Samskara & Synapse: Yoga to Rewire Your Brain w/ Timothy Burgin

Please create a Mindbody account for each participant if registering more than 1 person. If you have any questions regarding registration, please email Kelsey at kelsey@ashevillecommunityyoga.org Recent studies in neurobiology reveal how yoga can influence the creation, strengthening, and changing of the brain's neural pathways. In yoga, our unconscious habit patterns are known as Samskaras. Yogis and modern science have found that when these habit patterns are repeated, the brain's synaptic connections strengthen and speed up. When these patterns are strong enough, they run as automatic habits or our personal identity rather than conscious choices. Both yoga and modern neuroscience agree that these patterns can be changed. This workshop offers a diverse toolkit of yoga practices: pranayama (breath control), asana (physical postures), kriya (a cleansing or energizing technique), mudra (hand gesture), Vairagya (non-attachment), Tapas (disciplined effort), and Drishti (focal point). These traditional techniques are informed by modern neurobiology research for their efficacy in rewiring unconscious and unhealthy patterns. What You Will Learn:- What samskaras are in yogic philosophy, and how they relate to the neuroscience of conditioned neural pathways.- The basics of neuroplasticity, how the brain is thought to form, strengthen, and reshape neural connections.- How breath practices, mudras and Drishti (focal point) can each be used to down-regulate the nervous system.- How to use sustained isometric asana holds as engineered mastery experiences.- How Vairagya, the practice of non-attachment, can help dissolve an old pattern and make room for a new one.- How to use Tapas, disciplined effort, to strengthen a new synaptic pathway.- The importance of the neuroplastic pause, the brief gap between a trigger and your habitual reaction.- How to strengthen your Interoception, the ability to feel what's happening inside the body. Timothy teaches a donation-based weekly Vinyasa Flow on Sundays from 10:30am-11:30am. For more information on Timothy, please see his teacher profile here! Cost: $30Financial Aid Available- Please stop by the front desk, call, or email kelsey@ashevillecommunityyoga.org. PLEASE NOTE: We encourage pre-registration for all programming. Registering in advance guarantees your spot and helps the studio have adequate staffing. If fewer than 5 participants register the event may be canceled. Refund Policy: We understand that life happens and unforeseen circumstances come up. If life offers up an unexpected event and you need to withdraw from the workshop: A full refund will be issued if you need to withdraw 4+ days before the workshop. Please reach out for your refund, as it will not be automatically applied to your account. If you need to withdraw within 3 days or fewer, no refund is provided. Late Policy: Doors will close at the workshop start time. We encourage you to arrive at least 15 minutes before the workshop start time to ensure there is ample time to park, check in and settle in to your space. We do have a 10 minute grace period, and we encourage you to call the studio to let us know if you are running behind. If you are later than 10 minutes after the start of the workshop, there is a chance you will not be able to enter and no refund will be given. Capacity: Please note: Some workshops will fill to capacity of 28 students.