2025 SCHEDULE
The Confluence is open to both experienced Ashtanga yoga practitioners as well as yoga students who are new to the Ashtanga practice. We offer a unique opportunity for students of all levels to learn from master teachers of this profound and ancient system. To get the most out of the classes, some experience of yoga and a basic level of fitness are recommended.
Thursday May 1
4:30-5:30
Ganesha Puja performed by Shastri Shrikantha. In India, the elephant headed god is known as the Remover of Obstacles and the Lord of Beginnings. He is honored at important ceremonies to insure an auspicious beginning and successful completion of the event.
5:30-7:00 pm
Catered Opening Ceremony
Music and a light vegetarian meal will be served.
Friday May 2
6:10-6:40 am
Dawn Repose taught by Dena Kingsberg (Simple breathing, chanting and stillness practices) *Door opens at 6.00 am and closes 6:10 am. Silence is appreciated when coming in or out of these sessions.
7:00-9:00 am
Guided First Series taught by Kino Macgregor and Tim Feldmann. (asana)
7:00-8:30 am
Mysore Session 1 taught by Richard Freeman, Mary Taylor, David Swenson, Laruga Glaser and Dena Kingsberg with certified and authorized teacher assistance. (asana)
8:30-10:00 am
Mysore Session 2 taught by Richard Freeman, Mary Taylor, David Swenson, Laruga Glaser and Dena Kingsberg with certified and authorized teacher assistance. (asana)
11:30 - 1:30 pm
Panel Discussion: How we work with changes in body, circumstances, health, and aging that can impact our practice with Tim Feldmann, Richard Freeman, Laruga Glaser, Dena Kingsberg, Kino Macgregor, David Swenson, and Mary Taylor. Moderated by Jessica Walden (lecture/discussion/Q&A)
2:30-3:30 pm
Form & Formless: Hindu/Buddhist Deity Archetypes & Enlightenment with Dr. Manoj Chalam (lecture). Enlightenment (in the Vedanta tradition) is the journey of Knowing the Self, abiding in the Self and seeing the same Self in others with love and compassion. Manoj will guide you through the 3 practices of non-dualistic Advaita Vedanta philosophy: Shravanam (listening), Mananam (contemplation), and Nidhidhyasana (abiding in the Self).
The question then arises, what role do these deities such as Ganesh, Shiva, Lakshmi, Buddha, Tara play in this journey? Manoj will bring in statues of these deities and relate their symbolisms to our journey to enlightenment. Through humorous archetypical storytelling, discover your Isthadevata (personal archetype), uncover their secret symbolisms, and learn the five ways to work with them as part of a practice towards spiritual awakening.
Manoj will help you find your personal deity archetype.
4:00-6:00 pm
Core Integrity: Exploring our Core, Bandha, and Breath Connections taught by Laruga Glaser. (asana) In this workshop become more intimately rooted to the internal network of the bandhas as well as our network of core muscles tuning into the central axis of the body. Properly understanding how to engage the bandhas not only brings lightness to the body but also stability and clarity to the mind. Learn to become more closely connected to this often elusive and mysterious part of the practice of Ashtanga yoga, appropriate for all levels.
4:00-6:00 pm
Pleasant Pursuits of Personal Practice: Yoga for Life taught by David Swenson. (asana) Avoiding Injury, Seeking Depth, and Enjoying the Ride. One of the most significant challenges in Yoga is not the creation of a practice but rather the maintenance of a practice over a long period of time. It is quite easy to get something started or to demolish it, but maintenance is the real challenge. In this class, David will offer simple, down-to-earth concepts, tools, and techniques for maintaining and growing a practice for a lifetime. Life can become overwhelming, and it is easy to lose the time for practice and even lose the motivation to get on the mat. Acknowledging this dilemma, David will offer techniques for the individual to build an effective personal practice within the constraints of a busy life. Using a basic concept of creating a Minimum Daily Practice of 15 – 30 minutes as a foundation to build upon, the students will leave with tools to develop their own routine to suit their special circumstances and needs. Whether new to yoga or a seasoned practitioner, this class will inspire, encourage, and empower all that attend!
7:30-8:45 pm
Dancing with Shiva-Shakti & The Yoga of Relationships (Lecture and dance) by Dr. Manoj Chalam and Catalina Carvajal.
This is a unique “LecDance” workshop - a combination of lecture and gentle meditative yogic “Dance with the Deities”.
Manoj and Catalina will guide you through experiential yogic practices involving the heart and emotions and there will be specific takeaways for your daily sadhana.
Beginning with the relationship with the higher Self, we will explore the relationships of Shiva/Shakti, Sita/Ram, Arjuna/Krishna, Hanuman/Ram-Sita, and Krishna/Radha through sacred stories and gentle dance.
All done using sacred statues (murtis) of these deity archetypes. With a whole lotta laughter and bowing.
Saturday May 3
6:10-6:40 am
Dawn Repose taught by Dena Kingsberg. Simple breathing, chanting and stillness practices *Doors open at 6.00 am / close at 6:10 am. Silence is appreciated when coming in or out of these sessions.
7:00-9:00 am
Guided First Series taught by David Swenson. (asana)
7:00-8:30 am
Mysore Session 1 taught by Tim Feldmann, Kino Macgregor, Dena Kingsberg, Mary Taylor, Richard Freeman, and Laruga Glaser with certified and authorized teacher assistance. (asana)
8:30-10:00 am
Mysore Session 2 taught by Tim Feldmann, Kino Macgregor, Dena Kingsberg, Mary Taylor, Richard Freeman, and Laruga Glaser with certified and authorized teacher assistance (asana)
11:30 - 1:30 pm
Panel Discussion: The value of intergenerational interchange in keeping a lineage evolving and alive with Tim Feldmann, Richard Freeman, Laruga Glaser, Dena Kingsberg, Kino Macgregor, David Swenson, and Mary Taylor moderated by Jessica Walden (lecture/discussion/Q&A)
1:30-1:45 pm
Yoga Gives Back Presentation with Founder/President Kayoko Mitsumatsu (presentation). Yoga Gives Back is helping mothers and children in India to build sustainable livelihoods. This presentation will show the newest exciting short film that documents how the programs implemented by this Los Angeles based non-profit organization are making a difference in many lives in India.
2:30-3:30 pm
Sadhana, The Practice within the Practice, taught by Diana Christinson (talk/meditation) Students will examine how we use the Ashtanga practice as a moving meditation and therapy (yoga chikitsa). Through gratitude blessing and intentions (sankalpa), Diana will invite students to add a blessing and metta meditation to their Ashtanga practice for 30 days. The workshop will include a puja ceremony. These simple practices will shift perspective and energy, and help you create more love in your life, community, and world. Bring a pen, notebook, and an open heart.
4:00-6:00 pm
Patanjali Yoga Sutra: An overview of the yogi's path to Peace taught by Dena Kingsberg (simple pranayama, philosophy, and chanting) This class will include simple pranayama, philosophy, and chanting. An accessible class aimed to share practical application of key sutras through recitation interpretation and discussion. Planting seeds for Self-enquiry Self-awareness, healing, and transformation.
4:00-6:00 pm
Body, Breath & Patanjali taught by Tim Feldmann (asana, pranayama, and philosophy)
Shed light on the connection between our physical practice and the deep philosophy presented in the Yoga Sutras. Learn how your physical practice embodies Patanjali’s sacred principles, allowing every yoga student to integrate profound yogic wisdom into your daily life. Begin with a classic pranayama technique as the catalyst to spark a direct experience of how yoga works. Join this class for a rare opportunity to uncover the inner teachings of who we are and how we function as individuals in yoga, on and off the mat.
Sunday May 4
6:10-6:40 am
Dawn Repose taught by Dena Kingsberg. (Simple breathing, chanting and stillness practices) *Doors open at 6.00 am / close at 6:10 am. Silence is appreciated when coming in or out of these sessions.
7:00-9:00 am
Guided First Series taught by Laruga Glaser (asana).
7:00-8:30 am
Mysore Session 1 taught by Tim Feldmann, Dena Kingsberg, Kino Macgregor, Mary Taylor, Richard Freeman, and David Swenson with certified and authorized teacher assistance (asana)
8:30-10:00 am
Mysore Session 2 taught by Tim Feldmann, Dena Kingsberg, Kino Macgregor, Mary Taylor, Richard Freeman, and David Swenson with certified and authorized teacher assistance (asana)
11:30 - 1:30 pm
Complimentary Opposites: Divine Female and Male Energy of Every Moment taught by Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor. (asana and breathing) In this workshop, we will reignite the powerful expression of seemingly opposite patterns working together to awaken the fully embodied experience of the moment. We will explore asana and meditative breathing with a focus on foundational wave patterns of movement, form, and thought that make the ashtanga vinyasa practice supportive, safe, strong, and supple. You will experience firsthand how practicing in this way helps remove patterns of holding that can show up as tightness or weakness in your body, difficulty communicating with or finding tolerance for others, and tuning in deeply to your own core needs and emotions. Inspiration for this workshop grew out of real life for Richard and Mary. With over fifty years experience each of practicing, studying, and teaching yoga while navigating the complexities of life, they offer insight and wisdom into how to make yoga an integral part of a healthy, happy life. The capacity to see and embody through yoga the interfacing of opposites has been their greatest teacher allowing them to be supportive of one another without losing themselves as individuals in the process.
11:30-1:30 pm
Meditation and the Subtle Body taught by Kino Macgregor (meditation and light asana) Join Kino MacGregor for a journey into the subtle body. Start with a meditation to focus and concentrate the mind, then dive into the therapeutic space of asana. The body and mind both open when given time and space to unfold in long supported holds. Learn a new paradigm for your practice where less effort equals more results. Drop into the inner body and discover healing, quietness, and wisdom. This immersion is the antidote to the goal-oriented mindset. Understand what it means to practice with non-attachment and be in a fully surrendered state. Leave with an impartation of the most subtle teachings of yoga.
*If students have a blanket, blocks, and or a pillow or bolster, it would be beneficial for this class if desired but not required.
2:05-3:05
Awaken Shakti - The Goddess Archetype Within You in Your Heroines Journey by Dr. Manoj Chalam and Catalina Carvajal (lecture). This class is suitable for men and women. The pinnacle of the Goddess archetype is the Wisdom Goddess with side archetypes of the Mother and the luminous Devi. Discover the archetypes of the slumbering Goddesses or Shakti within us as Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kali, Durga, Tara, and Kwan Yin. Unleash this Shakti, within you as the creative power of the One. This Shakti archetype guides us through all aspects of life transitions such as adulthood, relationships, marriage, parenting, profession, mentoring and finally enlightenment. With Shakti's guidance, we are able to fully express the heroine’s journey to Self-Actualization.
3:30-5:30 pm
Panel Discussion Q&A: with Tim Feldmann, Richard Freeman, Laruga Glaser, Dena Kingsberg, Kino Macgregor, David Swenson, and Mary Taylor moderated by Jessica Walden (discussion / pre-submitted questions / Q&A)