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For information about the upcoming weekend workshop at Mana Retreat center (March 16-18 2012): Weekend Workshop at Mana info

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ZOHAR Bodylight Pilates (Edna Levy)

Body conditioning and mind-body awareness through yoga, pilates and Qi-gong

teachers training course.
February 2012


Qi-gong, Yoga and Pilates have alot in common.
All three disciplins work the body and the mind, all deal with breath, awareness and spirit.
The human body and the individual that inhibits it integrate beautifuly. studying this integration is an adventure into the

mysteries of nature and universe...
To understand the level of co-ordination of the body to assimilate the vast amounts of information and respond appropriately
requires both detailed and broad outlook. Anatomy relates to the structure. Changes to the structure often reflect the way we feel..

From the Collins dictionary of the English language:

Body:
1. The whole physical substance of a person, animal or plant
2. The flesh, as opposed to the spitit
3. A mass of matter
4.Density or consistency
5. Richness of tone or flavour

Conditioning:
1. Anything required before a performance or completion of something else
2. Provision, prerequisite
3. State of being
4. State of health
5. A proper or healthy state

Mind:
1. That which thinks, perceives, feels
2. The seat of conciousness
3. Memory, opinion, reason, sanity

Awareness:
1. Knowing, realizing, informed consciousness

BODY CONDITIONING AND MIND-BODY AWARENESS

Pilates, Yoga and Qi-Gong have a lot in common. All work the body and the mind, all deal with breath and spirit. Results of practicing this method of combined techniques are: coordination, balance, suppleness and increased energy levels. Regular practice can bring inner calm and physical well-being.
The fundamental principles of all three are: awareness, self-watching, being "the passive observer", Developing our consciousness, centeredness, and concentration. Combined with relaxation, this concentration is directed towards our inner teacher, which speaks to us through our body and our breath.

Qi-gong: (QI = life energy. GONG = management, work) An ancient Chinese discipline of cultivating the internal energy. Simple yet very effective, profound practices to enhance and extend life. Short sequences of flowing movements practiced to release blockages and tension. These powerful holistic exercises depend more on awareness and sensitivity then strength and speed but producing the quality of being centered-like the calm in the center of the storm.

Yoga:
The English word yoke is derived from the Sanskrit root word as is the word yoga. Yoke is an efficient device to carry a load (such as water) by first dividing the load in two containers, then joining them by a pole. Our life is what we carry-yoga makes carrying easier. Yoga consists of a large number of practices and techniques handed down from ancient times and added to along the way.
As we practice yoga, so we add to it, bringing our own unique experience and wisdom to it. Yoga is a living practice, always changing but fundamentally staying the same.

Pilates:
Pilates technique was originally named "the art of contrology" by Joseph Pilates (1880-1967). It is now evolved from the traditional mat work and equipment base exercises, to a large number of contemporary pilates inspired teachings.
Based on the work of pilates and modern day research, it is now widely used to prevent and rehabilitate from injuries, tone the core muscles in the body, balance the body and elongate it.
It is a very effective method to educate the body to think for itself.


About Edna Levy:

Edna Levy was born in Israel. Started her formal Ballet training at the age of 4. At the age of 14, while continuing classical ballet training, Edna moved on to explore modern, contemporary and post-modern dance forms with the Rina Schenfeld dance school in Tel-Aviv. At the age of 16 Edna joined the Rina Schenfeld dance company and at 20 completed a diploma in dance, choreography, and dance pedagogy.

As well as choreographing and performing Edna continuously delved into various forms of bodywork to support her long hours of physical training. Among those were yoga, Feldenkreize, Alexander technique and tai-chi.

In the early 90s Edna and her husband Yaron moved to Sydney, Australia were Edna signed a 2-year contract with the “Red opal dance theatre”. Teaching, creating, rehearsing and performing full time, Edna then discovered the Pilates technique, then known mainly to dancers. Understanding the importance of activating the core muscles to prevent injuries, Edna started incorporating the Pilates principals in her classes.

Through her experience of pregnancy and child birth, Edna has developed pre and post-natal mind-body work: breath awareness, visualization, meditation and physical workout for a healthy pregnancy, manageable and enjoyable natural birth, and rehabilitation post- natal.

Over the years Edna has developed unique mind-body awareness and conditioning method, which she teaches to a large and diverse clientele. From professional dancers and athletes to people of all ages and walks of life.

While many gyms and studio advertise classes in any of those disciplines separately, Edna is taking the best and the similarities of those techniques into a fusion that is educating, therapeutic, dynamic and interesting.
While yoga trains the muscles to tone and lengthen, the breath to expand and the mind to quiet, Pilates establishes a relationship of mind with body for centering and core-control and teaches us new pathways to correct “bad” habits. Qi-gong is like an undercurrent of chi- life force energy, which flows seamlessly within us, and with conscious effort can enhance our lives on all levels.