The Yoga of the Mahamudra: Balance of Body, Clarity of Mind

Will Johnson

In the Tibetan tradition, mahamudra refers to the “enlightened clarity of mind,” but clarity of mind requires a balanced body, so the Yoga of the Mahamudra is a series of “somatic koans” (body riddles) whose exploration can lead us to both greater balance and greater clarity of mind: feeling sensation in every cell, standing as tall as possible while remaining as relaxed as possible, surrendering to the movement that wants to occur at every joint, and breathing throughout, while all the time remaining aware of sound, vision, sensations and identity. Primarily through exploring tadasana, the standing posture, as a platform for spontaneous movement, we will delve into how the principles of Mahamudra Yoga can then be applied to all activities from hatha yoga asanas to improvisational dance to sitting meditation.

Note: For beginning and advanced meditators alike.

A HALF-DAY WORKSHOP
Saturday, November 21, 4–6pm
09FSI71S
Members: $25 / Nonmembers: $30

Will Johnson will also be teaching:
11/20/09: The Ecstatic Gazing Practices of Rumi
11/21/09, 10am–2pm: The Posture of Meditation

Will Johnson, the director of The Institute for Embodiment Training in British Columbia, is the author of several books on body-oriented meditation, including Balance of Body, Balance of Mind, The Posture of Meditation and Yoga of the Mahamudra, as well as several books about the practices of the Sufi mystic Rumi, including The Spiritual Practices of Rumi and The Forbidden Rumi. www.embodiment.net