Yoga Workshops

Partner Yoga Workshop - Special Global Mala Event “Sponsor a Nun”: 19 September 2010
Mindfulness Meditation Workshop: 5 September 2010
Detox Yoga Workshop: 15 August 2010
Detox Yoga Video (47 min): Free session! Online available on YogaTV and YouTube!

Partner Yoga Workshop - Special Global Mala Event “Sponsor a Nun”: 19 September 2010. Sign Up Now!

In the weekend of 18 and 19 September it is time again for the yearly Global Mala Event, where thousands of yogi’s all over the world unite in their practice (hence forming a “mala around the earth”), and implement events throughout the world in honor of the United Nations International Day of Peace, and raise both funds and consciousness for some of the most pressing issues facing the world today.

As a special Global Mala Event Corine will organize a special Partner Yoga Workshop, as through the practice of Partner Yoga, the duality of self/other begins to dissolve and we experience directly the essence of Yoga – union.

Partner Yoga exercises are yoga exercises designed for two or more people. Partner Yoga positions utilize the forms and principles of individual postures while incorporating the presence of another person to deepen the impact of the pose. Hence, Partner Yoga is a beautiful way to experience how much deeper you can move into a posture than what you could do on your own, using the support and help of your partner. You will experience a deeper surrendering and letting go in the pose, because the other person is helping you, and on the other hand experience more strength as you are creating the posture together. Partner Yoga learns you to trust another person, to develop compassion, to surrender, to give and to receive, and to make true connection. Last but not least, it’s a whole lot of fun as Partner Yoga is a very playful practice, allowing your creativity to express itself!

Note that Partner Yoga does not mean you can only do this with your life partner (although it is a beautiful way to deepen your relationship!), you can also do Partner Yoga with a friend, colleague, family member, or your fellow-yogi(ni) in class!

The Partner Yoga workshop is for everyone! All Levels of yoga practitioners, and you can sign up together or just by yourself, as we will make sure there is an equal number of people at the workshop, so everyone can be paired up!

A significant part of the revenue of the workshop will go to the Ladakh Nuns Association (LNA) in Leh, Ladakh (North West of India, on the western-most side of the Himalayas). The LNA was founded to encourage Buddhist nuns to become educated, to keep their culture intact and to empower themselves, since their situation differs tremendously from Buddhist nuns in other Asian countries. Many of these women are still being used as free servants to their families and to monasteries and, as a consequence, have no opportunity to lead a communal monastic life. With the money raised at the workshop we will Sponsor a Nun, and help her with her sustenance and study! She will subsequently write to us to keep us informed with all her news!

Date:     Sunday 19 September 2010
Time:      14 – 17hr (All Levels)
Costs:      € 45 (of which € 15 will go to the LNA to Sponsor a Nun!)
Location: YogaYatra Studio (route-description)
             Cornelis Anthoniszstraat 53 h
             1071 VR Amsterdam

Subscription & Payment

You can subscribe yourself for the workshop with Corine personally after class, or by sending us an email through our contact form. Clearly state your first- and surname (Dutch: voor- en achternaam), your telephone number, the date of the workshop you wish to attend, and finally whether you will bring your own mat or not. You will receive a registration email.

To hold a spot for you in the workshop, the payment of € 45 is due within 8 days of your subscription. Your subscription will be confirmed again, as soon as your payment has been received. Payment can be done cash after class to Corine personally, or by bank transfer:

Banknr. 1447.70.431 (Rabobank)
Attn. / T.n.v. YogaYatra, Amsterdam

With your payment clearly state the date of the workshop you subscribed to, and your first- and surname (Dutch: voor- en achternaam).

Please note: we advise you to be on time with your subscription and payment! The number of people per workshop is limited, as we feel it is very important to give each one of you personal attention and guidance. If we receive your payment too late we will transfer you to the waiting list.

Cancellation policy: no refunds will be granted for cancellations, regardless of reason, unless we can find someone to replace you. In all cases refunds will be processed after the workshop. Note that last minute cancellations in the weekend of the workshop can only be done by phone, no email!

Sign Up Now! Mindfulness Meditation Workshop: 5 September 2010.

Reduce stress in your life, and start to live from a deeper level of relaxation! Corine’s Meditation Workshop teaches you the basics of Mindfulness / Vipassana Meditation, and sets up a good foundation for your meditation practice in your yoga class or back home.

After 7 successful workshops since November 2009, because of popular demand (and great results!), we will continue in the Autumn of 2010!

Dates:     Sunday 5 September 2010
Time:      14 – 17hr (All Levels)
Costs:      € 40 per workshop
Location: YogaYatra Studio (route-description)
             Cornelis Anthoniszstraat 53 h
             1071 VR Amsterdam

Note that the meditation workshop is for everyone, you do not need to be a yoga practitioner! So bring your friends / partner too, and discover the health- and life coaching benefits of meditation together!

Click here to read what participants say about the Mindfulness Meditation Workshop!

“Meditation is about lifestyle. It is a spiritual practice that leads you into the depths of your soul and heart so that you can live from within that zone in every moment. It is about mindfulness: being in the here and now, present to what is in front of you without trying to change it.” ~ Baron Baptiste, Journey Into Power.

About Mindfulness / Vipassana Meditation

Mindfulness Meditation is based on Vipassana, which is a Buddhist meditation technique. Vipassana means “seeing the things as they really are” or observing the reality inside, the truth within oneself.

The technique is basically to sit or stand still, to step back inside yourself and to observe every-thing that is coming up within you: thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, to look at them one by one, from moment to moment – without being judgemental, without creating more thoughts, without taking action, without getting involved; in other words to be in full acceptance of What Is, and from there to let your thoughts, emotions and physical sensations disappear and dissolve, so that you can find inner peace and connect with the stillness of your soul, and subsequently start to live from there.

“You can free yourself from the mind. This is the only true liberation. You can take the first step right now. Start listening to the voice in your head as often as you can. When you listen to that voice, do not judge, be there as the witnessing presence. When you listen to a thought, you are aware not only of the thought but also of yourself as the witness of the thought. As you listen to the thought, you feel a conscious presence -your deeper self- behind or underneath the thought, as it were. The thought then looses power over you and quickly subsides. When a thought subsides you experience a discontinuity in the mental stream - a gap of “no-mind”. At first the gaps will be short, a few seconds perhaps, but gradually they will become longer. When these gaps occur, you feel a certain peace and stillness inside you. This is the beginning of your natural state of felt oneness with being, the beginning of enlightenment, which is usually obscured with the mind.” ~ Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now.

Here’s how Mindfulness / Vipassana Meditation can help

The meditation technique taught at the workshop is especially effective for those people who are looking for ways to reduce stress and anxiety, for those who suffer from sleeping disorders (like having difficulty falling asleep because of a worried, busy mind), or for those who suffer from pain for instance from headaches and are looking for ways to relieve the pain.

Health Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation

Sleep improves
Pain decreases: decrease of muscle tension (any pain due to tension) and headaches
Stress reduction, a deeper level of relaxation
Mood improves
Self-awareness, self-acceptance and self-actualization increase
Anxiety and depression decrease
Concentration improves
Mental strength improves
Immune system is enhanced
Reduction of emotional distress

Life Coaching Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation

Find the answers and truth that lie within you
Live your life from a heart-centered place that honors your spiritual wisdom
Observe how your mind works and how it can be conditioned with past experiences
Change old thinking and behavioral patterns that have kept you stuck or have held you back
Let go of old belief systems that no longer serve you
Develop self confidence, self-esteem, and self-love
Create a life balance for greater well being - mind, body and spirit
Enjoy a whole new way of being that brings you inner peace, fulfillment, life purpose, and motivation
Learn to really live in the Now, in this present moment and let go of a past you cannot change and a future that is unforeseen. Now is when your life is happening! The power to create life is Now! Discover that the potential for real happiness and success is in each present moment and live with passion
Let go of clinging, attachments, and expectations. Let go of likes and dislikes. Reach a state of equanimity and peace
Accept What Is, let go of frustrations and emotions generated by not being able to really let go
Learn to calm the ego fears, doubts and worries to hear the voice of your spirit
Master the mind and achieve physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual harmony in life

The workshops are for ALL LEVELS meditation and yoga practitioners. The workshops will be taught bi-lingual (Dutch / English).

Workshop Preparation

Dress in comfortably sitting clothes with warm socks (preferably with an “anti-slip” sole if you wish to do the walking meditation with your socks on!) and bring something warm like a light shawl/blanket, to keep you warm during meditation. Also feel free to bring your own meditation cushion if you have one. A small bottle of water will be nice for refreshment, although tea and water will be available at the workshop. Please also bring your own mat if you have one (note if you haven’t got one, we arrange one for you), we will use the mats for sitting.

Subscription & Payment

To hold a spot for you in the workshop, the payment of € 40 is due within 8 days of your subscription. Your subscription will be confirmed again, as soon as your payment has been received. Payment can be done cash after class to Corine personally, or by bank transfer:

Banknr. 1447.70.431 (Rabobank)
Attn. / T.n.v. YogaYatra, Amsterdam

With your payment clearly state the date of the workshop you subscribed to, and your first- and surname (Dutch: voor- en achternaam).

What participants say about the Mindfulness Meditation Workshop

Here a few quotes out of the many positive reactions:

Sanneke, HR Advisor:
"The workshop was a great success for me! I was surprised that the meditation went so well, since I didn't expect to pick up the art of meditation that quickly. I have already experienced the benefits from taking part in the meditation workshop as I was much more focused and concentrated the next day at work, even my colleagues noticed this positive change. I will definitively continue the meditation practice at home!"

Saskia, Artist & Teacher at Gerrit Rietveld Academy:
"It was an interesting afternoon. I felt alittle uncomfortable when I entered the workshop, but that feeling quickly disappeared, and after the workshop I felt really good, with a whole lot more energy than usual and a very good temper. You have explained everything very well, it was very easy to follow, everything was very clear and logical. Now meditating at home by myself is indeed a lot more difficult than in a group, but I keep practicing, no hurry. Altogether I am happy with the workshop, I feel it is bringing me something for sure!"

Gertjan, Entrepeneur & Karen, Financial Assistant:
"Thank you so much for that wonderful workshop yesterday, it really inspired us and we learned how to do better deal with that crazy ego/mind of us, that can drive you insane if you let it!"

Lex, Yoga Teacher Trainee:
"Thank you for the wonderful introduction to Mindfulness Meditation yesterday. I found it very impressive. Also Paul enjoyed it a lot and we look forward to the follow up workshop!"

Ancuta, Senior Banker:
"Understanding who we are behind our thoughts is a big wonder. A wonder might be a good reason to start the journey of discovering ourselves. Corine's mindfulness meditation workshop learns how to find that dimension within ourselves that is deeper than thought."

Eva, Ayurvedic Massage Therapist:
"I really enjoyed your meditation workshop, people and energy! I was really looking for something that, together with Ashtanga yoga and Ayurveda, makes me be more in contact with myself!"

Marjolijn, Journalist:
"I used to be one of those sceptics. A pragmatic journalist/manager on overdrive, boasting that the only exercise she needed was the daily (and nightly) lifting of two small children. Thinking that yoga was for bores with nothing else to do. That meditation was invented to keep navel-gazers satisfied. My motto: who needs sleep when there’s a baby to cuddle? Living on stress hormones, with wine or worse to help me sleep, a burn-out was lurking around the corner.
When it eventually and unavoidably struck, that burn-out turned out to be a life saver. Psychiatrists and doctors joined efforts to get me to a gym to lower my heart rate and stress levels. A gym! Trembling and overwhelmed by all the options (did I want to join for a year, six months, two years, use the sauna, take the special offers, want to have a personal trainer, join a spinning workout etc.), I just wanted one thing: escape. But the gym’s assistant, noticing my despair, took a firm decision. Go change, she said, there’s an excellent yoga class just starting. I will warn the teacher you’ll be joining in a few minutes.
Enter Corine Leegwater.
I will never forget the experience of that first hatha-yoga class. The overwhelming emotion of the chanting, the overall wellness of trying (flunking but sometimes even managing a few of the) asanas. Needless to say: I became an addict. Started to read about yoga, bought my own mat. Without ever feeling a bore or a navel-gazer, I even let Corine sweep me into a daily practice of mindfulness-meditation.
Perhaps it’s her own pragmatic approach that struck a chord: mindfulness, such a hype now, but why follow month-long, expensive courses when she can teach the basics in one afternoon? In her lovely studio, quietly yet convincing she explained the routines, the underlying philosophy, the history. And during my first attempt at meditation, I entered a world familiar and yet so unfamiliar: the world of Me. Since that day, meditation has become an essential tool on my way back to health. It helps me recognize my emotions and accept myself. Helps me cope with life in gereral. Also, as a sleeping medicine, it’s far better than booze... I can never thank Corine enough for showing me the way to become a whole person again."

Sign Up Now! Detox Yoga Workshop: 15 August 2010

Get ready for some Summer Detox! Corine is offering Detox Yoga Workshops that provide you with an intense, transformative purification and revitalization of your whole body and mind! After 17 very successful workshops since Jan 2009, because of popular demand (and great results!), we will continue in 2010 on a monthly basis! Here are our new Summer dates!

Dates:     Sunday 15 August 2010
Time:      14 – 17hr (All Levels)
Costs:      € 40 per workshop
Location:  YogaYatra Studio (route-description)
             Cornelis Anthoniszstraat 53 h
             1071 VR Amsterdam

Click here for the 2009 Spring Poster (Adobe PDF)!

Watch a preview of Detox Yoga with Corine on YogaTV!

“The body is your temple. Keep it pure and clean for the soul to reside in.” ~ B.K.S. Iyengar

About the Detox Yoga Workshop

In the Detox Yoga Workshop we focus on Physical Postures (Asanas) and Breathing Exercises (Pranayamas) which activate and purify the digestive system and urinary system of the body. We cleanse the inner organs like the stomach, intestines, liver, spleen, and kidneys. A guided Meditation session is added to purify the mind. We will finish our workshop with a wonderful cup of Ayurvedic Detox Tea!

The benefits of Detox Yoga

Improvement of the digestive system
Excretory functions improve
A more regular bowel movement (less constipation)
Strength and stamina increase
Energy level increases
Weight normalizes and fat is reduced around the waist and belly
Immunity and general health increase
Skin improves
Stress reduces
An overall feeling of well-being!

The workshops are for ALL LEVELS yoga practitioners. For beginning and less advanced students we will demonstrate modified postures.

Please note: as in this workshop we will do a lot of twists and forward bends, we advise you to not attend this workshop when you are pregnant.

The workshops will be taught bi-lingual (Dutch / English).

For general guidance on how to prepare yourself for the workshop (what to wear, eating, what to bring etc.), click here. Most important:

Make sure you attend the workshop on a fairly empty stomach. Give yourself ample digestion time after eating, at least 1.5-2 hours, and also eat something light. E.g. have your last light lunch around 12 o’clock.
Please bring your own mat if you have one (note if you haven’t got one, we arrange one for you). A small bottle of water, a beach towel, and something warm like a light shawl/blanket/sweater (to keep you warm during meditation, breathing exercises and during final relaxation). Also feel free to bring your own meditation cushion if you have one.

Subscription & Payment

Banknr. 1447.70.431 (Rabobank)
Attn. / T.n.v. YogaYatra, Amsterdam

With your payment clearly state the date of the workshop you subscribed to, and your first- and surname (Dutch: voor- en achternaam).

What participants say about the Detox Yoga Workshop

Here a few quotes out of the many positive reactions:

Nikki Sterkenburg, School Teacher:
"Being an active student in Corine's Detox Yoga Workshops does not only give me the benefit of an intense cleansing of my body and slimming down around my waist, it also helps me to stick to a healthy lifestyle. The workshops are challenging, but really helped me to turn inwards and reach a level of self-conciousness and self-awareness. I can not think of a better way to spend my free Sunday afternoon than partcipating in these energetic, inspiring and fun workshops!"

Anouk, Artist:
"A three hour yoga practice must be really heavy, boring or both, I thought when entering YogaYatra’s Detox Workshop on a sleepy Sunday afternoon. Soon, however, I was surprised by the relaxing and energizing effects of Corine’s class. I was not bored, not for a single moment. The postures were sometimes difficult and challenging, but never undoable. I felt very tired in advance of the workshop, but throughout the workshop I started to feel better. That day I went home with a rosy skin, a clear head and a peaceful mind. The second time I attended the Detox Workshop, I was in for another surprise. The many twists activated the bowels. I did no longer feel bloated. In the following days my body seemed to get rid of toxins and my waist slimmed down. I felt purified and slender. Of course I am curious what I may experience the next time. I am definitely hooked!"

Ayi, Sales Manager:
"I love going to yoga workshops, as it offers an extended understanding of the yoga practice. Especially the detox workshops held on Sundays with Corine. The workshop is a good mix of twistings, pranayama, and meditation (vipassana) that not only helps me to detox my body, but also to get rid of some negative feelings. The result is therefore a slimmer body (even the cellulite got much less!), better awareness of the body that reflects in the general body posture, a more activated digestive system and of course an uplifted feeling afterwards! Besides all these benefits, most importantly is that the workshops are also lots of fun and there is a good energy around, that is generated by (favourite teacher) Corine!"

Ancuta, Senior Banker:
"The detox yoga workshop is a fantastic experience, once you tried it you would like to repeat it as many times as possible! The carefully selected physical postures combined with the breathing exercises are very effective for detoxing. All this combined with the meditation makes the workshop a success with excellent results for the body and balancing effects for the mind!"

Claire, Executive Assistant:
"Having now taken three detox workshops with Corine, I can only say 'more please'. After the workshop I practically live in the loo, and the effect is also noticeable in my skin! The beginning of the class is always quite challenging, but even when I have had terrible back pain and felt like I could not fully participate, I still felt the benefit afterwards. Pranayama is wonderful and some of the exercises I have managed to incorporate into my life as they helped my sinuses. To my delight, after each workshop I also lost a couple of kilos! Corine's explanation of the why and how of each asana is as always crystal clear, her energy and guidance in the class gentle and loving. With the detox workshop she succeeds in making you sweat (and you do sweat), learn about your body, calm your mind with vipassana meditation and ultimately feel energised. Not a bad way to start the week!"

Detox Yoga with Corine on YogaTV and YouTube!

To get a flavour of Detox Yoga, Corine has compiled for you a little series of cleansing, detoxing Yoga exercises in a 45 minutes video freely available on YogaTV and on YouTube! Please join Corine’s Detox Yoga session and enjoy!

Risa, Corine's lovely student-assistant in the video-clip, had to practice this session intensively for a week to prepare for the video, and since then she has implemented it in her daily life on a regular basis: "After a vacation and too much time away from practice, the addition of this detox session regularly for just a week gives me fantastic, noticeable, slimming results . The extra twists lengthens and thins my waist while also increases my flexibility. Plus with the added detox benefit, I feel lighter and cleaner exactly what is needed to get me back in shape and feel beautiful!"

Anita Schurink, a yoga teacher student of Stichting Yoga & Vedanta wrote: "Before I left for my trip to India, I faithfully followed your detox yoga session on YogaTV every morning for 1 week, and because of this I have been able to start my journey wonderfully fit, and also had no problems with my stomach while I was there!"

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