HILAIRE LOCKWOOD

Workshops

With over 3 decades of experience, Hilaire Lockwood is a lifelong student, devoted teacher and studio owner of Hilltop Yoga. Studying under Maty Ezraty and Chuck Miller at the original YogaWorks in Santa Monica, Hilaire brings Maty’s unique style and alignment discipline with her own passions to the practice. As a cancer survivor, Hilaire shares her story as a testament to the power of yoga. Her classes are available online at poweryoga.com.

in your studio

workshop scheduling

Each workshop is approximately 2-3 hours and can be tailored to fit within the studio’s schedule. 

The following is recommended for the full weekend:
Friday PM: “CANCERVIVE” — Practicing with Purpose
Saturday: A Journey through the Chakras, Parts One and Two
Sunday AM: Adjustments for Teachers, Regular and Advanced

IN YOUR STUDIO

all workshops

“CANCERVIVE”

Practicing with Purpose

Description

In the moments when life hands us our deepest struggles, our reaction and perspective is ours to choose. Join Hilaire for an in-depth discussion on how meditation helped her find, accept and ultimately, survive her cancer. She will share her story and how all eight limbs of the practice kept her not only alive, but sane. 

Learn how to apply the same tools to the physical, mental and emotional journey of dealing with trauma. This workshop will begin with an interactive discussion followed by meditation and pranayama (breath work). It is intended for students of all levels. 

A Journey through the Chakras

PART ONE ~ ROOTS

Description

Each area of the physical body corresponds to a chakra, an energetic center that presents as aspect of consciousness in our lives. In this two-part workshop, Hilaire will highlight each of the chakras and how they relate to our own internal and external perceptions. 

The first session will focus on chakras 1-3 and the postures that correspond including standing balances, hip openers and arm balances. Working from the inside out and ground up, this unique approach will help us better understand ourselves and our practice. All levels welcome.

A Journey through the Chakras

PART TWO ~ RELEASE

Description

 

Building upon the first session, the second will focus on chakras 4-7 and the postures that correspond including backbends, inversions and chanting. From a strong and aligned foundation, an open mind and willingness to learn will transform even the most seemingly challenging posture. This workshop will leave you feeling grounded, balanced and refreshed. All levels welcome.

Art of Adjustments

Adjustments for Teachers

Description

 

Adjustments can be a powerful tool for enhancing and evolving your students’ practice, if done properly. In this workshop for teachers, learn the art of properly adjusting students in a safe manner for you and them.

 

Advanced Adjustments for Teachers

Advanced Postures

Description

Adjustment workshop for teachers with a focus on advanced postures. Learn the ins and outs of adjusting advanced backbends, arm balances, inversions, and how to deepen students into these tricky postures.

How to Sequence Intuitively

Sequencing for Teachers

Description

 

Knowing how to read the energy of the room, how to teach in a way that honors the needs of the students, and how to seamlessly sequence postures to create a dynamic flow gives you the tools to create an intuitive, soulful practice for your students every time. Rather than coming armed with a plan or agenda when you teach, learn how to trust your intuition to create a sequence that honors the energy of your students. 

 

Back to the Basics

Yoga for Everyone

Description

 

Whether you’re brand new to yoga or a regular practitioner, there is something to be learned at this workshop. Hilaire will lead students through a safe and mindful yoga practice, including ujjayi breathing, alignment for foundational postures along with modifications to suit any level. Come explore the subtleties and nuances that make up the asana practice. All levels welcome!

The Building Blocks of Being Upside Down

Inversions from the Ground Up

Description

Inversions are the postures of youth and flip the energy both internally and externally. In this alignment-oriented workshop, Hilaire will break down each inversion into small steps to build strength and stay safe. From a forward fold to a handstand, downward dog to headstand, we’ll build them from the ground up. Come with an open mind and eagerness to explore your potential. Suited for all levels — beginner to advanced!

Open Heart, Open Mind

Blissful Backbends

Description

 

In yoga philosophy, the heart is the seed to the mind – a welcoming heart creates a loving, accepting and less judgmental mind. In this workshop we will properly align the legs and arms as a starting point for welcoming backbends. We’ll explore how to open the spine in a way that protects our weaknesses and challenges our obstacles for an optimal and balanced back bending practice. From there, moving the focal point of our backbends to the middle and upper back to achieve freedom in the lower back. This is a great opportunity to rebuild your backbends from the ground up to feel physically, mentally and emotionally balanced.

 

Bandhas and Bravery

The What, Where and How to Utilize in Practice

Description

 

There is plenty of mystery and magic surrounding the concept of bandhas, but we know that they are crucial to inversions, arm balances and floating in practice. Hilaire will breakdown what bandhas even are, where to find them and how your practice opens up the more you use them. Come prepared to focus on the three main internal locks — mula bandha, uddiyana bandha and jalandhara bandha — and their role in specific postures.

Yamas and Niyamas

Ancient Guidelines

Description

The first two limbs of the eight-limbed, Ashtanga practice, the moral codes to self and others. We will break down and discuss how to use the ancient guidelines in the world we live in today. Specifically, How to make the yamas and niyamas truly accessible and manageable through the joys and sufferings that life hands us.

Guided Meditation Workshop

The Reason Behind Asana

Description

All too often forgotten is the reason behind asana (postures) — the ability to sit in meditation. We exist in a demanding world where multi-tasking and overbooking ourselves is expected. The pace of life leaves us not only physically exhausted but with a busy, cluttered state of mind. 

Through the practice of meditation, we can begin to bring awareness to the “busy” and detach from emotional holdings related to past events or anxiety for the future. Practicing mindfulness allows us to more readily access this state of being regardless of what is going on around us. 

Hilaire will help us focus on techniques to flip this dark, lethargic energy to lightness and laughter. We will spend time discussing why we find ourselves being so heavy and the choice we have to effectively pull ourselves out of the rabbit hole. No prior meditation experience is necessary, all levels welcome.

 

Power Vinyasa Flow

The Inner Power

Description

 

Often misunderstood, the power in power yoga refers to the inner power that we all hold – that deep inner strength that not only keeps us focused, but allows us to be honest with ourselves and our limits. While we do experience a “workout” by practicing power yoga, we also experience the yoke and the union that is true yoga – a body, mind, and spirit connection that allows us to achieve a deep “working in.” This workshop consists of a brief discussion on the true definition of power yoga, followed by a powerful asana practice that will challenge your body, mind, and spirit. All levels welcome!

Ashtanga Primary Series

The Foundation of Vinyasa Yoga 

Description

Recommended as two-part workshop

The foundational aspects of a Vinyasa or flow-style class have their roots in Ashtanga Primary Series: forward bends, backbends, twists, chaturangas, arm balances and float-throughs, just to name a few. The popularization of vinyasa and power yoga as a form of exercise in the West has covered up the importance of its roots: Ashtanga yoga. 

Simply translated, “ashtanga” means eight limbs, which include Yama (moral codes), Niyama (self-purification and study), Asana (postures), Pranayama (breath control), Pratyahara (sense control), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (total peace). The primary (first) series of Ashtanga Yoga is a set sequence postures practiced in the same order each time that begins with sun salutations followed by a well-rounded sequence of standing postures, seated postures and finishings. 

In this workshop, Hilaire will break down all aspects of this multifaceted series to fine tune your practice as a whole from the inside out, covering all of the limbs. Every practice becomes more meaningful when we understand its intention and its roots. All levels welcome!

Breaking Down Second Series

The Reason Behind Asana

Description

Recommended as two-part workshop

Ashtanga Second Series, known as Nadi Shodhana, and is meant to cleanse the nervous system and subtle body. With primary series being mainly forward bending poses and vinyasas to build strength, second series is an excellent complement to that practice as it consists of many twisting, back bending, and inverted poses. Hilaire will teach to break down this challenging series into chunks and make it accessible to all levels. Completing primary series is NOT a requirement for this workshop.

The Foundation of Yoga

A Sutra Intensive

Description

Recommended as multi-day workshop

Sometimes knowing “why” we do something helps put meaning or intention behind our actions. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali do just that. This one or two-day intensive for students and instructors alike will be solely focused on the foundation of the yoga practice, its roots and its meaning – all that lies within the 3,000-year-old Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Over the two-day period we will cover as much of the book as possible, relating the foundation of yoga to our life off the mat. When we can more deeply understand the purpose behind the practice, our time on our mat has more meaning. All are welcome – no yoga or sutra experience required. 

To Prop or Not To Prop

Description
How to appropriately use props. The when, where, how and why. This workshop will include discussion and asana prop breakdown.

The Layers of Samadhi

Description
We think of samadhi as being the final destination of yoga and yet there are layers to this intricate piece of the practice. This workshop will include discussion and meditation into discovery

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Get In Touch

Please contact us today to learn more about collaborating with Hilaire.

traveling instructor

Hilaire Lockwood

YOGI