NAMASKAR CENTER
We are a small studio devoted to the study and practice of traditional, physical Asian arts such as Yoga, Tai ji, Qi Gong, Kung Fu, Tibetan meditation and postural training.
Namaskar A.S.D. is located in the center of Bologna adjacent to the University
campus on Via Zucchini 8D.
It is also near the railway station, Bologna Centrale, and the
bus station, Autostazione.
We offer a range of Yoga styles including Hatha Vinyasa,
Ashtanga, Tibetan and Partner Yoga, while remaining true to traditional eastern
texts.
In our approach it is fundamental that classes be safe and therapeutic;
therefore, our class size is limited to 8 participants. Our small classes also
promote maximum learning and individualized attention.
We foster a community environment so that our students feel supported and
connected to other practitioners during and after a course. In Vajrayana the
sanga (community of practitioners), is one of the three jewels of refuge
because of its paramount importance in our lives.
Our classes are intended to increase awareness, leading spontaneously to
meditation and personal development.
Following is a list of the types of classes we offer:
-Dynamic Yoga (Ashtanga Vinyasa)
-Tibetan Yoga and Qi Gong
-Traditional Hatha Yoga
-Yoga/ taiji and Pilates for pregnancy
-Tai Ji, Yang style
-Qi Gong, both Chinese and Tibetan tradition
-Pilates and postural training
-Pranayama, meditation and Qi Gong
-mantra chanting and introduction to sanskrit, the ancient
indoeuropean language of yoga, ayurveda, Mahayana Buddhism and many Indian philosophies.
Trial Classes
If you would like to
attend a trial class, please complete the contact form (modulo di
contatto) at the top right. Indicate which class you are interested in, the day
and time. Classes are at 1:00 p.m. or after 5:00 p.m. almost every hour.
DYNAMIC YOGA: ASHTANGA
VINYASA YOGA CLASSES IN BOLOGNA
A Yoga style based on ancient traditions which links flowing movements
to breaths into and out of the Asanas (Vinyasa).
Very energetic, the practice develops naturally into a
Pranayana.
Breath becomes slow, deep and rhythmic, and mind develops a more
focused awareness. Bandhas (muscular locks for redirecting the energy in the
body) and drishti (gaze and awareness of specific points of the body) are
also part of the practice.
The origins of Ashtanga and Vinyasa date back to Yogakorunta, an ancient text supposed
to be a practical commentary of Patanjali yoga sutras, for which there are no
remaining, intact copies. It was developed in Tibet over the last century by
the renowned Indian master Sri T. Krishnamacharya in the cave of his
ultra-centenarian guru. Krishnamacharya himself lived to be 101. The
peculiarity of this practice is the Vinyasa, which synchronizes the breath with
each movement. Thus, the various Asanas are concatenated in dynamic sequences
that purify and strengthen the body, improve flexibility, and increase the
energy in the nervous, immune and endocrine systems through the Nadis and the
chakras.
Deep breathing (Ujjayi), the use of selective muscular contractions (Bandha),
and techniques for fixing the gaze on specific points (Drishti) pacify
the mind and ensure that the internal heat that is produced is free of toxins
and increases the body’s resistance. The movements of the practice harmonize
with the breath in the same way a dance synchronizes with the background music.
It is a highly energetic form of yoga.
“As the practice seen outside is irrelevant, what matters is how the practitioner feels it from the inside and its effects.”
“Our development is directly linked to the state of mind and the ability to reach a state of Vairagya (detachment).”
“What is important in practice is Bhavana (mental state): see God, who gives us life energy during inhalation, purifies and fills us in Kumbhaka, and while exhaling repeat,
” Lord I offer all to you, nothing belongs to me.” —Quotations
from Sri Krishnamacharya Purnacarya, the Mala Srivatsan,1997, published by
Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram Chennai India.
HATHA YOGA CLASSES IN
BOLOGNA
Hatha yoga is an
ancient, traditional practice which benefits both body and mind. It provides
energy and contributes to good health and longevity, combatting stress and back
pain and tension from everyday life. It includes all the practices described in
the classical texts of yoga: Asanas, Bandhas, Mudras, Kriyas and Dhyana.
-yoga postures (Asanas) performed in sequences based on
the breath;
-breathing techniques (Pranayama);
-meditation practices (Dhyana).
The ancient texts list :
-84 Asanas,
-10 Mudras and Bandha (exercises that allow one to concentrate
the energy, Prana, on certain parts of the body),
- 6 Kriyas (purification techniques),
- 8 breathing exercises (Pranayamas),
-Various techniques of concentration and meditation.
All those techniques will be covered throughout the course.
By assuming the postures, one stretches, tones and strengthens the joints and
muscles in addition to flexing the spine. Above all, one stimulates the
glandular systems of the body, renewing energy and enhancing overall health.
The postures are designed to promote flexibility, muscular strength and
endurance, and joint stability.
Breathing is understood to be the source of life in the body; therefore,
controlling one’s breath can improve the well- being of both mind and body.
Breathing exercises build concentration and willpower, reduce anxiety and put
us in touch with our inner strength. Breathing techniques also strengthen all
the respiratory muscles and improve vital capacity.
The final exercise is meditation, in which relaxation and visualization
quiet and heal the mind from everyday stress. Meditation produces tremendous
strength by teaching us to experience the present moment free from the
anxieties of past or future. Regular meditation practice helps us to recognize
the part of us that never becomes ill or dies and is a constant source of
personal power for daily living. Yoga gives one a deeper connection to one’s
true self, apart from the transient and fragile physical body.
What benefits can be expected by the regular practice of yoga? Yoga rejuvenates
our feelings, eliminating fatigue and other negative effects of the stresses of
modern life. Some of the benefits of yoga are improved sleep, muscle toning and
strengthening, increased energy, improved circulation, body alignment, correct
posture, improved digestion, heightened awareness and an overall increase in
well-being.
As we practice yoga over time, we become more flexible and stronger, and the
function of the nervous system, glands and hormone secretion is improved. Yoga
makes us emotionally and mentally stronger and more balanced. We develop more
will power, memory, creativity, energy and concentration. Ultimately, we are
left with a sense of calm that stays long after our session ends.
Who can practice yoga? Yoga can be practiced by anyone, regardless of age, to
achieve a more limber body, increased physical coordination, better posture and
improved flexibility.
TIBETAN
YOGA AND QIGONG CLASSES IN BOLOGNA
Tibetan
Yoga or Truikhor is one of the oldest recorded systems of yoga in the world. It
was originally developed by 84 Mahasiddhas, realized yogins and yoginis who
founded Vajrayana Buddhism in early medieval India and exported it across the
Himalayas to the snowy kingdom of Tibet.
Tibetan
Yoga has taken its own path and carved out its distinctive characteristics over
centuries.
Its
foremost feature is its evolution in synthesis with Buddhism rather than with
the Hindu culture. Therefore, it is
essentially a Buddhist Yoga with its peculiar advanced practices such as the
legendary Tummo, inner heat; the transfer of consciousness (Pho-wa); MahaMudra
and DzogChen ( called by some the Tibetan Zen), Tantric deity meditations, and
others.
This
type of yoga is the result of a meditative practice developed through exercises
that can free deep, gross, subtle and very subtle emotional knots. These
exercises are closely linked to the chakras (Korlos), channels (tza) and drops
(thigle), which belong to the subtle body known as the Vajra body and in turn
are closely related to disruptive or destructive emotions. This ancient
practice explores subtle levels of energy to release emotional blockages,
bringing one to a deeper understanding of the body. We can therefore say that
the practice of Tibetan yoga serves to eliminate the psycho-physical blockages
that results from confused mental states towards the discovery of the real
nature of the mind, which is an uncontaminated space of clear light.
Traditionally
practice in remote Himalayan caves and monasteries, these types of yoga have
been slowly and selectively made accessible to serious Western students in the
last decades. As a powerful tool for
clearing, balancing and harmonizing the subtle aspects of one’s energetic
dimension, this practice is an excellent support for meditative awareness.
A
secondary aim of Tibetan Yoga or Trulkhor, is to increase health and vital
energy. It offers a unique series of
asanas and movements, combined with conscious breathing, visualization and
mantras, all of which help coordinate and harmonize personal energy so that
body and mind can relax and find their authentic, natural balance. Tibetan Yoga is a very ancient form of Yoga
which simultaneously addresses the three aspects of our existence: the body,
the energy or voice, and the mind and its emotions.
The
heart of this yoga is the realization that the body, the breath and movement
are the starting point for understanding the mind. We must first understand the relationship
between the structure of the body and the five elements. Secondly, we must understand the way in which
the breathing process nourishes the entire physical body at all levels. Thirdly, we need to know the sounds (mantra)
in order to untie the subtle emotional knots that create emotional imbalances
and even diseases.
Tibetan
Yoga has many traditions based on different lineages in Tibet. Some of them
look like a mixture of Qi Gong and Hatha Yoga and consist of bodily movements
(or dynamic asanas), mantras, pranayama and visualizations. The flow of
movements is likened to prayer beads. Some Tibetan lineages are particularly
well known for their forms of yoga.
Nyingmapa, called the “lineage of
the ancients,” dates back from the eighth century to Guru Rinpoche
(Padmasambhava), who brought the teachings of Mahanuttara Yoga Tantra or Ati Yoga
(Dzogchen) to Tibet and transmitted the Trulkor Namkhai Nelyor or “Yoga of
Space” and the Trulkor Nyima Dwa, or Trulkor of the Sun and Moon. The fifth
Dalai Lama (1617-1682) was a practitioner of these forms of yoga, which are
from the Nyingmapa lineage. Evidence of
his practice is found in the frescoes on the walls of the Dalai Lama’s summer
temple of Lukhang in Lhasa. These
frescoes illustrate the practices of both inner and outer forms of yoga, the
yoga of Clear Light and Rainbow Body that depict the various Manifestations of
Guru Rinpoche and the Mahasiddas.
Kagyu is called the “lineage
of the oral tradition.” It spread through Tibet during the eleventh century and
was established by Marpa Lotsawa (1012-1097) with a strong connection to the teachings
of the Indian Mahasiddas Tilopa, Naropa, Maitripa and Sahara. On his travels
from India to Tibet, Marpa brought the teachings of Mahamudra and clarified the
teachings about the so-called Six Yogas, who took his name.
Shangpa Kagyu is a lineage currently
included in the Karma Kagyu school which belongs to the non-sectarian movement
of “Rimè.” It can be traced back to the Tibetan master Kyungpo Neljor
(978-1079).
In
India he met the Mahasiddha Maitripa, from whom he received teachings of the
so-called Five Golden Dharmas. There he also met the yoginis Niguma from whom
he received The Six Yogas of Niguma. In these last teachings, a particular
emphasis is given to the union of the red and white channels through the
practice of Tummo. This type of yoga is the foundation of 32 Trulkor exercises,
which include different methods of breathing, movement and body postures.
Over
the centuries, Trulkor has always been taught with great secrecy. Today, thankis to the compassion of the great
contemporary masters such as the Venerable Kalu Rinpoche, Namkhai Norbu
Rinpoche and a few others, Trulkhor began being taught outside its traditional,
closed circles. In particular, thanks to
Kalu Rinpoche, the system Trulkor Nangpa Nelyor, also called Yoga of the
Interior, based on ancient lineages of the past and drawn from his personal
experience to benefit all beings, has been transmitted to a western audience.
Tibetan Yoga is an ancient, graceful
and potent form of yoga, based on soft flowing movements coordinated with
pranayamas, or breathing techniques, bandhas, or energy locks, mantras and
visualization of energy channels and centers (nadis and chakras). This style,
looking like an ancient and slower form of Vinyasa, merges mind, breath and
Asanas (dynamic postures). It is rooted in Vajrayana tantra Yoga. With is
foundations set firmly in the ancient yogic tradition of the tantric texts, it
works on body, mind and spirit, improving strength and flexibility, creating
core stability, building a heightened feeling of mindfulness and rejuvenation of
the whole being.
The
preliminary exercises start by training on how to breathe, warm up and lightly
massage each part of the body. Through
these exercises the vital breath is balanced and the subtle channels are
cleansed.
Then,
one trains the vital breath, plying the subtle channels, in particular to hold
the breath in a natural and relaxed way in the central channel with a breath
that pervades the whole body. In all the
exercises one is advised to hold the breath in that natural manner and then
exhale with some force at the end, finishing with the reinforcing sounds of Ha
and Phat. This helps to remove all
obstacles so that one and all sentient beings can be induced into a pure
meditative state, the state of Buddhahood, and remain there. When this occurs, one’s awareness of the
natural state of mind is awakened.
The
main practices are meant to maintain the natural state of mind, believed by
some to enhance one’s meditative practice (bog don). These crucial exercises
relate to the five elements and are said to close the doorway that opens the
channel to the five poisons and open the doorway of the channel to the
primordial wisdom. Thus, the obscurations to the natural state are cleared (geg
sel) together with the drowsiness and agitation which are the main obstacles to
remaining in the meditative state. In
this way the mind and vital breath enter the central channel and conceptual
formations are liberated. These
exercises also help eliminate various diseases, balance the elements, bring
warmth into one’s body and even have the power to reverse the aging process.
It
is said that practicing these exercises one powerfully nourishes one’s
receptivity to moments of non-conceptual awareness and spontaneous self-liberation
and can transfer the nourishment into everyday life. In other words, one is to use them when the meditation
in the natural state of mind is unclear, unstable or weakened in some way. They are sometimes prescribed as an aid for
the Dzogchen practitioner to take back, stabilize, or clarify his/her
meditation in the natural state of mind.
In this way, one follows the instructions for the body, and while the
breath is naturally held, the mind is held in its state of meditation together
with the breath. Then, with the exhalation and the sounds of Ha and Phat, one
can break through any concepts and obstacles that persist and can remain
steadily in the natural state of mind.
From
the perspective of Dzogchen, the mind is merely vayu or “breath” in the
body. Thus, working with vayu and the
body is paramount.
REGENERATIVE YOGA CLASSES IN
BOLOGNA
These classes provide deep relaxation and a
profound sense of well-being as well as increasing energy through Asanas that
release tensions and recharge. Accompanied by deep and rhythmic breathing, relaxation
practices and techniques are also to be executed with a partner.
PRENATAL CLASSES IN BOLOGNA
Pregnancy is a perfect time to get to know your
body better and to build confidence in your ability to give birth. In yoga and
taiji classes a woman can learn to tune in and respond to her body's needs, so
that during her labor, when rational thought may be suspended, she ‘ll be able
to recognize signals and respond naturally.
The process of birth is work made of muscle, sinew, sweat,
blood, and love. By toning the body, mind, and spirit with asanas and pranayama
exercises, yoga can help a mother to be fully present and prepared for the
miracle of birth.
PILATES AND POSTURAL GYMNASTICS CLASSES IN BOLOGNA
These are postural exercises based on
breath, on vertebral mobilization, on deep muscular activation and on movements
departing from the energetic powerhouse of the body. They will give you a slim
and fit body, good health and psyco-physical balance.
Suggestions for yoga /Pilates/postural gym
Bring your personal mat, a towel
(important: it can help to raise the sitting bones in forward bends and twists)
and your slippers (needed from the dressing room to the practice hall).
The lesson will end with 5 minutes of deep relaxation (better to have a blanket
and a jumper/sweater to keep the body warm).
WARNINGS
Before entering the room it is important to
thoroughly blow the nose with a handkerchief. Unless otherwise indicated, the
breath must pass only through the nose, as slowly, deeply and rhythmically as
possible. We must all start trying to stretch, especially when exhaling, then
inhaling naturally.
In case of menstruation and hypertension,
inversions (postures where the head falls below the pelvis) are
contraindicated, as well as holding the breath and exercises that act
vigorously on the muscles of the abdomen (e.g. Bastrikha or Kapalabhati).
It is advisable to practice after at least 3
hours fast and wait at least half an hour before eating after class
In the classical tradition the sweat exuding
from practice is said to contain important enzymes and subtle substances that
must be reabsorbed, so it is advisable not to take a shower before half an hour
after the end of the class.
PRANAYAMA, QI GONG AND MEDITATION CLASSES IN BOLOGNA
These classes offer breathing, concentration and meditation
techniques, according to different traditions (Buddhist, Taoist, Yoga),
designed to pacify the mind and develop higher levels of consciousness. They
establish a state of calm and peace of body, breath and mind by working on the
subtle body, its channels and energy centers (chakras and nadis).
TAI JI QUAN (TAI CHI CHUAN) YANG STYLE CLASSES IN BOLOGNA
Tai Chi Chuan is a Chinese internal martial
art which combines slow movements and breathing in order to stimulate the flow
of chi (energy) in the different parts of the body.
Originating in ancient China as an internal
martial art, Tai Chi can be best thought of as a moving form of yoga and
meditation combined. It is a system of exercises for the perfect health of mind
and body.
Tai Chi is gentle, focusing on fluid, circular
movements that are relaxed and slow in tempo. Breathing is deep and slow,
aiding concentration, relaxing the body and allowing the life force (qi or chi)
to flow unimpeded throughout the body meridians. Total harmony of the inner and
outer self comes from the integration of mind and body achieved through the
ongoing practice of Tai Chi.
Tai Chi Chuan is practiced in a number of so-
called forms (or 'sets'). Any form consists of a sequence of movements.
Many of these movements are originally derived from the martial arts (and
perhaps even more ancestrally than that, from the natural movements of animals
and birds) although the way they are performed in Tai Chi is slow, soft and
graceful, with smooth, even transitions between them.
The slow and gentle movements and the degree
of exertion can easily be adjusted, making it suitable for
people of all ages
What are the Benefits of Tai Chi?
Tai Chi integrates the mind, body and energy to promote mental and physical
health. Tai Chi improves muscular strength, flexibility and stamina, as well as
relaxation and concentration, balance, posture, and immunity. Most
practitioners find it incredibly enjoyable and beneficial.
The tai ji we practice is Yang style, the style most practiced all
over the world and often reputed to be the most effective style for energy
and health benefits. The school program includes the following codified
forms: 8, 24, 40, 108; 8, 16, 32 sword; saber 13; fan 16; stick
24.Tui shou and Taoist exercises are for relaxation and breathing.
The practice of tai chi, with its slow, mindful movements
combines aspects of ancient Chinese medicine, philosophy and martial arts, and
it's the antithesis of most modern exercise programs that emphasize fast,
vigorous activity.
"Tai Chi is often described as "meditation in
motion," but it might well be called "medication in motion”.
There is growing evidence that this mind-body practice has value
in treating or preventing many health problems. And you can get started even if
you aren't in top shape, very flexible or in the best of health."
"We've seen improved immunity to viruses and improved
vaccine response among people who practiced tai chi," says Dr. Michael
Irwin, professor of behavioral sciences and director of the Mindful Awareness
Research Center at UCLA University (Time Magazine, April 28th, 2017).
QI GONG (CHI KUNG) CLASSES IN BOLOGNA
These are traditional Chinese exercises
consisting of slow movements in coordination with breath to balance qi (energy)
circulation in the body meridians. This ancient set of slow and gentle
movements improves mental and physical health. It increases muscular strength,
flexibility and stamina as well as relaxation and concentration, balance,
posture and immunity.
Teachers
All classes are run by qualified and certified
teachers with
-diplomas from CONI-UISP, CONI-ACSI, Patrian Yoga Institute, FIY Yoga
Italian Federation, YOGA ALLIANCE
-more than 20 years of practice and more than
10 years of Teaching experience
-members since 2003 of main Italian associations (YANI-National Association of
Yoga Teachers, UISP ADO - Area Oriental Disciplines, Acsi CONI, European Yoga
Federation) and registered in their approved teachers lists
- ongoing-post-diploma training every year with qualified Masters from Italy
and abroad (mainly India, China, Tibet).
TIMETABLES
Classes are held every working day from 5pm to
9pm. Lunch break classes at 1-2pm. Individual classes are also available on
request if you want to deepen further some aspects of the practice. Workshops
and seminars usually take place on Saturday. All the center classes are open to
ASD members (membership fee is 20 euro per year and you become an ASD associate).
For any information please contact us at:
Email: centronamaskar@gmail.com
Phone.+39 335 7738586
SATURDAY WORKSHOPS
They start at 10:15 and
end at 13:00. The yoga studio is on Via Zucchini 8d, a 5 minute walk from the
Bologna Central Railway Station. Bologna is halfway between Florence and Venice
For booking and Info: centronamaskar@gmail.com o 335 77 38 586.
Website: http://namaskarasd.blogspot.com/
EVEN MONTHS
1° Saturday - sequence of 10 key asanas for
good health according to the greatest Masters and classical texts
We will learn some energetic exercises (bandhas) for activating chakras and channels
(nadis), and also the Vinyasa sequence (coordinated on breath) of the 10
fundamental asanas for preserving good health according to the indications of
some of the greatest yoga teachers of the twentieth century (Krishnamacarya,
swami Shivananda) and some very ancient classical yoga texts (hatha yoga
pradipika, Gheranda Samhita) . Some preliminary pranayamas and mudra will be
explained in detail also. Once learned this sequence has to be practiced daily
to fully enjoy its amazing benefits
2° Saturday - 5 Tibetan rites for rejuvenation according the
Tibetan yoga / a secret sadhana for activating nadis and chakras in Tibetan
yoga
We will learn some energetic exercises for
activating chakras and nadis, and also the Vinyasa sequence (based on breath)
of the 5 Tibetan rites for rejuvenation (by stimulating hormonal glands and
nervous plexuses), preserving good health and preparing meditation according to
the ancient Tibetan yoga system. The rituals will be practiced in a single
sequence harmonized with breath (with a special technique to keep it slow,
rhythmic and deep), with muscular contractions (bandha) and dristhi
(gaze). Some preliminary pranayamas, kriyas and mudras will also be
examined in details (nine purifications of the 3 main channels, the three
prostrations, samavritti pranayama, the mother mantra, the final practice of sharing
the merits). Once learned this sequence has to be practiced daily to fully
enjoy its many benefits. The objective of Tibetan yoga is to harmonize one’s
body, energy and mind.
3° Saturday - the sequence for backache and stress
We will learn the basic sequence of some yoga
exercises (postures and breathing) to fight backache and stress, both so
frequent in modern life. Some
relevant pranayamas and mudras will also be examined in details. Once learned,
this 20 minutes sequence has to be practiced daily to enjoy its many benefits.
4° Saturday - the Tibetan yoga of sleep and dream
We will try to understand the relations
between our dreams and our life and how to transform our way of dreaming in
order to conquer our fears, expand our awareness and enrich our life. We will
practice the vajrayana yogic techniques from some ancient Tibetan Buddhist
texts. Some preliminary Pranayamas, Kriyas and Mudras will also be explained in
detail (nine purifications of the 3 main channels, the three prostrations,
samavritti pranayama and Vase breathing, the mother mantra, the practice of
sharing the merits).
ODD MONTHS
1° Saturday - pranayama, bandha and mudra: preparing meditation
We will study and practice some key breathing
exercises and meditation techniques described in the ancient classical yoga
texts (mainly Patanjali ‘s“Yoga Sutra” and Hathayogapradipika). Some
preliminary purification, kriyas and mudras will be examined in detail also
(nine purifications of the 3 main channels, the three Buddhist prostrations,
the samavritti pranayama and the vase breathing, the mother mantra, the
practice of sharing the merits).
2° Saturday - Taoist yoga: microcosmic orbit meditation,
chi kung and taichi chuan sequences for good health
We will learn the basic Taoist meditation of the
microcosmic orbit, the first Buddhist Chi Kung sequence for good health and chi
(Energy) enhancement and yang style first short form of Tai Chi Chuan (called
moving meditation, which can also be called moving medication for its many
health benefits).
3° Saturday - ShatKarmas, Himalayan purification exercises for
health & longevity
SHATKARMA are six exercises for total bodily detox,
working on the different inner organs to harmonize the unbalances in the 3
dosha (kapha, pitta, vata). Their main objective is removing excess mucus
and fat, purify body and nadis, prepare pranayama, treat diseases (HNR) and
promote rejuvenation. Shat Karmas consist of 1) Dhauti; 2) Vasti; 3) Neti 4)
Lauliki or Nauli 5) Trataka 6) Kapalabhati. They can be practiced in a daily or
weekly sequence (Dhauti is the short form of Shank Prashalana, internal
washing) together with other purification techniques and nadi
shuddi to reach the state of Niyama Shauca (purity) quoted by Patanjali in
his Yogasutras.
4° Saturday - introduction to Trulkhor or Tibetan yoga and
Qigong
Trulkhor Yoga is a set of exercises that
increase our energy levels and improve our physical health. These Tibetan yoga
exercises also help us to develop strength and harmony. They work on a subtle
level, purifying and liberating chakras and channels, and preparing us for
meditation. There are many different traditions of Trulkhor Yoga in Tibet. It
is a mindfulness practice with physical movements, breathing methods,
visualizations and meditation simultaneously.
THE TEACHER
Marco has been practicing Yoga, Meditation,
Tai ji and Qi Gong since his university years in Florence in the early ‘80s and
has been teaching classes and workshops in Bologna, Milan and Rome for the last
15 years.
Marco became a certified teacher in 2001: inn Hatha Yoga after a 200-hour
teacher training at Carlo Patrian 's Yoga Institute in Milan. Patrian was the
first to introduce yoga in Italy in the early years after the Second World War.
The training was co-lead by many amazing Indian teachers (mostly from
Shivananda Ashram of Rishikesh and Kaivalyadhama Institute of Lonavla);
-2002 in Tai ji Yang Style with Acsi Coni Milano.
-2003 with Coni Uisp, Bologna, 1 year of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga teacher
training.
-2006 in Qi Gong with Uisp Coni.
-2007 in Postural Pilates with Acsi Coni.
-2008 in Tai ji with Uisp Coni (after many years of training with M°Liu Chun
Yan, direct disciple of Yang chen Duo, and
Shin Dae Woung).
-2013 in Tibetan Yoga with Lama Jampa Ghyatso, after many years of following
his teaching on Tummo and the six yogas of Naropa and Niguma.;
-2013-14 attended two 120h teacher trainings in Yantra Yoga, the Tibetan yoga
of Movement brought to the west by Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche.
He has had the fortune of receiving
initiations and teachings from many gifted teachers from India, China and Tibet
(mainly in Kriya yoga, Tibetan yoga, Tantra yoga and Buddhist yoga).
He has participated in many meditation retreats in different traditions of yoga
(YoginShantananda from Kripula Yoga Ashram of Rishikesh). Vajrayana (H.H. Dalai
Lama, Lama, Geshe Ciampa Ghyatso, Lama Tsultrim, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Namkhai
Norbu Rinpoche, HH Sakya Trinzin and G.Gampo), Vipassana (with John Coleman,
C.Pensa and A.Sumedho) and zen (Thich Nhat Han and Padre Luciano Mazzochi). For
many years he led a meditation group in Bologna.
Marco is a registered teacher in the major
yoga, Tai ji and Qi Gong national associations (YANI -’Associazione
Nazionale Insegnanti Yoga, Uisp –Area Discipline Orientali, EYF-
European Yoga Federation e Acsi-Coni). He contributed to many Yoga
and eastern martial arts magazines with articles, reviews, and, having studied Sanskrit
for some years at Bologna University, translated for the first time some ancient
texts from Tilopa, Matsyendra, Goraksha into Italian.
The style he teaches is the result of many
years of yoga practice in the tradition of classical Hatha Yoga according the
ancient texts (84 Asanas, 8 Pranayamas, 24 Mudras, 6 Kriyas described in Hatha
Yoga Pradipika, Shiva Samhita and Gheranda Samhita), of the dynamic styles
based on breath coordination, such as Ashtanga Vinyasa and Vinyasa karma in the
lineage of Krishnamacarya, and based on the ancient Tibetan Yoga of Mahasiddha
Naropa, Niguma and Padmasambhava.
Marco’s yoga is heart centered and motivated by
the altruistic sankalpa of Bodhicitta. It fuses Asana, Pranayama and
Meditation. Marco feels it is quintessential to focus on three major points in
the practice which are in order of importance: 1) Citta, or state of mind,
which can involve use of mantras, outer gazes and visualizations, 2) vak,
maintaining slow and deep breath to connect the Asanas and the transition
movements (Vinyasa), and 3) kaya, proper alignment of the body and the spine,
in order to create through the bandhas (energy locks) the proper space in the
body to let the Prana flow through the major Nadis, or energy channels.
Visualization of channels, perception of Prana and Purification of body and
mind, are an ongoing process which increases and becomes more and more active
through regular practice.
The class includes Pranayama (control of Prana
or energy through the art of breathing), bandhas (energy locks to concentrate
Prana in some areas of the body), mudras (gestures which help channel energy to
parts of the body) and dhyana (or meditation, the yoga of the mind).
Marco has many years of experience in teaching private English and
French classes to expatriates.
Location: Namaskar is situated in the center of
Bologna, Via Zucchini 8 / d (between Via Mascarella and Via Irnerio), adjacent
to the University area, near the central
station and bus station and easily reachable by many buses and trains If you come by car you can park for free
after 6 pm on nearby Via Muggia or Via
Barozzi .
Email: centronamaskar@gmail.com
Website http://namaskarasd.blogspot.com/
Cell: 335-77 38 586
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