Shadow yoga Beginners Course with Monique Ledesma

Shadow Yoga
A revolutionary school of Hatha Yoga, founded by Zhander Remete. Students begin by learning basic, yet challenging natural movements; undoing restricted patterns of movement, breathing and thinking, which all go hand in hand. Beyond the basics, there are three set sequences, called ‘preludes’. Emphasis is on positioning through feeling, co-ordination of the arms and legs with the breath, and cultivating mental attention. Progressively these become more refined, co-ordinated and spiralling in nature. This leads to further refinement of the mental attention and the release of more deeply held restrictions, preparing one for the practice of yoga-asana.

Shadow Yoga offers something quite different to anything else out there, whilst being firmly grounded in the authentic teaching of Hatha Yoga. It revives knowledge and practices that have been all but lost in our modern times, when this wisdom is more relevant than ever. And yet, it is well-adapted to the needs and limitations of modern city-dwelling people. It teaches us how to use physical activity, with correct breathing and mental attention, to remove the obstacles within ourselves (physical/mental/emotional), which otherwise prevent us from leading lives of contentment. These are the first steps towards gaining mastery over the body, mind and energy. This practice truly supports us in whatever life goals we are pursuing and in overcoming the hurdles along the way.

For more information, you could have a look at the studio where I have taught for seven years, which is dedicated solely to this style: Islington Yoga.

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, so here’s are glimpses of the first, second and third preludes, and a video made during an advanced course with Zhander Remete: Invite the Guest.

Classes
Generally taught as courses of 6 weeks/more for students to make gradual yet steady progress in this comprehensive system. If you are injured or pregnant, please let me know, as you may require a special class or individual instruction.

Beginners: 0-6 months yoga experience. Provides a foundation with the basic movements: joint warm up sequence, basic stances for strength and flexibility, and coordination with the breath to develop mental focus. The best place to start Shadow Yoga, even if you have previous yoga experience, as it is very different to what is commonly taught.

Level 1: 6 months to 1 year of yoga experience. Introduces the stances of the first prelude, Balakrama (Stepping into Strength). Can be suitable for those who have not done Shadow Yoga previously.

Level 2: 1-2 years experience of Shadow Yoga. Working with the Balakrama and the second prelude, Chaya Yoddha Sancalanam (Churning the Shadow Warrior)

Level 3: 3 years+ experience of Shadow Yoga. Working with the first two preludes, as well as the third, Kartikkeya Mandalam (Garland of Light)

Bio
Monique began practising yoga in 2002. By 2004, she was teaching several popular styles. Meanwhile, the philosophy behind the physical practice had lit a fire within. She continued searching for an authentic teaching, in which the theory and the practical were truly aligned, and connected to the original purpose and ancient wisdom of Yoga.

Monique discovered Shadow Yoga in 2008, which was everything she was looking for and more. She has been studying with Karen Watson at Islington Yoga since then. In 2010 she began attending courses with Zhander Remete and Emma Balnaves, the founder and director of Shadow Yoga respectively. She continues her studies with them, attending courses in Shadow Yoga and Nrtta Sadhana every year.

After a three year teaching apprenticeship with Karen Watson, Monique was fully qualified to teach Shadow Yoga in February 2014. She is currently teaching Shadow Yoga Basics, Level 1 and Level 2 courses. As soon as she has enough students able to progress, she looks forward to introducing Level 3 and Nrtta Sadhana.

www.islingtonyoga.com/courses/

Email: moniqueledesma@gmail.com

Instagram: @monique_ledesma_yoga