Benefits of Kalari Martial and Yoga Training
Kalari is for everyone and particularly suited for yogis, athletes, martial artists, actors, dancers and movement practitioners from all walks of life.
Body Awareness and Control
Develop fast and dynamic movements, improved reflex speeds, balance, coordination, tools for self defence and increase confidence.
Yogic Movement and Mobility
Work on your flexibility, flow, range of motion, concentration, focus and discipline, breathing patterns, and support your nervous system.
Build and Maintain General Fitness
Improve your stamina and endurance, core and full body strength, spinal posture, respiration, energy and vitality, and maintain a more balanced metabolism.
Preventative Health and Wellbeing
Support detoxification and cleansing of your body with movement that improves the functions your cardiovascular and lymphatic systems.
Kalaripayattu Origins
Kalaripayattu (aka Kalari) is an ancient traditional indigenous martial art that originates from Kerala in South India. The Kalari (the name of the arena) is a sunken pit packed with red mud. Early scriptures state that in the 6th Century A.D, the Buddhist Monk, Bodhidharma, introduced Kalaripayattu into China which then later formed into Shaolin Kung-Fu, Karate and other Asian martial arts.
According to Indian mythology, Parashuama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, established Kalaripayattu in
Kerala to protect the state and provide a service to the community. Used in combination with the Kalari healing system, this allowed practitioners to develop mastery of the mind, body and healing skills, using traditional Indian medicine. Parashurama was a master in the art of weaponry, he developed northern kalaripayattu (vadakkan kalari), with an emphasis on weapons and flowing movement forms and animal postures ‘vadivu’. Southern Kalaripayattu was developed by the sage Agastya and emphasizes body combat, footwork, striking vital points and the use of weapons.
Kalari is now practiced more widely in India and over the world. Students continue to train under the guidance of their teachers in the traditional way and develop to practice with advanced weapons and combative techniques while harmonizing themselves with their ever changing inner and outer environments.
Kalari classes include the traditional aspects of training
Warm Up/Down Kicks
Combinations of Kalari and dynamic movements, yoga, mobility and strength training.
Kicks &
Jumps
Flexibility and applicative combative kicks, jumps used in forms and interactive training.
Forms
Traditional vinyasa style sequences with flow, power and grace.
Fighting Forms
Forms that use offensive and defensive movements, and sequences used in face to face demonstrative practices.
Self Defence
Locks, throws, evasive, defensive and offensive techniques.
Weapons
Wooden, metal, and different kinds of weapons used
in forms and combative sequences.
Breathing/Focus Exercises
Pranayam, single point focus and meditative practices to support concentration of the mind.
Salutations
Sequences which remind us of important values, respect for others, earth and our lineages.
Our Classes: Kalari Yoga & Martial Arts
In our classes we focus on the traditional Southern style of Kalari, however incorporate Northern and other styles as well. As Kalari is India’s ancient martial, meditational & medicinal tradition that evolved alongside Yoga & Ayurveda we bring in these aspects to the trainings. We see it as a complete system of body-oriented therapy with an emphasis on the expansion & development of the senses, a paradigm commonly called ‘when the body becomes all eyes’. Kalari gives us a framework for understanding how we exist in the world and practical guidelines to harmonize ourselves with our ever changing inner and outer environments.
We also include Kalari Yoga which is a unique approach to improving your health and wellbeing which incorporates meditation, pranayama, slower Kalari martial forms and Hatha Yoga asanas into a traditional yet dynamic practice. These practices are included in our martial classes with an importance on the holistic yogic approaches to concentration of the mind, respect for oneself and others, and development of a mobile body.
Kalari asanas are multidimensional, with animal poses, and incorporating concepts of power and focus, allowing us to feel a closer connection to our ancestral animal and warrior lineages.
Meet your Kalari Instructor
Lalita Yagnik is a Musician, Kalari Healing practitioner, Martial Art/Yoga Instructor, and Naturopath. She is passionate about helping others develop focus, discipline and strength in mind and body. Lalita has been training with her teachers in Kerala every year since 2009.
Student Experiences
Our students from all over the world have been benefiting from Kalari movement practices in all aspects of their life.
Katie, Australia
“I’ve noticed in my body increased flexibility, more energy, more strength and benefits of these has flown into all aspects in my life”.
Divya, USA
“My main goal in studying Kalari was to become more agile and dynamic, and eventually incorporate it into my yoga classes.”
