ashtanga Yoga (Nāḍi Śodhana) 12:00 - 14:00 - Yoga Philosophy: Aṣṭāṅga Darśana
Costs:
220 € (Workshop without the Nuad/Assist session)
55 € per session (without the Nuad/Assist session) when spots available!
65 € - For the Nuad/Assist Session on Saturday (15:30 - 18:30)
270 € - Special offer when you book all the Sessions (inc. Nuad/Assist)
For more Information: info@ashtanga.at • 0664/4027358
Andrew Eppler has been practicing Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga for over 3 decades. Andrew is the director of Ashtanga Yoga Studio, the producer of Mysore Yoga Traditions film and organizer of Mysore Yoga Conference. Andrew teaches internationally and also runs an ongoing online yoga training with the help of the Sanskrit community in Mysore India.
Yoga has been a lifelong journey for Andrew. He has grown up with the practice and witnessed its evolution into world culture first hand. Andrew has spent many years studying the philosophy of the Nathamuni Sampradaya tradition that Sri Krishnamacharya belonged to. With the help and support of senior Sanskrit professors in Mysore Andrew has developed an approach to teaching physical postures that fits the modern paradigm. While staying grounded in traditional ideas about philosophy and the sequences of Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga, Andrew believes that there is inevitable evolution in yoga practice and uses a "global fusion" of techniques. He is constantly researching different methods, comparing techniques from yoga communities around the world as he travels, and refining them to create the best approach possible in his own teaching. Andrew sees yoga as an evolutionary process and strives to help each yoga student fall in love with the practice of yoga in a way that allows them to practice for their whole life and create their own evolving, healing practice that can be both a solitary practice and shared with other practitioners in a gracious, respectful way.
Friday 18:30 - 21:00 - Introduction: Ashtanga Origins and Elements
A grounded, practice-first introduction to where this method comes from and how its core elements work in real bodies and real lives. We’ll connect lineage and ideas to what you actually feel on the mat, then translate that into simple daily rhythms you can sustain through the weekend and beyond.
What we’ll explore:
Fundamentals of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga: breath, bandha, triṣṭhāna (breath–bandha–dṛṣṭi), and why the vinyāsa count matters
Sūrya-namaskāra A/B, key standing postures, and clean vinyāsa mechanics that are shoulder- and knee-friendly
A concise story of the method’s roots and how it has unfolded within Western culture
The “perception lens” of yoga
Practical dinacaryā: choosing a realistic wake window, a minimum-viable morning, and an evening wind-down that supports practice
Practice plan for Friday:
I’ll share a few words about my approach, then lead a clear sequence that sets you up for Mysore sessions on Saturday and Sunday
We’ll work inside the traditional Aṣṭāṅga Vinyāsa framework while focusing on refinement you can apply immediately: – Breath and timing you can actually keep – Bandha in āsana (mūla-bandha and uḍḍīyāna-bandha as sensations, not shapes) – Essence of vinyāsa: brief historical context and down-to-earth application – Fundamentals of therapeutic work and how to keep heat without grinding the wrists or rotator cuffs
Safety, communication, and longevity
Working around injuries without losing momentum
Guidelines for clear, respectful communication during adjustments - what I’m looking for as a teacher and how you can collaborate
How to avoid common injuries by refining transitions, load management, and recovery
Building a sustainable, lifelong, pain-free, and joyful practice
Who it’s for: Anyone curious about Aṣṭāṅga - newer students who want clarity without overwhelm, experienced practitioners who want cleaner cues, and teachers who value a non-dogmatic, text-rooted approach
Saturday 9:00 - 11:30 - Led Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga
A clear, breath-led tour of Primary that gives you options, not ultimatums. We’ll call the count, pause at the sticky points, and explore safe ways to approach, modify, and progress - always keeping breath and bandha steady so practice remains calm and focused.
What we’ll do:
Led Primary with the vinyāsa count called throughout
Strategic pauses to unpack challenging postures and transitions
Modification pathways that preserve triṣṭhāna (breath–bandha–dṛṣṭi)
Simple strategies to keep heat without overloading wrists or shoulders
Emphasis on empowering your sacred, healing, evolving, lifelong practice
Safety and longevity:
How to work around injuries without losing momentum
Load management for caturaṅga and jump-backs/throughs
Clear guidelines for communication during hands-on adjustments
You’ll leave with:
A personal menu of Primary-friendly options you can use in Mysore
Two focal cues to stabilize breath and bandha when things get hard
Saturday 12:00 - 14:00 - Siting Practice and Inner Stillness: Mudra/ Bandha and Breath
This class centers on sitting practice and quieting the mind. We’ll move step-by-step through the major techniques that prepare you for meditation - beginning with bandha-mudrā as the infrastructure for breathwork, then pranayama, and finally a clear, synthesized discussion of the mind drawn from the Yoga Sūtras and the Gītā.
What we’ll cover:
Bandha-mudrā as preparation for breath: mūla-bandha, uḍḍīyāna-bandha, and jālandhara-bandha - how each functions, how they coordinate, and how to apply them gently without strain
Prāṇāyāma in sequence (BNS Iyengar System): nāḍī-śodhana, bhastrikā, śītalī, and śakti-cālana, taught in a way that respects energy, safety, and progressive capacity
Sūryopāsana and mantra as supports for attention: simple, steady practices that collect the senses and stabilize focus before meditation
A practical view of the mind: vyutthāna-saṃskāra (outward-driving grooves) and nirodha-saṃskāra (impressions that incline the mind toward stillness), and how short, repeatable sits strengthen the latter
Practice into principle
How to create and maintain a yoga practice in real life: when to practice and how to practice
Kāla (timing), deśa (place), and abhyāsa (steady practice) as classical criteria for a true yogic sādhana - presented as clear, workable guidelines rather than rules
What you’ll take home:
The written texts (PDF) I’ve created for my Sankhya Kārikā and Patañjali Yoga Sūtras courses, to deepen your understanding and support your home practice
Information about my 30-hour BNS Iyengar Prāṇāyāma System course, available on my website, for those who want to continue systematically.
Practice-first, text-rooted, and non-dogmatic. We will keep the techniques precise but accessible, so you leave with a sitting sequence you can sustain and a framework that helps stillness become a natural part of your day.
Saturday, 15:30 - 18:30 - Thai Bodywork (Nuad) Informed Assists for Aṣṭāṅga
This blended session links Thai bodywork (Nuad) directly to how we understand, feel, and deliver adjustments in āsana classes. Everyone both gives and receives. We’ll work in a rotating circle (not fixed pairs) so you experience many body types and learn to adapt your touch, leverage, and communication in real time. The aim is simple: refine your hands-on skills, protect bodies (including your own), and make assists clearer, safer, and more effective.
Why Thai bodywork here Thai work is “yoga done to you.” Its principles—steady pressure, traction, rocking, and mindful sequencing—translate beautifully into classroom assists. You’ll learn how to use bodyweight instead of arm strength, read tissue tone before you add pressure, and coordinate touch with breath so adjustments land as guidance, not force.
What we’ll do:
Warm-in and consent: brief demo of my assist language and three-step consent; how to give/receive feedback without breaking the moment
Thai foundations that matter for assists: palming vs. thumb work, broad vs. focused pressure, traction, rocking, and safe leverage with joint stacking
Rotating-circle bodywork: short, repeatable flows for hips, hamstrings, back line, and shoulders - designed to inform common Aṣṭāṅga assists
From mat to class assist: translate each Thai action into a clear classroom adjustment (direction, anchor, breath cue, counterpose)
Decision-making and red flags: when not to adjust, universal signs of instability, and how to swap a hands-on assist for a verbal or prop-based option
Teacher skills: presence, pacing, and metta in touch; balancing clarity with kindness; finding your authentic way to help without over-handling
Applying it to key postures We’ll connect the Thai principles above to high-impact situations you meet in Primary and early Intermediate, for example: forward-bend and hip-opening support (paścimottānāsana, baddha-koṇāsana), shoulder-safe caturāṅga and vinyāsa transitions, and calm, spine-friendly backbend assists (ūrdhva dhanurāsana prep, gentle extensions). The goal is to feel how small, well-placed inputs change the pose without pushing range.
Safety and longevity:
Clear contraindications and pressure rules for knees, low back, and cervical spine
How to protect your own body: stance, angles, and using gravity rather than grip
Communication that keeps people safe and relaxed (simple check-ins that don’t interrupt breath)
Suggested flow (flexible within 2–3 hours)
Orientation, consent, and body mechanics refresh (15–20 min)
Rotating-circle Thai sequences to feel lines and leverage (45–60 min)
Translation lab: Thai → classroom assists on common poses, with counters (45–60 min)
Teaching clinic and Q&A (20–30 min)
Who it’s for: Teachers, assistants, and serious practitioners who want their hands-on work to be intelligent, kind, and effective. No prior Thai bodywork experience required.
What you’ll leave with:
Thai principles → specific āsana assists → safe counterposes
A short pre-class warm-up for your own body so you can assist without strain
Practical guidelines for when to adjust, when to cue, and when to step back
Notes: This session is skills-focused and non-dogmatic. It complements the broader work we do in practice classes, giving you a tactile understanding you can apply immediately in Mysore and led settings.
Sunday 9:00 - 11:30 - Introduction to the Intermediate Series of Ashtanga Yoga (Nāḍi Śodhana)
A gentle, well-paced tour of Aṣṭāṅga’s Second Series designed to be approachable for everyone. We’ll look at how - and when - to transition from Primary, why Intermediate postures can balance the body-mind equation, and how to explore them with steadiness, clarity, and respect for your limits. The aim is to demystify Second Series and give you practical ways to grow your practice without strain. Andrew will guide us through accessible preparations and selected entries, pausing to teach mechanics and counters.
What we’ll cover:
How Second Series complements Primary: opening the front body, strengthening posterior chain, refining spinal extension and deep twists
Readiness indicators for adding Intermediate: stable triṣṭhāna (breath–bandha–dṛṣṭi), pain-free vinyāsa, responsive backbends, and the capacity to recover quickly
Gateway families (taught gently): foundational backbends, twist mechanics, shoulder/hip preparation, and thoughtful counters so the nervous system stays calm
Pacing and sequencing: how to sprinkle 1–2 Intermediate elements into your week alongside solid Primary, and when to pull back
Safety and accessibility:
Options and regressions for knees, shoulders, and low back
Clear cues to avoid forcing range or compressing the spine
Collaborative, respectful assisting and self-checks to keep breath steady
You’ll leave with:
A simple readiness checklist for when to start adding Intermediate
A two-week integration plan: where to place 1–2 gateway elements, how to balance with Primary, and which counters help you finish clear and calm
Tone and approach: Practice-first, non-dogmatic, and sustainable. We’ll keep the work precise yet compassionate so you build confidence with Intermediate while safeguarding a lifelong, joyful practice.
Sunday 12:00 - 14:00 - Yoga Philosophy: Aṣṭāṅga Darśana
Our closing session is a clear, practice-rooted talk on yoga philosophy. Drawing on ongoing studies from the Mysore Yoga Traditions Conference and our year-round Online Studies program, Andrew synthesizes how the Bhagavad Gītā and the Pātañjala Yoga Sūtras frame “traditional practice” for modern practitioners - without dogma and with plenty of room for questions and personal reflection.
What we’ll explore:
Theoretical foundations of yoga: what “darśana” means and why it matters for daily sādhana
The fundamental purpose of practice: clarity, steadiness, and freedom - not performance
Freedom and personal evolution: how discernment (buddhi) guides skillful change
Pitfalls along the path: perfectionism, bypassing, comparison, and overreaching - how to recognize and correct them
Karma-yoga: work, service, and responsibility as practice
Buddhi-yoga: cultivating wise discrimination in choices on and off the mat
Bhakti-yoga: gratitude and devotion as stabilizers for the mind
Rāja-yoga: integrating the eight limbs into a coherent, sustainable life
You’ll leave with:
A simple lens for defining “traditional practice” in contemporary life
Practical criteria to evaluate your own sādhana and make sensible adjustments
Pointers to continue the conversation through the Mysore Yoga Traditions Conference resources and our Online Studies offerings
