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CLASS DESCRIPTIONS

JIVAMUKTI OPEN (95min)

Whether you're a beginner, deciphering the difference between vrksasana (tree) and sirshasana (headstand) or an advanced yogi who can put both feet behind their head, the Jivamukti Open class welcomes you, as it is open to practitioners of all levels. You work at your own pace, following the teacher's verbal as well as hands-on guidance. Asana options will be provided for beginners, intermediate and advanced students. A typical Open class incorporates the five tenets of Jivamukti Yoga: shastra (scripture), bhakti (devotion), ahimsa (kindness), nada (music) and dhyana (meditation) by presenting classical yoga teachings as relevant to one's life on and off the mat, drawn from the Focus of the Month essay, supported by chanting, breath awareness, flowing vinyasa sequences, alignment exploration, hands-on assistance, relaxation and meditation. All Open classes include 14 points—asanas, meditation and spiritual teachings—in a sequence creatively designed by the teacher. Exuberant, eclectic music plays an integral role: you might practice to a shifting soundtrack of ragas, global trance, hip-hop, spoken word, George Harrison, Sting, Krishna Das, Donna de Lory, Michael Franti, Bill Laswell, Alice Coltrane and Mozart. The class is called "Open" because it is open and suitable to all levels of practitioner. Even so, beginning level students should know that there will not be much detailed "how to do" descriptions; for that a student is advised to attend a Basic or Medium Class.

JIVAMUKTI OPEN XL (120min)

Every Saturday, 5pm-7pm @ Jivamukti XBerg and every Sunday 5pm-7pm @ Jivamukti XBerg: An extra long (120min) Jivamukti Open Class where we have more time to dive deeper into specific aspects of the Jivamukti Yoga method and to work in detail on more advanced asanas. Despite this class being ca. 30% longer than the regular classes, we only charge our regular class prices for it. However, we kindly ask for additional voluntary donations (ca. 1-5€) for our friends at SETTERBURG - A sanctuary for old, ill and unwanted hunting dogs from kilings stations in Southern Europe (www.setterburg.de) who, among many others, already saved the 3 Jivamukti Berlin dogs Arvi, Sammy & Mimi. In some rare cases, when OpenXL classes are taught by special guest teachers who especially come to Berlin to teach here, there is a mandatory supplemental charge of 5-10 EUR instead of the donation in order to finance the visit of the guest teacher . These will be announced under events. JIVAMUKTI BASIC (95min) Each Jivamukti Basic class is part of a four-week fundamentals course that explores a different theme each week. Week one (=day 1.-7. of the month): standing asanas; week two(=day 8.-14. of the month): forward bending asanas; week three(=day 15.-21. of the month):backward bending asanas; week four(=day 21.-31. of the month): inversions, meditation and "putting it all together." Whereas in the Medium and Open class vinyasa is emphasized, in the Basic class alignment is the emphasis. Students are taught "how to do" asanas as well as the use of props. The Basic Class provides the underlying structure to help a student be able to eventually enter into an Open class intelligently and safely. Beginners are encouraged to eventually take all four weeks of the Basic course at least once and repeat if needed. Intermediate and advanced students will also benefit from exploring the alignment essentials presented in these classes. It is not necessary to start with week 1 but students can drop into any class at any time during the month and can also take as many classes as they want each week. This class is suitable for beginners, but open to all levels of practitioners, namely also as a refresher for alignemnt questions if you have already been going to Open classes for a while.

RESTORATIVE CLASS (95min)

The Restorative Class at Jivamukti Berlin is designed to give you an opportunity to relax, settle into your own body and shift into being mode. This slower moving class is deeply rooted in the tradition of restorative poses as they have been taught at Jivamukti Yoga teacher training for years and is intended to take the mindfulness that is found in our more dynamic and faster moving Jivamukti classes to another level. While this class is also about centering of breath and body, aligning the physical and the mental is achieved here by practicing stillness, gentle movements and holding the asanas (yoga poses) for extended periods of time. One might say that the body is less and the mind is more challenged because in Restorative Yoga, the main emphasis lies on awareness while holding a pose for longer periods of time than you would in an Open class for instance. Thus it is a perfect complement to the dynamic Jivamukti classes that emphasize on creating internal heat and on the lengthening and contracting of our muscles. Restorative Yoga targets the connective tissues of the hips, pelvis, and lower spine. Deep restorative work improves range of motion and joint mobility, reduces pain and the effects of stress. This practice is designed to restore the nervous system and to help release deeply held tensions from the body and mind. We use props to support the postures, while gently stretching and strengthening the body. Restorative yoga is appropriate for students of all levels including absolute beginners, advanced practitioners as well as in case of injuries or after pregnancy. Everyone will get a great chance to ground and settle down occasionally in this class, while still being able to experience the essential key elements of a traditional Jivamukti Yoga class.

JIVAMUKTI OPEN(M) (95min)

The Jivamukti Open(M) contains all the essential key elements of a classic Jivamukti Open class (see below), but with the only difference that in the (M) version, the classes are a bit slower in speed and tad less difficult in terms of the practice. This means they are perfect for everyone who wants to progress step-by-step from the Jivamukti Basic classes to our classic faster moving Jivamukti Open classes. Or for anyone who - once in a while - is looking for a bit slower, less challenging Open class. And they are also perfect if you are already going to Open but want to work more detailed on specific asanas or sequences to further refine your practice! A detailed exploration into the sequences you will find in a classic Jivamukti Open class with more explanations than in a classic Open class. A strong emphasis on balancing, inversions and unlocking the secrets to more "advance" postures. With the use of wall and prop work, this is a great class to empower, connect, and challenge you. You'll always leave feeling elevated and you did more than you thought you could. And there is always the opportunity to ask questions during our Jivamukti Open(M) classes.

JIVAMUKTI SPIRITUAL WARRIOR (60min)

Jivamukti Spiritual Warrior classes are designed for busy people who only have an hour to practice. The class is fast paced and invigorating and is certainly a "get-in-shape" class. The structure is a fixed set sequence instructed in a vinyasa style. It is a fully balanced class which includes asana warm-up, chanting, setting of intention, surya namaskar, standing poses, backbends, forward bends, twists, inversions, meditation and relaxation. The teacher focuses on keeping the pace moving and does not stop to give spiritual discourses. Since the asana sequence is always the same, a student will pick it up quite quickly after only a couple of classes. In many Jivamukti Yoga Centers this class is also offered as the International Spiritual Warrior class, which is taught in languages other than the national language of the country while maintaining standard Sanskrit terminology, making it a wonderful language immersion experience. You could actually learn another language by taking this class regularly. Many yoga teachers find that they learn essential key terms in other languages to enable them to teach yoga in foreign countries. Spiritual Warrior and International Spiritual Warrior Classes are best for intermediate and advanced students, although beginners as well as anyone with a sense of adventure are welcome! Spiritual Warrior classes are one hour in length.