Going to Manju Jois' TT in Rethymno, Crete August 2013

I came across a post from last year in which I was trying to decide between Richard Freeman's workshop in London and Manju's TT in Crete. Last year financial responsibility won out and I went to Richard's workshop which was excellent, you can read about it in this post.

http://grimmly2007.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/richard-freeman-five-day-intensive.html

and this Guest post

http://grimmly2007.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/guest-post-three-attendees-of-richard.html

This year I had a similar dilemma, the same TT in Crete with Manju or a slightly shorter four day version in Manchester or an even shorter three day workshop in London. This time financial responsibility went straight out the window, flight and hotel are booked and I'm on my way to sunny Crete in August.


M. is coming too. The workshop starts early and finishes early so M. and I can have the rest of the day. This is our first period of time away together ( other than the odd mini break) for years, found a reasonable hotel close enough to the shala for a pre and post practice swim, it even has a little balcony looking out over the sea, perfect.

A big thank you though to Andrea Everingham for sending me information about the course in Manchester as well as transport and accommodation links etc.

Andrea Everingham

Here's some details about the Manchester TT course with Manju at OneYoga in manchester in case your tempted.

More on Stillpoint here

And while on the topic of Ashtanga in London, there's this coming up

which relates to this

Ashtanga Yoga in London Victoria (moving to City of London in May) with Adam Keen

The Light Centre is opening a new location in the City at 168 London Wall between Moorgate and Liverpool St Stations.  Adam will be teaching early morning Mysore Monday to Thursday with a led class on Friday in the bright new studio, there are showers and a cafe serving breakfast, coffee, smoothies etc.
Susan Bysh will also be teaching Ashtanga Led Classes Monday and Thursday evenings.  For more information see The Light Centre Moorgate.
Special Intro Offer £15 for 5 Classes

New students take advantage of 5 classes for only £15, contact the Light Centre for details.

Intensive Teacher Training Course
with Manju P. Jois
12-18 August 2013


I was asked earlier today on fb why I had chosen a TT with Manju and if I had taken any course with him before, this was my off the top of my head reply.

'No never have but read several interviews with him and workshop reports, some friends have. 
He seems to stress an integrated practice, asana, pranayama, meditation and within the Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga context that I find appealing, also there seems to be more a '...this is how I learned from my father' rather than this is correct or not correct. Ramaswami is like that too. He's not telling you this is the right way necessarily but just that this was how his teacher taught him. I like that. 
Also as with this quote about the Sury's (below), Manju was taught by his father in the 50's and 60's, before the American students came, I find that an interesting period. 
It's not so much about the TT aspect either but rather the chance of spending a week rather than 3, 4 or 5 days. Same with Ramaswami most of us were there to study with him for a month rather than to get a piece of paper. 
And of course if Manju had wanted to return to India this is how everyone would practice in Mysore now, that's an interesting thought, slightly different focus to the practice perhaps, not necessarily better but differentt'.

from this interview

And it's Crete, I used to live in a cave in Crete, in old Falasarnia back in my twenties (thirties too actually), be like going home.


(actually the poem is called  Education but somebody gave it to me and it always reminds me of Crete and my cave).

The Crete workshop is Organised by Kristina Karitinou and is in the beautiful old town of Rethymno





I have three months to tighten up my Primary, immerse myself in it, dwell in it. Recently I've been practicing 2nd series in the morning and some Asymmetric Vinyasa Krama subroutines in the evening leading into my main pranayama and meditation practice. This week I switched them back around again, hot sweaty Primary in the morning with the first half of 2nd in the evening in it's Vinyasa Krama manifestation of Bow and Meditative (vajrasana) subroutines.
I'm now alternating practicing with Manju's DVD ( the led class where everybody repeats the Sanskrit count along with the names of the asana and drishti), one morning practicing along with that, the next without and so on through the week.

My Primary is still OK, less flashy, simple, I'm enjoying it. Manju doesn't give a count while your in the posture so I can get three long slow breaths in. But Ashtanga, it's like a steamroller and 'though my breath and heart stay steady I'm sweating like crazy, buckets, kilo's. Now I'm up in Nietzsche's old room I can keep the heat in and I'm feeling it, first time in ages I've been wanting to take a Saturday off and this morning I was checking to see if it might just happen to be a moon day today, no such luck.

Loving it.

Perhaps some posts to come on revisiting Primary. I've never really stopped practicing it of course (on Friday's at least) but it's morphed somewhat into my own version of it, influenced by my Vinyasa Krama practice and reading of Krishnamacharya's Yoga makaranda and Yogasanagalu. Here though I'm kind of going back to straight 'by the book' (but Manju's book) Primary for the next four to six months at least and perhaps seeing the Vinyasa Krama etc. already in it as well as those echoes of Krishnamacharya's Yoga makaranda.

I think I've always sought to find a consistency in these two periods of Krishnamacharya's teaching as reflected in Vinyasa krama and Ashtanga, never liked the idea of one or the other, or that one is better or worse than the other. Manju seems to be a good lead for finding that.

The outline of the course below is from a different place but seems to be pretty standard for Manju's TT course, the one in Crete is a little longer though, Six to Seven days.

"This five training will present the Ashtanga yoga series and traditions in their purest form, providing a rare and privileged opportunity for beginners and experienced practitioners alike to learn from a genuine Indian master.

Manju Jois uses only the ancient practices, offering truly authentic guidance for all who wish to follow Ashtanga's life enriching path to Enlightenment.

In this intensive, Manju will introduce and teach the powerful healing elements and techniques that make up the Ashtanga system, including:

The traditional Ashtanga yoga practice, a series of asanas (postures) known as The Primary Series or Yoga Chikista (Yoga Healing), followed by the Intermediate Series entitled Nadi Shodhana (Nerve Cleansing).

Daily practice of the asanas purifies the mind and body while healing the nervous system.

Manju, using the original Sanskrit so that students will benefit from the traditional form, will then teach the Nadi Shodhana Pranayamas breathing exercises.

After this the students will practice Vedic peace chants (Shanti Mantras).

Each day will conclude with meditation practice.

Manju Jois's dedicated life-long mission is to provide training for students and teachers in the traditions of authentic Indian yoga. He is honored therefore to be able to offer guidance to all who wish to learn and benefit from Ashtanga yoga's ancient and time-honored practices.

By the end of the week, students should be able to present the Primary Series in the traditional way (using Sanskrit commands) as well as teach some fundamental pranayamas and chants.

A certificate of participation will be issued after the completion of the course(s)".

Course outline from here http://www.yogamind.com/workshop-manju_jois-teacher.shtml

I found a  couple of videos online of the course in Crete from a year or two ago