leanne natkaniec
yoga
Practitioner
Student
Teacher
Writer
"Welcome to my humble virtual abode!
On this website get a glimpse of what yoga means to me... Far more than a mechanical practise yoga has so much to offer us all, from ancient philosophies that still hold sway today as humanity continues to seek the light within to keeping our bodies fit and healthy. All yoga will help us to lead a more peaceful and respectful lifestyle aware of ourselves, others and the beautiful life we share together on this planet. Learn how yoga made me stronger and happier, how i continue my studies and practise and how I would love to share all of this with you through classes, workshops, lectures, newsletters, blogs and more!
At your service,
Leanne"
The Practitioner
First and foremost Leanne is a dedicated home practitioner of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. Through the years the relationship that Leanne has had with the practise has gone through many different phases and brought up many changes and transformations.
Recently her practise has evolved to be evermore intimate, personal and tender, as she has truly learnt to make the practise serve her when times are unpredictable. Learning the meaning of the vital lessons of acceptance, surrender, non- attachment and just being ok with things not going to plan. Releasing herself from expectations both set by herself and the tradition she has come to feel the quality of peace and yoga at the level of the heart, and no longer has a rigid or linear approach to the physical practise. Some days she takes an alternative practise or shares it with trusted teachers of many styles in London and globally.
'There are two very special elements to the practise that seem formless but in fact when used in the body give form. Breath and bandha seem to bridge both the physical and energetic bodies... visible or invisible, esoteric or tangible, subtle or muscular; this is entirely dependent on our knowledge and skill when it comes to activating and experiencing them. It is said that Mula Bandha is the master key but how about the breath itself being the master key and Mula Bandha being the secret doorway?'
-Excerpt from Leanne's blog The Form to know the Formless
The Yoga Student
(and the Ashtanga Geek)
As well as learning the yoga through the personal and physical experience on the mat, Leanne is always immersed in yogic study too through classic and modern scriptures, texts, teachers and scholars. She is a modern day practitioner come scholar thanks to all of the resources available and the research being down in this era she is keen to learn about philosophy and early yoga scriptures, and texts, the early metaphysical yogic body, hatha yoga techniques and the course of evolution of our modern Hatha and Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga practises.
This year 2021 Leanne wants to research how many modern postures and their techniques have been used and altered since Krishnamacharya and for what purpose. She intends to research and apply teachings from his direct students to personal exploration with the end of being more adaptable, knowledgeable and useful when applying postures to help and heal individual students. Also Leanne wishes to deepen her knowledge of the healing properties and physical effects as well as benefits of posture actions and techniques on the physical body.
The website will soon include a STUDY PAGE with useful information and links to help you further your own self study!
Recent and current studies with teachers/ scholars:
Mysore Foundations Course with David Garrigues
Ashtanga Yoga Workshop Series with Harmony Slater
The Hathabhyasapaddhati , A precursor to modern yoga with Jason Birch and Jacqueline Hargreaves @The Iluminescent
The HathaPradipika with Seth Powell @Yogic Studies
Second Half of Second Series Workshop with David Garrigues
Current sources for Self Study:
Paths to God, Living the Bhagavad Gita, Ram Dass
Roots of Yoga, James Mallinson and Mark Singelton
The Yoga Matrix, with Richard Freeman
Yoga Makaranda, Sri T.Krishnamacharya, Sri C.M.V. Krishnamacharya translation
From the 'Tantra, Enlightenment to Revolution' exhibition at the British Museum, London.
Front and back of a single sheet from the Pune manuscript of the Haṭhābhyāsapaddhati. Ms. no. 46/440: folio 2 recto and folio 2 verso published in the article of the Journal of Yoga Studies Vol. 2 on page 7
The Teacher
Leanne is caring, personable and encouraging and always seeks to find the balance between teaching yoga on a mat and providing insights and guidance to the true path beyond. She is dedicated to sharing this knowledge and making it accessible to all who come. Her main teaching style is rooted in her own Ashtanga Vinyasa practise method, the yoga scriptures, breathing and meditation techniques. She teaches her own classes via Zoom and for studios across London, runs occassional 'Ashtanga Journeys' workshops and also teaches on a one to one basis.
Authentic teachings made relevant for you, the modern student
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CLASSES
'Caught between tradition and modernity, my quest to be an authentic and useful teacher in today's time'
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The Writer and Muser
Leanne muses and questions as she continues to discover the ways of yoga through experience and study, as is the self- enquiry nature of any spiritual practise. These words naturally pour into notebooks, blogs, videos, social media and poems as she seeks to combine the lessons with her teaching, her life and the modern world.
insights
questions
internal
battle
changing perspectives
despair
joy
realising the truth
raja
hatha
ashtanga
philosophy
technique
wisdom faith
samadhi
samsara
why
values
COMING SOON!
A NEW SUPER BLOG...
'THE GREAT LETTING GO OF 2020'
Openness and realism in our modern yoga community: how the deep discomfort and surrender of attachment to survive led us to the refuge within our very own hearts as the yoga sank really deep. How we released known patterns, ingrained habits, expectations and even questioned the meaning of ‘tradition’. How I believe this has positively altered our attitude towards ourselves and ‘others’ , lightened us up and changed How and Why we practise.
Recent Blogs
Go to the Ashtanga Geek Blog to read more articles, diary entries, notebook pages and poems and also Sign Up to be notified each time Leanne publishes a new blog entry!
