BENDING RULES
Our top picks for Austin's Yoga Expo and Conference: Use those yoga pants forsomething other than grocery shopping
Austin is a town of many faces. We’re a music town, a food town, a tech town, a beer town, a bicycle town, an arts town, a college town and a tourist town — depending on the time of day and the neighborhood you’re in.
Yoga town Austin takes center stage this Saturday and Sunday at the Palmer Events Center, where the Austin Yoga Expo and Conference assembles to engage our bodies and minds with a two-day schedule of lectures, classes and workshops that promise to enrich the lives of beginners and longtime practicing yogis alike.
Here's a look at a few of the on-site events and some brief detail of each, to help you plan the yoga staycation of your dreams.
Sun Salutation Workshop – 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. Saturday, Studio Two
Even the newest initiate to yoga practice is likely familiar with the fluid series of poses that make up the Sun Salutation. Satyananda Yoga Center’s Navvaratri takes participants through the history of the series — Surya Namaskara, as it’s called in Sanskrit — and instructs on specific effects, benefits, awareness points and mantras for each stage in the cycle.
Triathlon Yoga – 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. Saturday, East Class Area
Austin’s got a thriving triathlon community, and instructor Sean Buchner knows about the particular demands that triathletics can put on the body. Drop by his class to learn limbering poses for your swimmer’s shoulders, cyclist’s back and runner’s hips that can ease the stresses of training and help you get better results come race time.
Yoga for Effective Communication – 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Saturday, Bodhi Lecture Area
Yogic practice doesn’t stop at asanas, those stretch poses nearly everyone thinks of when they hear the word yoga. Wellness consultant Lisa Feder can show you how to use yogic techniques to solve communication problems, particularly in the workplace. Bonus cool points to any weekend supervisors letting their team out an hour early to go learn this.
Medicinal Yoga for Common Ailments – 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Studio Two
Yoga therapist Jogi Bhagat offers this workshop on simple yogic techniques to ward off or alleviate states of suffering that arise from arthritis, diabetes, anxiety, poor digestion, back pain, depression and other lifestyle-related conditions. All levels of skill, including absolute beginners with no yoga experience whatsoever, are encouraged to attend.
Experiential Anatomy for Yogis – 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Studio Three
Artist, dancer and yogic anatomist Libby Dembe wants you to know where your spleen is. Bodily awareness can be a powerful balancing force in anyone's life, and this workshop aims to give you a full mental map of the magnificent complexity that goes on beneath your skin.
Gong Journey Yoga – 6:00 to 7:15 p.m. Sunday, West Class Area
Breath, movement, sound and meditation combine for a sublime combination of mental, spiritual and sensory experiences. Siri Bahadur — longtime yogi, expert gongist and teacher at Yoga Yoga since its inception — guides you through a session of music and mantra to soothe your tired chakras after a full weekend of practice.
So give it a try! Discover your body! The general health and wellness benefits of yoga are enumerated so often that we’ll just link to a list of them. Besides, this is the perfect opportunity to wear those stylish organic cotton yoga pants somewhere other than the salad pavilion at Whole Foods.
(I kid, moms. I kid because I love.)
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Austin Yoga Expo tickets are available at multiple levels, including the absolute-screaming-deal level of $10 for a full day of class sessions and lectures. Visit the expo’s website for a full schedule of events, in-depth class descriptions and profiles of the presenters and instructors you’ll meet once you’re through the door.