# Practice Club
![[PC - Banner.jpg]]
Membership community with live streaming classes with mentorship in movement, breath work, meditation & yoga philosophy to live your best life.
## Class Structure
Primary Classes: 10–12/month
- Movement Lab (75 min, 1×/week)
- Mind Lab (45 min, 1×/week)
- Philosophy Studio (75 min, 1× or biweekly)
- Breath Lab (30 min, every other week)
- Circle Day (once/month)
## Practice Club Outcomes
Mentorship toward 3 outcomes: Yogic Lifestyle, Yogic Career, Yogic Mastery
## Important Links
- [PC Drive Folder](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RHFPzFBRImVvwq7vzTKlHlNYSIexxXJ1)
- [YouTube Playlist — YSIxAY Practice Club: Записи](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2dypy5zmBw9zKyNRrHYDI4fag1bnF1E2)
- Catalog (Google Sheets)
<iframe src="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18H6o1B5Rl9LyTFvkSnrau3UlrXRcdh0KKDPSyAyYJJY/preview" width="100%" height="500px" frameborder="0"></iframe>
## Culture
### Laws of the Land
1. Keep your camera on whenever possible.
We're here as a community, not as anonymous squares. Seeing each other creates connection and accountability.
2. Reduce distractions.
Put your phone away, close extra tabs, and give yourself permission to be fully present. No scrolling while you practice.
3. Maintain a steady pace.
Balance is everything: avoid extremes of pushing too hard or checking out completely. Sustainable effort matters more than perfection.
4. Commit to regular practice.
Come to live sessions when you can. If you miss one, watch the recording. Consistency is where transformation happens.
5. Be ready to do the work.
We may offer homework, journaling, or self-reflection practices. They're not "extra credit" – they're part of integrating what you learn.
6. Be accountable.
Track your progress honestly in your practice journal. It's okay to have ups and downs, but stay engaged with your process. Like a bundle of pencils/sticks, we are unbreakable when we are together.
7. Show up as you are.
You don't need to be perfect or "ready." You just need to be here.
Together, we're creating a space of sincerity, curiosity, and steady growth.
Let's build it with care.
## Outcomes
- **Students served:** 98
- **Teacher growth:** 5 teachers developed curriculum
- **Total Classes:** 226 videos recorded and uploaded to YouTube
- **Sadhana Plans Submitted & Translated:** 14
- **Telegram Practice Journal Messages:** 4,437
- **Telegram Discussion Messages:** 1,794
- **Circle Days:** 11
- **Retreats** (cumulative days of solo retreats): 28
| Class | # Classes | Duration (min) | Class Hours | Avg Participants | Avg Group Practice Hours |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Movement Lab | 46 | 75 | 57.5h | 18 | 1035 |
| Mind Lab | 50 | 45 | 37.5h | 25 | 938 |
| Breathe Lab | 22 | 30 | 11h | 8 | 88 |
| Philosophy Lab | 23 | 75 | 28.75h | 15 | — |
| **Total** | **141** | | **134.75h** | | **2,492h** |
![[PC - Schedule.jpg]]
---
# Movement Lab
![[PC - Movement Lab Banner.jpg]]
**Learning Objective:** Outer methods for meditative state and subtle body sensitivity
- Surya Namaskar (7 classes)
- Vayu Sadhanas (5 × 5 vayus = 25 classes)
## Surya Namaskar Sadhana
**Learning Objectives:** Using a 24-posture flow, students will learn the foundational techniques that support expertise in controlling the five vayus.
**Key Concepts:**
- **Sanskrit** — cues for all essentials in Sanskrit
- **Posture (Asana)** — 8 postures, 24 movements, 10 rounds
- **Breath (Pranayama)** — inhale, exhale, suspension
- **Alignment (Bandha)** — activation & alignment
- **Count (Vinyasa)** — 1-2-3-4, 2-3-4-5-6-7-8
- **Gaze (Drishti)** — gaze points
- **Resolution (Mantra)** — Gayatri
Assess your progress in stability, strength, flexibility.
PPT:
<iframe src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1refY49LcdY_88fbNJkxGo3OEp1YOHC2818lxRICjy3I/embed?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000" width="640" height="389" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Manual:
<div style="position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-top: 129.4118%;
padding-bottom: 0; box-shadow: 0 2px 8px 0 rgba(63,69,81,0.16); margin-top: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.9em; overflow: hidden;
border-radius: 8px; will-change: transform;">
<iframe loading="lazy" style="position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0; border: none; padding: 0;margin: 0;"
src="https://www.canva.com/design/DAG4-d09MBQ/NdZvYLJCy_6XA0Z6sHflqg/view?embed" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" allow="fullscreen">
</iframe>
</div>
<a href="https://www.canva.com/design/DAG4-d09MBQ/NdZvYLJCy_6XA0Z6sHflqg/view?utm_content=DAG4-d09MBQ&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=embeds&utm_source=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vinyasa Essentials I</a>
### Homework
**Week 1 — Posture Names + Breathing**
- Surya Namaskar: 5 days this week
- Find a suitable place to practice
- Complete your max rounds or go to failure
- First Rounds: one movement, many breaths
- Middle Rounds: focus on Sanskrit posture names + breathing cues
- Last Rounds: long exhales
- Take a long, relaxing shavasana
- Report each day in the practice journal
**Week 2 — Count**
- Surya Namaskar: 5 days this week
- Complete your max rounds or go to failure, increase by 1 round this week
- First Rounds: one movement, many breaths
- Middle Rounds: focus on Sanskrit counting
- Last Rounds: 4:8 breathing
- Take a long, relaxing shavasana
- Report each day in the practice journal
**Week 3 — Ujjayi**
- Surya Namaskar: 5 days this week
- Complete your max rounds or go to failure, increase by 1 round this week
- First Rounds: breathing with the diaphragm — allow 2–3 full rounds of breath per posture, focus on diaphragm moving freely in and out
- Middle Rounds: 3 Part Breathing — 4:4 breathing (4 count inhale, 4 count exhale), 1 breath movement per posture; Inhale: diaphragm, ribs, chest; Exhale: chest, ribs, diaphragm
- Last Rounds: whole body breathing — Inhale: feel expansion, lengthening into posture (lengthen without stiffening); Exhale: feel slight contraction, pulling on posture (pull without hardening)
- Report each day in the practice journal
**Week 4 — Bandha**
- Surya Namaskar: 5 days this week
- Complete your max rounds or go to failure, increase by 1 round this week
- First Rounds: focus on Bandha, aligning & activating the body
- Middle Rounds: focus on allowing the diaphragm to move freely
- Last Rounds: 4:8 breathing
- Report each day in the practice journal
**Week 5 — Drishti**
- Surya Namaskar: 5 days this week
- Complete your max rounds or go to failure, increase by 1 round this week
- First Rounds: focus on drishti, tracking the gaze of the eyes
- Middle Rounds: focus on drishti
- Last Rounds: 4:8 breathing
- Report each day in the practice journal
Bring your drishti (view) to how the practice is affecting you in each of the three spheres:
- **Psychophysical** — How does it help your body and mind?
- **Philosophical** — How is it affecting your worldview? Are you orientating yourself differently?
- **Political/Social** — How does it change your interaction with the world? With others?
## Vyana Vayu Sadhana
**Pre-recorded Class:**
[Vyana Vayu Sadhana with Benji (09.25) - YouTube](https://youtu.be/I8qxfKpA7Tg?si=JseqywjqAaAwPB1p)
**Manual:**
[Site Unreachable](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1arVDUMH_lMU6SupkTGQewI7tgHygGXEM/view?usp=drive_link)
### Homework
**Vyana Vayu Homework 1**
- Practice the sadhana 5 days this week
- Use the Vayu Sadhana manual and pre-recorded video
- Dynamic postures: begin with 5 counts, end with 8 counts
- Static postures: 8 rounds of breaths
- Track your progress in the Practice Journal
**Vyana Vayu Homework 2–4**
- Practice the sadhana 5 days this week
- Use the Vayu Sadhana manual, pre-recorded video and this week's replay
- Dynamic postures: begin with 5 counts, end with 8 counts
- Increase the number of static poses for two breath cycles
- Track your progress in the Practice Journal
## Apana Vayu Sadhana
Pre-recorded class:
<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TQ1OczndlN6I3WfUMMGj5HtJRzptv2E5/preview" width="640" height="360" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Manual:
<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Eh412JEFm4UshEMmRV8B7Y9axI7XA5-r/preview" width="640" height="800"></iframe>
### Homework
**Apana Vayu Homework 1**
- Practice the sadhana 5 days this week
- Use the sadhana manual and pre-recorded video
- Dynamic postures: begin with 5 counts, end with 8 counts
- Static postures: 8 rounds of breaths
- Throughout the series, check in with letting go. Where are you holding on? Where are you letting go? Include a focus on shavasana and releasing tonic tension.
- Track your progress in the Practice Journal
**Apana Vayu Homework 2**
- Practice the sadhana 5 days this week
- Now that you are letting go, where can you add? What will you plant in the holes you've made?
- Dynamic postures: begin with 5 counts, end with 8 counts
- Increase the number of static poses for two breath cycles
- Track your progress in the Practice Journal
**Apana Vayu Homework 3**
- Practice the sadhana 5 days this week
- Begin to deepen into and enjoy Mahamudrasana; even before entering the pose, set the intention to apply Mahamudra while in the posture using inner and outer methods
- Dynamic postures: begin with 5 counts, end with 8 counts
- Increase the number of static poses for two breath cycles
- Track your progress in the Practice Journal
## Samana Vayu Sadhana
Manual:
<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UszUl6e3eMybnZS9FRkbPr4zcH4soZ2D/preview" width="640" height="800"></iframe>
### Homework
**Samana Vayu Homework 1**
- Practice the sadhana 5 days this week
- Use the sadhana manual and pre-recorded video
- Dynamic postures: begin with 5 counts, end with 8 counts
- Static postures: 8 rounds of breaths
- Track your progress in the Practice Journal
## Prana Vayu Sadhana
Manual:
<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tpJJsPKiLjsfvNQy6_Vh4qvQSNsVuiSI/preview" width="640" height="800"></iframe>
### Homework
**Prana Vayu Homework 1**
- Practice the sadhana 5 days this week
- Use the sadhana manual and pre-recorded video
- 💕 Minimum practice: complete only the aerobic exercise portion of the practice
- 💕 Maximum practice: Full Prana Vayu complex with floor series, shavasana and pranayama
- Dynamic postures: begin with 5 counts, end with 8 counts
- Static postures: 8 rounds of breaths
- Track your progress in the Practice Journal
## Udana Vayu Sadhana
<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a2WWgYnkRqBxfw6-6awDVUop5N84l88e/preview" width="640" height="800"></iframe>
### Homework
**Udana Vayu Homework 1**
- Practice the sadhana 5 days this week
- Use the sadhana manual and pre-recorded video
- Dynamic postures: begin with 5 counts, end with 8 counts
- Static postures: 8 rounds of breaths
- Track your progress in the Practice Journal
![[PC - Vayu Sadhana List.png]]
Appendix PPT:
<div style="position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-top: 56.2500%;
padding-bottom: 0; box-shadow: 0 2px 8px 0 rgba(63,69,81,0.16); margin-top: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.9em; overflow: hidden;
border-radius: 8px; will-change: transform;">
<iframe loading="lazy" style="position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0; border: none; padding: 0;margin: 0;"
src="https://www.canva.com/design/DAGsx9BNfPs/tUbkVlp6mTPpVn_JzVkmfg/view?embed" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" allow="fullscreen">
</iframe>
</div>
<a href="https://www.canva.com/design/DAGsx9BNfPs/tUbkVlp6mTPpVn_JzVkmfg/view?utm_content=DAGsx9BNfPs&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=embeds&utm_source=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PC: Movement Lab</a>
# Mind Lab
![[PC - Mind Lab Banner.jpg]]
**Learning Objective:** Inner methods for single-pointed concentration imbued with bliss and familiarity with vipashyana methods to analyze one's reality
**Appendix PPT Key Terms:**
- 9 Stages of Meditation
- Problems & Antidotes
- Assess your progress in meditation
**Manual**: 9 Stages of Meditation Manual
**Appendix PPT:**
<div style="position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-top: 56.2500%;
padding-bottom: 0; box-shadow: 0 2px 8px 0 rgba(63,69,81,0.16); margin-top: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.9em; overflow: hidden;
border-radius: 8px; will-change: transform;">
<iframe loading="lazy" style="position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0; border: none; padding: 0;margin: 0;"
src="https://www.canva.com/design/DAHK2Kp07sE/eiHMKKOxEAM3AYUBQ9xX7g/view?embed" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" allow="fullscreen">
</iframe>
</div>
<a href="https://www.canva.com/design/DAHK2Kp07sE/eiHMKKOxEAM3AYUBQ9xX7g/view?utm_content=DAHK2Kp07sE&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=embeds&utm_source=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PC: Mind Lab</a> by Benjamin
### Mental Push-Ups
- Counting
- Following
- Examining
### 3 Neurotransmitters Supporting Conditions for Meditative Capacity
**ADRENALINE — ENERGIZE**
1. Allows us to be awake and focused
2. We need to have energy to be awake and focused to meditate
3. We naturally have high adrenaline: early in the morning, not after a big meal
4. Having a lot of food we're digesting slows down everything
5. Brain glucose follows a U-shaped curve — great in the morning, drops mid-day while digesting, rises again at end of day
**ACETYLCHOLINE — SHARP, FOCUSED MIND**
1. Essential for directing the mind towards an object with precision
2. Supports optimal mix of attention and peripheral awareness
3. How to balance? Choline-rich foods: soybean, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, eggs, fish, chicken, beef, liver, ginkgo biloba
4. Yoga: preliminary studies show yoga increases vagal nerve activity and parasympathetic system activity, which positively influences choline activity and acetylcholine levels
**DOPAMINE — JOYFUL MOTIVATION**
1. Essential for motivation — our internal reward system
2. Realizing we're off the object: "OH, that's awesome — can I find a way to give myself a little shot of dopamine?"
3. Different studies show mixed results re: efficacy of faking a smile
4. Focusing on and recognizing the joy and bliss of practice seems to affect dopamine levels
5. Diet, exercise, sleep, stress management, engagement in proper community, nourishing activities, connecting with people who support and energize us
---
# Philosophy Studio
![[PC - Philosophy Lab Banner.jpg]]
**Learning Objective:** Lively conversations about applying yogic philosophy and methods to your on-and-off-the-mat practice
- Path to Mastery
- Sadhana Plan (Vision, Objectives, Small Achievable Steps)
- 5 Dimensions (health, wealth, connection, purpose, truth)
- Personal advice to live with your core values in a group mentorship setting
## Sadhana Plan
**Learning Objective:** Students will create Sadhana Plans to achieve their goals in each of the Five Dimensions of Self.
**PPTs:**
<div style="position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0; padding-top: 56.2500%;
padding-bottom: 0; box-shadow: 0 2px 8px 0 rgba(63,69,81,0.16); margin-top: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.9em; overflow: hidden;
border-radius: 8px; will-change: transform;">
<iframe loading="lazy" style="position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0; border: none; padding: 0;margin: 0;"
src="https://www.canva.com/design/DAGtxqrajfk/gDXY1cDVaB1T0Bth0ziWKg/view?embed" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" allow="fullscreen">
</iframe>
</div>
<a href="https://www.canva.com/design/DAGtxqrajfk/gDXY1cDVaB1T0Bth0ziWKg/view?utm_content=DAGtxqrajfk&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=embeds&utm_source=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PC: Philosophy Studio</a>
<iframe src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1CoHnLYRvX8OEYp7IJewlSQyJ3Ob6FptdtP7Nyug1wYk/preview" width="100%" height="500px" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<iframe src="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P0d3jrQnbtVQJs3RWFrlxwDGXNq9tSTmDYnHotc4LfE/preview" width="100%" height="500px" frameborder="0"></iframe>
### Complete a Sadhana Plan for Dimensions of Self
What to do with it:
1. Open the file
2. Panic a little ("wow, that's a lot!")
3. Close it
4. Sleep on it
5. Reopen it in the morning
6. Make a personal copy
7. Get to work 💪
At the bottom of the file, you'll find your homework for the upcoming week. Next Friday, during Philosophy Studio, Benji and Karina will explain exactly how to use the plan and give feedback to your plans.
### Review the Small Steps of Your Sadhana Plan
How can you make small achievable steps more specific?
- Is there a trigger?
- Is there a specific and clear process?
- Is there a way to track your progress?
Examples (Trigger → Process → Tracker):
- **Trigger:** Eating → **Process:** Open My Fitness Pal and log your food → **Tracker:** Review your calories over time
- **Trigger:** First time I see my partner → **Process:** Eye contact, hug them, hold them — it's Christmas!
- **Trigger:** Sunshine → **Process:** Initiate morning routine — avoid phone, drink water, grab mat + shruti box, Surya Namaskars → **Tracker:** Practice Journal
## YSI 101
**Learning Objective:** Provide a script and PPT given to students as an overview to help them teach about YSI in their communities.
<iframe src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1F5CFYrnPw5qGsAnWX0C2GEEMqTo64fFFCBEV_psbrLc/preview" width="100%" height="500px" frameborder="0"></iframe>
# Breath Lab
![[PC - Breathe Lab Banner.jpg]]
**Learning Objective:** Breathing techniques for energy restoration and state management
- Yogic Breathing (3 Part Breathing)
- Chakra Pranayama
### Diaphragm Awareness
- Continue working on relaxing the diaphragm with a towel — great practice before bedtime
- Over the next two weeks, try tracking how you breathe
- Stop and do 5–10 cycles of diaphragmatic breathing 3–5 times a day
Practice every day (10 cycles):
- 2 short inhalations through the nose
- 1 relaxed exhalation through the mouth
Add breathing to your daily reports.
### Diaphragmatic Breathing
- Over the next two weeks, continue to monitor how you breathe
- Stop and do 5–10 cycles of diaphragmatic breathing 3–5 times a day
- Choose 3 breathing techniques most relevant to you right now and practice them for two weeks until the next class
Add breathing to your daily reports.
### Balanced Breathing
Add to your practice: BALANCED Breathing — in the morning or before bedtime (3–5 minutes daily).
**Advantages of alternating breathing:**
1. **Balances the nervous system** — reduces stress and anxiety; balances sympathetic ("activate, act") and parasympathetic ("rest, recover") systems; provides calm without drowsiness
2. **Improves concentration and mental clarity** — stimulates both brain hemispheres; enhances ability to concentrate and memorize; ideal before studying, working, or important meetings
3. **Harmonizes emotional state** — reduces irritability and mood swings; helps with inner restlessness and chaotic thoughts
4. **Improves the respiratory system** — strengthens lungs and respiratory muscles; makes breathing deeper and more rhythmic
5. **Increases overall energy level** — provides steady boost of energy through deep, conscious breathing without overstimulation
❗ Important: a comfortable, upright posture
### Balanced Breathing II
BALANCED Breathing — in the morning or before bedtime (3–5 minutes). Today, we added a **10-second breath hold after inhalation**.
Adding: FIRE Breathing — only in the morning (1–2 minutes)
**Benefits of Fire Breathing:**
- Quickly fills you with energy and refreshes you
- Improves lung ventilation and oxygen saturation
- Activates metabolism and digestion
- Cleanses the respiratory tract and "refreshes" the mind
**Contraindications:** pregnancy, menstruation, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal ulcer diseases, increased intracranial pressure, epilepsy, recent surgeries or serious inflammations
### 9 Flow Breathing
Tibetan Pranayama — "9 Flows of Internal Winds" — in the morning or before bedtime. We cleanse our energy channels and exhale ignorance.
Also adding: **Bhastrika Pranayama** — active, energetic inhalations and exhalations through the nose with equal force ("blacksmith's bellows"). We did a variation with raising arms.
**Benefits:**
- Quickly increases energy and vitality levels
- Improves blood circulation and oxygenation of the body
- Cleanses the respiratory system
- Relieves lethargy, apathy, and mental sluggishness
- Activates internal heat and enhances concentration
⚠️ Not recommended for hypertension
### Fire Breathing + Mudras
Try a more challenging variation of FIRE Breathing only in the morning (1–2 minutes), working with your fingers. Working with fingers benefits us physically, mentally, and psycho-emotionally: fine motor skills, blood circulation, reflexology effects on internal organs, and reducing stress/improving mood.
- **Thumb:** Mars – willpower, energy, initiative, physical strength; partially Venus – love and pleasure
- **Index finger:** Jupiter – power, ambition, creativity, success, self-realization in a profession
- **Middle finger:** Saturn – balance, equilibrium, spirituality, and success in the material sphere
- **Ring finger:** Sun – love, family, self-realization, success in society
- **Little finger:** Mercury – communicativeness, intuition, intelligence, and trade
### Diaphragm Breathing + Kapalabhati
Practice every day (10 cycles):
- 2 short inhales through the nose
- 1 relaxed exhale through the mouth
Adding **Kapalabhati** — a cleansing breath with emphasis on a quick, energetic exhale and passive inhale. The name translates as "shining skull" — the practice activates the mind, awakens energy, and clears the airways.
**How to perform:**
1. **Preparation:** Sit with a straight back (floor or chair). Shoulders relaxed, abdomen free. Breathe through the nose.
2. **Main principle:** Exhale — active, sharp, powerful (abdomen pulls inward, diaphragm rises). Inhale — passive, natural, effortless due to relaxation of the abdomen.
**Benefits of Kapalabhati:**
*Physiological:*
- Cleanses lungs, sinuses, improves airway passage
- Activates the diaphragm and digestive organs (light massage of internal organs)
- Enhances blood circulation
*Mental and energetic:*
- Activates the mind and increases alertness
**Duration:** 1–2 minutes
**Contraindications:** pregnancy, hypertension, glaucoma, heart diseases, ulcers/gastritis in acute phase, epilepsy, increased intracranial pressure, recent surgeries or serious inflammations
### Review
Today was a review session. Choose any breathing techniques based on the energy centers, set a magical intention, and enjoy the practice.
### Agni Pranayama
1–3 rounds of 60–120 exhalations (1–2 minutes), with restful breathing and observing sensations between rounds.
**Why "Agni Prana":**
- Agni (अग्नि) = "fire" | Prāṇa (प्राण) = "vital energy"
- Works with the manipura chakra (navel/solar plexus), the element of fire, processes of heat, transformation, and willpower
- Enhances digestion and metabolism
- Increases tone and energy levels
- Warms the body, enhances clarity and decisiveness, reduces apathy
# Circle Day
![[PC - Circle Lab Banner.jpg]]
**Learning Objective:** Once a month we pause together as a group and take a day retreat.
- No rush, simple schedule — peace, tranquility and general presence
- Space to digest what we have practiced and studied
- Reconnecting with self, teachings, and intention
### How to Take a Circle Day
We invite you to join us in a simple but very powerful practice called Circle Day. It is based on the teachings of Geshe Michael Roach and the "Diamond Cutter" system — a method that helps consciously plant strong karmic seeds for success, happiness, and personal growth.
Imagine this day as an opportunity to step out of your usual life rhythm, deeply reflect, and consciously lay the foundations for the future you strive for. It is perfect for those who feel stuck or want to accelerate changes.
**🟧 Step 1: Choosing a day with intention**
Choose a special day — once a week or at least once a month. The main thing is that it is quiet and no one distracts you. This will be your Circle Day: you pause your usual activities and focus on planting karmic seeds.
**🟧 Step 2: Morning reflection**
In the morning, open your journal or "six books." This is our main tool.
Ask yourself three questions:
1. What results do I want to achieve in life? *(For example: more money, better relationships, health, inner peace.)*
2. Who do I know that wants the same? *(Find one real person with the same desire. The more specific, the better.)*
3. What can I do this week to help them? *(Come up with a plan to help them achieve what you want. This is how you plant a karmic seed.)*
Write down the answers clearly and neatly. The clearer — the stronger the seed.
**🟧 Step 3: Changing a habit**
During the day, do something with your hands that is not related to your usual work. It can be photography, gardening, learning something new — but not something that directly helps your career or daily life.
Eat light and healthy food. Try to avoid usual conversations and distractions. This is not an ordinary day off — this is a day of spiritual sowing.
**🟧 Step 4: Meditation and study**
Set aside time for quiet meditation — at least 10–15 minutes. Focus on your breathing or contemplate the law of cause and effect. You can also read a spiritual text or watch a teaching. This helps clear the mind and prepare the "soil" for sowing.
**🟧 Step 5: Evening "coffee meditation"**
In the evening, think: *"What good seeds did I plant today?"*
Feel joy and satisfaction from what you have done — joy accelerates the growth of seeds. Imagine that your goals are already realized and feel happiness as if it is happening now. This is coffee meditation — one of the most powerful tools in our system.
**🟧 Bonus: Repeat once a month**
If you do Circle Day regularly, changes will not keep you waiting. The main thing is consistency and sincerity. Small but good seeds, planted clearly and joyfully, will grow into big results.
### What is a Circle Day?
A moment when we sit down and simply think: how do I walk in the world, with what heart, with what thoughts? What do I want to say "yes" to — and where do I draw the line?
### What is Retreat?
Circle Day — a space of silence and inner support. Sometimes we don't need even more stimuli, knowledge, or actions. On the contrary — a pause to hear ourselves.
Circle Day is a special practice described in detail in "The Diamond Cutter" by Geshe Michael Roach. It helps to step out of the hustle and bustle, calm the mind, tune into our heart, and deepen our knowledge and practice.
**Why is this necessary? To:**
- 🩵 Change our usual routine
- 🩵 Slow down and get out of autopilot
- 🩵 Deepen our practice and the material we are studying
- 🩵 Gently reboot for a more stable mind and meditation
- 🩵 Feel that you are already okay
**What can be done on Circle Day** (choose your comfortable variation):
- Morning silence for at least 2–3 hours
- Reading inspiring texts or meditating
- A light eating regimen (warm water before lunch, for example)
- Refraining from unnecessary words, the phone, and hustle and bustle
- Keeping a gratitude journal and recording inner insights
- Walking in silence, practicing breathing exercises
- You can do what you don't usually do — dance, draw, any creative activity
This is how we prepare ourselves for one-day retreats. 🙏🏻
### Reminder: Circle Day is Tomorrow!
🔔 Circle Day is an opportunity to deepen your practice and take it to a new level — a chance to immerse yourself in the texts we study and hear answers to your questions.
It helps to deepen understanding and practice, even if you just:
- Put your phone away for a couple of hours
- Stay silent until lunchtime
- Listen to an inspiring text
- Take 5 minutes to breathe in silence
---
# Marketing
## Marketing Content
- Reels and posts: AY telegram link
- YSI campus: embed PDF here
## Students will:
1. Gain a foundational understanding of YSI's yoga philosophy from experienced teachers.
2. Build a personalized yoga toolkit of practical skills, techniques, and methods.
3. Use yoga postures as tools for physical fitness, meditative movement, and self-awareness.
4. Master breathing techniques to deepen meditation and focus.
5. Cultivate habits that promote a balanced, healthy lifestyle.
6. Empower themselves to achieve both worldly and spiritual goals.
7. Complete weekly and monthly challenges related to teachings.
## Practice Club: Learn a Complete Yoga Toolkit
Practice Club is more than a class—it's a vibrant membership community where you’ll develop the tools to enhance your meditation, deepen your understanding of yoga philosophy, and build a healthy, empowered lifestyle.
Through structured classes and engaging discussions, you'll gain both hard and soft skills that activate your highest potential. Whether you're new to yoga or refining your practice, each session offers standalone value while connecting to a broader journey of growth.
Here’s what you’ll gain:
- The foundation of YSI’s yoga philosophy, preparing you for deeper teachings.
- Methods to support physical fitness and meditative movement.
- Techniques that enrich your meditation and mindfulness practice.
- Skills to create meaningful relationships and a healthy lifestyle.
**In the first few weeks you will learn:**
*Pranayama and Meditation*
- Square breathing
- Breath awareness meditation (counting and following the breath)
*Yoga Asana*
- Bandha — body scan
- Ujjayi — Victorious breathing
- Drishti — Gaze
*Yoga Methods*
- Seeds & emptiness
- Navanga — the nine limbs of yoga
- Six Times Book (alarm / in the phone vs hand written)
- Core values (doesn't have to be vows)
- Right Here, Right Now
- Harvesting Joy
- 4 Powers
- Journaling (beginning or end of meditation)
- Active Listening
- Non-violent communication
Join a supportive and relatable community that makes yoga practical, transformative, and fun. Start anytime and begin building your personalized yoga toolkit—**one class at a time**.
*Practice Club: Where yoga meets real life.*
## Who It’s For
Practice Club is for new and current students who are ready to take their studies to the next level by integrating yoga philosophy and practical techniques into their lives. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced yoga practitioner, or someone looking to develop a regular practice or enhance an existing one, this program offers tools to support your growth. It’s perfect for those seeking a healthier lifestyle, new habits, and advanced methods to incorporate emptiness and mindfulness into a transformative daily routine.