Introduction to Ashtanga Yoga (60 min)
Quarter Primary Series
This class is an accessible introduction to Ashtanga Yoga. If you've been curious to try this method of yoga practice but aren't sure where to start, this class is for you. We start with the Sun Salutations, both A and B versions, and continue on with the standing sequence. This class introduces some of the seated postures of the Ashtanga yoga primary series and ends with some of the finishing poses and a final relaxation. A great way to incorporate Ashtanga yoga into your busy day!
This series is for All Levels.
Photographer: Coni Hörler
Class
Your Teacher
Wambui Njuguna-Räisänen took her first yoga class when she was 16. It proved to be the therapy she needed during rigorous, professional dance training. She continued to practice different types of yoga throughout college and graduate school.
She came across Ashtanga Yoga in 2008 when she was living in Abu Dhabi. The structure and consistency of the method was the grounded discipline she needed at that time. For the past ten years, Wambui has been immersed in Ashtanga yoga and feels deeply grateful for all what the practice has brought to fruition, both in her personal and professional life. She edited the English version of Ashtanga Yoga: The Yoga Tradition of K Pattabhi Jois and translated (Finnish-English) Nadi Sodhana: Yoga in the Tradition of K. Pattabhi Jois. Many people have started practicing Ashtanga yoga using her Half-Primary series You Tube video, which has garnered more than 1.6 million views.
Currently, in the wake of #metoo and the collective shift towards decolonialization, Wambui’s moved towards teaching yoga through an explicitly trauma-informed, anti-oppressive lens. BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+ communities have been the voices most silenced, and are the bodies most left out of the healing space while simultaneously being the most impacted by systemic trauma. Therefore, creating wellness spaces that feel more welcoming, inclusive and accessible is of utmost necessity and importance. Together with her massage training (Chavutti Thirumal) and meditation advocacy, Wambui strives to work at the intersection of social inclusion, equity and wellness.
Wambui’s ongoing education has involved the following Off the Mat Into the World courses: Dismantling Racism with Michelle C Johnson; Healing Yoga for Refugees, Asylum-Seekers and Displaced People with Our Mala’s Emily Brett; and Yoga for Self-Regulation and Trauma; Trauma & Social Justice with Hala Khouri; and Accessible Yoga with Jivana Heyman.
Wambui was born in Nairobi, Kenya to an English-Danish mother and a Kenyan (Kikuyu) father. She was raised in the United States, has worked and lived in Chile and the United Arab Emirates and is now based in Helsinki, Finland where she lives with Petri and their two sons.
Visit her website to read more about her offerings.