2H worskhop Hatha Raja Yoga with Virginia Gimeno Folgado and Sandra Lafuente

January 14, 10 to 12

All levels.

Hatha Raja Yoga combines physical postures with breathing, visualization, concentration, and meditation. The practice integrates the matter (hatha) with the subtle (raja). To the same extent that you perform the asanas, you activate your attention on your breath and visualize its flow and, therefore, the flow of energy. Each posture has a consciousness, a focus. Breathing not only helps you release tensions and blockages expressed in the physical, but also connects you with that consciousness. That connection is deepened with the help of visualization. This is how with the body you enter deeper layers of the mind and, even, you can transcend it and reach, therefore, states of deep presence.

Each session begins with breathing and purification techniques (pranayama and kriya), continues with the core practice of hatha raja yoga (sun salutation, vinyasa, asanas integrated with breath awareness and visualization) and ends with deep relaxation of at least 30 minutes called Yoga Nidra or psychic or yogi sleep. It is a guided meditation/relaxation in which the practitioners are lying down, and in which the body, mind and senses go into a deep rest, but the consciousness is present and observes. When we return from Yoga Nidra we will close with a small meditation, sit down. That is the basic structure of each session, but the energy of the group can indicate variations and adaptations that are intuitively required. Everyone the level are wellcome. It is recommended that you bring a mat. Blankets will be needed to cover yourself during Yoga Nidra and to support your head to rest your skull.

At nunArt we have both mats and blankets for common use for those who need it.

VIRGÍNIA GIMENO FOLGADO

Parallel to her career as a dancer and dance teacher, Virgínia Gimeno has trained to teach Yoga at the Yogaia school in Barcelona, where she shares her traditional Hata Raja practice with her students. She made her debut in 1999 as a dancer at the Gran Teatre del Liceu at its reopening after the fire. In 2001 she joined the young ITDansa company, directed by Catherine Allard, where she interpreted pieces by choreographers such as Rui Horta, Wim Vandekeybus, Jirií Kylian, Jo Stromgren, Gustavo Ramírez and Nacho Duato. Later she danced for two years in Lanónima Imperial, directed by Juan Carlos García. During his freelance career he has worked with directors such as La Fura dels Baus, Núria Espert, Àlex Rigola, Gilbert de Flo, Harry Kupfer, Laurent Pelly, David McVicar, Mario Gas, Jean Michel Guy and choreographers such as Ramón Oller, Philip Egli, Liz Roche, Michael Keegan-Dolan, Maria Rovira, Opiyo Okach or Volmer Cordeiro. From 2007 to 2017 she was part of the regular cast of the Gelabert-Azzopardi company, directed by Cesc Gelabert and Lydia Azzopardi (Barcelona), and of the Steptextdanceproject, directed by Helge Letonja (Bremen). A few years ago, Virgínia entered the world of choreographic creation by forming the company ADOCTRINADES and she has an artistic co-creation project with Rober Gómez. His experience as a teacher began in 2003 at the Lanónima Imperial company and to date he has taught at Steptextdanceproject, Tanční Centrum Praha, ProArt MagDanza, ArtDance International Dance Program, Espai Físic, NunArt, CDC Center de Dansa de Catalunya, SaNau, Escola Sunion, Estudi Isadora, Brians II Penitentiary Center and the Autonomous University of Barcelona.

SANDRA LAFUENTE

She began practicing yoga in her city, Caracas, in 2006. From there she naturally evolved into teaching this discipline, which she dedicated herself to regularly for 10 years, in Caracas, Madrid and Barcelona. She specialized in Hatha Raja Yoga with the teachings of Dharma Mittra and Andrei Ram, in continuous training with them between 2010 and 2019. From both she received yogi names: Yogini Padma and SatyaRama. She also shared Yoga Nidra sessions at Yogaia in Barcelona. The available body of yoga led her to contemporary dance, which for her is as profound a practice of presence as that. Sandra has also been a journalist, editor and writer for almost 30 years.