Master Class: Chakras with Gerald Lopez
Gerald Lopez is an Ayurvedic consultant, yoga teacher and facilitator for this workshop on chakras – the subtle energy centres within the body – which are keys to understanding spiritual development, health and psychology.
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Master Class: Chakras 1
Date:…………..Sunday 24 June
Time:…………..9am – noon
Cost:……………$55
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Master Class: Chakras 2
Date:……………Saturday 30 June
Time:……………1:30pm – 4:30pm
Cost:…………….$55
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Deals
Sign up for both courses before 14 June and pay $50 each or $85 for both.
After 14 June sign up for both Master Classes and pay only $95.
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To enrol in these courses, please fill in this form online.
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Where did you learn about chakras?
I have known about the chakras for a long time, but I deepened my understanding with Swami Shantimurti in the late 90s, and when I did my yoga teacher training at Ashram Yoga in 2000. Since then I have studied with a variety of teachers and chakras have been a part of my regular yoga practice.
I have run workshops on the chakras at various places, including the Prana Festival. They’ve been very successful and people really enjoy the insights they get from the workshops.
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What is the benefit of knowing about the chakras?
Chakras offer you a language to better understand yourself and others. They help you to understand yourself on a physical level because the chakras relate to different physical organs and functions of the body. This gives you many options for healing.
They also explain how people work on a mental and energetic level. This is really helpful in relationships because you can perceive where a person is coming from and then act accordingly. It gives you perspective and allows you to step back and not judge people. This perspective alone is very liberating.
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What can you tell by just looking at someone?
Lots. People’s behaviour tells a lot about them. If you know about chakras then you know where they’re coming from. For example, if someone is acting excessively out of fear – in “survival mode” – then you can be sure that there is a Muladhara Chakra (Base Energy Centre) issue. And you would know that exercises for muladhara would really help them to bring balance and elevate that energy.
The chakras are a lot like a language because they give you the ability to describe people and make distinctions. It increases your vocabulary and gives you a framework that makes sense of people.
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Do benefits come quickly?
Yes, sometimes. It depends on how strong the imbalance is and how ready the person is for change. The practices can include meditating on the chakras with visualisations, or working with the elements. There are also seed sounds (bija mantras) that you can work with. Yoga postures and breathing techniques are excellent for focusing energy on a particular area. There are lots of options.
Let’s say you have a problem in your throat. What are you going to do? Take a pill, have surgery? Perhaps, but I would advise you to do exercises that improve the energy or prana in the throat chakra (vishuddhi chakra). This can make a huge difference in a safe and holistic way. Very often the body can heal itself just by shifting energy with chakra awareness.
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Is there a correlation between chakras and Kundalini?
Yes, definitely. They both relate to your energetic body – called the pranamayakosha. If you want to awaken the Kundalini energy for your spiritual development, then it really helps to have a firm understanding of the chakras and the whole subtle body system. Then you know how to make this process as smooth as possible.
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What will your Master Class 1 cover?
This is a fun, practical, and very profound workshop; introducing people to the idea of chakras so they start getting a sense of what chakras are about.
We will look at the symbology around the chakras – colours and shapes – to make it easier to conceive of them and visualise them. We will learn practices using sounds; and simple yoga postures (asanas) that help to activate the different chakras. We will experience Yoga Nidra (guided relaxation) to balance all the main chakras.
We will explore how chakras can be used practically; for physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health.
The class will be very useful for yoga instructors, health practitioners, counselors, and for anyone interested in increasing their self-awareness and helping others.
In Master Class: Chakras 2, we will look further into the Tantric symbology, and explore the chakras on a deeper and more esoteric level. For this Master Class, participation in Master Class 1 is advised.
