50H retreat in Lauraguel, France, in June 2023 (alpha module)

Full

Friday, June 30 – Saturday, July 8, 2023

This immersive week-long retreat will take place in a beautiful estate south of Carcassonne. Accommodation in single (3/4 pax) rooms, all rooms have a bathroom and toilet. Vegetarian meals prepared on site.

GPBALANCE is a method created by Gustavo Ponce based on traditional yoga, honoring the Indian philosophical heritage, while offering a modern and concrete method. This hormonal yoga technique will allow you to restore your vitality and naturally rebalance your hormonal health and/or that of your students/patients.

This event is open to those who want to teach the method (yoga teachers, therapists, medical or paramedical professionals, etc.) but also to those who are interested in learning it for their personal practice.

Practice

Requirements

Two different 50-hour modules –alpha and beta– are offered. Completing one is enough if you wish to train for your own practice. If you wish to train as a teacher, you are required to complete 2 different sessions, or 100 hours of practical training.

During each of these 2 modules, you will study the complete series in a general way and delve into the theoretical aspects of the 5 sections of GPBALANCE.

The 5 sections of GPBALANCE

1. The study of different breathing and postural techniques: Kaya Stairyam Sankalpa, Bija Mantras, Prana Vidya, Kapalabhati, Bhastrika 1, Bhastrika 2. These techniques work on stillness, stability and concentration of body and mind as well as the channeling of energy.

2. Preparatory work of simple postures lying on the back, accompanied by visualizations and the various breathing techniques studied in the previous section. This enables us mobilize energy around pelvic region.

3. Standing postures whose primary objective is to strengthen the flexibility, strength, balance and agility of our whole body. This also enables us to mobilize energy throughout the body.

4. In this section, the focus is on pressing the pubis to the ground and strengthening the core area of the body as well as the abdominal area. We will also perform a series of inverted postures.

5. This last seated section will cover different techniques such as Uddiyana Bandha, Agnisara Dhauti, Nauli, Ashwini Mudra, Nadi Shodhana Pranayama. The essential objective of these techniques being to achieve a rebalancing of the hormonal system in a more intense way than during the various techniques and asanas proposed in the previous sections. They also help to cleanse and lighten the body of functional obstacles caused largely by stress. We end this last section of the practice with a brief contemplation (which includes your last Sankalpa), Neo-Tummo and Yoga Nidra.

Alpha module

This alpha module will tackle sections 1, 3 and 5. We will focus the theoretical and practical teaching on the following techniques:

1. 5-minute, slow breathing test
2. Abdominal breathing and yogic breathing
3. Ashwini Mudra
4. Bhastrika 1
5. Bhastrika 2
6. Bija Mantra and “Humming”
7. Bolt score
8. Dead bug
9. Exhalations through a straw
10. The importance of cultivating balance
11. Kapalabhati
12. Kaya Sthairyam (the importance of sitting well and relaxing in the posture “Sthira Sukham Asanam”)
13. Kechari Mudra
14. Manipur Shuddhi and Ajapa Japa
15. Meditation
16. Nadi shodhana
17. Prana Mudra, laying on of hands.
18. Prana vidya
19. Sankalpa (The power of autosuggestion)
20. Sun salutation
21. Tapping
22. The 4 breathing patterns
23. Timo (laugh)
24. Uddiyana Bandha
25. Ujjay
26. Yoga Nidra

In-person course

Each session will systematically and progressively address the 5 sections that make up the GPBALANCE series. The whole series uses different techniques and concepts that we will see in detail throughout the teaching of the 2 modules:

• Asanas
• Mudras, especially kechari Mudra (used throughout the practice)
• Kriyas
• Bandhas (very frequently used during practice)
• Chakras and Prana
• Visualization and concentration (very frequently used during practice)
• Meditation
• Neo-Tummo

Theory

To deepen your theoretical knowledge of the method, you will have access to the PDF version of Gustavo Ponce’s following books:

• Book 10: The method
• Book 4: Breathing

If you want to train as a GPBALANCE Hormonal Yoga teacher and teach the method, learn how you can become a certified trainer.