Vinyasa Krama Mandiram Bangkok — Matthew Sweeney 6-Day Immersion Workshop

Date:
November 6, 2026
Location:
Sukhumvit

Most yoga systems tell you what to practice. Vinyasa Krama Mandiram — VKM — teaches you how to choose.

This November, Matthew Sweeney brings his system to YogaSutra Studio for the first time. Over 6 days and 8 sessions, immerse into a yoga system that encompasses six unique sequences (Moon, Sunshine, Lion, Rising Moon, Lion Cub, and Rising Sun,) as well as pranayama and meditation. These sequences vary between passive postures, gentle vinyasa, to dynamic and explorative movement and postures – all scaled to the individual.

Matthew has been practicing yoga since the 1990s and has thoroughly researched yoga techniques across Asia for more than 35 years – to design a scalable system that gives students autonomy in their self-practice. Matthew started his yoga practice in the Sivananda Yoga lineage (1988) before establishing himself as an Ashtanga teacher, a Vinyasa teacher, and a Meditation teacher (he is the author of the books Vinyasa Krama Mandiram and Ashtanga Yoga: As It Is.)

This immersion is suitable for students have at least one year’s practice experience – either Ashtanga Yoga or Vinyasa Yoga. While you can book individual workshops, it is recommended that students attend the entire series of workshops. This will be all six days from Friday night to Wednesday morning, and attending every workshop will give you a rich and full understanding of the true scope of the first six sequences of VKM.

WHAT IS VINYASA KRAMA MANDIRAM?

VKM is a scalable system of yoga sequences developed by Matthew Sweeney through more than 35 years of practice and research across the globe. It is movement-based but equally applicable as yoga therapy — designed so practitioners can choose the practice that suits their body and mind on any given day, from gentle and restorative to dynamic and challenging, always scaled to the individual.

Matthew began his yoga journey in the Sivananda lineage in 1988, before becoming one of the leading Ashtanga teachers of his generation and the author of the seminal Ashtanga Yoga: As It Is. VKM emerged from decades of further research and self-inquiry — including Meditation, Gestalt Therapy, Buddhism, and Advaita Vedanta — and reflects his understanding of yoga as a practice of body, mind, and indivisible self.

THE WEEKEND — THREE SEQUENCES AND TWO PRANAYAMA SESSIONS

The immersion opens on Friday morning with the Moon Sequence (Chandra Krama) — The Moon Sequence is a gentle, flowing form that combines Yin Yoga with Vinyasa. Chandra Krama was originally designed as a counterbalance to dynamic practices such as the Primary Series. Although it is intended as a support practice versus your main sequence, it also helps practitioners to balance all aspects of Yoga by applying some key universal principles: here and now awareness, letting go, balancing yin and yang (or Sattva), meditation, and a therapeutic and individual approach. To learn any further Vinyasa Krama, you must integrate some aspect of the Moon Sequence (whether the full sequence, parts of it, or even just the meditation) in order to move forward with a Yoga that is balanced.

Saturday morning introduces the Lion Sequence (Simha Krama) — A practice that Matthew designed as an alternative to the Intermediate Series of Ashtanga Yoga but without the same difficulties, injuries, or roadblocks. Although it is nothing like the Second Series, it is an interesting comparison. The Lion Sequence has many variations you won’t normally find in other yoga classes. During this workshop, Mathew will encourage focus on alignment in the standing postures and with increased emphasis on leg strength, shoulder opening, hip opening and hip extension. You’ll also play with some inversions at the end. Come ready to roar and bring a sense of humour as well as your towel!

Saturday afternoon Pranayama 1: Ujjayi I and II, and Visamavrtti — Ujjayi I and II both apply breathing with a mild restriction of the throat (very small sound) with greater ease, lightness and control. There is no force and loud Ujjayi is discouraged. The vocal-chords resonate, but are free of any real restriction. Learning to breathe while doing postures WITHOUT holding the breath, and WITHOUT any undue contraction of the ribs, diaphragm or abdominus (particularly mid-breath) is one of the most important tools of any system of yoga. Ujjayi II will help you to apply this. If you are used to holding your breath, or have some idea about Bandha and holding your breath, please leave these ideas aside prior to these classes, and come with and open mind and open heart. You will learn a lot.

We will finalise this session with Visamavrtti, the first of our therapeutic (and separate-to-asana) Pranayama practices. This technique focuses on a slightly extended exhalation to encourage the mind, the body, and the nervous system to relax, or at least calm down to a more neutral, Sattvic state. Matthew will scale this for different students, so everyone can apply it comfortably.

Sunday morning brings the Sunshine Sequence (Atapa Krama) — Modelled off the Primary Series, the Sunshine Sequence has a few significant differences: we do not emphasise the jump backs and throughs as much (although though this can be scaled up to suit some eager practitioners.) Some postures of the Primary Series that run a risk for injury have been scaled down, and greater variability has been adopted in the standing postures. Sitting postures include hip extension, some inward rotation, and balancing the four quadrants of the hips and legs. Finally, you’ll see a more gradual and scaled approach to back-bending that is accessible for all. You’ll also play with a combination of easy-to-apply, half drop-backs into the wall, and handstands on-the-wall for the adventurous. This sequence is more dynamic, so bring a towel!

Sunday afternoon with Pranayama 2: Ujjayi II Revisited, and Viloma — We will revisit Ujjayi II to ensure all students can really grasp and implement the technique. For this reason, it is STRONGLY recommended students attend the first Pranayama workshop. Integrating Ujjayi II is not that simple or fast, so it takes multiple repetitions over the course of at least a year to really apply it – up to the point where you don’t have to think about it, and it becomes second nature. 

The second technique in this class will be Viloma Pranayama. Applying soft pauses on the inhalation and experiencing directly how this integrates with contemplation and self-awareness. Viloma is fully compatible with Visamavrtti — just never on the same day — and takes us further into the realm of meditation. Matthew does not teach Pranayama as an arbitrary form of energy manipulation or to disrupt student’s nervous systems: such practices can be very dangerous. Rather, Matthew focuses on Pranayama that is practical, slow, gentle, and ultimately aimed at self-inquiry vs self-rearrangement. Matthew will begin and end this session discussing the philosophy behind these techniques, which is intimately tied to the overall philosophy of VKM: integrating the body-mind-self — Advaita Vedanta.

THE WEEKDAYS — THE RISING SEQUENCES

Monday through Wednesday introduces the three Rising Sequences — refined, accessible versions of the main practices, ideal for self-practice and long-term application.

Rising Moon (Chandrodaya Krama) on Monday. As an extension of our first Sattvic Moon practice (learned on Friday), this sequence places less emphasis on the hips and lower body, and slightly more emphasis on the shoulders and upper body. It is also sometimes called Shoulder Moon. It is a little more dynamic, although still gentle, targeting some specific aspects of the shoulders, and use of wall and props to facilitate better postural integration. Matthew will end this led class by guiding an integration of the Pranayama and Meditation.

Lion Cub (Simhashavah Krama) on Tuesday is originally designed as scaled down version of Lion Sequence more than 20 years ago, this sequence has changed significantly over the last two decades. Lion Cub is considered the most important sequence for all VK practitioners and teachers to learn. Lion Cub focuses on therapeutic style salutes, alignment, and use of the wall- space in standing postures. There are stabilising and strengthening postures for arms, legs, the side body, and hips – a gradual and supported approach to back-bending. Any postures that are difficult for students can be dropped in a self-practice setting. Matthew will encourage students to monitor themselves to avoid doing themselves mischief! Lion Cub is a very different sequence from anything students might have practiced before so come with an open mind. This workshop closes with a Pranayama and Meditation.

Rising Sun (Suryodaya Krama) on Wednesday is more closely aligns with Sunshine, and the dynamic of that, initially it follows a similar postural pattern like the Lion Sequence. Ultimately this sequence is a combination of the two, and is also called “Shoulder Lion.” This practice focuses on leg control and balance in salutes and standing, and on upper body stability and strength in the seated postures. It is a great sequence for students needing more upper body stability. Each individual posture in the sequence is not overly difficult – only when you put them together does the impact start to be felt. Care is to be taken as this sequence is levelled up from all the rest. This workshop closes with a Pranayama and Meditation.

ABOUT MATTHEW SWEENEY

Matthew Sweeney has been practicing Yoga for more than 35 years, and teaching for 30 years. He has developed a number of Vinyasa Sequences – called Vinyasa Krama Mandiram – to suit people of any age and ability. Although this method is movement-based, it is easily applied for students as Yoga-therapy – individual application without losing your adventurous spirit. VKM will enhance your well-being with the prospect of continuing to practice decades into the future with real harmony and joy.

Matthew has also spent the last 30 years practicing different forms of self-inquiry; including Meditation, Gestalt Therapy, Tantra, Transforming Cellular Memory, Buddhism, and Advaita Vedanta. All of these have contributed greatly to his understanding of Yoga and the connection between the body, mind, and Indivisible Self. Matthew is the author of Vinyasa Krama Mandiram, Ashtanga Yoga As It Is, various Yoga DVDs, and many articles on Yoga and consciousness.

WHO IS THIS FOR?

This immersion is suitable for students with at least one year of consistent Ashtanga or Vinyasa practice. While individual workshops and single classes are available, Matthew recommends attending the full 6-day course for the most complete understanding of the system’s scope.

If you’ve been practicing VKM in our regular classes, this is a direct encounter with the source. If you’re new to it, this is as thorough an introduction as exists.

EVENT DETAILS

Vinyasa Krama Mandiram — 6-Day Immersion with Matthew Sweeney
Friday 6 – Wednesday 11 November 2026
YogaSutra Studio — Sukhumvit, 1F The Capital Sukhumvit 30/1, Bangkok

Investment:
Full Course (8 sessions): 16,250 THB
Weekend Only: 10,000 THB
Single Class: 2,500 THB

Highly limited availability — advance booking required

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LINE OA: @yogasutra  |  Tel. +66 94 635 9494