Why The Rocket?

The ROCKET system was created by Larry Shultz of It’s Yoga, San Francisco. Is a direct revision of the traditional Ashtanga yoga series’ as pioneered by S. K. Pattabhi Jois. The Rocket routines use creative variations of traditional poses, incorporating asanas of the 1st, 2nd & 3rd series bringing accessibility to these challenging postures.

The Rocket is designed to wake up the nervous system with the upbeat tempo, arm inversions and fluid transitions. The sequences develop strength, openness, progression and freedom. As with traditional Ashtanga, Rocket uses the foundation of Ujjayi breath control and the engagement of bandhas as well as a steadiness of gaze and a serpentine vinyasa flow. The practice still holds the intelligence and therapeutic nature of the original format but also brings variety and an increased creativity, which lifts your practice to new next levels.

This training will be based on three Rocket routines:

Rocket I: Beginning with the traditional Surya Namaskara (sun salutations), this first Rocket sequence moves onto a different standing format. The routine includes all the full standing poses as well as the therapeutic forward bending of the traditional first series, with intervals of forearm balances and bandha focus. The floor poses are based on a modified “Primary” seated series. The closing phase concludes with the traditional inversions, mudras and relaxation. This grounding routine develops core strength, joints, lower back and legs, building a platform for higher energy sequencing and challenging asanas to follow.

Rocket II: This second sequence builds on the same standing series as Rocket I, but progresses into the back bending sequence of the Ashtanga second series. While contrasting and yet complementing the forward folding of Rocket I, the focus is an opening of the heart and inverting of the spine, in a beautiful flow of liberating arches. The energy reaches a culmination point as you transition from a variety of bows into twisting and then onto arm balances and handstands, all regularly punctuated by bandha strengthening vignettes. Lightness of form develops and a poetic grace of movement and breath emerges. The yin and yang of Rocket 1 and 2 are now complete in preparation for the final practice.

Rocket III: is designed to express the most challenging and progressive poses of the first and second Rocket routines. It is a merging of both Rocket I and Rocket II and is appropriately the last practice of the week, originally known as “The Happy Hour Practice”. It combines the deep twisting, inverting and folding components of the previous routines into a final “coming together” ensemble. This last routine is the pinnacle of all the Rocket sequences. Be prepared to be supremely challenged, and inspired.