Ashtanga Mixed Series Workshop + Adjustments

This RSVP is for both workshops! Individual registration available on Haslett wix or email samantha@yogaconnectlansing.com

** 300hr YTT students are encouraged to participate in both sessions

Ashtanga Mixed Series Workshop

Join Davia Downey (RYT-200) for a Mixed Series Ashtanga workshop on November 8th from 11:00am to 12:30 pm. Davia will guide students through the first half of the Ashtanga Primary series (up to Marichyasana D) and then move on to select postures from the Intermediate and Third Series. The workshop will be followed by a brief Q&A session on developing a consistent Ashtanga practice, working through challenging postures, and a discussion of the importance of pranayama and chanting as part of the Ashtanga Vinyasa Method as taught by Manju and Sathu Jois.

$40

Ashtanga Vinyasa Adjustments

YTTs in training, or teachers looking to refresh their knowledge of anatomy and adjustments in the Ashtanga sequence, are invited to participate in a one-hour workshop with Davia Downey directly following the Mixed Series Workshop. This posture clinic will cover adjustments helpful in Surya Namaskar A and Surya Namaskar B, as well as a selection of standing and seated posture adjustments from the Primary series. YTTs will receive an out-of-class assignment to accompany the workshop for those needing additional non-contact hours. Students are encouraged to bring a copy of either David Swenson’s Ashtanga Yoga: The Practice Manual or Manju Jois and Greg Tebb’s The Definitive Guide to Therapeutic & Traditional Yoga, both of which are available on Amazon and Bookshop.org.

1:00pm to 2:00pm

YTT Students: 3 hours non contact available

$80

Teacher Bio

Davia Downey’s unique yoga journey began in 2002 at the Ann Arbor School of Yoga. Her original teacher, Laurie Blakeney, a student of Sri B.K.S. Iyengar, the father of Iyengar Yoga, was her guiding light as she began to explore yoga philosophy and the physical practice of yoga. She continued her yoga practice while pursuing her master’s degree in public administration, even after moving to East Lansing, Michigan, for her Ph.D. in Political Science at Michigan State University. In East Lansing, she was introduced to the Ashtanga method by Toni Thomas and Samantha Corbit, longtime students of the Ashtanga method. She has also augmented her training with workshops on meditation techniques, pranayama, and Rocket Yoga throughout the years. 

After finishing graduate school, Davia received her RYT-200 designation in 2020 from Salt Yoga in East Lansing, Michigan. Her yoga teacher training focused on teaching Ashtanga Vinyasa and Power Vinyasa in the style of Jonny Kest. As part of her training, an emphasis onintegrating physical yoga practice with pranayama, chanting, and meditation became central to her teaching style. For her, connecting the physical practice of asana (postures) to pranayama and meditation is the key to developing a well-rounded yogi. 

Since 2021, Davia has been sharing her passion for Ashtanga in the Memphis area, following her family's relocation for her job at the University of Memphis. In her free time, she continues to deepen her understanding of Ashtanga under the guidance of Manju Jois and Greg Tebb during annual retreats at Manju’s shala in Encinitas, California, and the Dwi Pada Yoga School, a Memphis-based Ashtanga yoga school owned by Amy Morse and Michele Mallory, who are also students of Greg and Manju’s. When she goes back to Michigan, she teaches workshops in the Ashtanga method at Yoga Connect, located in Haslett, Michigan. In Memphis, you can find Davia teaching Ashtanga at Sana Yoga Downtown on Sunday mornings. She also occasionally teaches Restorative and Yin classes at Sana Yoga and Mind/Body Haus.