Vinyasa Krama Yoga
Amsterdam
Irene teaches Vinyasa Krama group classes at Tula Yogastudios. To be sure of a spot it's always best to book via the studio website.
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Vinyasa Krama means flowing movement in steps or stages. In a Vinyasa Krama yoga class, you’ll be guided through set sequences of yoga poses developed carefully over several decades by the internationally renowned yoga teacher Matthew Sweeney. Each set sequence has a unique style and energy, with the possibility of adapting parts of the sequence to best suit each individual. In Vinyasa Krama we balance consistency (practicing a relatively set sequence of yoga poses) with creativity and individual adaptation of the sequence to meet what you need and feel on a particular day.
At Tula Yogastudios you can learn to practice the Moon Sequence, Sunshine Sequence, Pranayama, and Meditation. The Sunshine and Moon sequences are two complementary sequences that work well together to combine active and passive, dynamic and gentle, focused and releasing, yin and yang. By integrating the two opposites of Sun and Moon, you can find more balance in your body, breath, and mind.
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You can find out more about each Vinyasa Krama yoga sequence below.
Vinyasa Krama Schedule
Wednesdays
7:00 Vinyasa Krama (Self Practice) @ Tula Westerpark
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Saturdays
10:30 Vinyasa Krama (Led) @ Tula Westerpark
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Sundays
8:30 Vinyasa Krama (Led) @ Tula Bos en Lommer
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You can also book an in-person or online private yoga for individuals and groups of friends, family, or colleagues.
The Moon Sequence, Chandra Krama
The Moon Sequence (Chandra Krama) is a gentle and slow vinyasa flowing sequence that includes some active yoga postures (that are held for around 5 breaths) and some more gentle yoga postures (that are held for around 10-20 breaths).
The Moon Sequence is made up of a series of yoga poses focused on hip and shoulder openers, while still being a well-rounded complete practice. Often the led-classes will introduce pranayama breathing techniques to use during your physical practice. Along with core warm ups, moon salutations (with no Plank Pose), standing poses, seated forward bends and hip openers, shoulder openers and backbends, and relaxing restorative poses.
Throughout the practice you will be guided to focus on relaxing and easing into the postures and finding options that feel appropriate for your body. During a led-class of the Moon Sequence class you’ll be encouraged to use your breath as a guide to how deep you go in your physical yoga practice and explore practicing yoga postures at around 70% of your maximum effort. Each led class will have a slightly different focus and sometimes include different yoga poses from the sequence.
This Moon Sequence can be a great supportive sequence to practice once or twice a week. And is useful to find balance from other days where you might choose to practice a more dynamic yoga practice. The Moon Sequence is also a helpful tool to ease into finding more softness, releasing tension and stress, letting go, and helping to prepare you to be able to sit quietly for pranayama breathing techniques and meditation. It is a great practice to balance a more dynamic yoga practice like the Sunshine Sequence, or other active yoga practices like Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga.
The Sunshine Sequence, Atapa Krama
The Sunshine Sequence (Atapa Krama) is a more dynamic vinyasa flowing sequence that includes a series of active yoga postures (that are held for around 5 breaths) and linked together through sun salutations. There are some similarities to the Primary Series in Ashtanga, Vinyasa All-Level and Vinyasa Strong Flow classes, but with some different adaptations to the order and yoga poses that are practiced to suit different constitutions.
The Sunshine Sequence is made up of a series of yoga poses focused on sun salutations (with the option to add jumps), standing poses, forward bends, hip openers, shoulder openers, upper body strength, backbends, and the use of props such as blocks and the wall. Throughout the practice you will be guided to keep a slow and flowing breath and to find options that feel appropriate for your body.
During a led-class of the Sunshine Sequence class you’ll be encouraged to use your breath as a guide to how deep you go in your physical yoga practice. Seeing if you can keep a smooth and steady inhale and exhale, while flowing dynamically through your yoga practice. This might sound relatively simple but to breath freely in challenging yoga postures isn’t so easy in practice!
The Sunshine Sequence is a great practice to do regularly to help you create heat, strength, and flexibility. While also having some focus on slowing down your breath and movement, so that you can flow meditatively through an active yoga practice. It is great to also balance with a more gentle, calming practice like the Moon Sequence, Vinyasa Slow-Flow, Yin-Yang or Yin yoga.
Pranayama and Meditation
In each Vinyasa Krama led-class you will be introduced to a short practice of a pranayama breathing technique and meditation. We also have a dedicated Pranayama and Meditation class that includes some gentle yoga warm ups to help you sit more comfortably, a pranayama breathing series of practices, meditation and relaxation.
Just like with the physical yoga (asana, yoga posture) focused classes of the Moon Sequence and Sunshine Sequence, in Vinyasa Krama we work with set sequences and consistent Pranayama techniques that can be adapted to each individual’s needs.
During the Pranayama dedicated classes, and the physical yoga classes of Moon Sequence and Sunshine Sequence you will be guided through one foundational Pranayama technique at a time that is focused on improving physically how you breath (during yoga practice and in everyday life) and helping you reduce stress and find more quietness so that Pranayama can be used as a stepping stone towards Meditation.
In the dedicated Pranayama and Meditation class you will also be introduced to physical warm up practices and guidance on how to sit tall and comfortably. As well as support Pranayama practices, restorative and gentle relaxation yoga postures and techniques.
Vinyasa Krama Teaching Principles
Here you can find the general principles that are behind the Vinyasa Krama yoga approach to teaching and practicing:
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Non-harming: be of benefit and cause no harm
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Autonomy: you, the yoga practitioner has the right to reject any instruction
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Respect: both the teacher and the yoga practitioner treat each other with respect
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Informed consent: as the yoga practitioner you will be informed as much as possible about the practice and technique in advance
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Justice: fair treatment of everyone regardless of age, ability, race, or gender
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In the future we intend to expand our offerings of Vinyasa Krama at Tula Yogastudios with Self-Practice classes that offer a more personalised and step-by-step approach to learning these sequences. The benefit of Self Practice that you can adapt them to suit what your body needs most and what you’re most interested in learning.
