Course Syllabus

DANC 1210 Yoga I

Course Description

This course focuses mainly on Yin, Vinyasa and Hatha yoga. However, other styles of yoga such as Bikram, SunDo, Dahn yoga and Daoist yoga may also be explored. Most classes consist of flowing, progressive postures that focus on the coordination of breath and movement thus bringing balance to both body and mind. This course is repeatable for credit.

Justification

The healing exercise of yoga brings energy, strength, flexibility and balance to the physical bodies. It reduces stress and tensions in the mind while calming, clearing and focusing the thoughts. All postures are performed in a safe and nurturing environment that allows students to develop focus and inner strength resulting in a better quality of life.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to perform a series of beginner to intermediate yoga poses with proper alignment and breathing pattern, be familiar with and demonstrate all learned poses by vocal cues only, and demonstrate increased ability in areas of flexibility, strength and musicality.
2. Upon completion of the course students will be able to apply yoga principles of breath, stability and flexibility to a dance performance.
3. Through supplementary reading materials students will learn to differentiate the physical practice of yoga as reflected in the asana practice from the broader view of yoga as a spiritual path that aims to make us into better and happier human beings.

Course Content

The very nature of dance increases physical fitness in many ways: strength, flexibility, endurance and coordination. Through discussion of correct movement principles and how they apply to dance and all types of movement, journaling and classroom practice students will gain the knowledge that allows exercise safely in all physical endeavors. All dance class students are required to attend and critically review Snow College dance performances. This further increases students knowledge of movement and movement's relationship to meaning. In this course students will practice a wide variety of yoga poses that will stretch and strengthen every major muscle group of the body. Each class will begin with a warm-up series (breathing/heat building), then progress to the more physically demanding work series (maintaining heat/building strength) and finish with a cool down (deeper stretches/inversions/relaxation.) Students will be evaluated through instructor observation and self-assessment.This class will introduce students to the styles of yoga Asana practice including Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin yoga and Daoist Yoga. The class is accessible to students of all backgrounds and body types.