Jules Mitchell – A New Perspective on the Mechanics of Stretching: An Approach Rooted in Yoga Practice

5-Day In-Depth Intensive Training

【Course Dates】
November 6 (Thursday) – November 10 (Monday)

【Early Bird Discount】
Available until September 10 (Wednesday)

【Course Overview】

This 5-day in-depth intensive training is designed to bring the groundbreaking concepts of Jules Mitchell’s seminal work, Yoga Biomechanics: Stretching Redefined, to life in a highly practical and directly applicable format. While stretching is part of this conversation, the content goes far beyond. You will explore a broader, more nuanced understanding of how we cultivate strength—and how strength, mobility, and flexibility intersect in the context of yoga.

You will gain clarity on what strength truly is (and isn’t), learn to differentiate between mobility and flexibility, and see how yoga fits within these frameworks. We will examine force as a variable you can intentionally manipulate throughout the teaching process. Strategies such as co-contraction, thoughtful prop placement, positioning the body relative to gravity, and leveraging friction across various surfaces will all be explored in depth.

You’ll investigate different types of muscle contractions, discover how force vectors influence joint actions, and understand how they shape your cueing strategies. You’ll also learn to reason through how much force a muscle may be producing and whether it is acting in a lengthened, shortened, or mid-range state.

By the end of the course, you’ll walk away with a practical, adaptable toolkit you can apply confidently—whether you’re teaching group classes, designing private sessions, or deepening your own practice. Throughout the process, you will cultivate a profound appreciation for the body’s incredible adaptability and the resilience of connective tissues. You’ll understand why yoga, even within an environment saturated with misinformation about movement, remains a safe and effective practice.

We’ll also examine how these concepts apply to the biomechanics of breathing, offering you a fresh framework to understand and teach breathing practices—not only through the lens of the nervous system, but also considering pressure, force, and muscular effort.

【Course Topics】

● Strength, mobility, and flexibility: definitions and distinctions

● Load management and its application to connective tissues

● Isometric, eccentric, and concentric contractions

● Using props and co-contraction to explore and influence force

● Force vectors, friction, and resistance in asana

● Muscle actions and positioning beyond stretching

● The biomechanics of breathing viewed through a biomechanical lens

● Moving beyond hierarchy and embracing ambiguous cues

● Human resilience and the safe application of yoga

● Clear, adaptive teaching grounded in critical thinking

Bring your notebook (paper or digital), a curious mind, and an open heart ready to re-examine what you think you know. Join us! Group learning activities and guided discussions will help you integrate the material and adapt it to your own unique teaching style.

【Course Schedule】

November 6 (Thursday) – November 10 (Monday)

09:30 - 12:30 Morning Session
12:30 - 13:30 Lunch Break
13:30 - 16:30 Afternoon Session

Note: SPACE reserves the right to adjust the schedule above. Any changes will be announced in advance.

【Certification Hours】

30 Continuing Education (CE) hours certified by Yoga Alliance (USA)

【Who Should Attend】

• Practitioners who are highly curious about the principles of movement, yoga safety, and effectiveness
  If you often wonder, “Why is this practice effective?” or “How can injuries be prevented?”, and you wish to understand the logic behind the practice from a biomechanics perspective, this course will be deeply rewarding—regardless of whether you are a teacher.

• Yoga teachers who wish to enrich their teaching framework and strengthen class structure
  If you already have a foundational understanding of asana and want to improve the clarity, precision, and adaptability of your cueing, prop use, and student observation, you will gain practical methods and inspiration in this training.

• Teachers preparing to design or enhance private sessions and small-group classes
  One-on-one and small-group settings often require more personalized guidance and adjustments. The movement analysis tools and frameworks provided in this course will help you sharpen your observation skills and teaching adaptability.

【How to Register】

Please click [Register Now] to fill out the online application form. Your registration will be confirmed upon completion of payment.
Seats and discounted pricing will be determined based on the actual payment date.

【Teaching Language】

English instruction with Chinese interpretation

【Interpreter Bio】 Riona Hsu

After completing her 200-hour teacher training in 2013, Riona has worked as both a yoga instructor and translator. She has served as the consecutive interpreter for many master teachers, including Doug Keller, Hart Lazer, Leslie Howard, Ramanand Patel, and Judith Lasater.