Expand Your Horizons …
NOVEMBER 2017 – JUNE 2018
yoga vacations • experiential courses • teacher training
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Health is wealth. Peace of mind is happiness. Yoga shows the way. — Swami Vishnudevananda
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WELCOME
from Swami Swaroopananda This season marks the 50-year anniversary of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat. Since 1968, the ashram has served the mission of our founder and Guru, Swami Vishnudevananda, and our Master Swami Sivananda — by spreading peace, health, and joy through the study and practice of yoga and Vedanta. In the ashram’s 50 years in the beautiful Bahamas, we have seen the exponential expansion of yoga in the world, as Swami Vishnudevananda predicted. When he founded the Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course in 1969, he envisioned millions of people throughout the world practicing yoga, an ambitious idea at that time. Now there are not only millions of people practicing yoga, but there are more than 42,000 international students who have graduated from the Teacher Training Course worldwide. The ashram is a center of diverse learning, offering many doorways and opportunities to elevate consciousness. We invite a wide range of presenters — spiritual leaders, yoga teachers, healers, scientists, health and medical practitioners, sacred artists and performers — to share their unique teachings. Swami Vishnudevananda believed in a core principle of Unity in Diversity, and we continue this mission through the multitude of educational and inspirational programs. Our vision is to serve as an ever-growing beacon of light for humanity. It is with deep gratitude that we acknowledge the many reflectors of light who have visited the ashram from around the world: yoga vacationers, course students, presenters, yoga teacher trainees, and Karma Yogis — shining brightly, and uplifting the collective consciousness. We are also grateful to our Bahamian guests and Karma Yogis who visit us regularly, attending workshops, yoga classes, and satsangs and serving at the ashram. With the world currently experiencing challenging times, there is an even greater need for yoga and spiritual teachings. Hope for the future lies in the expansion of the light within each of us, as we serve each other selflessly, with love and joy. Through individual transformation, we can raise the consciousness of humanity. I warmly invite you to join us in the Bahamas for a season of joy, beauty, and wisdom. Take a yoga vacation, immerse in the Teacher Training Course, attend a course or event with one of our distinguished presenters, or join our residential study program. Contribute to creating a bright future for all, by finding light and inner peace within yourself Om Shanti, Om Peace —Swami Swaroopananda, Director
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AROUND THE ASHRAM Discover our amenities and the flow of a day immersed in a yogic lifestyle.
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OUR LINEAGE
Learn more about the great yoga masters of our lineage.
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YOGA TEACHER TRAINING
Experience a profound 28-day immersion.
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KARMA YOGA
Engage in selfless service while living at the ashram.
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EXPERIENTIAL COURSES Experience the best in integrative learning.
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Harmonize with your natural rhythms through this signature program.
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PLANNING YOUR VISIT
The basics you need for getting to the ashram.
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PRESENTER & PROGRAM LISTINGS
Find who and what you’re looking for.
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The Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat on Paradise Island in the Bahamas opened in January 1968.
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AROUND THE ASHRAM
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SETTING We are located across the bay from Nassau, Bahamas, on one of the finest beaches in the world. The ashram is truly an island paradise and a sanctuary of peace and natural beauty. With its pristine white sand beaches, crystal blue waters, and five-and-a-half acres of lush tropical gardens, the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat provides the ideal environment for practice, rest, and rejuvenation.
ACCOMMODATIONS Pleasant lodgings include a choice of rooms overlooking the ocean, or comfortable garden cabins. We offer a variety of accommodation options, ranging from self-pitched tents to luxurious beachfront suites, allowing you to spend your time with us in the way that is optimal for you. See page 112 for accommodation options and rates. Visit our website for details as well as photographs.
MEALS Enjoy a variety of delicious and nutritious vegetarian meals made with loving care according to yogic dietary principles for a healthy and calm body and mind. Savor the flavor of freshly baked bread, homemade granola, and breakfast spreads. Nourish your body with hearty soups and fresh salads, along with bean, lentil, and vegetable dishes. Relax with the daily herbal tea. Have your meal in the company of other yogis and vacationers by the ocean, in the garden, or in the dining area.
THE BOUTIQUE & HEALTH HUT In the cozy, welcoming boutique, bookstore, and Health Hut, you’ll find an inspiring selection of books and music, your favorite yoga gear, and souvenirs, including our line of organic cotton t-shirts, traditional attire, and accessories brought from India. Share a snack with some friends or take a private break and delight yourself with a selection of natural products, fresh smoothies, and a variety of homemade treats from the Health Hut.
THE WELL BEING CENTER Our natural state is one of health, balance, and joy. The healing treatments and consultations offered by the Well Being Center are designed to bring you back into this natural state. Our skilled therapists facilitate healing by working with the flow of prana (life force), freeing up the energy channels to bring healing to the mind and body. Take time to experience a yogic approach to health and well-being. Please visit our website to see the menu of treatments and consultations.
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DAILY SCHEDULE
IMMERSE IN A YOGIC LIFESTYLE FLOW OF THE DAY MORNING Start the day at 6:00 am with the serenity of early morning meditation, joyful chanting, and a spiritual talk. Energize your body while preserving the meditative mood with an 8:00 am yoga class. Brunch will await you after. MID-DAY Take time for learning
through Experiential Course sessions or a Yoga Vacation workshop. After, you may want to relax on the beach and take a swim or enjoy a massage at the Well Being Center. Perhaps you’ll stop by the Health Hut for a snack break, spend time with friends, or find a comfortable chair in the garden and read a book.
AFTERNOON Begin the third
part of the day with a 4:00 pm yoga class and feel your body achieve its maximum flexibility. Observe your breath becoming calm and your mind clear in the serenity of your afternoon practice. Dinner will await you after the class. Take an early evening walk on the beach and enjoy a beautiful sunset.
EVENING Join the evening
satsang at 8:00 pm and let the company of positive, like-minded people uplift you. Meditate, chant, and enjoy devotional music, a dance performance, or a lecture by a worldrenowned presenter. Drift to sleep fulfilled and inspired.
The ashram’s daily schedule creates the rhythm of each day for the whole ashram community — yoga vacationers, course participants, yoga teacher trainees, Karma Yogis, and staff. This structured immersion creates positive changes that last long after you leave. 6:00 am Satsang meditation, chanting, and a talk — or a silent walk
SATSANG Gain inspiration on your path. In Sanskrit, “satsang” means “to be in the company of truth.” During satsang, we come together as a community for meditation, chanting, daily prayers, and learning. Satsangs feature a variety of talks by spiritual teachers and guest presenters as well as special programs, concerts, ceremonies, and symposia.
ASHRAM TEMPLES & DAILY PUJAS The ashram is home to three temples, each maintained in alignment with the yogic and Vedic traditions of our lineage by the resident Vedic priest. Everyone is welcome to attend, observe, and participate in the daily pujas at the ashram’s temples. A puja is a devotional ceremony to honor a particular deity or deities and includes prayers, chants, and offerings of fruit, flowers, and light. If this aspect of yoga is new to you, we invite you to experience it.
8:00 am Yoga Class beginners and intermediate options 10:00 am Brunch nutritious vegetarian meal 11:00 am – 4:00 pm Class time and/or free time the heart of your day 4:00 pm Yoga Class beginners and intermediate options 6:00 pm Dinner nutritious vegetarian meal 8:00 pm Satsang meditation, chanting, and a talk or performance Please note The two satsangs and meals times are the same for everyone. Individual schedules for the rest of the day depend on your selection of program or course.
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Happiness comes from within. It cannot come from without. —Swami Sivananda
BRINGING YOGA TO THE WEST 1945
A young member of the Indian army happens upon a pamphlet by Swami Sivananda entitled 20 Important Spiritual Instructions; he is so inspired, he travels to meet him and joins his ashram two years later, eventually to become Swami Vishnudevananda.
1957
On the instructions of his guru, Swami Vishnudevananda brings the foundations of Sivananda Yoga to the West, with a goal to help heal the physical body and the mind and remove suffering.
1960
Swami Vishnudevananda visits the Bahamas for the first time to give a talk and yoga demonstration.
1968
The Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat opens on Paradise Island.
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Inspired by a life-changing vision at the ashram in the Bahamas, Swami Vishnudevananda creates the first yoga teacher training course in the West.
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OUR LINEAGE The Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Bahamas follows an unbroken lineage of teachers who practice the classical yoga wisdom of Swami Sivananda, which was introduced to the West by his disciple Swami Vishnudevananda. We are part of an ever-growing international organization of Sivananda ashrams and centers (sivananda.org), with the mission to share peace, health, and joy through yoga.
Swami Sivananda (1887 – 1963)
One of the great saints of modern times, Swami Sivananda is the inspiration behind the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center. Born in India, he served for many years as a medical doctor before renouncing worldly life and establishing the Sivananda Ashram and Divine Life Society in Rishikesh. A prolific writer, he authored more than 300 books that offer knowledge and spiritual guidance to millions around the world. His mission can be summarized by his saying: “Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate, Realize.”
Swami Vishnudevananda (1927 – 1993)
Recognized worldwide as an authority on Hatha and Raja Yoga, Swami Vishnudevananda founded the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center in 1959. After spending 10 years with his guru, Swami Sivananda, Swamiji was sent to the West to disseminate the teachings of Yoga and Vedanta. He was a visionary, dynamic leader for world peace, and he wrote the practical classics Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga and Meditation and Mantras.
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Today, the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta organization has nine ashrams and more than 30 centers around the world, and has now trained around 42,000 certified teachers.
Photo: In this historic photo, Swami Vishnudevananda (right) is with his Master, Swami Sivananda, standing along the banks of the Ganges in Rishikesh, India.
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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS Swami Swaroopananda is a senior disciple of Swami Vishnudevananda. A practicing yogi from a very young age, Swami Swaroopananda has dedicated his life to the practice and teaching of yoga. He taught in Yoga Teacher Training Courses around the world and is currently teaching advanced yoga philosophy courses and lectures internationally. He has been Director of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat in the Bahamas for 27 years and Acharya (spiritual director) for the Sivananda centers and ashrams in the Middle East and the Caribbean. Swami Swaroopananda is also a member of the Board of Directors of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres.
On Yoga and Spiritual Life with Swami Swaroopananda Join us for an evening of Q&A with Swami Swaroopananda. Ask anything you ever wanted to know about yoga practice and philosophy and the spiritual path. The answers are steeped in rare wisdom and deep understanding of the teachings and practice of yoga. Swami Swaroopananda is renowned for his clear, concise, and complete answers. While presented in simple terms, his answers are illuminating and hold within them vast knowledge. He dispels doubts and fears, clears troubled minds, and inspires the listeners to strive and advance on the spiritual path and become better citizens of the world.
The popular evenings of Q&As with Swami Swaroopananda are offered as part of the Yoga Vacation Program; see page 22.
Dates November 28, 2017 December 28, 2017 January 28, 2018 February 27, 2018 March 31, 2018 April 24, 2018 May 29, 2018 June 29, 2018
Inspired? Get online! Find numerous Q&As with Swami Swaroopananda from previous seasons. Videos on our YouTube page: www.youtube.com/user/ sivanandabahamas Posts on our blog: www.sivanandabahamas.org/blog
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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS
in the Bahamas 50TH ANNIVERSARY EVENTS In celebration of our 50 years on Paradise Island, we are hosting three very special events. Please join us and share in the joy. SPECIAL EVENT
January 7 – 13
Ashram 50th Anniversary: Celebrating Our History, Welcoming Our Future See page 32.
SPECIAL EVENT
April 16 – 20
11th Annual Yoga for Peace Symposium: Changing the World from the Inside Out See page 48.
SPECIAL EVENT
June 3 - 14, 2018
Swami Swaroopananda’s Birthday Celebration: Connecting Across Faiths and Disciplines
THEN AND NOW
Scenes from around the ashram: Swami Vishnudevananda at the beach (top left). Clockwise: The iconic bayside arrival dock, during Swami Vishnudevananda’s time and today; An oceanside experience of the Teacher Training Course now and with Swami Vishnudevananda.
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While you are here, take the 11:00 am Ashram Welcome and History Tour and hear stories about the ashram and the lineage.
See page 72.
Y EA G RS TIN A R EB The ashram in
the Bahamas was the second ashram that Swami Vishnudevananda established in the West.
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SIVANANDA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING COURSES
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Since its inception, the Teacher Training Course in the Bahamas has graduated thousands of individuals from all around the world.
SIVANANDA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING COURSE 200-HOUR
LOOK TO THE FUTURE
TTC graduates SAVE 10% TTC graduates receive a 10% discount on accommodations and tuitions for all future stays at the ashram.
Ready for a life transformation? Step into the next phase of your life through the tools of yoga. Experience immersion learning at a yoga ashram and develop teaching skills that are rooted in your own practice and study. The Sivananda Teacher Training Course (TTC) offers you:
2017 Dates November 4 – December 1 December 4 – 31
• A solid foundation in a classical yoga tradition, including the study and practice of asanas, pranayama, meditation, and mantra
2018 Dates
• Training in how to teach from a team of expert instructors
February 3 – March 2
• Participation in Karma Yoga, the practice of selfless service
January 4 – 31 March 7 – April 3 April 6 – May 3
• Vegetarian meals and teachings on nutrition and the yogic diet, including Ayurveda
May 6 – June 2
• Study of yoga philosophy, Vedanta, and teachings from the Bhagavad Gita and other ancient yogic texts.
July 5 – August 1
The TTC is open to students at all levels of experience and welcomes aspiring yoga teachers as well as those seeking to deepen their practice and understanding of yoga. It is a unique, profoundly transformative, and rewarding experience that is based on the ancient Gurukula teaching system, which integrates the student’s daily life into the yoga training. You will graduate with the ability to confidently teach classes of the Sivananda Yoga 2-hour yoga sequence, as well as a 6-lesson beginner course.
Why take the TTC with us in the Bahamas? • Live and study in a traditional yoga ashram for a month • Deepen your spiritual connection to yoga and invite profound inner transformation • Experience the healing powers and beauty of the ocean in a tropical setting • Be part of a vibrant international yoga community, with people of a variety of ages, cultures, backgrounds, and life experience • Participate in a rich tapestry of satsang programs with ashram teachers and guest presenters featured in the rest of the catalog
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June 5 – July 2
TTC COURSE FEE Rates include tuition, accommodations, and meals. Accommodations Tent Space $2,400 (plan to bring your own tent); Dormitory $3,255; Tent Hut $3,490; Garden Room Single: June, July, and November: $5,275; December - May: $5,677 Please note A Bahamian VAT tax of 7.5% will be added. 200-hour Certification At the end of each TTC, students take an exam. Graduates then receive an internationally recognized Sivananda certification. You will also be eligible to register with Yoga Alliance at the 200-hour level (RYT® 200). CEUs are available for social workers and nurses.
I graduated the Teacher Training Course this past February. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss being there, or that I don’t miss my amazing fellow trainees, teachers, and ashram staff. The teachers are world class, the support staff and course assistants go above and beyond to make sure you succeed and have a positive experience. The training changed the way I see the world and my role in it, even though I’ve been practicing yoga for years and had already completed a different teacher training course a few years ago. This experience isn’t only about learning how to teach yoga — it’s learning about yourself, understanding that you are basically limitless in your potential. —February 2017 TTC graduate from New York City
Inspired? Take the next step — get online! • Watch a TTC video • Find important information: full curriculum, schedule, what to bring, and more • Register — all you need is a $300 deposit.
QUESTIONS? Call us: 1-877-268-4091 EMAIL US: ttcbahamas@sivananda.org
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FIRST YOGA TEACHER TRAINING IN THE WEST In 1969, Swami Vishnudevananda became the first yogi from India to develop a yoga teacher training program in the West, with the vision to not only train successful yoga teachers but also to spread peace in the world through them. Since then, the Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course (TTC) has graduated around 42,000 people throughout the world and is internationally recognized as a leading yoga training program.
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Only in ashrams can students really start on the spiritual path, do intense sadhana, and get into the vibration. —Swami Vishnudevananda
ADVANCED TEACHER TRAINING COURSE 500-HOUR Deepen your practice, deepen your life. I took ATTC at the Yoga Retreat and it was far beyond my expectations; it was a much stronger experience than the TTC! The ashram in the Bahamas was like a heaven for me — great weather, clear sea, balanced tasty food — and most important, the atmosphere of love, harmony, and peace. I wish so much that there were more places like this. My most sincere recommendations! —Ilia G., ATTC graduate
Whether you’re an active yoga teacher, or a certified yoga teacher who would like to strengthen your own practice, the Advanced Teacher Training Course (ATTC) offers the ideal training for expanding and deepening your knowledge and advancing on your spiritual path. An in-depth four-week immersion, the ATTC provides you the opportunity to establish a broader and firmer base for your personal practice in support of your teaching. During the course, you will: • Delve much deeper into the teachings and practices of Hatha, Bhakti, Jnana, Raja, and Karma Yoga • Further your Self-study (swadhyaya) • Advance your Sanskrit studies • Create a confident and distinguished approach to your teaching • Engage the transformative practices of yoga to guide you forward on your path.
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NEW! Expand your teaching experience... in the Bahamas. Are you a TTC or ATTC graduate?
QUESTIONS? Call us: 1-877-268-4091 EMAIL US: attcbahamas@sivananda.org
2017 Dates November 4 – December 1 2018 Dates January 4 – 31 April 6 – May 3
ATTC COURSE FEE Rates include tuition, accommodations, and meals. Accommodations Tent Space $2,400 (plan to bring your own tent); Dormitory $3,255; Tent Hut $3,490; Garden Room Single: November: $5,275; January and April: $5,677 Please note A Bahamian VAT tax of 7.5% will be added. ATTC Prerequisite Graduation from the Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course (TTC) or Integral Yoga Teacher Training Course. (Please email ttcbahamas@sivananda.org if you are a graduate from another teacher training program who is interested in the ATTC.) 500-hour Certification When you graduate from the ATTC, you will receive Yoga Acharya, or Master of Yoga, certification. You will also be eligible to register with Yoga Alliance at the 500-hour level (RYT® 500).
Five good reasons to take the ATTC 1. Y ou’ve been teaching and would love to advance your skills. 2. Y ou haven’t been teaching and could use a jumpstart. 3. Y ou want another opportunity to dive deep into yoga practice and wisdom. 4. Y ou know in your heart it’s the next right step on your spiritual path.
We are developing fantastic new opportunities for Sivananda Yoga teachers! Take your yoga teaching skills to the next level. Gain practical experience by assisting and/or teaching in our daily classes. Learn from experienced teachers and senior staff. Immerse in a spiritual yoga lifestyle and deepen your understanding of and commitment to developing as a yoga teacher. An application and daily Karma Yoga will be required. Stay tuned for more details on our website and in our emails. In the meantime — let us know if you would be interested: email us at ttcbahamas@sivananda.org with your questions and requests or call us at 1-877-268-4091.
5. Y ou could use a month of sadhana in a beautiful beachfront setting.
SPECIAL OFFER
TTC + ATTC SAVE 10%
Take the TTC and the ATTC back-to-back and save 10% on the total tuition for both courses. Available DecemberJanuary and March-April.
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I did the Karma yoga program 2 years ago, which enabled me to learn more about the yogic lifestyle and being part of a spiritual community. Everybody is always working very hard to keep everything going. It is the perfect place to learn about yourself and grow mentally and spiritually. —Caroline L., past Karma Yoga participant
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KARMA YOGA
Join the ashram’s residential study program. Karma Yoga is the path of action. It is a path of purification through letting go of attachment to outcome, opening your heart to Divine love, and discovering the bliss of selfless service. Come experience the practice of Karma Yoga, live in a spiritual community with like-minded people, and receive guidance on your quest for self-improvement.
36-DAY INTRODUCTION TO KARMA YOGA
Karma Yoga at the ashram is an excellent way to:
*From November to July: Tent accommodations only; please bring your own tent.
• Actively engage with a spiritual path • Deepen your knowledge and practice of yoga • Make a valuable contribution to our community • Cultivate lasting friendships with fellow Karma Yogis • Have opportunities to practice teaching (for TTC graduates) • Experience the rich tapestry of presenters and teachings at our morning and evening satsangs.
Participants in this program contribute five hours of selfless service a day. The daily schedule includes mandatory attendance at morning and evening satsangs (meditation, chanting, and lecture) as well as one yoga class. A 36-day minimum commitment is required. Cost: $29/day ($1,044 for 36 days). This price includes accommodations*, meals, yoga classes, and participation in some of the Yoga Vacation Programs (see catalog program pages). A 7.5% Bahamian VAT tax will be added.
KARMA YOGA IMMERSION Join us for a full immersion in ashram life for a minimum of 3 months. Through your work assignments, you will engage in selfless service 6–8 hours a day, finding joy in acting from the purest motivation of service for others and doing your best to carry out your assigned duty. This process will help you develop a stronger sense of discipline and willpower, purify your heart, and move you forward along the path of your spiritual evolution. This program is suitable for yoga teachers and those interested in making a deeper commitment to a spiritual life. Prior interview with the Karma Yoga coordinator is required.
Karma Yoga, or the practice of selfless service, is the best preparation for the practice of meditation. Without purifying the heart and the mind from selfishness and other negative emotions, success in meditation is not possible. The ashram is the best setting for such a practice. Serving others with joy, in the company of other spiritual practitioners, is a safe way to practice Karma Yoga and eventually attain success in meditation and enjoy the bliss of the spiritual life. —Swami Swaroopananda
Please note This is a popular program; please sign up at least 2–3 months in advance to ensure availability.
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YOGA VACATION PROGRAMS pages 22-77
YOGA VACATION PROGRAMS
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 80-109
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YOGA VACATION PROGRAM Take a Yoga Vacation — harmonize with your natural rhythms. Why do so many people need a vacation when they get back from their vacation? Not with us — we’ll send you back home more relaxed, inspired, and energized than you came. A true vacation. One of the wonderful things about our Yoga Vacation Program is that you choose when you want to arrive and how long you want to stay. Come for all or part of the programs you’ll find on pages 22-77. There are always workshops and programs going on while you are at the ashram and you can opt to participate in as much or as little as you like. While you are here ...
ENJOY A HEALTHY YOGIC LIFESTYLE
Increase your vitality, positivity, and ease of being as a result of daily yoga practice, a healthy vegetarian diet, meditation, and uplifting teachings.
I went with a friend for a week, really not knowing what to expect but looking forward to a new experience. The ashram exceeded my expectations. ... The twice daily yoga practices were taught by different teachers, each bringing their personal style and enriching the session. My friend never practiced yoga before and through their gentle approach, had a wonderful experience. The programs were meaningful and interesting, delivered by wonderful speakers who also ran some practical workshops. We met the most interesting people and will have lifelong connections with some. I’m looking forward to my next Yoga Vacation at the ashram — it can’t come soon enough! —Yoga Vacationer from Toronto, Canada
CONNECT WITH NATURE
Enjoy the restorative power of the natural world as you take in the fresh sea air, the sounds of the waves, and the beauty of the tropical gardens.
MEET INTERESTING PEOPLE
Experience the pleasure of good company through connection with kindred spirits from around the world at meals, on the beach, in classes, and in satsang.
LEARN NEW THINGS
Discover new ways of thinking and being, deepen spiritual knowledge, learn body-mind practices, and celebrate the diversity of life. Browse pages 24-77 to see what’s happening when you want to come — or plan your Yoga Vacation to coincide with a particular program.
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YOGA VACATION PROGRAM RATES When you take a Yoga Vacation at the ashram, you enjoy twice daily yoga classes, morning and evening satsang, healthy vegetarian meals, and full access to our grounds and facilities (including the beach!) as well as daily Yoga Vacation Program workshops and talks offered at noon and/or 2:00 pm. November 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018 $32 per person per night July 1 – October 31, 2018 $20 per person per night Total cost Add the Yoga Vacation fee to your accommodation rate; see page 112 (the total cost of your stay depends on your accommodation choice). Please note A Bahamian VAT tax of 7.5% will be added.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAMS pages 22-77
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THE YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
was designed by Swami Vishnudevananda to ensure that true relaxation and rejuvenation are achieved for the body, mind, and soul. Over the years, many thousands of Yoga Vacationers have visited the Sivananda ashram in the Bahamas to learn, grow, and discover. Yoga Vacation Programs are offered through afternoon workshops and morning and evening satsang presentations. Enjoy the rest of your time in asana classes, at the beach, at meals — or in the boutique. Many Yoga Vacationers choose to contribute to the community during their stay through small acts of Karma Yoga (selfless service). Ask how you can pitch in.
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YE A G RS TIN A R B E For 50 years, we have welcomed people seeking a spiritual environment to learn, grow, and relax.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 80-109
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NOVEMBER at the ashram
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
November 6 – 10
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
November 2 – 5
20 Important Spiritual Instructions Sylvie Boisclair (Saraswati) Swami Sivananda provided 20 spiritual instructions that are the very essence of all yoga paths: Karma, Raja, Bhakti, and Jnana. Come explore how they can inspire your life and spiritual practice. As Swami Sivananda said, “These are the unfailing keys to quick and effective development of the physical, mental, moral, and spiritual evolution of man.” Sylvie Boisclair (Saraswati) is a dynamic Sivananda Yoga teacher who draws on her background as a classically trained ballet teacher and dancer to teach yoga thoroughly and precisely. She integrates 35 years of research, practice, and teaching diverse forms of movement arts into her classes.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
November 5 – 8
Food as a Spiritual Path Daniele Giovannucci, Dennis Lang, and Kathy Lang Food is a powerful and healing way we relate to people around us, the planet, and to ourselves. Explore the various keys needed to have a healthy relationship with food as well as how you can help others who struggle with too much or too little food. Join the discussion on hunger, mindfulness, and healing while connecting to others throughout the world by engaging in this powerful topic. Daniele Giovannucci is President of the Committee on Sustainability Assessment, a global consortium of institutions advancing innovative ways to understand and manage the sustainability of our food systems. Since 1992, he has taught and worked in more than 30 countries. Dennis Lang and Kathy Lang are E-RYT/YACEP instructors of yoga, meditation, and mindfulness with more than 14 years of experience. Annually, they lead more than 40 workshops, retreats, and teacher trainings in the United States and overseas.
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The Life and Teachings of Swami Vishnudevananda: Bringing Peace to the World Swami Brahmananda Our founder and guru, Swami Vishnudevananda passed on a legacy that continues to guide our mission to bring peace to the world through yoga and Vedanta. Come celebrate the life and teachings of this great master. Join us as we come together to honor Swami Vishnudevananda, his legacy, and our lineage. Swami Brahmananda is Manager of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat and senior staff of the Sivananda organization. A long-time practitioner of yoga, he regularly teaches yoga philosophy and meditation for the Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Courses as well as meditation immersion courses. He is a much-loved, inspiring, and knowledgeable teacher.
November 8 – 10
Singing From the Heart: Songs of Interspiritual Mysticism Jenny Bird Open your heart and voice to sacred music of many world traditions. Whether you have singing experience or you are completely new to the practice, Jenny Bird will lead you through song into the common heart of all spiritual paths. Explore songs of many traditions including gospel, kirtan, and old favorites, and find bliss in the melodies that nurture the soul. Experience the healing that comes when you let go of self-judgment and open your voice to song and prayer. Jenny Bird grew up in Europe surrounded by music of different cultures. She has released 14 albums and tours consistently, sharing the stage with Sheryl Crow, Indigo Girls, Blues Traveler, and Sarah McLachlan. She’s led an interspiritual singing group for 25 years.
November 9
Swami Vishnudevananda’s Mahasamadhi Our founder and guru, Swami Vishnudevananda, attained Mahasamadhi — the great and final samadhi; the state of consciously leaving one’s body at the time of Selfrealization — on November 9, 1993, leaving a legacy that continues to guide our mission. We honor this day with special prayers, pujas, and satsangs.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAMS pages 22-77
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
November 10 – 12
Bouncing Back: Rewiring Your Brain for Resilience and Well-Being Linda Graham Mindfulness and compassion practices are among the most powerful agents of brain change known to modern science. In this program, you will learn practices that skillfully harness the innate neuroplasticity of the brain to reduce the impacts of stress, trauma, and our all-toohuman conditioning on how to cope with the inevitable disappointments and disasters of life. Through teachings and experiential exercises, you will gain skills in using self-directed neuroplasticity as a genuine support for wisdom and inner peace. Linda Graham, MFT, integrates modern neuroscience, mindfulness practices, and relational psychology in her trainings on resilience and well-being. She is the author of Bouncing Back and publishes a monthly e-newsletter, Healing and Awakening into Aliveness and Wholeness, archived on her website. YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
November 15 – 17
Detox Basics: Cleanse at Home Sanatani (Sandrine Remy) Learn hands-on how to create delicious recipes for maintaining healthy eating habits — or for any time you’re in need of a detox. $15/day for supplies. A great follow-up to our Fall Cleanse; see page 85.
SPECIAL EVENT
November 12 – 16
Spiritual Narratives My Story, Your Story, Their Story Nathan Katz, Rodger Kamenetz, Jan Willis, Ralph White, Swami Brahmananda In retelling or writing our own stories we create and recreate our identities. In alignment with this truth, reading and listening to biographies of spiritual leaders and saints can open up our own spiritual paths and directly inspire our lives. This Spiritual Narratives symposium opens up this idea of telling your story as well as listening to the stories of others. Four writers share their stories from their spiritual memoirs, and guide the exploration of the spiritual lives of others: Milarepa and Marpa, two great 11th and 12th century Tibetan masters, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, one of the greatest leaders of 20th-century Judaism, and Swami Muktananda, one of the key figures in bringing yoga to the West.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 78-109
Nathan Katz, PhD, is Distinguished Professor, Emeritus, at Florida International University, where he has served as the Bhagwan Mahavir Professor of Jain Studies, Director of Jewish Studies, Director of Program in the Study of Spirituality, and founding Chair of the Department of Religious Studies. He is the author of 15 books. Rodger Kamenetz is an award-winning poet, author, and teacher. His bestselling book, The Jew in the Lotus, tells the story of rabbis making a holy pilgrimage to meet with the Dalai Lama. He retired from Louisiana State University as Distinguished Professor of English and Religious Studies Jan Willis is a professor of Religion Emerita at Wesleyan University and has studied with Tibetan Buddhists for more than 50 years. She published a memoir, many books and articles about Buddhism, and has received many honors for her work, including from TIME magazine and Newsweek. Ralph White cofounder, Conference Director, and Senior Fellow of the New York Open Center, is an international speaker on spirituality and consciousness. Author of the memoir The Jeweled Highway, he has edited and contributed to many publications. Swami Brahmananda is Manager of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat and senior staff of the Sivananda organization. He regularly teaches yoga philosophy and meditation for the Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Courses as well as meditation immersion courses.
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THANKSGIVING at the ashram YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
November 17 – 20
Healing Sounds of Ancient Turkey: Mystic Sufi Music, Poetry, and Stories Latif Bolat Open your heart by listening to the sounds of ancient music, poetry, and stories from the Turkish mystic Sufi tradition. Expand your knowledge of ancient cultures and traditions, and learn the deeper spiritual meanings behind the sacred forms of art and music. Experience firsthand how devotional music opens the heart to healing. Latif Bolat, renowned singer, composer, and scholar, plays folk and sacred music inspired by mystic poets to bring peace and healing to all who listen. Latif Bolat is an expert in Sufi music and ancient Turkish mystical-devotional music. He creates an intimate, storytelling atmosphere and teaches Turkish folk and mystical music and its sociopolitical and cultural elements. He received academic degrees in Turkey and the United States.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
November 20 – 25
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
November 19 – 21
The Power of Service: The Path to Self and Other Douglas CanterburyCounts and Jaya Canterbury-Counts How can we best serve the world when there is overwhelming need all around us? Selfless service is foundational within many world traditions. Service in action, or Karma Yoga, is a core practice for the spiritual seeker and one of the greatest tools for personal transformation. Learn to serve with positivity, even when you are faced with those who suffer. Tap into your courage, values, and inner inspiration when you practice the yoga of service with all your heart. Douglas Canterbury-Counts, PhD, practices sacred psychology. Trained in the area of psychospiritual transformation, he has been a student of his guru Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati since 1992. Jaya Canterbury-Counts coordinates service programs for the River Fund in Uganda, India, and the US, having learned from her guru, Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati, “there are no throwaway people.”
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Thanksgiving Family Yoga Holiday Program: For Children Ages 4-12 Sanatani (Sandrine Remy) $15/day materials fee. Please see Children’s Accommodation Rates on page 111. While you enjoy free time to practice yoga and relax, your children can experience the ashram through a wide range of activities and classes designed specially for them. Led by a beloved and creative teacher, children will be introduced to yoga through short asana classes, chanting, crafts, storytelling, lots of games and fun, and Karma Yoga. Please see the online description for important notes regarding this program. Sanatani (Sandrine Remy is an experienced Sivananda Yoga teacher and avid traveler. She leads family yoga programs at the ashram, guiding children with playfulness, creativity, and mindfulness. Sanatani also plays a supportive role in the ashram’s detox programs for healthy living.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
November 20 – 25
Thanksgiving Celebration: Discover the Joy in Gratitude Swami Brahmananda and Arjuna Celebrate Thanksgiving in the nourishing company of like-minded people. Come for all or part of this special Thanksgiving program and immerse yourself in a blissful mood of gratitude as you experience the positive feelings and appreciation that are the essence of this holiday. Swami Brahmananda is Manager of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat and senior staff of the Sivananda organization. A long-time practitioner of yoga, he regularly teaches yoga philosophy and meditation for the Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Courses as well as meditation immersion courses. Arjuna is a direct disciple of Swami Vishnudevananda and the director of Yoga Sivananda, an affiliatedSivananda Yoga center in Gatineau, Quebec. He has been a professional vegetarian cook for 25 years and has been teaching family yoga programs in Sivananda centers and ashrams for many years.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
November 28
Q&A SPECIAL EVENT
November 22 – 25
Questions and Answers on Yoga and Spiritual Life Swami Swaroopananda Ask your most important questions. See page 10.
It should always be borne in mind that failures are but stepping stones to success. —Swami Sivananda
THANKSGIVING SYMPOSIUM Gratitude Practices
Gregg Krech, David Vago, Sister Greta Ronningen, Swami Brahmananda
What is the difference between feeling gratitude and offering thanks? How can cultural diversity in gratitude and thankfulness practices help us deepen our own appreciation for the blessings in our lives? The celebration of Thanksgiving gives us an opportunity to reflect not only on what we are grateful for, but also on the ways in which we express our gratitude. Both gratitude and thankfulness are natural processes that many of us already feel, but we can enrich our lives by deepening our understanding and developing a thankful mindset. Scientific studies show that practicing gratitude creates positive changes in the brain, which can enrich your life. Learn to cultivate a healthy and grateful outlook, and feel the blessings and abundance around you. Gregg Krech is Executive Director of the ToDo Institute and author of several books, including The Art of Taking Action and the award-winning Naikan. Editor of the journal Thirty Thousand Days, his work has been widely published. David Vago, PhD, holds a doctorate in cognitive and neural sciences, and is an associate psychologist in the Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and an instructor at Harvard Medical School. Sister Greta Ronningen is a professed member of the Community of Divine Love, an Episcopal monastery in the Benedictine tradition, and a yogi of 35 years. She works as a chaplain with people incarcerated in Los Angeles. Swami Brahmananda is Manager of the Yoga Retreat and senior staff of the Sivananda organization. A long-time practitioner of yoga, he has taught yoga philosophy and meditation courses for many years.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 80-109
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
November 26 – 29
Yoga and Energy Healing Retreat Brett Bevell In this program, you will learn a new energy healing technique each day, some of which are steeped in Reiki tradition — such as the secret yet powerful technique called Rei Ju — and others that draw upon ancient energy healing traditions from around the world. Each day you will also experience a powerful group energy healing that will upgrade and empower your own aura and energy system to be able to heal yourself and others. Brett Bevell is a Reiki master and the author of several books. Since receiving his Reiki master initiation in 1995, Brett has dedicated himself to discovering new Reiki techniques that work collaboratively with the Higher Self.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
November 27 – 28
Japa Yoga: The Power of the Divine Name Swami Hridyananda Swami Sivananda taught that repeating any mantra or name of the Lord is the easiest and surest way to reach God-realization. Japa Yoga can be practiced at any time, turning ordinary moments into opportunities to purify the mind. Through practice, it becomes an ongoing part of your life that results in health, wealth, and strength. Using teachings from Swami Sivananda, you will learn about mantra initiation, how to choose your own personal mantra, and how to use a japa mala. Swami Hridyananda, a direct disciple of Swami Vishnudevananda, is senior staff of the Yoga Retreat and has spent over 30 years teaching yoga, meditation, and chanting in the Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Courses and Yoga Retreat programs. She provides warm spiritual guidance for many seekers on the path.
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DECEMBER at the ashram
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
December 3 – 7
DIVINE CREATIVITY Join Mavis Gewant for creative immersion in these sacred arts.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
November 30 – December 3
Mantras, Ragas & Voice: Harmonizing Our Lives with Sound Karnamrita Dasi Gain a deeper understanding of the power of sound vibration and learn simple ways to introduce sound practices into your daily life. In this program, we will explore and experiment with the basic concepts of classical Indian ragas and the harmonizing gifts that they offer. You will discover the healing potential of Sanskrit and the secrets to its pronunciation. Come awaken to the depth and intimacy of your own voice. Karnamrita Dasi was raised on music, Sanskrit, Vedic teachings, kirtan, japa meditation, and a vegetarian lifestyle in an ashram community in West Virginia’s Appalachian Mountains. She studied Indian classical music in India for 10 years and sings worldwide.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
December 1 – 3
Yantra Painting: Transformation Through Sacred Form Immerse yourself in the joy of sacred painting. Learn how to paint yantras, sacred geometric patterns that Vedic astrologers have used for ages as tools to help create balance, give strength, and calm the energies of the karmic cycles represented in one’s astrological chart. You will be guided to choose your own yantra and chant a bija (seed) mantra while painting the sacred designs, connecting with the power inherent in their geometry. YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
December 4 – 6
Chakra Immersion: Understanding Sacred Centers Come discover the imagery of the chakras, our psychic energy centers, where the interaction between higher consciousness and our desire is played out. Through the lens of the Tantric tradition of sacred arts, you will experience these subtle centers of transformation through painting and visualization, and learn the imagery, colors, elements, deities, and mantras associated with each chakra.
Raja Yoga: The Royal Path of Enlightenment Swami Brahmananda Raja Yoga, the royal path of mind control, is the most comprehensive and scientific approach to God-Realization. Join us on a journey exploring the eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga, as described by the great yogi, Patanjali Maharishi. We will dive deep into yogic practices and enjoy experiential sessions, alongside in-depth study of yogic theory. We will learn about moral restraints and regulations, postures, breathing, withdrawal of the senses, concentration, meditation and finally, the superconscious state, which is the culmination of this practice. Swami Brahmananada bio on page 24.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
December 7 – 9
Painting Planet Mandalas According to Indian astrology, the energy released by the orbiting planets affects our lives and can be directed and harnessed to improve our well-being. Mandalas, or sacred circular energy patterns, reflect our inner nature. By working with specific colors and mantras, this meditative painting practice will connect you to the deeper energies of the planets, creating more harmony, peace, and energy in your life. You will also enjoy a basic overview of Indian numerology. Mavis Gewant is a sacred artist, educator, doula, and practitioner of Vedic astrology. She learned the ancient techniques of yantra and silk deity painting from Tantric master Dada Shri Harish Johari and illustrated his book Planetary Meditation Kit.
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YOGA VACATION PROGRAMS pages 22-77
SPECIAL EVENT
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
December 3
Spiritual Connection: Bahamian Music Concert with Paul and Tanya Hanna
Leave the stresses of daily life behind and soothe your soul with beloved Bahamian musicians and friends of the ashram, Paul and Tanya Hanna (bios on page 37).
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
December 4 – 6
December 6 – 8
Introduction to ThetaHealing® Anna Scorik (Ambika)
The Path of Bhakti Vasudha Narayanan
Experience an inspiring introduction to the basic approach and practices of ThetaHealing and hear how it is used to create instantaneous physical and emotional well-being. Get inspired by the ThetaHealing technique for spontaneous transformation. Please note Ambika will be teaching ThetaHealing Basic DNA Level 1 December 7 – 9 and ThetaHealing Advanced DNA Level 2 December 10 – 12; see page 86. Anna Scorik (Ambika), a Sivananda Yoga teacher, offers ThetaHealing sessions and courses worldwide. Certified as a ThetaHealer in 2010 and as a ThetaHealing instructor in 2012, she runs a teaching and a healing center in Tel Aviv, Israel.
In the Hindu tradition, Bhakti Yoga is more than simply a way of bringing devotional practices into everyday living. Come learn teachings from the Hindu traditions, including stories of devotion and traditional songs and prayers, as well as philosophical texts and narratives. Together, we will begin to understand the ways in which our daily actions and devotional actions seamlessly flow into each other as we connect simultaneously the deity in the temple and the devotee in the world. Vasudha Narayanan, PhD, is Distinguished Professor in the Department of Religion at the University of Florida and director of the Center for the Study of Hindu Traditions at the University of Florida.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 80-109
December 8 – 10
Awakening Healing from the Inside Out: Movement and Body Awareness Zuleikha Energize your body through story-movement dance to explore the stories your body holds. When you inhabit your body and discover what unfolds from awareness through movement, you’ll unwind old habit patterns and re-create your story. Learn the science of movement and somatic intelligence and their relationship to yoga and spirituality. Delve into the ancient tradition of music in movement, and unite your soul and body in a spiritual conversation. When the spirit moves, new pathways open for you to dance through. Zuleikha is an international performer and educator renowned for her Rumi collaborations, innovative teaching, and her Take a Minute™ vitality and resiliency exercise program. Her international nonprofit organization, the Storydancer Project, serves girls, women, children, and families facing challenging life circumstances.
I love to teach at the Sivananda ashram in the Bahamas because of the unique combination of orthodoxy and liberality it espouses. The Sivananda tradition has the remarkable and actually rather rare ability to combine orthodox Advaita theology, practices, lifestyle, and outlook in the personal lives of its members, with a liberal open-minded approach of inviting speakers from all manner of other lineages, world views, and perspectives into their community to address their members and students. This is rare. The Sivananda tradition combines the authority that comes from over two millennia of orthodox Advaita practices and philosophy with the liberality typical of 21stcentury spirituality, an unusual but very potent combination. May the organization thrive for another 50, 100, and countless more years! —Edwin Bryant, ashram presenter
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YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
December 10 – 14
December 12 – 14
Therapeutic Yoga Nora Benian (Sundari)
Ayurveda for Conscious Human Development Paul Dugliss
In these therapeutic yoga workshops, you will breathe into deep spaces, detox the organs, and strengthen small muscles, which will help bring you back into alignment and stimulate the flow of energy. Combining therapeutic yoga sequences and strategic prop placement to meet individual needs, you will practice releasing tension and stagnant energy and discover ways to safely and gently work through injuries and chronic pain. These techniques and exercises provide physical strength and vitality and also have psycho-spiritual benefits by decreasing anxiety, improving concentration, and developing a sense of wholeness and connection. Nora Benian (Sundari) is a Sivananda Yoga teacher, yoga therapist, registered professional counselor, and Thai Yoga Massage practitioner with a degree in homeopathy from the British Institute of Homeopathy in Toronto, Canada.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
Dive deep into the timetested health and longevity keys of Ayurveda. It is difficult to focus on your spiritual evolution if you are debilitated by illness, so a healthy body and mind are necessary for progress on the spiritual path. Become more active and conscious in your healing journey. Explore health from the perspective of Ayurveda and use these transformative practices to advance your inner growth, balance the elements of your life, and assist your body’s natural ability to heal. Paul Dugliss, MD, practices Ayurvedic medicine, Ayurvedic counseling, and internal medicine and is the author of many books. He is founder, director, and academic dean of New World Ayurveda School.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
December 14 – 15
Peaceful Heart, Warrior Spirit: Keys to Life Purpose and Spiritual Growth Dan Millman Explore what it means to live an awakened life, one with your head in the clouds and your feet on the ground. Take a closer look at your life’s purpose, your significant relationships, and how the earth works as a divine classroom. Dan Millman will share what he calls the 12 Gateways to Spiritual Growth and the core curriculum we need to learn in order to “graduate.” Come reconnect with the higher purpose and promise in your life and cultivate more compassion, understanding, and humor. Dan Millman is a former world-champion athlete, university coach, and college professor. He is the best-selling author of the spiritual classic, Way of the Peaceful Warrior, as well as the author of 16 more books that have inspired millions of readers in 29 languages worldwide.
December 16 – 18
A Healing Journey Ajeet Kaur Embark on a healing musical journey with the divine sounds of kirtan, chanting, and prayer. Deeply rooted in yoga and healing work, Ajeet Kaur and her band bring together songs and sacred chants from the Sikh tradition and other healing traditions from around the world. Experience the dance of the Divine through music and sacred sound rooted in ancient tradition. Expand your heart and join in the opportunity to powerfully chant, heal, and connect with your natural state of inner peace. Ajeet Kaur is a recording artist, yogi, and student of the Sat Nam Rasayan lineage. She released four albums of sacred music that have been celebrated on the iTunes World Chart and Billboard Top 10 New Age Chart. Ajeet tours the world offering chant concerts, retreats, and healings.
50 Y E
RATING LEB CE
A RS
Daily yoga in the morning and afternoon— asana, pranayama, and relaxation — have taken place every day for 50 years.
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YOGA VACATION PROGRAMS pages 22-77
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
December 16 – 18
Introduction to the Bhagavad Gita Pranava The Bhagavad Gita, or “Song of God”, is a 700-verse scripture from the Hindu epic Mahabarata, and a foundational text for yogis. Considered one of the greatest spiritual texts of the world, the Bhagavad Gita contains profound and subtle teachings about the eternal struggle between the spiritual and the material occurring for every human being. Take this opportunity to study with an experienced teacher and come away with the message of divine-centered living based upon right knowledge, faith, devotion, and selfsurrender from a practical and inspiring text. Pranava is an advanced Sivananda Yoga teacher who teaches workshops, courses, and portions of the Yoga Teacher Training Courses at the ashram. He regularly travels to Asia and India for pilgrimages to holy sites, retreats, and to deepen his yogic studies.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
December 18 – 20
One Mind, One Heart: Neuroscience and the Yoga of Compassion Joan Borysenko Can compassionate living affect your biology? Ancient yogic wisdom mapped out methods for spiritual aspirants to control the mind, body, and emotions. Modern science’s emerging field of interpersonal neurobiology integrates with these yogic spiritual practices and opens a new window into consciousness, emotional balance, and physical health. Expand your understanding of how the mind is embodied in the brain, nervous system, and relationships, and how you can change your genetic expression through compassionate living. Join this spiritual conversation of science, yoga, and healing. Joan Borysenko, PhD, is a Harvard Medical School trained cell biologist, psychologist, spiritual educator, and New York Times best-selling author. A pioneer in stress management, resilience, and personalized nutrition, she is the author or coauthor of 16 books, including Minding the Body, Mending the Mind and A Woman’s Journey to God.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
December 18 – 21
Yogic Remedies for Depression and Anxiety Swami Hridyananda Let this become a turning point in your life’s journey. Depression and anxiety rank high among the leading causes of disability in people ages 15 to 44 — and they don’t have to hold you back anymore. This weekend offers the opportunity to transcend depression and anxiety by igniting a radical shift in your perspective. You will reconnect with your essential Self as you learn specific yoga postures (asanas) and breathing practices, dietary guidelines, and other yogic techniques to ease and relieve depression and anxiety and allow your natural state of joy and balance to emerge. Swami Hridyananda bio on page 27.
December 20 – 22
Sacred Dance and Yoga Andrea Mantell Seidel Open your heart and uplift your body, mind, and spirit. Discover the connection between sacred dance and yoga. Explore and experience a variety of strategies to foster deep mind-body awareness, flow, and rhythmic harmony in the practice of yoga. As you learn about the archetypal symbols and metaphors inherent in diverse asanas, you will discover the deeper meanings. Release all selfjudgment and dance your way into a harmonious connection with yourself, nature, and the cosmos. Andrea Mantell Seidel, PhD, a certified yoga teacher with strong roots in the Sivananda tradition, is Professor Emeritus of Dance and Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Florida International University. She is also a Fulbright Senior Scholar and recipient of the Visionary Award from the National Dance Education Organization.
The ashram is a great place where you can escape from the worldly world to switch off, maybe see your life from inside and start looking at things from a different angle. —Ingua U., ashram guest
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 80-109
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CELEBRATE THE WINTER HOLIDAYS
at
SPECIAL EVENT
December 22 – January 2
Christmas and New Year’s Symposium
UNITY IN DIVERSITY Honoring Swami Vishnudevananda
Swami Swaroopananda, Lama Surya Das, Brother Paul Richards, Rabbi Ted Falcon, Snatam Kaur, Grandmother Isabelle Meawasige, Itzhak Beery, Gaura Vani, Imam Jamal Rahman, Swami Brahmananda Swami Vishnudevananda arrived at the San Francisco airport in December 1957, having been sent to the West by his Master, Swami Sivananda, who told him “People are waiting.” Sixty years later, we come together in his honor for this symposium to celebrate light, truth, and peace. We will welcome in a new year with deep hope for our shared humanity. The teaching of Unity in Diversity was at the core of Swami Vishnudevananda’s mission. According to yoga philosophy, the one God or Ultimate Reality manifests as a multiplicity of names, forms, shapes, and colors. “Unity” and “diversity” are one and the same and their essence is our own essence: pure existence, pure consciousness, and pure bliss. Join us for a gathering of spiritual leaders, mystics, and musicians from major spiritual traditions and gain a direct glimpse of this truth Through talks, concerts, spiritual practices, discussions, and more, we will participate in breaking down artificial barriers and experience the underlying unity in our diversity.
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Swami Swaroopananda, a senior disciple of Swami Vishnudevananda, is Director of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat, Acharya (spiritual director) of the Sivananda centers and ashrams in the Bahamas and the Middle East, and a member of the Board of Directors of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres. Lama Surya Das has spent 40 years studying with the great spiritual masters of Asia, and is an authorized lama in the Tibetan Buddhist order and founder of the Dzogchen Center. Brother Paul Richards, a Benedictine monk of St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota, founded the St. John’s Boys’ Choir and served as its director for 26 years. Rabbi Ted Falcon, a Reform rabbi for more than 45 years, presents interfaith and interspiritual programs at universities and houses of worship across the United States and abroad. Snatam Kaur is an American kirtan singer and peace activist, who learned to sing in the Sikh musical style with her mother. Her popular CDs include Shanti, Grace, and Liberation’s Door.
Grandmother Isabelle Meawasige is a medicine woman, traditional healer, storyteller, and ceremonialist, born into the Medicine Clan of the Bear and raised by an Algonquin medicine woman and Ojibway hunter-gatherer. Itzhak Beery is a shamanic healer and teacher, trained by indigenous teachers around the world, the founder/ publisher of shamanportal.org and a community activist. Gaura Vani began studying sacred music in India at the age of six and now performs extensively with his kirtan ensemble throughout the world. His CDs include Ten Million Moons and Nectar of Devotion. Imam Jamal Rahman, a popular speaker on Islam, Sufi spirituality, and interfaith relations, is cofounder and Muslim Sufi minister at the Interfaith Community Sanctuary in Seattle, Washington. Swami Brahmananda is Manager of the Yoga Retreat and senior staff of the Sivananda organization. He has taught yoga philosophy and meditation courses for many years.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAMS pages 20-77
the ashram YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
Bring the Kids
December 25 – 27
Heart of the Universe: Chanting with Snatam Kaur Join one of the most inspirational singers of devotional music of the Sikh tradition, Snatam Kaur, as she shares her angelic voice through song and sacred teachings of yoga. In addition to satsang concerts, she will offer daytime workshops.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
December 26 – January 1
Snatam Kaur bio at left. YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
December 28
Q&A
Questions and Answers on Yoga and Spiritual Life Swami Swaroopananda
Family Yoga Holiday Program: For Children Ages 4 - 12 Sanatani (Sandrine Remy) $15/day materials fee. Please see Children’s Accommodation Rates on page 111.
While you enjoy free time to practice yoga and relax, your children can experience the Yoga Retreat through a wide range of activities and classes. See page 26 — and online.
Ask your most important questions; see page 10.
December 31 – January 1
Happy New Year!
Enjoy a special welcome to the year ahead. This is an auspicious time at the ashram, when we also celebrate Swami Vishnudevananda’s birthday. Come experience kirtan with Gaura Vani and a puja led by the ashram priest, Krishnan Namboodiri, as well as the sharing of inspiring stories from the life and teachings of Swami Vishnudevananda.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
December 26 – January 1
Teen Yoga Holiday Program Sara McCullough (Jnaneshwari) Please see Children’s Accommodation Rates on page 111.
Teens will experience a variety of classes and activities, including yoga (postures, breathing, and meditation), arts and crafts, and explore topics like being true to oneself. They also contribute an hour of Karma Yoga service daily, becoming part of the community that keeps the ashram humming. Please see the online description for important notes regarding this program. Please note A registered adult must accompany each teen at the ashram. Sara McCullough (Jnaneshwari), an advanced Sivananda Yoga teacher at the 500-hour level, has been a dedicated yoga practitioner for more than 10 years. She runs a nonprofit yoga initiative in Arkansas and spends her time sharing yoga and meditation with underserved populations, predominantly working with children at local public schools and with veterans.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 78-109
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JANUARY
at the ashram
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
Over the past five years or so, since I was invited to present at Sivananda, I’ve come to appreciate both the residential and larger community of people sharing a commitment to evolving together, drawn by an Indian lineage yet embracing universal values of service and high ideals. I’ve been impressed, too, by the practical and functional nature of the core staff and community, which embodies the notion of having ‘head in the clouds and feet on the ground. Peaceful warriors all, striving to live with a peaceful heart while acknowledging the warrior’s spirit within. Congratulations on 50 years of devotion, service, and growth. —Dan Millman, ashram presenter
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January 2 – 4 YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
January 1 – 29
Foundations of Raja Yoga Srinivasan Srinivasan will lead us on an in-depth journey into the theory and practice of Raja Yoga during morning satsang throughout the month of January, with a special focus on the yamas and niyamas. Raja Yoga, often referred to as the kingly or royal path of yoga, focuses on the purification and control of the mind. Srinivasan is a senior disciple of Swami Vishnudevananda, Director of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Ranch and the acharya (spiritual guide) of the Sivananda centers and ashrams of the eastern United States. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres.
Mastery of Mind: The Only Gateway to Freedom Silvia San Miguel (Surya) Swami Sivananda says that true freedom is not possible as long as there are fluctuations in the mind. What are these fluctuations, their nature, and their power? Learn how to appease them and control them. Gaining mastery over your thoughts is a necessity for mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Explore the mysteries of the mind and discover a course of mental disciplines based on yogic practices such as reflection, self-inquiry, concentration, and meditation. Learn positive thinking to cultivate beneficial qualities such as love and kindness through the yogas of devotion and selfless service. Silvia San Miguel (Surya) is an educator and a certified Sivananda Yoga teacher who studied with Swami Vishnudevananda. She integrates her studies of other wisdom traditions with yoga while teaching at Sivananda ashrams in Canada, India, and the Bahamas and in private venues in Montreal and Spain.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
January 2 – 5
The Twin Paths of Yoga and Ayurveda for Healthy Living Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa Learn how to expand your awareness and reach your potential using techniques from Ayurveda that include herbs to sharpen your thinking, practices to master your mind, and philosophies for inspired living. During workshops you’ll learn what you can do for yourself— what will work for you personally — to promote flexibility, muscular strength, stamina, concentration and hormone balance. You’ll explore the herbalist’s guide to the fountain of youth, outstanding sleep remedies, herbal mysticism, and the 10 most important things to know about clean eating. Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa, DN-C, RH, one of the foremost natural healing experts in North America, is a founding faculty member in the Ayurvedic sciences program at Bastyr University and a worldwide teacher and author. Personally trained by Yogi Bhajan, he is President of the American Herbalist Guild.
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Have an attitude of patience, cheerfulness, and tenacity. Success will eventually come. —Swami Vishnudevananda
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
January 5 – 7
Dancing Light: Celebrating 100 Years! Tao Porchon-Lynch Tao Porchon-Lynch is considered a grande dame of yoga and is possibly the only person still on the planet who marched with both Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She began practicing at age eight and her many teachers included Swami Prabhavananda, BKS Iyengar, and K. Pattabhi Jois. We are delighted to honor the 100th year of a true yogi. Tao shares her century-long, soulful odyssey and demonstrates her unique ability to overcome the effects of aging by controlling the body and mind in accordance with yogic principles. Learn the fundamentals of her approach — pranayama, mudras, bandhas, and chakras — to heal, renew, and revitalize your body. Come celebrate Tao’s 100th year with a special puja in her honor.
Once again I came to the ashram tired from intensive work and life in a big city. After about 2 days, I felt that most of the tiredness and tension in me were gone, and after another 2 days I felt renewed, fresh, rejuvenated, full of energy and inspiration. —Lilia G. , ashram guest
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 78-109
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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS
at the ash
SPECIAL EVENT
ASHRAM 50TH January 7 – 13
50 YEARS IN THE BAHAMAS When Swami Vishnudevananda first came to the West 60 years ago, he was often invited to speak and give yoga demonstrations. On one such occasion in the Bahamas, he met Mrs. Natalie Boswell, whose daughter was struggling with addiction. Swami Vishnudevananda used yoga to help her recover. Mrs. Boswell was so impressed by his work that she made it possible for him to establish the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat on her 4-acre estate on Paradise Island. Since then, the ashram has been honored to call the Bahamas home and maintain strong connections with the Bahamas and its people.
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Celebrating Our History, Swami Swaroopananda, Srinivasan, Kanti Devi, G.S. Sachdev, Suba Ramesh Parmar, Ramesh Parmar, Kamala, Dr. Gopala, Tanya and Paul Hanna, Swami Brahmananda, Arjuna, Krishnan Namboodiri Fifty years ago, in January 1968, Swami Vishnudevananda founded the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat in the Bahamas. Since then, tens of thousands of people have traveled to the ashram to visit, teach, study, live, and serve, immersed in the Sivananda lineage and practices.
Swami Swaroopananda, a senior disciple of Swami Vishnudevananda, is Director of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat, Acharya (spiritual director) of the Sivananda centers and ashrams in the Bahamas and the Middle East, and a member of the Board of Directors of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres.
This week, we celebrate the birth of the ashram and honor its rich history as a gathering place for spiritual practice, conversation, and exchange and the teachings of yoga and Vedanta. We also look forward and invoke the next 50 years and our vision to serve as a beacon of light for the world.
Srinivasan is a senior disciple of Swami Vishnudevananda, Director of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Ranch and the Acharya (spiritual director) of the Sivananda centers and ashrams of the eastern United States. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres.
We welcome you to this auspicious event. Throughout the week, there will be:
Kanti Devi, a senior disciple of Swami Vishnudevananda, is Director of the Sivananda Center in Montevideo, Uruguay, and Acharya (spiritual director) of the Sivananda centers in South America. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the international Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres.
• • • •
Ceremonial pujas Sharing of stories Enlightening presentations Inspiring performances.
We bring together people from the Sivananda community who worked closely with Swami Vishnudevananda. They will share their firsthand accounts and stories of his teachings, courageous humanitarian actions, and dedication to bringing yoga and Vedanta to the world. We also welcome new and longtime friends of the ashram who join us in advancing our mission and contribute to the ashram’s growth and impact.
G.S. Sachdev is recognized as a master of the bansuri (North Indian flute). He is one of the premier performers on this traditional instrument, with a pure, classical approach that instills tranquility and carries listeners into deep meditation. Suba Ramesh Parmar is an award-winning dancer of the South Indian Bharatanatyam dance style. She is known for grace and dynamism in her expression and movement and performs regularly at Sivananda Yoga centers together with her daughter, Madhu.
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hram Your inherent nature is joy, ananda, which is eternal. That is the message of yoga and Vedanta. —Swami Vishnudevananda
ANNIVERSARY
Welcoming Our Future We are proud to welcome The Bahamas’ Minister of Education, Hon. Jeffrey L. Lloyd (left), and Hon. Dionisio D’Aguilar, MP (right), Minister of Tourism and Aviation, who will be participating in this auspicious event.
Ramesh Parmar is a Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course graduate, successful entrepreneur, and a regular practitioner of Jain Preksha meditation.
Kamala is a long-term disciple of Swami Vishnudevananda and an experienced Sivananda Yoga teacher with a profound knowledge of yoga philosophy. She is the editor of the books Vishnudevananda Upadesha and Samadhi. Dr. Gopala (Alan Ginsberg), a longtime friend of the ashram, was the personal acupuncturist for Swami Vishnudevananda. He studied extensively with a wide variety of healing and yoga masters and maintains a private practice in Boston. Tanya and Paul Hanna are Bahamian music icons as well as producers, songwriters, musicians, and vocalists. They have toured in the Caribbean, the US, Canada, and Hong Kong. Paul and Tanya have performed with top R&B artist Jeffrey Osbourne, as well as Grammy winners Jeff Haynes, Gary Haase, Roger Ryan, Stan Getz, and Chick and Gail Corea.
Swami Brahmananda is Manager of the Yoga Retreat and senior staff of the Sivananda organization. A longtime practitioner of yoga, he regularly teaches yoga philosophy and meditation for the Teacher Training Course as well as meditation immersion courses. Arjuna is a direct disciple of Swami Vishnudevananda and the director of Yoga Sivananda, an affiliatedSivananda Yoga center in Gatineau, Quebec. He has been a professional vegetarian cook for 25 years and has been teaching family yoga programs in Sivananda centers and ashrams for many years. Krishnan Namboodiri is a Tantric priest from South India, trained in the classical tradition of mantras, pujas (prayer ceremonies), homas (fire rituals), and yantras (sacred geometric designs). He performs many special rituals on a daily basis for the ashram.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 78-109
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SPECIAL EVENT
January 15 – 19
Interfaith Devotional Singing Festival
ON THE WINGS OF ECSTASY Mirabai Ceiba, Davod Azad, Tia Sharee, Narayan Jyoti, Rama
When several people join together and practice Sankirtan [chanting the Lord’s name], a huge spiritual current, or Mahashakti, is generated. This purifies the heart of the aspirants and elevates them to the sublime heights of Divine ecstasy. —Swami Sivananda, The Essence of Yoga
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Devotional singing is a widespread practice in religions and spiritual traditions worldwide. Join us as we continue to break barriers and celebrate unity in diversity, this time through music and chant. Join in community and experience the joy of music with performers from various traditions, religions, and cultures.
Davod Azad is a prominent master of traditional Iranian music who has performed throughout the world. Based in Tehran, Iran, he is a vocalist, composer, multi-instrumental musician, and virtuoso of several traditional instruments.
In addition to the esteemed singers and musicians at this festival, senior teachers from the ashram — Swami Hridyananda, Rukmini Chaitanya, and Iswara Chaitanya — will share kirtan in the Sivananda tradition. Come sing your heart open, honor the Divine, and nourish your soul.
Tia Sharee sings and teaches gospel music and her voice can be heard on many recordings. She is founder of Soulster Music Group, a nonprofit organization that works with people aspiring to be songwriters, singers, musicians, dancers, and artists.
Mirabai Ceiba is a duo consisting of guitarist/singer Markus Sieber and singer/ harpist/keyboardist Angelika Baumbach. Together they have forged a new style of world devotional music blending mantras from the Sikh tradition with original songs.
Narayan Jyoti and Rama were brought up in the Sivananda Yoga tradition and spent many of their formative years at the ashram. Today they travel the world as established musicians, yoga teachers, and ThetaHealing masters. Their message is peace and love.
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SPECIAL EVENT
January 22 – 26
AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
January 20 – 22
Creation Spirituality Matthew Fox The planet is going through changes that affect all people, regardless of religion, background, or culture. Mother Nature sends us messages every day and it is up to spirituallyminded individuals to answer the call. Learn about the evolution of the human species and how we can progress to protect our planet from destructive human behavior. Join in on the conversation on how we can combat the more primitive part of human nature and learn to act from compassion for all beings and the earth.
5th Annual Sivananda Ayurveda Symposium
Marc Halpern (Siva), Maya Tiwari, Lissa Coffey, Todd Caldecott, Santiago Suárez Rubio When you can prevent disease, the emphasis is placed on the process rather than the cure. Preventative medicine is a lifestyle — a way of living. It is a reflection of harmony with Self and nature and the key to a happy and healthy life. We invite you to join us for a week of inspired teachings from outstanding Ayurvedic teachers to explore a wide range of health topics including removing the causes of disease, building your immune system, finding your ideal weight, optimizing your digestion, and learning how to deeply relax. Marc Halpern (Siva), DC, CAS, PKS, is founder and President of the California College of Ayurveda and the author of Healing Your Life: Lessons on the Path of Ayurveda. A Sivananda Yoga teacher, he is cofounder of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association and the California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine. Maya Tiwari is a humanitarian and Ayurveda pioneer, praised by the Parliament of World Religions for her global work in fostering wellness, peace, and interfaith understanding. She is the founder of Wise Earth School of Ayurveda and Mother Om Mission, an expert in Ayurveda and Vedanta, and an acclaimed author.
Matthew Fox, PhD, is an internationally acclaimed theologian and spiritual maverick who has spent the last 40 years revolutionizing Christian theology and advocating for a creation-centered spirituality of compassion and justice. He has written more than 30 books.
Lissa Coffey is an award-winning lifestyle and wellness expert and the founder of CoffeyTalk.com. She has appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning America, and many other national and local media outlets. A best-selling author, Lissa has written more than a dozen books and authored the acclaimed online course The Ayurveda Experience. Todd Caldecott is a medical herbalist and practitioner of Ayurveda. For the last 20 years, he has had a broad array of clinical experiences with a variety of conditions including autoimmune disease and metabolic disorders. He serves as Director of the Dogwood School of Botanical Medicine. Santiago Suárez Rubio is a Sivananda Yoga teacher and the founder and director of Escuela de Ayurveda de California located in Bogotá, Colombia, a school affiliated with the California College of Ayurveda. He has been instrumental in bringing Ayurvedic education to Latin America.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
January 15 – 17
Detox Basics: Cleanse at Home Sanatani (Sandrine Remy)
Learn hands-on how to create delicious recipes for maintaining healthy eating habits — or for any time you’re in need of a detox. $15/ day for supplies. A great follow-up to our New Year’s Cleanse; see page 88.
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FEBRUARY at
the ashram
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
January 29 – 31
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
Shivoham: A Journey of Bliss Retreat Manish Vyas
January 27 – 29
The Love Response: Stress and Neuroscience Eva Selhub
Q&A YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
January 28
Questions and Answers on Yoga and Spiritual Life Swami Swaroopananda Ask your most important questions; see page 10.
Release self-destructive behaviors and learn to respond to life’s stresses with love and compassion for yourself. When you let go of self-sabotage and allow yourself to move past your familiar, negative habits, you can replace them with habits that serve your highest good. Your new positive thought process will transform your life and the ways you cope with stress. Learn the necessary skills to free yourself of stress, including relaxation and breathing techniques, and tap into your natural ability to heal and thrive. Eva Selhub, MD, is an internationally recognized expert, physician, author, speaker, and consultant in the fields of stress, resilience, and mind-body medicine. She has been featured in many national publications including the New York Times and has published books, articles in medical journals, and audio and digital products.
Be transported back to ancient India through the music of Manish Vyas, one of the finest performers of the contemporary kirtan genre. Immerse yourself in the sacred chants, mantras, and devotional songs which carry a flavor of meditation, devotion, and celebration. Manish will be accompanied by instrumentalists Sa, Ram Dass Khalsa, and Steve Gorn. In addition to evening kirtan performances, they will be offering daytime workshops rich in Indian music and singing, meditation, and silence. Manish Vyas is an internationally recognized composer, recorder, and performer. He shared a musical partnership with Prem Joshua for 15 years, touring extensively through Europe, America, India, and Asia. His other collaborations have included talented kirtan artists Snatam Kaur and Deva Premal.
I enjoy teaching at the Sivananda ashram because it is truly a sacred sanctuary of light, love, and learning. Some things that splash in my heart are the heartfelt dedication of the staff and faculty, the palpable devotion of the practitioners and wise teachings of the presenters. For me personally, the ashram is an enchanting oasis that magically heals and nourishes my body and soul. I always return refreshed, rejuvenated, and inspired to serve. —Imam Jamal Rahman, ashram presenter
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January 30 – February 1
February 1 – 3
Practical Spirituality: The Life and Teachings of Swami Vishnudevananda Arjuna
Adapting Sivananda Yoga to Your Body Krishna Chaitanya
Learn to connect meaning and power into the activities of your daily life. It’s common to feel drained from work, relationships, daily frustrations, or hardships. With Divine inspiration and depth of purpose, we can elevate ourselves from the mundane. With a deeper understanding of yoga and spirituality, we can fuel ourselves with the strength to move through life more easily. We can better discriminate when to let go and when to forgive. We learn to care for ourselves and live a healthy lifestyle for the greater good. Arjuna bio on page 26.
Do you find practicing yoga postures difficult due to injury, obesity, sickness, or other physical constraints? In this program, offered as three daily hour-and-a-half workshops, you will have the opportunity to explore adaptations to the 12 basic postures of Sivananda Yoga. You will receive personal guidance and discover which modifications are just right for you. As a result, the practice of yoga will become more enjoyable, accessible, and beneficial. This program is also recommended for yoga teachers wanting to expand their skills in meeting their students’ needs. Krishna Chaitanya, RYT500, is an advanced Sivananda Yoga teacher, physical therapist, and senior staff member at the Yoga Retreat. He teaches in the Yoga Teacher Training Courses and has taught yoga to diverse demographics for more than 20 years.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 80-109
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
February 1 – 4
The Yoga of Sleep: Healing Sleep and Dreams Rubin Naiman Deep, refreshing sleep is the cornerstone of wellbeing and an essential ,foundation for spiritual practice. Research has linked sleep problems and dream loss to depression, obesity and other serious illnesses. Through engaging discussion as well as experiential practices, you will learn how to address insomnia and improve the quality of your sleep based on an integrative body, mind and spirit approach to sleep and dreams. Rubin Naiman, PhD, is a psychologist, sleep specialist and director of NewMoon Sleep, an organization that offers a range of sleep services and trainings internationally. He is an internationally recognized expert in integrative and holistic approaches to sleep and dreams. In addition to professional publications, he is author of Healing Night, Hush, and the audio programs The Yoga of Sleep, To Sleep Tonight, and Healthy Sleep (with Andrew Weil, MD).
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
February 4 – 8
Drig Drisya Viveka: Analysis of the Seer and the Seen Swami Sarvapriyananda Dive into the ancient roots of self-enquiry in this spiritual retreat. The Drig Drisya Viveka is an Advaita Vedanta text attributed to Bharati Tirtha, containing 46 slokas of inquiry into the distinction between the “seer” and the “seen.” This sacred practice of self-study allows the exploration of our own divinity and oneness with the universe. Experience the essence of the scripture, explore the inner workings of your own mind, and reflect on your experiences through intimate discussions and meditations conducted by Swami Sarvapriyananda. Swami Sarvapriyananda is the minister and spiritual leader of the Vedanta Society of New York. He joined the Ramakrishna Math and Mission in 1994, received sannyas 10 years later, and served in the Hollywood Temple. He regularly gives retreats and spiritual talks throughout the United States.
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The gradual inward progress is mostly silent and unseen, like the quiet unfolding of a bud into a flower in the hours of the night. —Swami Sivananda
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
February 4 – 6
The Yogic Diet Pranava The yogic diet promotes health and balance, reduces stress, and increases vitality and joy in life. It is a vegetarian diet that draws on a balance of fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains, milk products, legumes, and nuts and seeds, in both raw and cooked forms. Come discover the principles of the yogic diet, and how different kinds of healthy, energy-rich foods, spices, and herbs can affect your physical well-being as well as your state of mind. Pranava bio on page 31.
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YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
February 5 – 6
Meditation, Deep Relaxation, and Asana Narayani Chaitanya Learn important yoga tools and techniques to enhance your daily life. Swami Vishnudevananda taught the importance of meditation, deep relaxation, and asana through his Five Points of Yoga. Deepen your understanding of these key components of a healthy and spiritual lifestyle and experience their benefits firsthand. You will be guided into greater awareness through time-honored yogic techniques and experience life at the ashram on a deeper level. Narayani Chaitanya is an advanced Sivananda Yoga teacher (RYT 500), staff member at the ashram, and a hatha yoga instructor in yoga teacher trainings. She is a much loved teacher, teaching with love, devotion, and great clarity.
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February 10 – 12 SPECIAL EVENT
February 6 – 9
The Science and Spirituality of Sound Healing John Beaulieu, Silvia Nakkach, Jorge Alfano, David Moises Perez Martinez, Jeff Deen Transform and expand your consciousness, enhancing the body’s natural potential to regenerate and heal itself. With world-renowned practitioners, teachers, and scientists in the cutting-edge field of sound and music healing, you will learn about specific sound healing modalities grounded in evidence-based science, including tuning forks, the voice, Nada Yoga, and other sound healing strategies. You will take home practical sound and music healing skills that can be integrated into your personal life, used in a healing arts professional practice, and incorporated in yoga teaching. John Beaulieu, ND, PhD, is a naturopathic doctor, counseling psychologist, board-certified polarity therapist, composer, pianist, and sound therapist. A world leader in the use of integrative energy medicine for healing, he is also an author, researcher, and professor. Silvia Nakkach is a Grammy-nominated musician, an award-winning composer and voice-culturist, and a pioneer in the field of sound, consciousness, and music shamanism. She is the founding director of Vox Mundi Mystery School of the Voice, and teaches at the California Institute of Integral Studies.
Jorge Alfano is a performer, teacher, producer, and multi-instrumentalist with a passion for world music from a young age. He has studied with great masters from many traditions and worked with prominent musicians around the world. David Moises Perez Martinez, MD, is an integrative psychiatrist, psychotherapist, life coach, and sound healer based in New York City. He utilizes the voice, breath, overtone singing, singing bowls, tuning forks, drums, and gongs as therapeutic tools in his practice. Jeff Deen, a former attorney, left his legal career to follow the calling of the drums in 2007. Jeff is a musician, teacher, and founder of Drumming for Wellness, which provides drumming events for a wide range of diverse populations.
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The Healing Way of Huichol Shamanism: Connect with Your True Nature Brant Secunda Explore the path of traditional Huichol shamanism with renowned shaman-healer Brant Secunda. You will dive into the indigenous wisdom of the Huichol, one of the last tribes in North America to maintain their pre-Columbian traditions. Come experience the sacred Dance of the Deer Ceremony and discover ancient wisdom for the modern world. You will rejuvenate body, heart, and spirit through specific shamanic techniques for health and healing, learn dreamtime exercises, and connect with the power and beauty of Tate Haramara, Grandmother Ocean. Brant Secunda, a shaman, healer, and ceremonial leader in the Huichol Indian tradition of Mexico, teaches worldwide. Alongside other dignitaries including President Jimmy Carter, Brant cofounded the Peace University in Berlin. He is coauthor of Fit Soul, Fit Body.
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YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
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February 11 – 17
February 12 – 15
Beginners Yoga Immersion Week Arjuna
Living the Living Presence and Qualia Menas Kafatos
Immerse yourself in the basics of yoga and gain a strong foundation for your practice. Receive a step-by-step introduction to yoga postures and breathing exercises. Discover how proper relaxation, meditation, positive thinking, and a balanced diet will support your ongoing yoga practice and a healthy lifestyle. The solid base of understanding gained in the program will allow you to get the most from yoga classes and meditation while at the ashram and continue your practice at home.
Explore the convergence of science and spirituality. Quantum mechanics has opened the door to questions of the mind, pure awareness, and living consciousness. It has been determined that qualia are the fundamental building blocks of the universe, rather than particles or atoms. Qualia come about from our own sensory perceptions, which aligns with the idea that we create our own reality. Discover the cutting-edge of consciousness science and learn about the deeper levels of yourself and the world around you.
Arjuna bio on page 26.
Menas Kafatos, PhD, is the Fletcher Jones Endowed Professor of Computational Physics at Chapman University and an acclaimed scholar of climate change, quantum theory, consciousness, and monistic philosophies. He has published more than 275 articles and authored 16 books.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
February 11
Divine Timing, a special evening with Vianna Stibal Find out how and why Divine Timing explains why we are on Earth together, both as individuals and as soul families.
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SPECIAL EVENT
February 13
Maha Sivaratri Krishnan Namboodiri and Senior Staff
Join us in celebration of Maha Sivaratri, the night of Lord Siva, one of the most sacred nights on the yogic calendar. We will celebrate throughout this auspicious night with homas and pujas — traditional fire and prayer ceremonies — conducted by the ashram’s Tantric priest from South India. Senior staff of the Yoga Retreat will lead us in continuous Siva chants from dusk until dawn. Together, we will enjoy a variety of prasads (blessed offerings) in the morning. Om Namah Sivaya!
February 14
Maha Sivaratri: Meaning and History with special guest Menas Kafatos Join Menas Kafatos, an authority on Kashmir Shaivism, for this night of introspection, vigil, meditation, and prayer. Maha Sivaratri, the night of Siva, is the most important celebration in Kashmir Shaivism and is celebrated throughout India, as well as in meditation centers and ashrams throughout the world. Maha Sivaratri represents Siva’s cosmic dance of creation, preservation, and destruction. It is also celebrated as the anniversary of the marriage of Siva and Parvati, signifying the eternal union of the two primal aspects of consciousness.
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February 19 – 23
February 15 – 17
Bhakti Yoga: Tales and Teachings from the Bhagavata Purana Edwin Bryant
Psychoenergetic Science and Information Medicine Nisha Manek Join Nisha Manek, protégé of William Tiller, the founder of psychoenergetic science. Our inner world affects our outer world. A remarkable set of scientific experiments called “target experiments” are demonstrating that human intention is capable of creating change in the physical realm. Come learn how your own personal intention is reflected in the world around you and gain scientific understanding about how your thoughts shape your life. Find out about the true nature of reality and discover how intention science is leading to the emergence of a new paradigm of medicine called “information medicine.” Nisha Manek, born and raised in Kenya, pursued her medical career at the Mayo Clinic. To better understand energy medicine, she went on to study the human biofield and human intention as variables in healing. Nisha is a clinical instructor for the fellowship in integrative medicine at the University of Arizona.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
February 17 – 19
Living in a Mindful Universe: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Heart of Consciousness Eben Alexander and Karen Newell While in a coma, Dr. Eben Alexander experienced a spectacular odyssey to realms beyond our known physical universe — one that ran counter to conventional neuroscientific views about brain, mind, and consciousness. Learn what it means to live in a mindful universe as part of a unified consciousness. You will benefit from insights, discussions, and experiential explorations of sound meditation and heart activation, as well as group sound journeys to experience your soulful connection to inner knowing and the deeper realities of existence.
Gain a better understanding of the essence of yoga philosophy. Delve into the best-known classical stories of Bhakti Yoga from the most influential bhakti text over the last millennium, the Bhagavata Purana — one of Hinduism’s 18 great Puranas, or histories. Comparing and contrasting with the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, we will embark on an inspiring in-depth study of the meditational practices of the great yogis — and experience some of the popular Krishna storytelling that lies at the core of much devotional contemplation. Edwin Bryant, PhD, received his doctorate in Indic languages and cultures from Columbia University, and is a professor of Hinduism at Rutgers University where he teaches courses on Hindu philosophy and religion. He is the author of six books.
Eben Alexander, MD, was an academic neurosurgeon for over 25 years, including 15 years at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School in Boston, with a passionate interest in physics and cosmology. He is author of The Map of Heaven and the New York Times #1 best seller Proof of Heaven. Karen Newell has spent a lifetime seeking wisdom through esoteric teachings and firsthand experience exploring realms of consciousness. She empowers others by demonstrating how to connect to inner guidance, achieve inspiration, improve wellness, and develop intuition. She is cofounder of Sacred Acoustics, an innovator in the emerging field of brainwave entrainment audio meditation.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 80-109
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SPECIAL EVENT
February 21 – 23
SEARCHING INSIDE
Bringing Mindful Awareness to Life and Work
Mirabai Bush and Gopi Kallayil The Internet connects us at the speed of thought. It acts like an invisible central nervous system for humanity, but the most important technology is still the one within us: our heart, mind, body, and consciousness. Is it possible to learn to access and use this inner technology and act from a place of contemplative wisdom to become a connected, sustainable leader? Join Google’s chief evangelist Gopi Kallayil and contemplative thought leader Mirabai Bush to investigate the marriage of contemplative techniques with modern neuroscience, the foundation of Google’s acclaimed Search Inside Yourself program. Through lecture, discussion, and mindfulness practices, you will learn to become more creative, adaptable, enthusiastic, compassionate, and loving in all parts of your life, and especially in your work. This innovative program is appropriate for anyone who wishes to use evidence-based contemplative practices to grow and lead from the inside out. Mirabai Bush is cofounder of the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society and coauthor, with Ram Dass, of Compassion in Action. She works with organizations to bring contemplative principles to the workplace and has a special interest in the recovery of women’s spiritual wisdom. Gopi Kallayil is a graduate of the Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course and Google’s Chief Evangelist for Brand Marketing, with degrees in electronics engineering and business administration. An avid yoga practitioner, meditation practitioner, triathlete, and public speaker, he founded and teaches a weekly yoga program for Google employees (Googlers) called Yoglers.
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February 23 – 25
Yoga of Chant Retreat Krishna Das Nourish your heart, inspire your mind, and uplift your spirit through chant, music, and devotion. Krishna Das shares the heart of his spiritual practice through his concerts and workshops, using the power and joy of chanting to lead you into your inner heart space. Join one of the foremost devotional singers in the world for evening kirtan concerts and afternoon workshops with musical prayer and teachings on Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of devotion. Krishna Das, a disciple of Indian sage Neem Karoli Baba, chants in yoga centers and concert halls worldwide. Known to most simply as KD, he has created many CDs, including Pilgrim Heart, Live on Earth, and the Grammynominated Live Ananda.
February 25
Chanting the Hanuman Chalisa Nina Rao The Hanuman Chalisa is a sacred 40-verse devotional hymn recited for hundreds of years in India to the Hindu monkey god Hanuman. Together we will chant the Chalisa along with musical accompaniment and discover how this ancient practice is still relevant to us today. Nina Rao learned traditional chants from her grandfather in a village in South India when she was nine years old. She is Krishna Das’ assistant and accompanies him on tour. Her CD, Antarayaami, which includes a variety of Hanuman Chalisa melodies, was released in 2013.
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February 27
Q&A
Questions and Answers on Yoga and a Spiritual Life Swami Swaroopananda Ask your most important questions; see page 10.
The gradual inward progress is mostly silent and unseen, like the quiet unfolding of a bud into a flower in the hours of the night. —Swami Sivananda
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
February 25 – 27
Teachings of the Bhagavad Gita Swami Brahmananda Dive into the teachings of the most important scriptures in yoga, the Bhagavad Gita. The Bhagavad Gita brings together knowledge and action, inner and outer, individual and society, man and God. All of life is presented as a perfectly complete organic wholeness, leaving nothing unsaid and attempting to solve every problem of life. Thus, the Bhagavad Gita has been acclaimed to be a gospel of life. Come and experience these simple yet comprehensive teachings and learn to live a life deeply rooted in service to humanity and the world at large. Swami Brahmananda bio on page 24.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
February 27 – March 2
From Anxious to Awesome Mira Binzen Worry and stress are among the biggest concerns for both children and adults today. In this series, you will learn and practice resources to become empowered to care for your own physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Through yogic breathing exercises, meditation and movement techniques, aromatherapy, and simple Thai massage routines, you will learn to root out the underlying cause of your anxiety. Come regain a sense of balance and return home feeling confident, connected, and calm. Mira Binzen, founder of Global Family Yoga, is an advanced Sivananda Yoga teacher, certified iRest® Yoga Nidra teacher, and yoga therapist. Mira holds a degree in child psychology and is a highly experienced teacher of children’s yoga, leading programs that bring yoga to children and families.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 80-109
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MARCH
at the ashram
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
February 28 – March 3
What I enjoy about teaching at the ashram is at the same time being immersed in the great Shakti of the place, the serene surroundings the inner and outer peace. The community of seekers is very sincere and I learn as much or more from all of you as I teach. The Swamis, the staff, Swamiji, are all so kind, engaging and provide me a feast not only for the mind but most importantly for the heart. May you all be blessed. Om Namah Sivaya. —Menas C. Kafatos, ashram presenter
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Living the Great Ideas of the Kabbalah: Journey of Self Transformation Rabbi Yoel Glick The Kabbalah is an ancient body of wisdom — a collection of deep truths that cannot be mastered or fully understood by the reasoning mind. The goal of the Kabbalistic teachings is to connect humanity through the profound relationships that form the foundation of the universe and our very existence. Through four diverse sessions of Kabbalah exploration, you will discover the great ideas of Jewish mysticism and learn how you can implement these powerful and practical insights into your life. Rabbi Yoel Glick spent 25 years in the Pyrenees, delving into the mystical traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity, forging links with ashrams, monasteries, and gompas in France, Israel, and India. He is author of several books, including Living the Life of Jewish Meditation.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
March 3 – 5
Asana, Mantra, and Meditation Arjuna Start the climb up the ladder of Raja Yoga by guiding the physical body. Through a combination of detailed Hatha yoga practices, pranayama, and a guided course in meditation and mantras, you will fully begin to realize your true Self. Explore Raja Yoga, an eightfold path of selfdiscipline and practice to achieve a higher state of consciousness. When you integrate asana, meditation, and mantras into your life, you will learn to direct your energy and progress along the spiritual path. Arjuna bio on page 26.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
March 3 – 5
Cultivating Willpower Jnaneshwari Chaitanya The practice of yoga helps us to remember who we are and to move toward our True Self. Within this frame, willpower becomes an effortless act of love. As we cultivate a more wholesome state of mind and devote ourselves to spiritual practice, we begin to notice that unwholesome habits fall away on their own. In our one desire to know the Self, those actions that do not serve that sole purpose begin to dissolve. Jnaneshwari Chaitanya is a senior staff member of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat. A knowledgeable and experienced teacher and yoga practitioner, she has been teaching courses on yoga, meditation, and related topics for many years.
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SPECIAL EVENT
March 6 – 9
THE SCIENCE OF WHAT CONNECTS US A Symposium on Human Consciousness Cassandra Vieten, Arnaud Delorme, Loren Carpenter, Helené Wahbeh, Swami Brahmananda Explore the latest discoveries in the extended reaches of human consciousness. In this special symposium, senior scientists from the acclaimed Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) will share the latest discoveries in the areas of clairvoyance, precognition, reincarnation, and telepathy. Learn what science is telling us about the nature of these experiences that invisibly connect us, as well as about human consciousness as a whole. Explore the powerful practices of meditation and yoga and how they result in extraordinary states of consciousness and correlating activity in the brain. Tread into the depth of cuttingedge science and learn the newest explanations for life’s greatest mysteries.
Cassandra Vieten, PhD, is President of IONS and a scientist at California Pacific Medical Center’s Mind-Body Medicine Research Group. She is a psychologist, researcher, and author, who, for more than 20 years, studied how people transform their way of looking at the world.
Arnaud Delorme, PhD, is a principal scientific investigator in France, a faculty member at the University of San Diego California, and a consulting research scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences. He has studied neural correlates of conscious experience and dynamic brain changes underlying extraordinary states of consciousness. Loren Carpenter revolutionized the entire film industry. In 2001, he and two colleagues were awarded the only Oscar statuettes ever given for computer science. Loren is an IONS visiting scholar, and he held the first Senior Research Scientist position at Pixar Animation Studios.
Helené Wahbeh, ND, MCR, is the Director of Research and Evaluation at IONS, with an interest in healing stress and trauma and the mechanisms of mind-body medicine. She lectures internationally and is an adjunct assistant professor in the department of neurology at Oregon Health and Science University. Swami Brahmananda is Manager of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat and senior staff of the Sivananda organization. A long-time practitioner of yoga, he regularly teaches yoga philosophy and meditation for the Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Courses as well as meditation immersion courses.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 80-109
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I can’t recommend this experience more for someone who needs a break from life’s challenges and wants
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to push themselves to
March 4 – 6
grow emotionally and spiritually. All are welcome there, no matter their background, and all can benefit from taking time away from a hectic schedule to focus on their breathing, healthy eating, and long walks on a beautiful beach. —Jennifer B., ashram guest
Life After Life: The Possibilities of Immortality Raymond Moody Does life continue after death? This fascinating question is one of humanity’s greatest mysteries, existing in every civilization throughout time. Join eminent researcher and physician Dr. Raymond Moody, as he presents decades of research on the possibility of life after death. Hear accounts of near death experiences, and cases of communication with lost loved ones. Discover how our understanding of afterlife can help us live more fully, and explore the edges of life, death, afterlife, and immortality. Raymond Moody, MD, PhD, has studied near-death experiences for almost 50 years and is the bestselling author of 12 books, including Life After Life, which inspired a surge of scientific interest in life after death.
March 10 – 12
Meditation, Deep Relaxation, and Asana Iswara Chaitanya Swami Vishnudevananda taught the importance of meditation, deep relaxation, and asana through his Five Points of Yoga. Deepen your understanding of these key components of a healthy and spiritual lifestyle and experience their benefits firsthand. Senior teachers at the ashram will guide you into greater awareness through time-honored yogic techniques. You will experience life at the ashram on a deeper level and learn important yoga tools and techniques to enhance your daily life. Iswara Chaitanya is an advanced Sivananda Yoga practitioner and a senior staff member at the Yoga Retreat. He regularly teaches Sanskrit in the Advanced Yoga Teacher Training Courses, as well as yoga and positive thinking courses to ashram staff and guests.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
March 10 – 11
Healing Through Mystical Qigong Master Ou Wen Wei Based on simple yet powerful techniques, Pangu Shengong is a mystical qigong system that uses the power of the universe for healing. Come hear from Master Ou, the originator of Pangu Shengong, in these captivating talks that include his own miraculous life story and the incredible possibilities available when working with qi energy. Master Ou Wen Wei is a Qigong Grandmaster and the originator of the unique Pangu Shengong system through which he has successfully healed patients suffering from cancer, heart disease, and other chronic conditions. He is the author of 12 books.
Deepen your experience of Mystical Qigong with Master Ou Wen Wei in a special 3-day course, March 11 – 13; see page 96.
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EBRATING CEL
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Y In March 1975, Swami Vishnudevananda convened the first International Yoga Teachers Congress, the first of its kind to bring together both spiritual and political leaders.
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SPECIAL EVENT
March 12 – 15
CLASSICAL INDIAN MUSIC AND DANCE FESTIVAL G.S. Sachdev, Swapan Chaudhuri, Shweta Jhaveri, Sohini Ray Manipur, Raginder Singh Momi, Nitin Mitta Music kindles love and infuses hope. It has countless voices and instruments. It elevates, inspires, strengthens, and invigorates ... Music melts the hardest hearts ... If at all there is anything in this world which can change the heart of a man in a very quick time, that is music and dance. —Swami Sivananda, Bliss Divine Join us for an uplifting and inspirational experience of classical Indian music and dance, as renowned masters come together to share with us their musical gifts and messages. This is a rare opportunity to listen to and watch masters of classical Indian music and dance, who have practiced all their lives and obtained perfection, each on their own instrument Come be inspired by the unique sounds and rhythms of Indian music and experience music as a doorway to the harmony, love, and hope in our hearts. Don’t Miss! Study directly with G.S. Sachdev and others in the Classical Indian Music School, March 16 – 19; see page 97.
G.S. Sachdev is recognized worldwide as a master of the bansuri (North Indian flute). He is one of the premier performers on this traditional instrument, with a pure, classical approach that instills tranquility and carries listeners beyond the mind into deep meditation.
Sohini Ray Manipur, PhD, is a classical Manipuri dancer and founder of Manipuri Dance Visions and recipient of the Lester Horton Award. Sohini was considered a child prodigy by legendary dance maestro Guru Bipin Singh and trained with him and his senior disciples for more than 25 years.
Swapan Chaudhuri is considered one of the top masters of tabla in the world. He is the Director of Percussion at Ali Akbar College of Music in California. He developed his skill accompanying Ali Akbar Khan and other leading musicians of India.
Raginder Singh Momi is a violinist and music composer and a disciple of renowned Indian classical violinist Dr. Sisirkana Choudhury. With his violin, Raginder has experimented with a range of musical genres, such as hip-hop, pop, and classical Indian music, and has performed worldwide, including at the White House.
Shweta Jhaveri is one of the finest vocalists of North Indian classical music. She has performed worldwide, offering her unique sound through Indian classical forms as well as her own creations. An acclaimed songwriter and composer, she has performed for musical legend Ali Akbar Khan and alongside renowned musicians.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 80-109
Nitin Mitta is one of the most versatile and sought-after tabla players of his generation. He has accompanied some of India’s most celebrated Indian classical musicians worldwide. Nitin has performed at many prominent venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Smithsonian.
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YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
March 15 – 18
Each time I came to the ashram for the last 12 years, the silent meditation in the morning and evenings amazes me. I love to feel the depth and the warmth of the whole community in silence. And of course, the warm smiles and family that I have there … it is truly a second home. —Karnamrita Das, ashram presenter
Yoga and Aromatherapy to Relieve Stress, Anxiety, Depression, and Insomnia Aira Guevara (Rukmini) Learn how to use the healing powers of essential oils to promote relaxation, calm the mind, and release blockages. Through experiential sessions of theory and practice, you will learn simple methods for using aromatherapy in your daily life, including baths, easy diffusing techniques, and the traditional practice of inhaling the oil. You will make your own aromatherapy eye pillow and sample essential oils that address different conditions. Each workshop will end with a deep relaxation session. Aira Guevara (Rukmini) is a Sivananda Yoga teacher with a special interest in integrating yoga and essential oils for therapeutic purposes. She has spent more than a decade studying and practicing aromatherapy and shares her synergistic healing method in workshops in the United States and other countries.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
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March 18 – 20
March 16 – 17
The School of Life Dan Millman School as we know it is only one facet of life, but true learning never ends. Our own daily lives, when examined with the proper mindset, can teach us all we need to evolve, grow, and thrive. Through our relationships, health, work, and service to others, we learn how to navigate life’s challenges with more grace and ease. Learn keys from Dan’s “The Hidden School” including how to understand your life path and the fundamental “twelve courses of life” that all humans experience. Dan Millman is a former world-champion athlete, university coach, and college professor. He is the best-selling author of the spiritual classic, Way of the Peaceful Warrior, as well as the author of 16 more books that have inspired millions of readers in 29 languages worldwide.
Yoga, Neurobiology, and Trauma Bessel van der Kolk Yoga, meditation, and pranayama powerfully reshape the brain’s response to past trauma. Learn about yoga’s ability to affect the neuroplasticity of the brain, helping people to physically and emotionally heal from trauma and feel safe in their own bodies. Yoga is a widely-used tool to help people connect to the present moment and healthfully detach from harmful feelings and emotional triggers. Learn from one of the world’s leading authorities on the neuroscience of trauma and how yoga can help traumasensitive individuals. Bessel van der Kolk, MD, has been active as a psychiatrist as well as a clinician, researcher, and teacher of posttraumatic stress and related phenomena since the 1970s. Bessel is a professor and director within Boston University Medical School and has taught at universities and hospitals worldwide.
Join us on March 18 for a special handstand workshop led by Dan Millman.
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YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
March 19 – 22
The Yoga of Dreams Tzivia Gover Enhance your lifestyle by developing a deeper relationship with your dreams. Learn how to listen to your dreams for wise guidance, self-knowledge, and powerful healing. This program draws from various traditions including Tibetan dream yoga, Jungian psychology, meditation, and pranayama. You will learn techniques to improve dream recall and how to interpret the meaning and messages of your dreams as a path for daily selfreflection, self-observation, and self-study. Tzivia Gover, CDT, MFA, is a certified dream therapist, Director of the Institute for Dream Studies, and member of the International Association for the Study of Dreams. She uses dreamwork to help people realize their full potential, access creativity, and promote physical, emotional, and spiritual health and development.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
March 20 – 23
Quantum Activism: Science and Consciousness Amit Goswami There is a genuine paradigm shift occurring in science, away from the material toward the primacy of consciousness. Discover the transformative aspects of quantum physics, such as nonlocality (communicating without signals); discontinuity (taking quantum leaps without going through intermediate steps); and tangled hierarchy (the capacity for causally circular relationships). Learn how we can use these quantum principles to guide ourselves and our societies toward creativity, conflict resolution, and the energies of love. Amit Goswami, PhD, is a retired professor of theoretical physics at the University of Oregon in Eugene. A visionary thinker and pioneer of the new paradigm of science called “science within consciousness,” he has written many popular books based on his research, including The Self-Aware Universe.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
March 23 – 25
The Yoga of Sound and Other Spiritual Joys Russill Paul Rejuvenate your body and soul through the power and beauty of music, sound, and voice. No musical background required — you will learn methods of chanting that create greater joy and vibrant health in your life. Bliss guaranteed! Russill will be accompanied by Ajay Sharma. Russill Paul is a world-class musician, author, and spiritual teacher who has been an important pioneer in the Nada Yoga (yoga of sound) movement in the West. For the last 30 years, he has brought the gifts of healing music and knowledge of spiritual empowerment to the lives of thousands. Enjoy entering effortless states of deep meditation and relaxation through expertly crafted live music and chant.
March 24 – 26
Adapting Sivananda Yoga to Your Body Krishna Chaitanya Do you find practicing yoga postures difficult due to injury, obesity, sickness, or other physical constraints? In this program, offered as three daily hour-and-a-half workshops, you will have the opportunity to explore adaptations to the 12 basic postures of Sivananda Yoga. You will receive personal guidance and discover which modifications are just right for you. As a result, the practice of yoga will become more enjoyable, accessible, and beneficial. This program is also recommended for yoga teachers wanting to expand their skills in meeting their students’ needs. Krishna Chaitanya bio on page 41.
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CELEBRATE REBIRTH at the ashram SPECIAL EVENT
March 25 – April 2
YOGA & SACRED HEALING Easter & Passover Symposium
Swami Swaroopananda, Neil Pearson, Marisa Laursen (Sri Devi), Mallika Dutt (Parvati), Chris Streeter, Liz Owen, Vidisha Patel, Marilyn Rossner, Girish, Swami Hridyananda, Bishop Trevor Williamson
Spring is a season of rebirth and renewal, a holy time for many, when individuals of diverse faiths and beliefs engage in spiritual practices and rituals that hold great meaning and opportunities for healing. Swami Sivananda taught that health is a positive state. It is not simply negation of disease; it is our birthright. Dive into the spiritual aspects of healing and wholeness in this inspiring week of lectures and workshops with worldrenowned healers, therapists, and authors. Learn how to experience your naturally radiant health and vitality through healing modalities from a variety of traditions. Come discover healing on all levels — body, mind, and spirit.
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Swami Swaroopananda, a senior disciple of Swami Vishnudevananda, is Director of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat, Acharya (spiritual director) of the Sivananda centers and ashrams in the Bahamas and Middle East, and a member of the Board of Directors of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres.
Marisa Laursen (Sri Devi), CAS, PKS, AYT, a Sivananda Yoga teacher, is the lead faculty at the California College of Ayurveda, where she is involved in curriculum development. Marisa‘s certifications include Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist, Ayurvedic Yoga Therapist, and Panchakarma Specialist.
Neil Pearson is a physical therapist, yoga therapist, and clinical assistant professor of physical therapy at the University of British Columbia, Canada. He teaches therapeutic yoga, works with people with complex pain, and offers a Pain Care Yoga certification program for yoga teachers and health-care professionals.
Mallika Dutt (Parvati) combines her creative advocacy for social justice with a spiritual healing practice that connects people, planet, and purpose. Her teachings draw from Four Winds Shamanic Healing and Energy Medicine, Sivananda Yoga, and Buddhist Zazen.
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Chris Streeter, MD, is Director of the Boston Yoga Research Center, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology at Boston Medical School, and an instructor at Harvard School of Medicine. She has been a National Institute of Health-funded researcher for more than 20 years.
Girish is an eclectic artist who has studied with renowned teachers including the legendary tabla master Swapan Chaudhuri. He has accompanied luminaries such as Krishna Das and Snatam Kaur and his works are featured on popular recordings in the world music and chant genres.
Liz Owen, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT is a yoga therapist combining physical and energetic alignments with meditative action. She has taught yoga since 1990 and studied classical Hatha Yoga and meditation for more than 30 years with masters of many traditions. She is the coauthor of two NIH-funded studies.
Swami Hridyananda, a direct disciple of Swami Vishnudevananda, is senior staff of the Yoga Retreat and has spent more than 30 years teaching yoga, meditation, and chanting in the Teacher Training Courses and Yoga Retreat programs. She provides warm spiritual guidance for many seekers on the path.
Vidisha Patel, PhD, works as a therapist helping children and families with stress, anxiety, relationship issues, as well as parenting and behavioral concerns. She is a certified HeartMath facilitator and provides workshops and training in stress-management techniques in the United States and India.
Bishop Trevor Williamson has been coming to the ashram for Easter service since he was a child and now leading it for many years.
Marilyn Rossner, PhD, an internationally prominent intuitive, is cofounder of the International Institute of Integral Human Sciences, and founder and President of the Spiritual Science Fellowship of Canada.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 80-109
SPECIAL EVENT
March 30
Passover Seder Celebration Swami Swaroopananda Join us for a traditional celebration of the Passover Seder with Swami Swaroopananda. Enjoy a delicious vegetarian feast, a reading of the Haggadah, Passover chants, and teachings from Swami Swaroopananda on the main historical and spiritual components of Passover and their relationship to yogic principles.
SPECIAL EVENT
April 1
Easter Sunrise Service Swami Swaroopananda, Marilyn Rossner, Bishop Trevor Williamson Celebrate a beautiful Easter morning with us in paradise. Listen to traditional stories and receive messages of hope and faith from Swami Swaroopananda and Bishop Trevor Williamson of the Trinity Full Baptist Church of Nassau, Bahamas. There will also be traditional Easter chanting by the choir of Trinity Full Baptist Church (pictured above).
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APRIL
at the ashram
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
April 9 – 12 YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
April 7 – 13
The Relevance of Karma Yoga in Modern Life Swami Aparokshananda Saraswati YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
April 4 – 6
The Way of Nature: Reconnection and Renewal John Milton and Douglas Canterbury-Counts This special experiential retreat integrates elements from the world’s earth-honoring wisdom traditions to foster personal and social transformation. With the sacred land of the ashram — beaches, ocean waves, tropical gardens, sunrises, and sunsets — as our classroom, we explore how the ancient practices of wilderness retreat, vision quest, and ceremony help us fulfill our role as stewards of the earth. We will experience the magical blending of yogic, Vedantic, Buddhist, Taoist, Tantric, and shamanic traditions to arrive at deep relaxation, presence, and connection to our inner selves. John Milton is a pioneering ecologist, spiritual teacher, meditation master, vision quest leader, and shaman. A founding father of the environmental movement in the early 1960s, he has guided thousands of people into the wilderness to cultivate a deep ecological experience of communion with nature and the earth. Douglas Canterbury-Counts, PhD, practices sacred psychology with specialties in neuropsychology and behavioral medicine. Trained in the area of psychospiritual transformation, since 1992 he has been a student of Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati, and has lived with his family in an interfaith community, Kashi Ashram, since 1996.
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The teachings of Karma Yoga were described in the Bhagavad Gita 5,000 years ago, yet there is still a close connection between this ancient teaching and our active, multitasked, modern life. The teachings of Karma Yoga show us the attitudes and values that we need to improve our daily lives and deepen our connection to others. Learn about the powerful teachings of Karma Yoga and how it can transform your life through your own choices and actions. YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
April 10 – 13
Different Meditative Practices for Enriching the Mind Swami Aparokshananda Saraswati All great traditions and religions of the world and spiritual paths lay great emphasis on the need for meditation. Meditation not only calms the mind, but it helps the meditator realize truths that are otherwise unobservable. Meditation is the primary instrument for spiritual pursuit, as well as the ultimate realization of the goal of merging the individual self with the Divine. Learn to control your reality by controlling your mind, and explore the different enriching ways to meditate.
Relax, Reflect, Revitalize Julie Lusk Experience “right relaxation” — yoga-style. Recharge your batteries, manage tension, and maximize your energy and health. Rather than feeling overwhelmed by difficult times, equip yourself with the tools, techniques, and attitude needed to thrive, even in adversity. In this program, you will experience mindfulness for practicing presence and finding peace; Yoga Nidra for relaxation and renewal; guided imagery, mudras, and breathing methods for pain relief, insomnia, calming or energizing oneself, and more. Learn practical strategies for instant stress relief and for long-term stress reduction. Julie Lusk, MEd, E-RYT 500, has more than 35 years’ expertise in stress relief, yoga, relaxation training, guided imagery, and meditation as an international author, recording artist, and workshop leader. She is the author of books, including Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation, and the creator of numerous CDs.
Swami Aparokshananda Saraswati is a disciple of Swami Dayananda Saraswati and a traditional teacher of Vedanta internationally. He resides in India and teaches Vedanta, Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Sanskrit, and other related texts. He is also a student of physics, astro-physics, and psychoanalysis for the past 50 years.
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CDs.
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April 9 – 11
Oh My Aching Back Retreat Catherine Gillies (Kumari) Learn how to move in new ways and enjoy life again. When your body is in pain, it is time to learn how to listen to the message. This 3-day retreat combines adapted yoga practices for back care, the deep relaxation practice of Yoga Nidra, and fun, practical exercises and teachings on how healing your body can also transform your life. Find relief for acute and chronic back conditions and learn practices to prevent difficulties before they develop. YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
April 12 – 14
Living Through Change: Yoga for the Grieving Process Catherine Gillies (Kumari) All change involves leaving something behind. Grieving is a natural life process that is both painful and essential. The experience of grief can shatter our inner and outer worlds, plunging us deep into the unknown. Honor the profound journey through grief and loss in order to take the next step forward into a renewed connection with life. Experience adapted yoga classes, deep relaxation sessions, and guided creativity workshops that enhance the already nurturing environment of the ashram to facilitate your personal transformation.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
April 13 – 16
Healing the Light Body: Exploring Shamanic Medicine Theodore Tsavoussis Shamanic medicine is an ancient transformational approach to restoring power, creating healing, and harmonizing the mind, body, and spirit. The light body consists of a luminous energy field that envelops the physical body and holds a record of all our emotional, physical, and spiritual traumas. Theodore Tsavoussis earned professional certification in energy medicine from the Light Body School of the Four Winds Society. The program was developed by Alberto Villoldo, who spent more than 30 years in the high Andes and the Amazon, training with master shamans.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
April 14 – 16
Ocean of Devotion: Kirtan Retreat Gina Salá and Daniel Paul With warmth, humor, and devotion, Gina Salá offers empowering, clarifying practices in Bhakti chant, sound tantra, and mantra — with careful pronunciation — to help us feel the fullness of the Divine from within. Supported by the wonderful tabla rhythms of Daniel Paul, she will guide us through the liberating practice of welcoming through our voices and breath, the waves of thoughts and feelings that sing upon our shores, allowing us to find the deep, abiding vibration of divinity that rests just below the surface and helping us remember who we are. Gina Salá has been chanting since her early childhood living in an ashram. Her repertoire spans 23 languages and her performance credits include Cirque du Soleil and the United Nations. She shares Indian classical singing, Sanskrit, stories, and sound Tantra through classes, CDs, kirtans, and retreats. Daniel Paul is a Fulbright award-winning tabla drummer and vocalist who earned his degree in the classical music of India from the Ali Akbar College of Music. Daniel has released three CDs and has been the principal accompanist to Grammy nominee Jai Uttal for over a decade.
Catherine Gillies (Kumari) is an advanced Sivananda Yoga teacher, a registered yoga therapist, and a direct disciple of Swami Vishnudevananda. Director of Yoga Sivananda, an affiliated Sivananda Yoga center in Gatineau, Quebec, she has been teaching yoga for 32 years and offers services in yoga therapy and healing.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 80-109
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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS
at the ashr
SPECIAL EVENT
April 16 – 20
CHANGING THE THE INSIDE OUT A LEGACY OF PEACE In 1969, Swami Vishnudevananda had a vision while meditating in the ashram temple that led him to deeply understand that true peace — across the artificial divides of nations, religions, races, and creeds — was only possible through inner peace within individuals. This revelation changed the course of his life and work. He immediately created the Teacher Training Course to train leaders skilled in yoga, in possession of an inner awareness of peace, to serve as ambassadors of a more peaceful humanity. He also began peace missions, flying to troubled spots of the world — Northern Ireland, Cuba, the Gaza Strip, and the Berlin Wall. Without a passport or visas, he endeavored to bring attention to the artificial nature of barriers and boundaries and demonstrate the freedom within each of us.
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11th Annual Yoga for Roshi Bernie Glassman, Roshi Eve Myonen Marko, John Perkins, Richard Moss, Marilyn Schlitz, Swami Brahmananda
The positive always overcomes the negative. The more we sweat in peace the less we bleed in war. —Swami Vishnudevananda As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the ashram this year with the 11th annual Yoga for Peace Symposium, we continue Swami Vishnudevananda’s commitment to peace. For the past 10 years, this symposium has created important exchange and conversation, bringing together leaders of NGOs and nonprofits, spiritual activists, and teachers, all of whom embody peace and work to create social change through yoga and spiritual practice. This year, we continue the legacy, with deepened emphasis on Swami Vishnudevananda’s fundamental teaching that in knowing our own inner peace we create peace in the world. Yoga and spiritual practice provide the tools for every single person to be a peace activist. Throughout the week, you will gain inspiration to know that what is inside you is all you need; that the fruits of practice lead you to think, speak, and act in alignment with your true nature, which can only be peace. At this significant time in human history — prophesied across cultures — we hold the great potential to heal humanity. Join us as we: • Consider ancient Vedic and Mayan prophesies, what they foresaw and their guidance for how we are to respond • Discuss how our spiritual practices allow us to see and act clearly so that we can be successful peace activists, no matter our role in society • Explore how our quality of being is our most powerful tool to create the change we want to see in the world • See together that the crises of our times are actually our calling to serve.
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WORLD FROM Peace Symposium Roshi Bernie Glassman, PhD, is a world-renowned pioneer in the American Zen movement and founder of Zen Peacemakers. He is a spiritual leader, author, and businessman and teaches at the Maezumi Institute and the Harvard Divinity School. Roshi Eve Myonen Marko is a founding teacher of the Zen Peacemaker Order and the resident teacher at the Green River Zen Center in Massachusetts. She serves as a “Spiritholder� at various bearing-witness retreats of the Order and is also a writer and editor. John Perkins, a winner of the John Lennon/Yoko Ono Peace Prize, is author of Shapeshifting, The World Is As You Dream It, and Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. He has taught at institutions around the world and trained with master shamans in many different cultures. Richard Moss, MD, is an international leader and visionary thinker in the field of personal transformation, self-healing, and group energy dynamics. He lectures worldwide and is the author of seven books on the transformational process and the art of conscious living. Marilyn Schlitz, PhD is a social anthropologist, researcher, award winning writer, and charismatic public speaker. She serves as President Emeritus and a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, and a senior scientist at the California Pacific Medical Center. Swami Brahmananda is Manager of the Yoga Retreat and senior staff of the Sivananda organization. A long-time practitioner of yoga, he has taught yoga philosophy and meditation courses for many years.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 80-109
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YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
April 16 – 21
Annual Spring Family Yoga Holiday Program: For Children Ages 4-12 Tara Rachel Jones (Omkari) and Aaron Jones Take a family vacation! See program description on page 26 and online.
Tara Rachel Jones (Omkari), MEd, is an experienced Waldorf and Montessori educator and Sivananda Yoga teacher who has been working with children since 1989. Aaron Jones is a Sivananda Yoga teacher, vegetarian cook, organic gardener, poet, musician, and visual artist.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
April 20 – 22
April 21 – 23
Inner, Outer, and Secret Beauty through Ayurveda Melanie Sachs
Deepening Our Understanding of Death and Dying Robert Sachs
Beauty is a worldwide aspiration. Though every culture creates its own vision of beauty, Ayurveda has longdefined beauty’s essential elements, classified as the outer, inner, and secret beauties. Ayurveda reveals balanced and time-tested methods that everyone can experience for their own personal benefit. Learn Ayurveda’s most effective beauty secrets, such as self-massage, exfoliation, and herbal remedies. Participate in discussions, demonstrations, and opportunities to sample all the various oils, powders, and massage tools for inner, outer, and secret beauty.
Our journey of dying and death is universal, and each person’s experience uniquely embodies all that was learned throughout the lifetime. We die as we have lived, so living the best life possible is essential on many levels. Experience exercises that resemble the cycles of birth, death, and rebirth. Deepen your understanding of the deaths that have taken place in your lifetime, and learn to be a supportive witness for those who grieve.
Melanie Sachs is recognized internationally as one of the foremost authorities for Ayurveda to the spa industry and has practiced and taught in this field since the mid 1990s. She is featured in numerous spa and health magazines and is a frequent presenter at healing and spa conferences worldwide.
Robert Sachs is a licensed clinical social worker, a licensed massage therapist, yoga instructor, and student of Indian and Tibetan spiritual and healing traditions. He co-runs Diamond Way Ayurveda, works with the dying and bereaved, and is the author of many books.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
April 22 – 27
Tattva Bodha By Adi Shankaracharya Swami Sharvananda Giri All of us seek happiness, but many of us seek happiness in the wrong places — in external, impermanent objects. We are often taught that happiness can be achieved, but according to the scriptures of Vedanta and yoga, happiness is our very nature. The text that is the focus of this program, the Tattva Bodha, about the true nature of the Self, was written by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century BC. Listen in and discover the keys to happiness. Swami Sharvananda Giri was trained under the great Vedantin Swami Chaitanyananda Sarasvati. After taking his monastic vows, he was appointed as the acharya of a renowned ashram and elected as the President of the Sadhu Samaj. Swami Sharvananda Giri has expert knowledge over vast Vedantic literature.
I feel so safe when I am in the ashram. I think this is conveyed by the purity of the lineage, the diversity of teachings and cultures, felt as one, aiming to deepen devotion and spiritual service. The timeless beauty of the ocean and the beauty of the ashram itself somehow feel like a miracle. —Silvia Nakkach, ashram presenter
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SPECIAL EVENT
April 25 – 28
THE WESTERN ESOTERIC TRADITION IN THE 21ST CENTURY Ralph White, Joscelyn Godwin, Leonard George, Marjorie Roth A golden thread of spiritual wisdom can be traced through much of the Western world. Follow the courses of multiple Western esoteric streams to explore their spiritual influence on the present age. Learn about ancient Alexandria, the Sufis of Islamic Andalusia, the hermetic and neoplatonic resurgence of 15th Century Florence, the alchemical world of Renaissance Bohemia, and more. The teachings of this symposium draw from the 22-year history of Esoteric Quest conferences created by New York City’s celebrated Open Center. Join this gathering of eminent scholars, historians, and musicians who will bring these oracles, myths, art, and songs to life.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 80-109
Ralph White, cofounder, Conference Director, and Senior Fellow of the New York Open Center, is an international speaker on spirituality and consciousness. Author of the memoir The Jeweled Highway, he has edited and contributed to many publications. Joscelyn Godwin taught in the music department at Colgate University for 45 years. His writings include books on speculative music, the Renaissance, histories of esoteric movements, and a co-authored novel, The Forbidden Book. Leonard George, PhD, is a Canadian psychologist, educator, writer and broadcaster, and a lifelong student of Western esotericism. He is Chair of the School of Social Sciences at Capilano University and presents lectures and seminars throughout the world. Marjorie Roth, PhD, is a professor of music history and studio flute as well as Honors Program Director at Nazareth College in New York. In 2010, she was recognized by the American Musicological Society as a Master Teacher and she presents worldwide.
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Q&A YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
April 24
Questions and Answers on Yoga and Spiritual Life Swami Swaroopananda Ask your most important questions. See page 10.
Hold your life for the service of others. The more energy you spend in elevating and serving others, the more the divine energy will flow to you. —Swami Sivananda
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
April 28 – May 1
Stress Management Through Yogic Practices Pranava
Waterfall Qigong: A Moving Meditation Practice Steven Michael Pague
Modern life has become synonymous with stress, especially for those living in cities. In addition to affecting mood and outlook, scientific studies consistently show that stress negatively impacts long-term health. In this program, you will learn how to use the ancient wisdom and practices found in yoga to help cope with life’s challenges and become more balanced and fulfilled, no matter where you live! You will return home with fresh perspectives and new skills to incorporate into your daily life to prevent being “stressed out.”
Learn to cultivate and replenish life force with qigong exercises, with special emphasis on breath, posture, and mindful attention. Nearly every exercise or form can be practiced from a seated position or done internally while lying down or meditating. Beginning, intermediate, and advanced practitioners are welcome. Everyone returns home with a new or refreshed personal practice and the inspiration to make qigong an ongoing part of daily life.
Pranava bio on page 31.
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YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
April 28 – 30
Steven Michael Pague is a certified instructor of Chinese movement and healing arts with the Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi. He also teaches life skills and nature awareness with the Tracking Project and is a gifted musician and songwriter. Steven’s music can be heard on the CD The Wheel of This Moment.
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YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
April 29 – May 2
Foundations of the Advaita Vedanta Philosophy Swami Kashi Muktananda Advaita Vedanta philosophy is among the oldest and most profound of all the schools of Indian philosophy. It explores the deepest truths of life and leads to the realization of Ultimate Reality and the end of suffering. The great philosopher of the 8th century, Adi Shankaracharya, formulated the structure of Advaita Vedanta in his extensive writings. Experience a unique opportunity to delve into the structure and fundamental terminology of this enduring, life-enhancing philosophy in a systematic and friendly way. Swami Kashi Muktananda has been living in the Himalayas of India and Sivananda ashrams for the past 17 years. He learned Sanskrit, Hindi, and Vedanta philosophy from his guru, Swami Chaitanyananda of Uttarkashi, a direct disciple of Swami Sivananda.
DIVE INTO THE ADVANCED STUDY OF YOGA SCRIPTURE YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
May 1 – June 30
Brahmasutras: Path to Spiritual Liberation Swami Medhananda Puri Experience an in-depth immersion in the Brahmasutras, one of the three most important texts in Vedanta along with the principal Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. Each year at the ashram, we are blessed by the in-depth teachings on yoga philosophy by Swami Medhananda Puri, one of Sivananda Yoga’s most senior swamis. In this special 2-month course, he will teach the Brahmasutras, with Adi Shankaracharya’s commentary, in daily classes for a couple of hours. The Brahmasutras is estimated to have been written 5,000 years ago and contains 555 verses. Learn about the nature of human existence, the metaphysical concept of Ultimate Reality, and the path to spiritual liberation. Please note You do not have to attend the entire course. However, if you would like to join during your stay at the ashram, we ask that you participate daily. Swami Medhananda Puri is a distinguished traditional teacher of Vedanta. In 1979, he joined the Kailash Ashram in Rishikesh, India, where he was initiated into the Kailash monastic order. A teacher of teachers, many of his students have become acharyas who are now teaching throughout the world.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 80-109
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MAY
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YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
May 1 – 4
Awakening Bhakti: A Celebration of Divine and Human Love Jai Uttal Bhakti Yoga is the path of personal relationship with God. Embark on the journey of Bhakti to reconnect with the Divine and find wholeness within you. Through singing kirtan, you can express the love in the deepest caverns of your heart and share it with others. Explore the secrets of the ancient chants of India, and experience how with just a little understanding of music and rhythm, you can access selfacceptance. Sing, chant, and share your heart through Bhakti Yoga. Jai Uttal is a Grammy-nominated sacred music composer, recording artist, multi-instrumentalist, and ecstatic vocalist. He combines traditional music from India with American rock and jazz, creating a stimulating and exotic multicultural fusion. Jai has been leading kirtan around the world for more than 30 years.
Sacred Dance and Yoga Andrea Mantell Seidel
Women Christian Mystics Father William Meninger
Open your heart and uplift your body, mind, and spirit. Discover the connection between sacred dance and yoga. Explore and experience a variety of strategies to foster deep mind-body awareness, flow, and rhythmic harmony in the practice of yoga. As you learn about the archetypal symbols and metaphors inherent in diverse asanas, you will discover the deeper meanings. Release all self-judgment and dance your way into a harmonious connection with yourself, nature, and the cosmos.
Women play a tremendous role in Christian spirituality. Rather than from abstract speculation, their teachings arise from their life experiences. Many profound accounts of women mystics and their spiritual journeys offer us models of how we can live in integrity along the spiritual path. Be inspired by the powerful stories of great wisdom teachers, such as St. Catherine of Siena, Lady Julian of Norwich, St. Teresa of Avila, and St. Therese of Lisieux.
Andrea Mantell Seidel, PhD, a certified yoga teacher with strong roots in the Sivananda tradition, is Professor Emeritus of Dance and Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Florida International University. She is also a Fulbright Senior Scholar and recipient of the Visionary Award from the National Dance Education Organization.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
May 4 – 6
Detox Basics: Cleanse at Home Sanatani (Sandrine Remy) Learn hands-on how to create delicious recipes for maintaining healthy eating habits — or for any time you’re in need of a detox. $15/day for supplies. A great follow-up to our Spring Cleanse; see page 104.
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YOGA VACATION PROGRAMS
May 4 – 6
May 3 – 5
May 5 – 6
Universal Patterns: Discover the Enneagram Father William Meninger With universal patterns that are present in every major philosophy and religion, the enneagram is a powerful tool for self-awareness, relational skills, and spiritual growth. It offers a method of understanding our deep personality structures, including our unconscious motives. Learn about your innate personality — strengths and weakness — in order to more skillfully adapt to life circumstances and to help you develop and grow. Father William Meninger, a member of the contemplative Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, is one of the founders of the Centering Prayer movement. Based at St. Benedict’s Monastery in Snowmass, Colorado, he has authored many books, including The Loving Search for God.
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SPECIAL EVENT
May 7 – 10
ENHANCED RECOVERY THROUGH YOGA AND AYURVEDA
A Symposium on Life Beyond Addiction Durga Leela, Ramkumar Kutty, Sat Dharam Kaur, Scott Kiloby Join those on the recovery path as we share, discuss and practice tools from yoga and Ayurvedic medicine. These are proving to be the most sought-after, longterm solutions to sustainable emotional sobriety. Learn from renowned presenters about pioneering systems of care to meet the needs of people in recovery today. Discover the healing power of collaborative care in a global community that is guided by ancient spiritual wisdom systems. Gain holistic knowledge and practical advice for natural and safe solutions for the path of recovery. Topics covered include integrated engagement for long term recovery, living our values, the power of communication, taking responsibility, Ayurvedic treatment, and medicine for detox and repair.
Deepen your training, knowledge, and experience in these two unique trainings with Durga Leela. See page 103. PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
April 23 – 29
Yoga of Recovery: Healing the Habits that Bind Us PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
April 30 – May 6
Yoga of Recovery: Between the Mat and the Meeting — Ayurvedic Healing for all Addictive Tendencies
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 80-109
Durga Leela is an Ayurvedic specialist and the founder of Yoga of Recovery, a comprehensive holistic program that integrates Ayurveda and yoga with recovery tools for those affected by addiction and self-destructive behaviors. Ramkumar Kutty is a founder and Director of Punarnava Ayurveda in India, an institution committed to Ayurveda for universal well-being. For 15 years, he has given talks and workshops on Ayurveda and traditional Indian knowledge systems worldwide. Sat Dharam Kaur, ND, is a certified yoga teacher trainer and instructor in the Sikh tradition, who studied with Yogi Bhajan. Also an author and naturopathic doctor, she codeveloped the Beyond Addiction program and a breast health yoga training. Scott Kiloby is an author and international speaker on mindfulness and addiction recovery. He is the founder and director of the Kiloby Center for Recovery, COO of the MyLife Recovery Centers, and the director and co-owner of the Natural Rest House.
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What I enjoy about teaching at the ashram is the diversity of people and spiritual traditions. When a group of spiritual seekers gather, wisdom just flows like the great ocean lapping at our doors. And, out of that wisdom, we can be sure that compassionate action follows naturally. It is an honor to participate, either as student or teacher. —Roshi Pat O’Hara, ashram presenter
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
May 11 – 13
A Mindful Approach to Emotional Health Mary Thompson Join us to find inner peace and become better equipped to deal with life’s ups and downs. You will discover the many tools available to you from yoga and Ayurveda to bring your body and mind to balance. Gain enhanced clarity and a better understanding of how you create your own mental state. Learn natural ways to shift your moods and encounter life with greater presence. You will return home able to navigate life’s challenges with greater clarity and awareness. Mary Thompson, CAS, PKS, is an Ayurvedic teacher and practitioner who taught at the California College of Ayurveda for 20 years and is a regular presenter at the Sivananda Yoga Farm. She authored The Sattvic Mind program for the Ayurveda Experience website and presented in the Global Emotional Health Summit.
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YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
May 13 – 16
What Does Swami Sivananda Teach? Swami Medhananda Puri Swami Sivananda’s teachings are a call to all sincere souls seeking deeper meaning and a higher purpose in their lives. He opened the door to the pursuit of spiritual evolution within the context of everyday life through practical teachings relevant to all. Among the topics to be explored in this program are the true source of happiness; the nature of reality as God; the importance of physical health; the fundamental ethics of yoga; the pursuit of spiritual life within daily existence; and the imperative to move more and more towards God. Swami Medhananda Puri is a distinguished traditional teacher of Vedanta. In 1979, he joined the Kailash Ashram in Rishikesh, India, where he was initiated into the Kailash monastic order. A teacher of teachers, many of his students have become acharyas who are now teaching throughout the world.
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YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
May 13 – 18
The Teachings of Hatha Yoga Krishna Darshan Advance your yoga practice with a deeper understanding of Hatha Yoga. Composed of many aspects, including yoga asanas, meditation, and pranayama, Hatha Yoga is a spiritual path that is suitable for everyone. Immersing yourself in Hatha Yoga offers more than just physical benefits — while it does strengthen the body, it also improves self-discipline, calms the mind, and allows for inner transformation to occur. Learn traditional Hatha Yoga practices that you can continue at home, guided by a highly experienced teacher. Bring greater depth into your yoga practice and daily life. Krishna Darshan bio on page 70.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
May 17 – 21
Bhakti Yoga Retreat Radhanath Swami and Gaura Vani “Listening to the stories of the Lord, thinking on Him day and night are both sure remedies for the misery called the cycle of birth and death.” —Srimad Bhagavatam Immerse yourself in Bhakti, the yoga of devotion, with Radhanath Swami as he brings to life ancient Hindu stories. These stories are designed to evoke Divine love and endless devotion in our hearts, leading the way to true peace and happiness. Talks will be accompanied by devotional chanting with Gaura Vani.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 80-109
Radhanath Swami is an inspiring storyteller and kirtan leader who teaches devotional wisdom around the world. He resides in Mumbai, India, where he is involved with humanitarian activities, and is the author of The Journey Home: Autobiography of an American Swami. Gaura Vani started studying sacred music in Vrindavan, India at the age of six. Today, he shares the magic he received and performs extensively with his kirtan ensemble, As Kindred Spirits, throughout the world. His albums include Ten Million Moons and Nectar of Devotion.
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The daily routine of life at the ashram promotes a connection to what is real and true. Meditation, kirtan, hatha yoga, mindful and yet delicious meals, and a very high caliber of educational programs presented by ashram staff as well as visiting teachers, all combine to create inner peace and a blissful connection to the divine.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
May 14 – 17
Define You, Define Your Purpose Priscilla Jabouin (Satya)
Creating Sacred Space with Vaastu Shastra Olga Mandodari Sokolova
Why are you here? What is your main purpose in this lifetime? This experiential program will give you information and support to start exploring ways in which you can identify your personal purpose. Deep down inside, we all know exactly what we want to do, what we are truly here to do, and where we would like to be spending our time and energy. However, fears and personal obstacles often stand in our way. Learn tools to explore and expand your possibilities.
Vaastu Shastra is a 10,000-year-old ancient science of architecture and design that maximizes the peace, harmony, and prosperity you can attain in your home or office. By understanding every building as a unique living organism, you can use layout, design, and space arrangement to bring healing benefits into your life. Learn practical strategies based in this ancient science to bring balance, abundance, and peace into your home and work space.
Priscilla Jabouin (Satya), MA, is a Sivananda Yoga teacher and holistic career coach who holds master’s degrees in counseling psychology and education. Her main purpose is to support individuals in identifying their personal dreams and pursuing their goals, by overcoming the fears and obstacles holding them back.
—Neil D. , ashram guest
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
May 14 – 17
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
May 20 – 22
What Is Karma Yoga? Swami Hridyananda What is Karma Yoga and how can we practice in daily life? The sacred practice of selfless service, or yoga of action, allows us to purify the heart. It makes the mind fit for meditation. The practice of Karma Yoga helps us align with our life purpose, as well as overcome selfish desires and develop self-discipline. Learn strategies to apply Karma Yoga to your daily life, offering the fruits of your actions to the Divine. Swami Hridyananda bio on page 27.
Olga Mandodari Sokolova, PhD, is a certified Vaastu Shastra consultant, who studied under renowned South-Indian architect Dr. V. Sthapati Ganapati. She received her certification from the International Institute of Mayonic Science and Technology in Chennai, India.
50 Y
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Jaya Ganesha, the daily chant, has been chanted every morning and evening at the ashram for the last 50 years.
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SPECIAL EVENT
QUALIA May 21 – 25
The Foundation of the Science of Consciousness
Menas Kafatos, Neil Theise, Debashish Banerjee, Swami Brahmananda
Cutting-edge developments in science are confirming a mind-boggling reality: there is no world “out there” that exists independently of the human observer. The universe is brought to life by human perception and the sensations, images, feelings and thoughts that each of us experience. These qualities of consciousness, or qualia, when closely observed, allow us to be “alchemists” who create both our internal and external worlds. For thousands of years, our spiritual traditions have taught that the path to health and enlightenment lies in our perceptions. Now science is validating and deepening this assertion. This symposium expands the conversation that began last year at the ashram with Deepak Chopra and Menas Kafatos presenting “You are the Universe: Discovering Your Cosmic Self and Why it Matters.” This year, we are bringing together spiritual teachers and scientists to further explore the intersection of consciousness, or Brahman, and human perception.
This symposium will explore: • The definition of qualia • How universal awareness gives rise to the universe through the experiencing process • How different states of consciousness create different realities • How consciousness will inform the future of medicine, technology, and social well-being • Qualia-based medicine such as Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, qigong, and energy healing • The relationship of qualia to subtle energy fields, the chakras, the Buddhist wheel of awareness, and sacred geometry • Shared resonance of qualia through community. Menas Kafatos, PhD, is the Fletcher Jones Endowed Professor of Computational Physics at Chapman University and an acclaimed scholar of climate change, quantum theory, consciousness, and monistic philosophies. He has published more than 275 articles and authored 16 books.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 80-109
Neil Theise, MD, is a physician-scientist practicing diagnostic liver pathology in New York City. His research interests include stem cells, integrative medicine, science-religion dialogue, and consciousness studies. With Menas Kafatos, he has proposed a framework for understanding fundamental awareness. Debashish Banerjee, PhD, a professor of South Asian philosophy and culture at the California Institute of Integral Studies, is author of Seven Quartets of Becoming: A Transformational Yoga Psychology Based on the Diaries of Sri Aurobindo. Swami Brahmananda is Manager of the Yoga Retreat and senior staff of the Sivananda organization. A longtime practitioner of yoga, he regularly teaches yoga philosophy and meditation for the Teacher Training Course as well as meditation immersion courses.
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Q&A YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
May 29
Questions and Answers on Yoga and Spiritual Life Swami Swaroopananda Ask your most important questions. See page 10.
Meditation does not come easily. A beautiful tree grows slowly. We must wait for the blossom, the ripening of the fruit, and the ultimate taste. —Swami Vishnudevananda
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May 26 – 28
May 28 – 31
Kirtan and the Bhakti Mandala: Healing Through Chant David Newman (Durga Das)
Vedic Astrology Krishna Darshan
Step into the sacred for a joyous weekend of calland-response chanting and devotional song with kirtan recording artist David Newman (Durga Das). His distinctive approach to kirtan embodies a heartfelt devotional mysticism with an adventurous musicality and poetic intimacy. Join us for a heart-opening and uplifting journey into bliss. David Newman (Durga Das) is a kirtan chant artist, sacred singer-songwriter, and a practitioner of Bhakti Yoga. A dedicated troubadour of chant and sacred song, he travels extensively sharing kirtan, devotional music, and the spiritual, meditative, and musical aspects of yoga. He founded the Stay Strong Project and Yoga on Main.
Vedic astrology, also known as “Jyotish,” is the traditional astrology of India. The main purpose of Jyotish is to understand the effects of karma in the present life. Jyotish reveals tendencies, behavioral patterns, favorable and unfavorable situations, and predicts the times they will manifest. This knowledge can be of great help to understand and to be aware of the astral forces that affect each of us. It can be used to counteract potential adversities, take advantage of positive potentials, and attain inner peace. Krishna Darshan, a direct disciple of Swami Vishnudevananda, is a longtime yoga and meditation teacher and instructor in the Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course. He has an in-depth knowledge of Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, and Vedanta philosophy and is a certified Jyotish consultant and tutor by the American College of Vedic Astrology and the Council of Vedic Astrology.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
May 29 – June 1
Ayurvedic Yoga Retreat Krishna Peter Perry and Aiyana Athenian Discover how the principles of Ayurveda can be effectively applied to yoga practice. Both Ayurveda and yoga are ancient sciences that heal at a deep level. Learn about Ayurveda’s five elements, and discover how traditional Hatha Yoga practices, such as asana and pranayama, connect with Ayurvedic practices. Explore other practices such as mantra recitation, kirtan, and meditation to help bring balance to your well being. Allow yoga and Ayurveda to enhance and enrich your daily life. Krishna Peter Perry, an advanced Sivananda Yoga teacher, is a cofounder of the ShivaShakti School of Yoga and Healing Arts and longtime yoga practitioner, as well as a certified Ayurvedic Practitioner. He leads Thai Massage certifications. Aiyana Athenian, an advanced Sivananda Yoga teacher, is a cofounder of the ShivaShakti School of Yoga, an Ayurvedic Practitioner, Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist, and a licensed massage therapist. She has led yoga retreats and teacher trainings internationally for more than a decade.
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SPECIAL EVENT
May 30 – June 2
SPIRITUALITY, HEALTH, AND BEAUTY THROUGH AYURVEDA Suhas Kshirsagar, Manisha Kshirsagar, Manas Kshirsagar Give yourself the gift of spiritual medicine. In this special event featuring foremost experts of yoga and Ayurveda, the Kshirsagar family will present a wealth of knowledge on health, spirituality, and timeless sciences. Explore the connectedness between yoga, Ayurveda, Jyotish, and Vaastu, and how you can incorporate practical strategies from these sciences to transform your daily life. Physical practices for balanced digestion, detoxification, and well-being directly affect our evolution along the spiritual path. Learn about the intimate relationship between your daily health and beauty routines, emotional well-being, and spiritual progress. Gain practical and gentle guidance for longevity, natural remedies, weight management, and spiritual fulfillment.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 80-109
Suhas Kshirsagar, BAMS, MD, holds a degree in Ayurvedic medicine and is one of the few Ayurvedic practitioners who brings a detailed knowledge of medical astrology into his clinical practice. Dr. Kshirsagar is author of the best-selling book The Hot Belly Diet. Manisha Kshirsagar, BAMS, earned her Ayurvedic degree at the Indian College of Naturopathy. She specializes in women’s and children’s health care as well as skin care and natural beauty treatments. She is a licensed esthetician and certified yoga teacher. Manas Kshirsagar is a certified Ayurvedic practitioner who comes from a Rig Vedic Brahmin tradition. Manas graduated from the Aloha Ayurveda Academy and Maharishi University of Management and is an acclaimed wellness and Ayurveda consultant and health educator.
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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS
at the ash
SPECIAL EVENT
June 3 – 15
Swami Swaroopananda’s UNITY IN DIVERSITY From the beginning, Swami Vishnudevananda saw the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat in the Bahamas as a gathering place where people would come together and exchange across disciplines, religions, and traditions. In 1975, he convened an International Yoga Teachers Congress at the ashram, inviting political, spiritual, and yoga leaders, as well as musicians and artists. Several hundred people — including Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, and Sikhs — joined in the exploration of yoga and yogic discipline for individual transformation and in the wider context of world affairs. The speakers and performers included: · Swami Satchidananda, Founder of Integral Yoga · Swami Chidananda, President of the Divine Life Society · Senator Eugene McCarthy, congressman from Minnesota who had served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee · Reverend Ralph Abernathy, civil rights activist and contemporary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. · T.N. Kaul, Indian ambassador to the United States · Paul Horn, flutist who played alongside Frank Sinatra and meditated with the Beatles Peter Max, the artist who designed the art for the Beatles Yellow Submarine and painted Swami Vishnudevananda’s Peace Plane in 1970, was also in attendance.
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CONNECTING AC AND DISCIPLINES Swami Swaroopananda Swami Medhananda Puri Peter Russell Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo Swami Shantananda Shaykh Abdul Haqq Sazonoff Sally Kempton Amir Vahab Shambhavi Dandekar Krishna Darshan Swami Brahmananda Krishnan Namboodiri
Unity in Diversity lies at the heart of the teachings of Swami Sivananda and Swami Vishnudevananda. At this time of Swami Swaroopananda’s birthday, we invite you to a celebration of our lineage and an honoring of the power of interfaith and interdisciplinary exchange as the path to realizing our oneness. During these two weeks we bring together teachers from the Sivananda tradition and diverse faiths and lineages to exchange and share, to learn from each other, and to weave together our various strands of knowledge and wisdom to illuminate reality. In a lively and important exploration of our shared oneness and the beauty and magnificence in our diversity, we will engage in • Sacred ceremonies • Musical performances
• Spiritual talks • Teachings and practices.
Let’s move forward together across traditions and paths with a shared understanding of the truth that unites us. Swami Swaroopananda, a senior disciple of Swami Vishnudevananda, is Director of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat, Acharya (spiritual director) of the Sivananda centers and ashrams in the Bahamas and the Middle East, and a member of the Board of Directors of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres. Swami Medhananda Puri is a distinguished traditional teacher of Vedanta. In 1979, he joined the Kailash Ashram in Rishikesh, India, where he was initiated into the Kailash monastic order. A teacher of teachers, many of his students have become acharyas now teaching throughout the world. Peter Russell is a leading thinker on consciousness and contemporary spirituality whose books include The Global Brain and From Science to God. His multi-image shows and videos, The Global Brain and The White Hole in Time, have received wide recognition.
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hram
Birthday Celebration
ROSS FAITHS Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo became a Buddhist while still in her teens and is one of the first Westerners to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun. She has written two books: Reflections on a Mountain Lake and Into the Heart of Life. Swami Shantananda has dedicated his life to mission work and Vedantic teachings and his lectures are filled with poignant insights into life. He is presently the resident Acharya of Chinmaya Mission centers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York. Shaykh Abdul Haqq Sazonoff is the national director of the Naqshandi Haqqani Sufi Order of America. He travels all over the world teaching Sufism and Islamic mysticism in universities, churches, synagogues, temples, and spiritual centers of diverse faiths. Sally Kempton is a widely respected teacher of meditation and spiritual wisdom who has spent more than 45 years studying and teaching Kashmir Shaivism, meditation, and self-inquiry. She is author of the best-selling Awakening Shakti: The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga.
Shambhavi Dandekar is a classical Kathak dancer who has performed to wide acclaim worldwide and brings a modern vision to the traditional form. She holds degrees in dance, French, and Sanskrit and founded Shambhavi’s International School of Kathak. Krishna Darshan, a direct disciple of Swami Vishnudevananda, has been a yoga and meditation teacher for more than 25 years. An instructor in the Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course, he has an in-depth knowledge of Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, and Vedanta philosophy. Swami Brahmananda is Manager of the Yoga Retreat and senior staff of the Sivananda organization. A long-time practitioner of yoga, he has taught yoga philosophy and meditation courses for many years.
June 7
Swami Swaroopananda’s Birthday Join us for a special celebration and ceremonial puja.
SPECIAL EVENT
June 15
Spiritual Connection: Bahamian Music Concert with Paul and Tanya Hanna Leave the stresses of daily life behind and soothe your soul with beloved Bahamian musicians and friends of the ashram, Paul and Tanya Hanna (bios on page 37).
Krishnan Namboodiri is a Tantric priest from South India, trained in the classical tradition of mantras, pujas (prayer ceremonies), homas (fire rituals), and yantras (sacred geometric designs). He performs many special rituals on a daily basis for the ashram.
Amir Vahab, honored as both a peacemaker and virtuoso, is one of New York’s most celebrated composers and vocalists of Sufi and folk music from the Middle East and Central Asia. His work transcends political boundaries while maintaining traditional sensibilities.
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YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
June 11 – 14
June 16 – 18
Spiritual Film Festival Shyam and Mohini
The Soul of Voice: Chanting to Empower and Inspire Luna Ray
Join Shyam and Mohini for a series of daily screenings of both recent and classic spiritual films, followed by interpretive discussions. So many movies are made purely for entertainment — but there are also people creating movies with thoughtful attempts to convey ideas, information, and emotion in an uplifting or even mystical or spiritual way. Interestingly, some of today’s great works of art are movies that either intentionally or unintentionally explore the subject of spirituality. Come enjoy thought-provoking films and ponder their deeper meaning with likeminded movie enthusiasts Shyam and Mohini codirect the Yoga Warehouse, an award-winning Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which they founded in 1998. Instructors in the Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Courses and Advanced Yoga Teacher Training Courses, they have helped to train and certify hundreds of yoga teachers.
Explore your true nature and experience the Divine by opening your voice with call-and-response kirtan chant and sacred song. Delve into the great power that the instrument of voice holds for each of us, and come together as a community. With Luna Ray’s accessible chants, sweet melodies, and enthusiastic spirit, find joy and empowerment through the simple and profound devotional practice of sacred singing together. Luna Ray is a singersongwriter, chant artist, teacher, and advocate for wellness and spiritual growth. She believes that music is the language of the soul, and weaves together sound, mantra, and soulful original lyrics into captivating musical performances. Over the last decade, she has traveled extensively throughout the world sharing music.
The ashram is a good fit for someone who’s looking to deepen their spiritual experience or just wants to detox from stress of everyday life. —Inna H., ashram guest
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YOGA VACATION PROGRAM YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
June 17 – 19
Mind, Its Mysteries, and Control Swami Brahmananda When you understand the nature of the mind and its thoughts, you can better explore techniques to improve your inner stability. In this program you will study effective meditation techniques, as well as practical strategies to develop your concentration, manage stress, and overcome obstacles in your meditation practice. Your mind will find its way to greater balance, focus, and peace. Swami Brahmananda bio on page 24.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
June 17 – 20
June 18 – 20
Yoga for the Nervous System Erin Bidlake
Yoga and the Art of Forgiveness Frederic Luskin
When you learn about the human nervous system, you can better understand how to keep your body and mind in equilibrium. In this program you’ll explore practical, simple, and efficient techniques to restore balance in your life. With these strategies, you’ll better be able to control your response to stress and use your energy wisely. You’ll practice proper breathing, yoga asanas, and mindfulness to bring calmness and joy to your mind, body, and soul.
Forgiveness is a powerful part of spiritual life and a deeply transformative practice, one that is rarely easy and that offers both giver and receiver a rare experience. Even when we know it is the right thing intellectually, how do we find it in our hearts to forgive those who have caused us pain? And, when we do forgive, what changes as a result?
Erin Bidlake is a certified yoga teacher registered with Yoga Alliance at the 200- and 500-hour levels. She spent years living with chronic pain and fatigue as a result of late-stage chronic Lyme disease and her teaching is grounded in her journey, coupled with the science of yoga and the human body.
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Frederic Luskin, PhD, is Director of the Stanford Forgiveness Project and author of the bestselling Forgive for Good. Internationally recognized for his forgiveness work, he is a senior fellow in wellness at the Stanford University Health Center.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
June 22 – 26
How Karma Yoga Helps Swami Medhananda Puri Karma Yoga, or selfless service, is the first step on the spiritual path. Why is this so? How do we serve? Learn how service to humanity without attachment of any kind — to the fruits of our actions or our own spiritual development — prepares us for union with the Divine. Find out how Karma Yoga leads to humility and love, purifying our hearts and eradicating egoism and the sense of separateness. Through Karma Yoga, we discover that all is truly one. Swami Medhananda Puri bio on page 66.
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Q&A YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
June 29
Questions and Answers on Yoga and Spiritual Life Swami Swaroopananda Ask your most important questions. See page 10.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM
June 21 – 24
June 27 – 29
June 30 – July 2
Heart Activation and Sound Healing Experience Carol Fitzpatrick and Mark Torgeson
Igniting the Inner Energies of Chakras: Meditations, Mudras, and Mantras Ram Vakkalanka
Reawakening the Compassionate Heart: A Kirtan Retreat Lee Harrington (Mirabai)
Learn about the chakras, the major energy centers of the body, and connect more deeply with yourself and the subtle energies within you. By strengthening your chakras or correcting the imbalances within them, you can experience more wholeness in your life. Discover the true nature of the chakras and how they can influence your physical, mental, and spiritual health. To purify your own chakras, you will have the opportunity to practice mantras, mudras, and meditations for cleansing, energizing, and healing.
One of the swiftest and most sure ways to connect with your divine nature — and your compassionate heart — is through the practice of chanting. Chanting combines two very powerful tools: ancient divine mantras and our own special voices. The voice is a healing instrument, and each of us has a unique voice calibrated to heal, balance, and tone our own energy systems. Join your voice in song, prayer, and divinity, for the benefit of you and all beings.
Your heart may be inwardly prompted to fulfill your life’s purpose but how do you recognize the signs? How do you make the transition from here to there? Join intuitive channeler Carol Fitzpatrick and sound healer Mark Torgeson, for a direct experience of your essence. In sacred circle and vibrationally supported through music, you will listen deeply to your inner voice and gain the confidence and the tools to manifest all that you desire. Carol Fitzpatrick is an internationally-known intuitive, the author of two books, and a founder of the world service organization, Center for Planetary Awakening. As a visionary and global community builder, she guides others to their soul’s purpose. Mark Torgeson is a classically trained pianist with international recognition as a musician and sound healer. He utilizes his formal training to produce a body of music designed to both calm and energetically incite the human spirit toward more expanded states of awareness.
Ram Vakkalanka is an internationally-known teacher of Nada Yoga, yoga philosophy, meditation, and Sanskrit. He has created 20 CDs, one DVD, and an online course to share his indepth knowledge of the many aspects of yoga in a friendly and accessible way.
Lee Harrington (Mirabai) is a vocalist, sound healer, yogi, writer, and teacher who has been on the path of mantrayana (liberation through mantra) for decades. Her criticallyacclaimed debut album was included on two “best-of” conscious music lists of 2016 and placed on the iTunes World Music charts.
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The ashram is a place where like-minded individuals seeking spiritual wisdom come together. The diaspora of audiences with open minds to explore new vistas of spiritual education makes the ashram an attractive place for anyone to meet and share their knowledge. The symbolism, the energy, the wide range of presenters, and the hospitality of the staff and volunteers combined with delicious organic food always make our trips memorable. It is a true spiritual paradise on Paradise Island! — S uba and Ramesh Parmar
SUMMER IN THE BAHAMAS
Take a meaningful vacation. We’re open year -round! These are beautiful months to come to the ashram, with a full range of ongoing programs available. The ocean is warm, calm, and crystal blue — the best time for swimming and snorkeling. Take a vacation that invites you to go deeper into the practice of yoga and meditation and step forward on your spiritual path. Enjoy our lower summer rates at the same time. Join us — and discover inner and outer paradise. Look for our summer programs online this November.
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Courses. Cleanses. Trainings. Learning — the heart of the yoga tradition. Experience the best in integrative learning. We offer a wide variety of experiential courses and trainings on a variety of health, sacred arts, and yoga-related topics. Dive into a path of study. Learn and grow in an enriching educational environment that integrates mind, body, and spirit. Balance your course time with healthy meals, walks by the ocean, yoga classes, and community gatherings for meditation and inspiring talks. Courses have specific start and end dates and meet daily. Plan to arrive at least the day before the course start date and depart the day after the course end date; we encourage you to take a few days in our Yoga Vacation Program before or after your course whenever possible (see page 20).
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SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
Take home skills you can use in your daily life.
Experience the energy, joy, and inner balance that result from classical yoga practices. Sivananda Essentials invite you to learn yoga, meditation, and the yogic lifestyle, teaching you the practices that form the foundation of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. For yoga beginners and those with experience, our Essentials are the single best way to visit the ashram for the first time.
CLEANSES & NUTRITION
Reinvigorate your body, mind, and spirit.
Join one of our detox retreats and juice-fasting cleanses for a complete mind, body, and spirit renewal. Discover the benefits of a yogic diet through one of our nutrition-based programs. Explore new cuisines, adopt healthy eating habits, and learn how to promote good health and spiritual wellbeing through a yogic approach to food.
TRAININGS AND CERTIFICATIONS
Develop your teaching and healing skills. Learn practical new skills and gain certification through our highly respected professional trainings. Whether you are a yoga teacher, healer, health-care professional, or counselor, you will find a variety of courses — and a rich learning environment that allows for deep integration of what you are learning.
YOGA SCRIPTURE AND PHILOSOPHY Deepen your knowledge.
Are you interested in the deeper teachings of the yoga path? We offer a range of immersion programs with advanced spiritual teachers for beginners and serious students in these realms. Based on thousands of years of wisdom teachings, yoga philosophy offers the contemporary practitioner answers to many questions about the human condition as well as questions for contemplating one’s own experience.
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I attended the ashram and took two courses. It was a lifechanging experience for me. For those seeking and searching for something more, the energy from this ashram will lift you up. I have had a regular yoga practice for a little over three years, but I was overlooking attention needed towards breathing, concentration, meditation, positive thinking, and relaxation. I learned the importance of stepping back and taking a calmer, more objective view of what I was doing to my body and who I genuinely am. — student from Orlando, Florida
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SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS Take home skills you can use in your daily life. Rejuvenate while you are here and discover yogic lifestyle practices for physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. You won’t believe how good you will feel. • Learn practical tools and techniques • Live in an authentic yogic environment • Experience deep relaxation and well-being • Enjoy the full integration of your body, mind, and spirit • Discover simple new ways to access ongoing vitality and peace in your life
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Gain expert guidance from experienced instructors. Sivananda Essentials are taught by senior teachers and staff of the ashram, each one with years of experience studying, living, and teaching yoga practices, philosophy, and lifestyle. Experience a balance of course time and free time. You’ll meet for a few hours each day — and still have plenty of time for the beach and other ashram experiences.
SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
Essentials of Sivananda Yoga I: Establish Your Foundation
Essentials of Sivananda Yoga II: Deepen Your Practice
Essentials of Sivananda Yoga III: Advance Your Studies
Essentials of Meditation
Essentials of Positive Thinking
5-day tuition: $240. Add 6 nights accommodation
Tuition: $240. Add 6 nights accommodation
Tuition: $240. Add 6 nights accommodation
Tuition: $240. Add 6 nights accommodation
This inspiring course provides you with the information and experience to jumpstart a yoga practice. Highly empowering and practical, you’ll gain foundational knowledge about yoga and discover keys for enriching your life.
Perfect for those who have taken Essentials of Yoga I or have been introduced to Sivananda Yoga practices.
Develop a more precise and focused asana practice. Learn variations on the postures and deepen your knowledge of yoga philosophy and lifestyle. Visit our website for more information.
Weekend tuition: $166. Add 4 nights accommodation
5-day tuition: $240. Add 6 nights accommodation Weekend tuition: $166. Add 4 nights accommodation
Deepen your experience with the 12 foundational postures of Sivananda Yoga and learn new variations. Each day, you’ll focus • Learn a daily routine on a new theme while of essential yoga practicing asanas, postures for tuning for example working up your body and with energy channels, building strength, balance, and flexibility meditation, relaxation, and visualization. You • Find out how to will also expand your benefit from better understanding and breathing habits experience of positive • Experience extensive thinking, Ayurveda, the guided practice — yogic diet, and stressde-stress, stretch, and reduction techniques. relax
5-day course March 12 – 16
5-day course
• Receive personalized November 13 – 17 attention and answers February 5 – 9 to your questions April 23 – 27 • Return home with a June 18 – 22 plan for continuing to bring yoga into your life
5-day course November 8 – 12 December 4 – 8 January 8 – 12 March 5 – 9 April 16 – 20 May 16 – 20 June 11 – 15
A great way to visit for the first time and discover Sivananda Yoga.
Want peace of mind? Learn to meditate. Regular meditation leads to more mindful living and is the secret to spiritual insight. In this retreat, you will be introduced to simple methods to begin meditating — no experience necessary! This course also includes deep relaxation practices, breathing exercises, and other techniques for positively impacting your mental states and developing focus and concentration. You will learn the basic philosophy and psychology of meditation and have the opportunity to ask questions. Take your next steps toward attaining a calm, joy-filled mind.
Discover simple tools for working with your mind that contribute to vibrant health, joy, and inner harmony. Yogis have long known what neuroscientists are now discovering: that we have the capacity to create our reality through our minds. Come learn practical yogic methods for influencing your thoughts and overcoming habitual patterns that prevent you from fulfilling your highest potential. Discover how to access states of mind that lead you where you actually want to go.
5-day course December 11 – 15 January 15 – 19 May 7 – 11
5-day course Nov 28 – Dec 2 May 28 – June 1
June 25 – 29
Weekend November 24 – 26
Weekend November 18 – 20
January 5 – 7
December 16 – 18
February 2 – 4
January 12 – 14
February 16 – 18
January 26 – 28
March 9 – 11
February 9 – 11
March 30 – April 1
March 2 – 4
April 13 – 15
March 23 – 25
April 27 – 29
April 6 – 8
May 25 – 27
April 20 – 22
June 22 – 24
May 4 – 6 May 18 – 20 June 1 – 3 June 15 – 17 June 29 – July 1
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November 3 – 5
Seven Techniques for Mastering Stress Meenakshi Angel Honig Tuition: $290. Add 4 nights accommodation Learn seven simple techniques to transform the quality of your everyday life. Stress causes many diseases, and these timetested techniques will guide you to better health as well as to a more centered, grounded, and relaxed you. Learn to energize your days, achieve greater clarity, and improve your sleep. These practical strategies are taught in a supportive and enjoyable way to guide you to your more productive, powerful, and peaceful self. Practice them at home to live your life to its fullest.
NOVEMBER SIVANANDA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING COURSES TEACHER TRAINING COURSE
November 4 – December 1
Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course (TTC) Ready for a life transformation? Become a yoga teacher. See page 14.
Meenakshi Angel Honig, E-RYT 500 studied with yoga master Swami Satchidananda since age 16 and is an internationally acclaimed yoga instructor, wellness consultant, speaker and author for more than 40 years. She is co-founder of Wellbeing International, an animal rights advocate, and a respected leader in plantbased nutrition.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSE
November 7 – 11
Fine Tune Your Asana Practice Sylvie Boisclair (Saraswati) Tuition: $325. Add 6 nights accommodation This course offers a special opportunity to fine tune and expand your practice to reach better alignment in your physical postures (asanas) and beyond. Over years of practice we sometimes fall into a routine or develop bad habits. This course will help realign your practice and take it to the next level. Sylvie Boisclair (Saraswati) is a dynamic Sivananda Yoga teacher who draws on her background as a classically trained ballet teacher and dancer to teach yoga thoroughly and precisely. She integrates 35 years of research, practice, and teaching diverse forms of movement arts into her classes.
There are special places on this earth where TEACHER TRAINING COURSE
November 4 – December 1
Advanced Yoga Teacher Training Course (ATTC) Delve deeper into the teachings and practices of Sivananda Yoga. See page 16.
purity and the highest spiritual vibrations reside. It was my honor to be asked to teach at the ashram and add in whatever way I am capable to the emergence of realization. It is a place filled with love, kindness, and compassion arising from the intention and love of the people there. It is a blessing for all mankind. —Panache Desai, ashram presenter
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NOVEMBER SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS Take home skills you can use in your daily life. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS EXPERIENTIAL COURSE
November 8 – 12
November 10 – 14
Essentials of Yoga I Parvati Chaitanya
Fall Cleanse, Detox, and Juice Fast Manu Dawson
Experience an inspiring jump start to yoga practice and ashram life. See page 83.
Tuition: $380. Add 6 nights accommodation In this 5-day cleanse, you are invited to tune up and reset your natural body wisdom. This is a great time to prepare for winter and the holidays, when a combination of slowing down and over-consuming challenge our body. Come cleanse, rejuvenate, and invigorate — and firm up healthy habits for the months ahead. This program initiates transformation on the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual levels. You will experience a combination of fruit and vegetable juice fasting and raw food diet, all supported by detoxifying herbs and supplements. Manu Dawson is a certified Yoga Nutrition Therapist, Integral Yoga teacher, and practicing clinical nutritionist and has directed hundreds of people in detoxification protocols. A direct disciple of Swami Satchidananda, Manu is the manager of the Integral Yoga Natural Apothecary in New York City.
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
November 15 – 20
Thai Yoga Massage Level 1 Kam Thye Chow Tuition: $650. Add 7 nights accommodation Thai Yoga Massage, a healing system with Indian origins in Ayurvedic medicine and yoga, is also strongly rooted in Buddhist loving-kindness meditation. Combining yoga postures with massage, it therapeutically stimulates the body’s sen lines (energetic pathways) and marma (acupressure) points. In this training, known as Nuad Boran in Thailand, you will gain a strong foundation and learn how to perform a 90-minute, full-body massage. Kam Thye Chow is the author of several books, including Thai Yoga Therapy for Your Body Type: An Ayurvedic Tradition. He has mentored and trained students in Thai Yoga Massage worldwide since 1995.
Extend Your Stay! Detox Basics: Cleanse at Home, November 15 – 17; see page 25.
SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
November 13 – 17
Essentials of Yoga II Pranava Dive further into yoga postures, meditation, and a healthy lifestyle. See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
November 18 – 20
Essentials of Meditation Weekend Narayani Chaitanya Learn simple practices for promoting a calm and joyfilled mind. See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
November 24 – 26
Essentials of Positive Thinking Weekend Pranava Take charge of your destiny with practical tools for focus and fulfillment. See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
November 28 – December 2
Essentials of Meditation Parvati Chaitanya Learn simple practices for promoting a calm and joyfilled mind. See page 83.
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December 1 – 4
DECEMBER SIVANANDA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING COURSES TEACHER TRAINING COURSE
December 4 – 31
Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course (TTC) Ready for a life transformation? Become a yoga teacher. See page 1.
THETAHEALING PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
Mindful Healing: Curing the Body-Mind by Listening to the Self Paul Epstein
December 7 – 9
Tuition: $370. Add 5 nights accommodation
Tuition: $440. Add 4 nights accommodation
Disease tells a story, not only of cell activity and diagnosis but of healing and wisdom. This course helps both patients and health professionals engage with illness from a new perspective. Using practices including yoga, mindfulness meditation, guided imagery, mind-body and contemplative medicine, internal family systems therapy, lecture, and group support, you will learn new paths to health and healing. Explore powerful mind-body medicine by being present with the body’s messages and honoring the meaning behind pain. Paul Epstein, ND, graduated from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine and has been a pioneer in mindbody integrative medicine for more than 30 years. He teaches worldwide about healing, mindfulness, and integrative medicine. He is the author of Happiness Through Meditation and many articles.
ThetaHealing Basic DNA Level 1 Anna Scorik (Ambika)
The Basic DNA course teaches you all of the major tools of ThetaHealing so you can begin using them on yourself and others. Through the experience of ThetaHealing meditation, you are able to connect to the sacred energy of unconditional love and realize your oneness with the universal energy of “all that is.” The heart of what you learn will allow you to change life patterns held in place by core, genetic, historic, and soul beliefs, whether self-created or externally imposed. PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
December 10 – 12
ThetaHealing Advanced DNA Level 2 Anna Scorik (Ambika) Tuition: $440. Add 4 nights accommodation Expand on everything you learned in the Basic DNA course, elevate your consciousness, and come into an even deeper experience of unconditional love. Gain a comprehensive understanding of the Seven Planes of Existence, practice ThetaHealing sessions, and receive “downloads.” The work with the Seventh Plane allows you to completely upgrade and change your being, bringing great healing and life changes to yourself and to your clients. Anna Scorik (Ambika), a Sivananda Yoga teacher, offers ThetaHealing sessions and courses worldwide. Certified as a ThetaHealer in 2010 and as a ThetaHealing instructor in 2012, she runs a teaching and healing center in Tel Aviv, Israel.
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DECEMBER SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
EXPERIENTIAL COURSE
December 16 – 20
Passive Yoga Retreat: Deepening Into Stillness Nora Benian (Sundari) Tuition: $385. Add 7 nights accommodation Passive yoga is based on the Taoist concepts of balancing the yin and the yang, the opposite and complementary principles in nature. Passive yoga offers a practice to unwind, breathe more consciously, and turn inward. Passive yoga postures give an opportunity for deeper tissues, such as connective and fascia, to release longheld tensions, allowing for the prana (life force) to flow through blocked areas, increasing overall energy and well-being. Experience deep renewal and leave with practices you can continue to use to create balance in your life. Nora Benian (Sundari) is a Sivananda Yoga teacher, yoga therapist, registered professional counselor, and Thai Yoga Massage practitioner with a degree in homeopathy from the British Institute of Homeopathy in Toronto, Canada.
Take home skills you can use in your daily life. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
December 4 – 8
Essentials of Yoga I
You are backed up at all times by a mighty power that works everywhere in the cosmos. Therefore you have nothing to fear. —Swami Sivananda
Narayani Chaitanya Experience an inspiring jump start to yoga practice and ashram life. See page 83.
SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
December 11 – 15
Essentials of Positive Thinking Iswara Chaitanya Take charge of your destiny with practical tools for focus and fulfillment. See page 83.
SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
December 16 – 18
Essentials of Meditation Weekend Narayani Chaitanya Learn simple practices for promoting a calm and joy-filled mind. See page 83.
The people make this truly paradise on earth. The beach, the temples, the artwork, the gardens, and the food are amazing. Two daily satsangs (gatherings of seekers of the truth), amazing presenters and workshops, and of course amazing classical hatha yoga classes. —Chris D., ashram guest
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January 5 – 14
New Year’s Cleanse, Detox, and Juice Fast Manu Dawson Tuition: $705. Add 11 nights accommodation
WHY CLEANSE? A healthy body is a crucial part of the spiritual path, making yoga practice and meditation possible. With a cleansed and pure body, the mind also becomes pure, peaceful, and clear. Correct nutrition and proper diet provide energy to the body and mind, while cleansing allows the body to reset and recalibrate. Even when we eat healthy and in the appropriate intervals, the systems of the body require regular cleansing for prime functioning. Types of cleanses can vary, from raw food to juices to Ayurvedic herbs, and depending on your body type, you will respond differently to the various methods. Still, the purpose of cleansing remains the same: to give the body the resources it needs to renew and restore. While cleansing, we free up our energy for deep healing. During a cleanse it’s important to maintain a supportive and gentle yogic regimen — some asanas, meditation, and spiritual reading — to let the body and mind relax. n
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Cleanse and rejuvenate, invigorate your natural body wisdom, and establish new habits. This intensive program initiates transformation on the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual levels. We begin gradually with a few days of raw food, followed by fruit- and vegetablejuice fasting, and end with a raw food diet — all supported by detoxifying herbs and supplements. Yoga classes and beach walks will enhance digestion, elimination, and integration for optimum cleansing and health. Manu Dawson bio on page 85. Extend Your Stay! Detox Basics: Cleanse at Home, January 15 – 17; see page 39.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSE
January 12 – 16
As You Think So You Become Swami Hridyananda Tuition: $275. Add 6 nights accommodation Swami Sivananda taught that “thoughts are living things.” Any thought that crosses the mind of a person gives rise to vibrations that travel far and wide. Learn how to use thought power for healing, to increase creativity and organization, and to overcome habitual and intrusive thoughts. Through theory and practice you will discover how to align your body, food choices, and surroundings to increase your thought power. Most of all, you will learn how yoga stops the root function of the mind, which is thought. When thought is transcended, intuition functions and Selfknowledge supervenes. Swami Hridyananda, a direct disciple of Swami Vishnudevananda, is senior staff of the Yoga Retreat and has spent over 30 years teaching yoga, meditation, and chanting in the Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Courses and Yoga Retreat programs. She provides warm spiritual guidance for many seekers on the path.
JANUARY SIVANANDA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING COURSES TEACHER TRAINING COURSE
January 4 – 31
Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course (TTC) Ready for a life transformation? Become a yoga teacher. See page 14.
TEACHER TRAINING COURSE
January 4 – 31
Advanced Yoga Teacher Training Course (ATTC) Delve deeper into the teachings and practices of Sivananda Yoga. See page 16.
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JANUARY SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS Take home skills you can use in your daily life. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
January 5 – 7
Essentials of Positive Thinking Weekend Silvia San Miguel (Surya) Take charge of your destiny with practical tools for focus and fulfillment. See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
January 8 – 12
Essentials of Yoga I Silvia San Miguel (Surya) PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
EXPERIENTIAL COURSE
January 20 – 22
January 21 – 25
The Body Sings Narayan Jyoti and Rama
Yoga for Osteoporosis Teacher Training Beata Barnard (Savitri-Devi)
Tuition: $440. Add 4 nights accommodation. The Heart Song technique is one of the more advanced and powerful exercises that ThetaHealing offers. It allows expression of the deep sorrow and grief that prevent us from healing. The sound waves of the Heart Song have a positive influence on the body’s organs and cells and allow for efficient healing. Explore the world of inner tones and vibrations and let the body and voice be your instrument to heal yourself and others on all levels. Narayan Jyoti was brought up in the Sivananda Yoga tradition at the ashram in the Bahamas. He is a senior student of Vianna Stibal, creator of ThetaHealing, and has spent the past decade studying, practicing, and teaching ThetaHealing around the world. Rama is a Sivananda Yoga teacher and an instructor of children’s yoga. Through music, art, stories, and yoga, he touches the hearts of children of all ages. He is an artist, musician, storyteller, and healer, trained in ThetaHealing.
Tuition: $375. Add 6 nights accommodation Take interest in your joints and bones regardless of your age or gender. In this program, you will find out how to protect your bones through the Five Points of Yoga as taught by Swami Vishnudevananda and Ayurveda. In our practice, you will experience how body and mind connect, learn how bones and joints communicate their needs, and discover tools for bone-loss prevention with weight-bearing yoga and hidden nutritional secrets. You will return home with the skills for testing and maintaining your own progress. Beata Barnard (SavitriDevi) was initiated by Swami Vishnudevananda and is an advanced Sivananda Yoga teacher who teaches in many Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Courses. As a recreation therapist in nursing homes for the last 15 years, she developed and teaches a comprehensive yoga system for people with osteoporosis.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 80–109
Experience an inspiring jump start to yoga practice and ashram life. See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
January 12 – 14
Essentials of Meditation Weekend Rukmini Chaitanya Learn simple practices for promoting a calm and joy-filled mind. See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
January 15 – 19
Essentials of Positive Thinking Silvia San Miguel (Surya) Take charge of your destiny with practical tools for focus and fulfillment. See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
January 26 – 28
Essentials of Meditation Weekend Narayani Chaitanya Learn simple practices for promoting a calm and joy-filled mind. See page 83.
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EXPERIENTIAL COURSE
January 25 – 28
Paradise Beauty from the Inside Cleanse Margarita Carreras Tuition: $385. Add 5 nights accommodation We invite you to four days of professionallyguided and supported nutritional cleanse within the relaxing atmosphere of the Sivananda Yoga Retreat. The Paradise Beauty From the Inside Cleanse program allows you to experience a hands-on approach to nourishing your body on a deep cellular level. Learn to detoxify gently and with ease through clean eating. This cleanse consists of four full days of alkalizing your body through fresh juices, superfood smoothies, healing broths, and detox salads. Margarita Carreras’ career spans 30 years of inquiry and integrative healing through yoga, dance, visual art, breath, and nutrition. Today Margarita is a certified yoga instructor, holistic health coach and owner of GetJuiced, a whole food juice café where organic juices, soups, and salads are prepared in the philosophy “food as medicine.”
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EXPERIENTIAL COURSE
January 29 – February 2
The Yoga of Divine Love: Teachings on the Narada Bhakti Sutra Rukmini Chaitanya Tuition: $275. Add 6 nights accommodation Discover the key that will open the doors of your heart as you learn to cultivate ecstatic love and joy. The Narada Bhakti Sutra is an ancient Vedic text of 84 aphorisms that explains all aspects of the Path of Divine Love, otherwise known as Bhakti Yoga and said to be the most direct path to Selfrealization. This course will assist the spiritual aspirant in exploring topics such as the nature of Bhakti, how to cultivate and practice Bhakti, and how to identify the signs of true devotion in a devotee. Rukmini Chaitanya is a senior staff member of the Yoga Retreat and personal assistant to Swami Swaroopananda, the ashram director. A knowledgeable teacher and yoga practitioner, she has been teaching yoga classes and offering lectures on yoga philosophy for many years.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSE
January 30 – February 5
The Yoga of Sound and Voice John Beaulieu and Silvia Nakkach Tuition: $618. Add 8 nights accommodation Experience the transformative power of sound and music with two renowned scholars and clinicians. Combining master classes, lectures, devotional chanting sessions, clinics, movement, and music-making, this in-depth training explores various dimensions of healing with sound: the scientific, yogic, creative, and shamanic. These practices promote a state of euphoria, leading to enhanced wellness and greater possibility for accomplishment and success in all aspects of life. John Beaulieu, ND, PhD, is a naturopathic doctor, counseling psychologist, board-certified polarity therapist, composer, pianist, and sound therapist. A world leader in the use of integrative energy medicine for healing, he is also an author, researcher, and professor. Silvia Nakkach is a Grammy-nominated musician, an award-winning composer and voice-culturist, and a pioneer in the field of sound, consciousness, and music shamanism. She is the founding director of Vox Mundi Mystery School of the Voice, and teaches at the California Institute of Integral Studies.
FEBRUARY SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS Take home skills you can use in your daily life.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSE
February 3 – 6
SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
Yoga for the Three Bodies: From Asana to Stillness Arjuna Tuition: $270. Add 5 nights accommodation
Asanas are not just physical exercise. —Swami Vishnudevananda
Swami Vishnudevananda taught that Hatha Yoga leads to deep meditation and samadhi (superconscious state) through control of prana, the life force. In this course for yoga teachers and serious practitioners who want to deepen their practice, you will explore the effects of the conscious practice of the 12 Sivananda yoga postures on the physical and astral bodies. Come learn how asana leads to pranayama, to pratyahara (sense withdrawal), to dharana (concentration), to dhyana (meditation), and finally to samadhi. Arjuna is a direct disciple of Swami Vishnudevananda and the director of Yoga Sivananda, an affiliatedSivananda Yoga center in Gatineau, Quebec. He has been a professional vegetarian cook for 25 years and has been teaching family yoga programs in Sivananda centers and ashrams for many years.
February 2 – 4
FEBRUARY SIVANANDA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING COURSES TEACHER TRAINING COURSE
February 3 – March 2
Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course (TTC) Ready for a life transformation? Become a yoga teacher. See page 14.
Essentials of Positive Thinking Weekend Iswara Chaitanya Take charge of your destiny with practical tools for focus and fulfillment See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
February 5 – 9
Essentials of Yoga II Rukmini Chaitanya Dive further into yoga postures, meditation, and a healthy lifestyle. See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
February 9 – 11
Essentials of Meditation Weekend Parvati Chaitanya Learn simple practices for promoting a calm and joy-filled mind. See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
February 16 – 18
Essentials of Positive Thinking Weekend Pranava Take charge of your destiny with practical tools for focus and fulfillment. See page 83.
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February 8 – 12
5-Day Ayurvedic Cleanse: Purify Your Body, Nourish Your Soul Marisa Laursen (Sri Devi)
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
February 5 – 10
Energy Medicine Certification: Working with Polarity, the Elements, and the Stars John Beaulieu, Andreas Ledermann, Brigitta Raimann Tuition: $590. Add 7 nights accommodation
In this powerful training, you will learn how to work with life energy using bodywork sessions, Polarity Yoga, and sound therapy to balance the five elements — ether, air, fire, water, and earth — the five-pointed star, and the six-pointed star. Valuable on its own or as a complement to massage, yoga, nursing, counseling, physical therapy, and medical practices, the training will emphasize the application of five-element knowledge to the modern science of stress, Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Polarity Therapy.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSE
February 16 – 20
The Yoga of Surrender: Teachings on Chapters 1 and 2 of the Bhagavad Gita Jnaneshwari Chaitanya
Tuition: $605. Add 6 nights accommodation
Tuition: $275. Add 6 nights accommodation
Restore balance to your life in body, mind, and soul. This transformative cleanse guides you in experiencing eating as a sacred act that provides the opportunity to achieve health and balance on a deep level. Through the principles of Ayurveda, you will learn your unique nutritional needs and enjoy a light, cleansing diet that aids in purification and weight management. Take the fundamental principles of Ayurveda home with you and apply them to your daily life for lifelong health and longevity.
We are all faced at times in our lives with choices and decisions that seem unmanageable and cause us to doubt what we are doing. At the beginning of the Bhagavad Gita, the great warrior Arjuna is despondent as he finds himself faced with the choice of fighting a just war or abandoning his duty and facing dishonor. Fortunately for Arjuna, Lord Krishna comes to his aid. Take this opportunity to study this sacred yogic scripture with an experienced teacher and gain insight on how to maintain a balanced mind and sense of calm in the most intense experiences of life.
Marisa Laursen (Sri Devi), CAS, PKS, AYT, is a Sivananda Yoga teacher, clinical Ayurvedic specialist, senior member of the teaching faculty at the California College of Ayurveda, and author of a children’s book, The Adventures of Vata, Pitta and Kapha: The Quest for the Sacred Nectar.
Jnaneshwari Chaitanya bio on page 48.
John Beaulieu bio on page 90. Andreas Ledermann is a naturopath, polarity therapist, craniosacral osteopath, lecturer, and author of Polarity Therapy. He cofounded and directs the School of Holistic Naturopathy in Zug, Switzerland. Brigitta Raimann is a naturopath, polarity therapist, craniosacral osteopath, and social worker. She is cofounder of the School of Holistic Naturopathy in Zug, Switzerland.
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EXPERIENTIAL COURSE
EXPERIENTIAL COURSE
February 16 – 20
March 1 – 5
Refilling your Well: The Art of Sacred Self-Care Priti Robyn Ross
Rejuvenation Cleanse and Detox: Reawaken Your Vibrant Self Clarissa Kussin
Tuition: $375. Add 6 nights accommodation
Tuition: $425. Add 6 nights accommodation
There comes a time when you know you need to take a break — when body and soul are searching for sacred space to relax and let go. Come spend a restorative time-out immersed in nurturing activities that replenish your soul, increase your joy, and transform your stress into bliss through gentle yoga classes, massage, meditation, creative journaling, joyful movement, and more. Take home effective stress-relieving tools and set a powerful intention for self-care.
Come into balance in body, mind, and spirit with a 5-day cleanse. This intensive and transformative cleanse focuses on physical, emotional, and spiritual awareness while you enjoy simple living foods, fruit and vegetable juices, botanicals, and tea. Experience optimal nutrition accompanied by detoxification protocols that will leave you renewed, restored and reawakened.
Priti Robyn Ross has been leading workshops in yoga and health for more than 20 years. She is codirector of the Kripalu School of Yoga and Pranotthan Yoga teacher training programs. Priti has created groundbreaking yoga and meditation programs in medical settings, including Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Clarissa Kussin is a certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, detoxification and cellular regeneration specialist, yoga teacher, holistic personal chef, and founder of Full Lotus Wellness in Durham, North Carolina.
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
March 1 – 4
Chair Yoga Teacher Training: Making Yoga Accessible for Everyone Stacie Dooreck (Saraswati) Tuition: $380. Add 5 nights accommodation Chair Yoga is a way to adapt yoga so that everyone can benefit. Learn how to make yoga accessible to seniors, individuals with disabilities or limited mobility, the chronically ill, and those recovering from injuries or surgery. You will learn to teach modified yoga postures in chairs, including sun salutations, and offer breathing practices, chanting, and meditation. You will also learn about the business and marketing of Chair Yoga so you can start your own classes at senior or community centers, hospitals, health clubs, corporations, and other settings. Stacie Dooreck (Saraswati) is creator of the SunLight Chair Yoga: Yoga for Everyone book and teacher trainings. A Sivananda Yoga instructor since 1995, she is also certified in Gentle Integral, Kundalini, and Prenatal Yoga. She leads Chair Yoga Teacher Trainings at Sivananda ashrams in the US and Bahamas.
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EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 80–109
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Where the basketball hoops are today, there was originally a tennis court, where Swami Vishnudevananda used to hold major events — and play tennis.
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MARCH SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS Take home skills you can use in your daily life. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
March 2 – 4
Essentials of Meditation Weekend Narayani Chaitanya Learn simple practices for promoting a calm and joy-filled mind. See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
March 5 – 9
Essentials of Yoga I Iswara Chaitanya Experience an inspiring jump start to yoga practice and ashram life. See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
March 9 – 11
Essentials of Positive Thinking Weekend Parvati Chaitanya Take charge of your destiny with practical tools for focus and fulfillment. See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
March 12 – 16
Essentials of Yoga III Krishna Chaitanya Deepen your experience of classical yoga philosophy and practices See page 83.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSE
March 2 – 6
Annual Meditation Retreat Swami Hridyananda Tuition: $275. Add 6 nights accommodation Disengage from the distractions of your busy life and dive into a meditative immersion in the supportive and serene setting of the ashram. Under the experienced guidance of Swami Hridyananda, you will explore meditative theory, sitting practice, mauna (silence), asana (postures), and mindfulness. In the process, you will become more observant of your thoughts; lessen tension, friction, and attachment; and increase feelings of joy and ease. You will leave with a meditation practice that you can easily incorporate into your daily life. Swami Hridyananda bio on page 27.
YOGA TRAININGS FOR TEACHING FAMILIES & CHILDREN Mira Binzen, founder of Global Family Yoga, is an advanced Sivananda Yoga teacher, certified iRest Yoga Nidra teacher, and yoga therapist. Mira holds a degree in child psychology and is a highly experienced teacher of children’s yoga. PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
March 3 – 5
Teach Yoga to Families Mira Binzen Tuition: $325. Add 4 nights accommodation If you are a yoga teacher and/or parent, offering family classes provides a unique opportunity to meet real needs and serve your community. Child-centered family yoga classes create a space where families can connect in a fun and meaningful way. Learn how to facilitate a yoga class with a variety of ages and levels of experience. Discover partner poses, games, and stories that make yoga accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Find out more about family dynamics. Take home a special new skill set.
SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
March 23 – 25
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Essentials of Meditation Weekend Rukmini Chaitanya
March 6 – 8
Learn simple practices for promoting a calm and joy-filled mind. See page 83.
Tuition: $325. Add 4 nights accommodation
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Yoga for Stable and Calm Children Mira Binzen Yoga and meditation can transform the ways children handle stress and carry themselves through life. While many children today struggle with attention and focus, anxiety, or behavioral issues, yoga practices have been proven to help children lead more stable lives. When children learn fun ways to create good feelings, healthy bodies, and stable minds, they can improve in all aspects of their lives — and handle challenging situations with more ease. Learn safe, engaging, and effective ways to help children learn yoga.
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TRAIN IN THAI YOGA MASSAGE WITH KAM THYE CHOW Kam Thye Chow is the author of several books including Thai Yoga Therapy for Your Body Type: An Ayurvedic Tradition. He has mentored and trained students in Thai Yoga Massage worldwide since 1995. PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
March 7 – 12
March 14 – 19
March 21 – 23
Thai Yoga Massage Level 1 Kam Thye Chow
Thai Yoga Massage Level 2 Kam Thye Chow
Assisted Yoga Using Thai Massage Kam Thye Chow
Tuition: $650. Add 7 nights accommodation
Tuition: $650. Add 7 nights accommodation
Tuition: $325. Add 4 nights accommodation
Thai Yoga Massage, a healing system with Indian origins in Ayurvedic medicine and yoga, is also strongly rooted in Buddhist loving-kindness meditation. Combining yoga postures with massage, it therapeutically stimulates the body’s sen lines (energetic pathways) and marma (acupressure) points. In this training, known as Nuad Boran in Thailand, you will gain a strong foundation and learn how to perform a 90-minute, full-body massage.
Advance your Thai Yoga Massage practice, expand your repertoire, and learn how to custom design a massage with sequences targeting individual needs. In this training, we learn to fine-tune and break down each movement and posture and discuss their healing effects. Come sharpen your meditative state and practice how to embody proper yogic breathing and body alignment while giving a Thai Yoga massage.
Learn to safely adjust others in yoga postures using Thai Yoga Massage touch techniques. By focusing on the Sivananda style 12 basic postures, you can combine the complementary elements of classical Hatha Yoga and Thai Yoga Massage. These ancient techniques include counterbalancing, levering the recipient’s body with your own, gradual touch, and proper positioning so you can practice adjustments with confidence, precision, and depth. These teachings are suitable for yoga teachers, Pilates instructors, healing arts therapists, and all interested in healing and movement.
Please note Take Thai Yoga Massage Level 1 and Level 2 back-to-back for a combined tuition of $1140; add 14 nights accommodation.
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MARCH SIVANANDA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING COURSES TEACHER TRAINING COURSE
March 7 – April 3
Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course (TTC) Ready for a life transformation? Become a yoga teacher. See page 14.
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EXPERIENTIAL COURSE
March 8 – 11
Healing with Herbs, Food, and Essential Oils Brigitte Mars
March 11 – 13
Tuition: $375. Add 5 nights accommodation
Tuition: $314. Add 4 nights accommodation
You can naturally enjoy more health, beauty, energy, and productivity. Come discover a connection with food that nourishes and heals the body as a temple for the soul. Learn to use food, herbs, essential oils, and other natural techniques for creating well-being through lecture, group discussion, and time in the kitchen making simple preparations. You will also practice simple foraging while exploring beautiful Paradise Island, and return home with enough knowledge to create your own natural medicine cabinet and framework for health.
Based on simple yet powerful techniques, Pangu Shengong is a mystical qigong system that uses the power of the universe for healing. Come learn the three primary aspects of PGSG with its originator, Master Ou Wen Wei: • The Moving Form, to promote health by strengthening of the lifeforce • The Non-Moving Form, to strengthen the nervous system and intuitive ability • The Healing Skill, to provide healing treatments to others
Brigitte Mars is an herbalist and nutritional consultant with more than 40 years of experience and teaches herbal medicine widely, including at Naropa University. She is the author of numerous books, including The Home Reference to Holistic Health and Healing, and a frequent contributor to the Huffington Post and Care2.com.
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Healing Through Mystical Qigong Master Ou Wen Wei
Master Ou Wen Wei is a Qigong Grandmaster and the originator of the unique Pangu Shengong system through which he has successfully healed patients suffering from cancer, heart disease, and other chronic conditions. He is the author of 12 books.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSE
March 14 – 17
Preksha Meditation to Harness Energy for Holistic Well-Being Samani Satya Pragya, Samani Rohini Pragya, and Ramesh Parmar Tuition: $410. Add 5 nights accommodation You can progress toward the goal of being at peace with yourself and realizing your true nature. Learn to harness various forms of energy including sound, breath, and color for your personal well-being through spiritual techniques that have been taught for generations. Rooted in the Jain path, these strategies provide a step-by-step approach to healing physical and mental ailments of the body and mind. You will experience the benefits firsthand and bring the practice home. Samani Satya Pragya is a Jain nun who teaches on Jainism, non-violence, and Preksha meditation in the US and India. Samani Rohini Pragya is a Jain nun who has presented worldwide on various aspects of the Jain path, including non-violence and Preksha meditation. Ramesh Parmar is a Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course graduate, a successful entrepreneur, and a regular practitioner of Jain Preksha meditation.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAMS pages 22–77
EXPERIENTIAL COURSE
March 15 – 19
iRest Yoga Nidra Retreat: Health, Healing & Wholeness Anne Douglas Tuition: $554. Add 6 nights accommodation Calm your nervous system and manage difficult emotions through iRest Yoga Nidra, a researchbased protocol for meditation, relaxation, and healing. iRest meditation is a highly effective personal practice, and also an adjunctive practice for healthcare and healing professionals. Research shows that iRest effectively reduces stress, insomnia, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Experience feelings of inspired joy, health, and wholeness. Learn to integrate the principles of iRest meditation for your personal healing and daily practice.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSE
March 16 – 19
Paradise Beauty from the Inside Cleanse Margarita Carreras Tuition: $385. Add 5 nights accommodation We invite you to four days of professionallyguided and supported nutritional cleanse within the relaxing atmosphere of the Sivananda Yoga Retreat. The Paradise Beauty From the Inside Cleanse program allows you to experience a hands-on approach to nourishing your body on a deep cellular level. Learn to detoxify gently and with ease through clean eating. This cleanse consists of four full days of alkalizing your body through fresh juices, superfood smoothies, healing broths, and detox salads. Margarita Carreras bio on page 90.
Anne Douglas is Director of Trainers and Certification Supervisor and a senior retreat leader for the Integrative Restoration Institute. She has been teaching yoga and meditation for more than 30 years and has a thriving yoga therapy practice in which iRest is the primary resource.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSE
March 16 – 19
2nd Annual Classical Indian Music School G.S. Sachdev, Pooja Goswami Pavan, A. Pavan Tuition: $405. Add 5 nights accommodation Due to its great popularity last year, we are bringing back the Classical Indian Music School. This is a rare opportunity to study directly with acclaimed musicians and performers of North Indian classical music, who also each have extensive teaching experience. Join G.S. Sachdev, Pooja Goswami Pavan, and A. Pavan to learn the foundational concepts of voice, raga, melodic form, tabla, and time measures. You will experience vocal lessons, exercises, and group performance of bhajans, or kirtans. The course will focus on teaching how to use the voice as a principal instrument and how to tune the ear to the source of deep enjoyment provided by North Indian raga music for more than 2,000 years. In addition to a strong focus on voice, you will have the opportunity to take flute lessons with G.S. Sachdev and tabla lessons with A. Pavan. G.S. Sachdev is recognized worldwide as a master of the bansuri (North Indian flute). He is one of the premier performers on this traditional instrument, with a pure, classical approach that instills tranquility and carries listeners beyond the mind into deep meditation. Pooja Goswami Pavan, PhD, is a versatile singer with a repertoire that includes Thumri, Dadra, Ghazal, Bhajan, and various folk genres in addition to Khayals. She performs internationally and has taught courses in Indian music and culture in universities in Minnesota. A. Pavan, PhD, is a tabla player who has studied with several masters over the years, including Ustad Shabbir Nisar. Since 1989, he has been associated with the Indian Music Society of Minnesota and currently serves on its advisory board. Don’t miss! Classical Indian Music Festival, March 12 – 15; see page 51.
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PROFESSIONAL TRAINING EXPERIENTIAL COURSE
March 22 – 27
Advanced Raja Yoga Swami Brahmananda Tuition: $350. Add 7 nights accommodation Join us on a journey of exploring the Royal Path to Enlightenment, the path of Raja Yoga. Focusing on the eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga, as described by the great yogi, Patanjali Maharishi, we will dive deep into yogic practices and enjoy experiential sessions, alongside in-depth study of yogic theory. We will learn about moral restraints and regulations, postures, breathing, withdrawal of the senses, concentration, meditation and finally, the superconscious state, which is the culmination of this practice. Swami Brahmananda bio on page 24.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSE
March 23 – 29
Warriors at Ease: Teaching Yoga in Military Settings Annie Okerlin and Susan Alden
March 23 – 27
Cell-Level Healing: Taking Health to New Depths Joyce Hawkes and Helen Folsom
Tuition: $790. Add 8 nights accommodation
Tuition: $365. Add 6 nights accommodation
Learn to teach a therapeutic yoga class to any segment of the military community, with relevant support as needed. Topics covered include the key distinctions between “yogic culture” and “military culture” and why they matter; trauma-sensitive teaching guidelines and precautions; as well as yoga asana (posture) sequence protocols and modifications for specific military populations, addressing physical and/or psycho-emotional challenges.
Experience your body and mind as profound fields of healing. As you explore the connection between science and spirit for improved health and vitality, you will see real images of your cells and get hands-on healing practice for yourself and others. With these powerful techniques, you will experience cell-level healing firsthand. Discover your own innate abilities to heal and be healed — beyond limited methodologies and conventional belief systems.
Annie Okerlin is a Warriors at Ease faculty member, trainer and a regional program coordinator for Train, Teach & Transform in Florida. She founded and led the successful yoga studio Yogani for more than 17 years. Annie teaches internationally through the Exalted Warrior Foundation to support wounded warriors.
Joyce Hawkes, PhD, is a biophysicist and cell-biologist who received a National Achievement Award. A neardeath experience in 1984 caused her to embark on extensive exploration of indigenous spiritual and healing traditions, incorporated into her book, Cell-Level Healing.
Susan Alden is the Executive Director of Warriors at Ease. She is a graduate of the United States Military Academy and has taught yoga in the military since 1997. Susan is also a leader of yoga retreats, workshops, and special events bridging the gap between military and civilian populations.
Helen Folsom, registered hypnotherapist, altered states therapist, healing facilitator, and musician, is certified by the Institute for Therapeutic Learning in Seattle, Washington, as an advanced practitioner. She is author of the award-winning children’s book series Runt Farm.
Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat represents one of the most beautifully open composites of spirituality and the neuroscience of consciousness. I thoroughly enjoy the depth of discussion and understanding with the ashram’s participants. —Eben Alexander, ashram presenter
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EXPERIENTIAL COURSE
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
March 29 – April 1
March 31 – April 4
Therapeutic Yoga for Pain Management Neil Pearson
Yoga for Mood Management Rose Kress and Amy Weintraub
Tuition: $385. Add 5 nights accommodation
Tuition: $640. Add 6 nights accommodation
Pain is a universal human experience, yet few take the time to think about pain. This course, for people in pain, health professionals, and yoga teachers, invites you to explore an in-depth integration of pain science, pain care, and therapeutic yoga aimed at winding down the nervous systems and promoting positive lasting changes in the body. You will learn current pain neuroscience, as well as practical and empowering tools to guide yourself and your students and clients toward moving with greater ease. Neil Pearson is a physical therapist, yoga therapist, and clinical assistant professor of physical therapy at the University of British Columbia, Canada. He teaches therapeutic yoga, works with people with complex pain problems, and offers a Pain Care Yoga certification program for yoga teachers and healthcare professionals.
Nourish and refresh body, mind, and spirit, while you train as a LifeForce® Yoga Practitioner. Learn an empowering, evidencebased yoga protocol for self-care and to help students and clients focus, relax, and heal. Experience LifeForce Yoga, including pranayama, kriya, asana, nada yoga (sound), bhavana (visual imagery), sankalpa (intention/affirmation), meditation, and non-dual self-inquiry. The strategies taught are appropriate for general practitioners, yoga teachers, and for mental-health professionals to use in clinical settings. Rose Kress, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, is Director of LifeForce Yoga Healing Institute. She began practicing yoga in 1994 and now focuses on its therapeutic aspects. Rose has integrated LifeForce Yoga techniques into therapeutic yoga for back pain, cancer, pulmonary disease, structural wellness, and yoga therapy. Amy Weintraub, MFA, E-RYT 500, is the founder of the LifeForce Yoga Healing Institute. She trains health-care and yoga professionals in integrating yoga into clinical settings. Her protocol is used worldwide and available through her award-winning library of yoga and meditation resources.
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EXPERIENTIAL COURSE
April 6 – 12
April 4 – 8
APRIL SIVANANDA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING COURSES TEACHER TRAINING COURSE
April 6 – May 3
Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course (TTC) Ready for a life transformation? Become a yoga teacher. See page 14.
Yoga for Healthy Joints and Bones Beata Barnard (Savitri-Devi)
Ayurveda Marma Therapy Course Mary Ann Johnson (Isvari), Denise Chapman (Vidya)
Tuition: $275. Add 6 nights accommodation
Tuition: $785. Add 8 nights accommodation
Take interest in your joints and bones regardless of your age or gender. In this program, you will find out how to protect your bones through the Five Points of Yoga as taught by Swami Vishnudevananda and Ayurveda. In our practice, you will experience how body and mind connect, learn how bones and joints communicate their needs, and discover tools for boneloss prevention with weightbearing yoga and hidden nutritional secrets. You will return home with the skills for testing and maintaining your own progress.
Marma (acupressure) points are energy pathways for healing body, mind, and consciousness. Students will become acquainted with the 117 vital energy points and understand their relationship with the organs, tissues, and channels. Learn about the basic principles of Ayurveda, as well as how to analyze the tongue, hands, and face. Practice dinacharya (daily routine) and aromatherapy. This course is ideal for healing arts therapists who can incorporate Marma therapy in their practices, as well as anyone interested in learning this profound self-healing modality.
Beata Barnard (Savitri-Devi) bio on page 89. TEACHER TRAINING COURSE
April 6 – May 3
Advanced Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course (ATTC) Delve deeper into the teachings and practices of Sivananda Yoga. See page 16.
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
Mary Ann Johnson (Isvari) is an advanced Sivananda Yoga teacher and is on the faculty of Dr. Vasant Lad’s Ayurvedic Institute. Isvari has taught, consulted, and facilitated purification programs for more than 20 years. She is the director of Ayurveda at the Sivananda Yoga Ranch. Denise Chapman (Vidya) is a certified Sivananda Yoga instructor, licensed massage therapist, panchakarma therapist and a graduate of Dr. Vasant Lad’s Ayurvedic Institute. She is passionate about integrating Vedic sciences, teaching yoga, and sharing Ayurveda for well-being.
There was so much happening in a relatively small space, in such a gentle way. —Peter Russell, ashram presenter
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and fulfillment. See page XX.
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
April 7 – 12
iRest Yoga Nidra Level 1 Teacher Training Molly Birkholm (Madhavi) Tuition: $1,595. Add 7 nights accommodation This training is designed to provide you with the basic principles, history, theory, practice, and delivery of iRest Yoga Nidra and enables you to incorporate the simple 10-step iRest protocol into your personal life, professional teaching, or clinical practice. This profoundly healing protocol has been designed for use in various settings such as a personal practice, yoga environments, physical therapy, massage therapy, social work, clinical settings, and alternative or integrative medical practices, as well as in-job training and job resiliency programs. Molly Birkholm (Madhavi) is an advanced Sivananda Yoga teacher and certified Integrative Restoration (iRest) instructor. Cofounder of the Yoga Center of Key Biscayne, Florida, and Warriors at Ease, she leads retreats and workshops on yoga for trauma and has worked extensively with veterans of war.
LEARNING HOW TO RELAX When the body and mind are constantly overworked, their efficiency in performing their natural work diminishes. —Swami Vishnudevananda, from The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga Relaxation is one of the key components of a yogic lifestyle, helping to regulate and balance the work of the body and mind efficiently. Yet it is often overlooked. In our contemporary lives, we are often focused on action — physical and mental. This takes a toll. In order to achieve radiant health and well-being, it is important to set aside time to allow for rejuvenation. In yoga, we practice Savasana (Corpse Pose) in order to both integrate the benefits of asana and to let go of physical as well as emotional tension, such as worry. As we consciously relax the body, mental relaxation follows. The breath is one of the most important influences in the relaxation process. When you can control the breath, you can better control the body and mind. Making your breath rhythmical brings equilibrium, harmony, and balance into all aspects of your being. During a typical relaxation practice, you lay in the Savasana position on your back and close your eyes. You make your breath rhythmical, bringing steadiness to your inhalation and your exhalation. You then progressively focus on the different parts of your body, from feet to head, until the entire body is relaxed. When you regularly practice and learn to create a state of relaxation at will, you have a powerful tool for naturally thriving. n
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APRIL SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS Take home skills you can use. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
March 30 – April 1
Essentials of Positive Thinking Weekend Narayani Chaitanya Take charge of your destiny with practical tools for focus and fulfillment. See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
April 6 – 8
Essentials of Meditation Weekend Rukmini Chaitanya Learn simple practices for promoting a calm and joy-filled mind. See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
April 13 – 15
Essentials of Positive Thinking Weekend Parvati Chaitanya Take charge of your destiny with practical tools for focus and fulfillment. See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
April 16 – 20
Essentials of Yoga I Rukmini Chaitanya Experience an inspiring jump start to yoga practice and ashram life. See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
April 20 – 22
Essentials of Meditation Weekend Narayani Chaitanya Learn simple practices for promoting a calm and joy-filled mind. See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
April 23 – 27
Essentials of Yoga II Pranava Dive further into yoga postures, meditation, and a healthy lifestyle. See page 83. SivANANDA ESSENTIALS
April 27 – 29
Essentials of Positive Thinking Weekend Rukmini Chaitanya Take charge of your destiny with practical tools for focus. See page 83.
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PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
April 15 – 24
April 9 – 13
April 14 – 19
The Secrets of True Happiness: Teachings on Chapter 3 of the Bhagavad Gita Rukmini Chaitanya
Tuition: $550. Add 7 nights accommodation
Tuition: $275. Add 6 nights accommodation What is the best way to attain spiritual liberation? Is it the path of action or the path of knowledge? What is Karma Yoga and how do we practice it in our daily lives? How can we purify the heart and the mind for the practice of meditation? How can we act responsively and still be unattached to the results of our actions? The third chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, one of the most inspiring and practical chapters of the Gita, offers answers to these questions and many others. Join us for this 5-day course and receive practical guidance on how to turn your daily life into spiritual practice, such that your meditations become deeper and your life more joyful and fulfilling. Rukmini Chaitanya bio on page 90.
Restorative Yoga Teacher Training Nora Benian (Sundari) Restorative Yoga is a very gentle yoga practice designed to calm the nervous system and create overall health in the body. In this training for certified yoga instructors, you will learn a full series of restorative postures and the use of well-placed props, complemented with gentle stretching, breathing, and meditation. Through direct experience, teaching practice, and feedback, you will leave with the ability to confidently teach a primary series of restorative poses as well as incorporate them into your own practice. PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
April 20 – 23
Teaching Yoga in the Workplace Nora Benian (Sundari) Tuition: $440. Add 5 nights accommodation Corporate yoga is growing in popularity. Business leaders are recognizing the stress-reducing, energy-enhancing benefits that on-site yoga brings to their employees. Employers benefit from reduced health insurance rates by implementing wellness programs that include yoga. This 20-hour professional training provides the key elements for teaching yoga and meditation in a corporate setting. Learn to speak their language, gain corporate clients, and apply proper billing. Explore the types of workshops that can be successfully offered in the workplace.
Ayurvedic Healing: Doshas, Digestion, and Daily Routine Durga Leela and Swami Hridyananda Tuition: $1300. Add 11 nights accommodation Gain a fundamental understanding of Ayurveda as the health-care component of the yoga tradition. Learn how yoga and Ayurveda can guide you toward balance through daily health regimens and lifestyle recommendations based on Ayurvedic constitutional principles. Learn Ayurveda philosophy, the three gunas, the three doshas, constitutional examination, digestion, spices for digestion and elimination, Ayurvedic daily routines, and self-healing with the four paths of yoga. All are invited to take this course, either as a personal study or as a certification course. Durga Leela bio on page 103. Swami Hridyananda bio on page 27.
Nora Benian (Sundari) bio on page 87.
I have taught at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat for more than 10 years. I come back to teach because of the open diversity environment in which all spiritual paths are honored. —John Beaulieu, ashram presenter
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April 20 – 23
Yoga Peace Ambassadors Certification Course Elaine Valdov Tuition: $350. Add 5 nights accommodation Become an agent of change in a world so much in need. Yoga Peace Ambassadors invites you to find your unique calling for making a difference and turn it into action. In this hands-on course, each participant will create a program or project for realizing his or her visions. Learn how to listen to your calling, develop leadership skills, and create your own or join existing humanitarian initiatives. Begin a journey to live a life of purpose, meaning, and joy. Elaine Valdov, PhD, a representative to the United Nations, is a peace and human-rights activist, conflict-resolution specialist, and founder and President of Yoga Peace Ambassadors, Yogis Beyond Borders, International Peace Ambassadors, and the International Institute for a Culture of Peace. Engage with the path of peace — Join us for the 11th Annual Yoga for Peace Symposium, April 16 – 20; see page 58.
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
April 23 – April 29
Yoga of Recovery: Healing the Habits that Bind Us Durga Leela Tuition: $750. Add 8 nights accommodation The Yoga of Recovery is an invitation to undertake heartfelt self-reflection about the addictive processes that you experience in your life. You will be intimately guided to use science, yoga, and spirituality for your unique recovery process. Gain tools from yoga and Ayurveda for profound healing of selfdestructive habits and addictive personalities. Learn emotional regulation, self-soothing techniques, and deep relaxation. Participate in group sharing and discussions, and attend optional 12-step meetings. Explore your own addictive behaviors and heal them at the root level. Three months of continuous sobriety required.
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
April 30 – May 6
Yoga of Recovery: Between the Mat and the Meeting — Ayurvedic Healing for All Addictive Tendencies Durga Leela Tuition: $750. Add 8 nights accommodation Health and recovery from addiction and disease involve fully living in the wholeness that you are. By recognizing your innate strengths and stressresponse tendencies, you can learn to revitalize your body’s systems rather than to depend on addictive, unhealthy behaviors. Build a strong foundation of living well, and learn about stress, digestion, sleep hygiene, and detoxification. Practice deep self-care and emotional regulation through simple Ayurvedic daily routines that you can practice at home. Optional 12-step meetings are available. Three months continuous sobriety required.
YOGA AND RECOVERY Many of us first turn to yoga whilst looking for change. It takes great courage and openness to heal our negative habits and create new healthy ones. No matter our habits, addictions, or cravings, yogic practices can transform them from the inside out. To dig up your deep-rooted habits to create change, the journey of recovery begins at the source — your inner world. Yogic teachings allow for deep introspection, self-awareness, and understanding of the root causes of addiction. Yoga offers practical strategies to let go of unhelpful habits, retrain the mind to think differently, and build new routines. Ayurveda, yoga’s sister science, adds the self-care component, allowing the integration of a soothing, all-natural self-care regimen for those in recovery. Yoga and Ayurveda not only ease recovery, but they help people connect with themselves on a deeply satisfying level. With tools such as meditation, yoga asanas, and the four paths of yoga, recovery becomes an enlightening, healing and spiritually fulfilling process, bringing true transformation. n
Please note Take both Yoga of Recovery trainings back-to-back for a combined tuition of $1200; add 15 nights accommodation.
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Durga Leela is an Ayurvedic Specialist and the founder of Yoga of Recovery, a comprehensive program that integrates Ayurveda and yoga with recovery tools for those affected by addiction and self-destructive behaviors. She teaches a holistic approach to recovery and healing.
Y EA G RS TIN A R In February B
1965, Swami Vishnudevananda met the Beatles when they were in Nassau filming Help! and gave them each a copy of his Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 80–109
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April 24 – May 3
Spring Cleanse, Detox, and Juice Fast Manu Dawson Tuition: $705. Add 11 nights accommodation Cleanse and rejuvenate, invigorate your natural body wisdom, and establish new habits. This intensive program initiates transformation on the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual levels. We begin gradually with a few days of raw food, followed by fruit- and vegetable-juice fasting, and end with a raw food diet — all supported by detoxifying herbs and supplements. Yoga classes and beach walks will enhance digestion, elimination, and integration for optimum cleansing and health. Manu Dawson bio on page 85. Extend Your Stay! Detox Basics: Cleanse at Home, May 4– 6; see page 64.
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April 28 – May 11
Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy Certification Marisa Laursen (Sri Devi) and Margaret Koblasova (Yogapriya) Tuition: $1495. Add 15 nights accommodation Learn the classical, energetic-based model of Yoga Therapy. Transform your life, your yoga practice, and your career with the healing principles of Ayurveda. Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy is an Advanced Yoga Teacher Training Program for yogis of all traditions and levels in which you will learn how to create healing yoga classes for yourself and your students based on Ayurvedic principles. In this in-depth 2-week program, you will learn to recognize the unique nature of individuals based on the doshas, qualities, elements, chakras, nadis, vayus, and more. This program is deeply rooted in the yogic classics Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Gheranda Samhita, and the Siva Samhita, all of which have a heavy emphasis on an energetic model. In addition to learning how to apply this knowledge to others, this program provides an opportunity for a transformational personal journey within, allowing you to explore your own Ayurvedic constitution and create a lifestyle that leads to inner peace and healing. Marisa Laursen bio on page 92. Magaret Koblasova (Yogapriya) is the founder and director of Ananda Ayurveda. She taught and worked as a Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist for 12 years leading workshops, cleanses and retreats. She imparts Ayurveda’s sacred teachings to guide others on their path to perfect health and sustained bliss.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAMS pages 22–77
AYURVEDA AT A GLANCE Ayurveda is yoga’s sister science — the science of life, health, and longevity. The basis of Ayurveda is the use of diverse natural methods to bring equilibrium to the body and mind. Recommended Ayurvedic protocols depend on the environment, physical challenges, and mental or emotional imbalances of the unique person. Practitioners of Ayurveda have an abundance of natural tools at their disposal: oils, herbs, foods, teas, bodywork, movement, and the knowledge of the elements. The elements: water, fire, earth, air, and ether — all play a role in every organism on earth, including ourselves. For example, if we tend to carry more fire and are prone to overheating and anger, we may become more relaxed in a cool, watery environment. Ayurveda takes into consideration the whole-person’s patterns, including sleep, diet, stress, exercise, environment, and even something as simple as their morning routine. The health of the digestive tract is considered a crucial part of health, as is the ability to manage stress. Though Ayurveda comes from the ancients, it is reemerging in the Western world. Science has begun to study many of its long-known remedies and is now scientifically proving what practitioners of Ayurveda have known for thousands of years. As a result, Ayurveda is being integrated into more hospitals, treatment centers, and medical practices. Ayurveda serves as both a powerful healing science and preventative medicine, abiding by the laws of nature and universal truths to create true harmony in the body, mind, and spirit. n
MAY SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS Take home skills you can use. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
May 4 – 6
Essentials of Meditation Weekend Parvati Chaitanya Learn simple practices for promoting a calm and joy-filled mind. See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
May 7 – 11
Essentials of Positive Thinking Iswara Chaitanya Take charge of your destiny with practical tools for focus and fulfillment. See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
May 16 – 20
Essentials of Yoga I Krishna Chaitanya Experience an inspiring jump start to yoga practice and ashram life. See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
May 18 – 20
Essentials of Meditation Weekend Rukmini Chaitanya Learn simple practices for promoting a calm and joy-filled mind. See page 83.
SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
May 25 – 27
I come every year as an escape from the commercialism and materialism that tends to run my life the rest of the year. The setting is beautiful, restful, peaceful, and supportive. A place of physical and spiritual rejuvenation. A place to be in the presence of others who appreciate the tremendous opportunity to unplug from the outside world and look inward.
Essentials of Positive Thinking Weekend Iswara Chaitanya Take charge of your destiny with practical tools for focus and fulfillment. See page 83. Sivananda essentials
May 28 – June 1
Essentials of Meditation Parvati Chaitanya Learn simple practices for promoting a calm and joy-filled mind. See page 83.
—ashram guest from Boston
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 80–109
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May 12 – 16
Meditation Retreat Swami Shambhudevananda Tuition: $275. Add 6 nights accommodation
MAY SIVANANDA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING COURSES TEACHER TRAINING COURSE
May 6 – June 2
Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course (TTC) Ready for a life transformation? Become a yoga teacher. See page 14.
To achieve lasting happiness and absolute peace, we must first know how to calm the mind, to focus, and eventually to transcend the mind. By turning the mind inward, we can deepen our concentration and attain a state of meditation. Come learn about the nature of the mind, how to develop concentration and inner stability, and to overcome obstacles in meditation. Be guided in basic meditation techniques, experience chanting and mantras, and get inspired to establish a daily meditation practice. Swami Shambhudevananda is Director of the Sivananda Yoga center in Tel Aviv. A motivating and practical teacher, he has been practicing yoga and meditation for more than 20 years and has been a member of the Sivananda organization since 1995.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSE
May 12 – 15
Gracious Living Detox Cleanse Grace Van Berkum Tuition: $405. Add 5 nights accommodation Experience an immersion retreat to cleanse your body and discover how specific foods can increase vitality and energy and prevent and heal disease. Enjoy alkalizing juices, smoothies, and gazpachos prepared in creative, delicious ways and filled with raw, vegan, nutrient-dense foods to ensure that you do not feel deprived. The cleanse is designed to improve metabolism and digestion, cleanse internal organs, reduce inflammation, increase energy, recalibrate the taste buds, reset the appetite, educate, inspire, and clear the mind. Grace Van Berkum is a registered holistic nutritionist, Sivananda Yoga teacher, certified personal trainer, and founder of Gracious Living Retreats. Known for her detoxifying and delicious plant-based recipes, Grace leads retreats worldwide and is the author of 30 Days, 30 Ways to Gracious Living.
There is a kindness and intelligence at the ashram, a strikingly powerful combination that pervades Sivananda Yoga Retreat Bahamas. —Nathan Katz, ashram presenter
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PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
May 12 – 16
Yoga Nidra Teacher Training: The Art of Conscious Deep Relaxation and Healing Marc Halpern (Siva) and Andrea Deerheart Tuition: $795. Add 6 nights accommodation Yoga Nidra is the art of conscious deep relaxation that allows you to begin to experience the flow of prana in your physical and subtle bodies. You can then identify and release blockages to the flow of prana and ultimately, bring healing to the body and mind and expand consciousness. During this course, students will experience Yoga Nidra and learn how to teach it to others. Topics will include the history, physiology, science, and practice of Yoga Nidra. Marc Halpern (Siva), DC, CAS, PKS, is founder and President of the California College of Ayurveda and the author of Healing Your Life: Lessons on the Path of Ayurveda. A Sivananda Yoga teacher, he is cofounder of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association and the California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine. Andrea Deerheart, PhD, RYT-500, is founder of The HeartWay, a non-profit foundation dedicated to embracing life and honoring death. Using her wisdom gathered from decades of guiding the living and dying, Andrea provides loving care on physical, spiritual, and psychological levels.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 80–109
EXPERIENTIAL COURSE
May 25 – 28
Paradise Beauty from the Inside Cleanse Margarita Carreras Tuition: $385. Add 5 nights accommodation We invite you to this professionally-guided and supported nutritional cleanse within the relaxing atmosphere of the Sivananda Yoga Retreat. The Paradise Beauty From the Inside Cleanse program allows you to experience a hands-on approach to nourishing your body on a deep cellular level. Learn to detoxify gently and with ease through clean eating. This cleanse consists of four full days of alkalizing your body through fresh juices, superfood smoothies, healing broths, and detox salads.
Recognize the non-dual principle, the immortal essence, within all creatures. Protect animals. Let all life be sacred. Then this world will be a paradise of beauty, a heaven of peace and tranquility. —Swami Sivananda
Margarita Carreras bio on page 90.
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BECOME A THETAHEALING® PRACTITIONER ThetaHealing Basic DNA and Advanced DNA provide you with everything you need to experience radical healing for yourself and begin to work with others. PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
June 8 – 10
ThetaHealing Basic DNA Level 1 Narayan Jyoti
JUNE SIVANANDA YOGA TEACHER TRAINING COURSES TEACHER TRAINING COURSE
June 5 – July 2
Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course (TTC) Ready for a life transformation? Become a yoga teacher. See page 14.
Tuition: $440. Add 4 nights accommodation
Tap into your healing potential, witness healing of yourself and others, and become a certified ThetaHealing practitioner. Through your focused thought and intention, you can realize oneness and divine unconditional love. Become a true master of your life by changing painful patterns into your real, authentic self. You can transform your life on the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual levels with these techniques. Engage in a profound healing and learning experience that offers an abundance of divine knowledge and wisdom. PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
June 12 – 14
ThetaHealing Advanced DNA Level 2 Narayan Jyoti Tuition: $440. Add 4 nights accommodation
TEACHER TRAINING COURSE
July 5 – August 1
Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course (TTC) Ready for a life transformation? Become a yoga teacher. See page 1.
In our many years of presenting in the ashram we are gratified and renewed as we experience the beauty of the yoga practice, the welcoming staff and volunteers, the relaxed flow of daily life in this place, and the sense of deep spiritual consciousness in all aspects of the environment. —Joyce Hawkes and Helen Folsom, ashram presenters
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Deepen your ThetaHealing practice and profoundly expand your understanding and realization of the energy of creation. Elevate your consciousness, release heavy emotions and pain, and receive great knowledge from the seventh plane, inviting a profound change to your being. Change your life and bring great healing to yourself, your loved ones, and your clients. Experience pure healing and discover additional transformational tools. You will be certified as an Advanced ThetaHealing practitioner. PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
June 16 – 18
The Body Sings Narayan Jyoti Tuition $440. Add 4 nights accommodation
The Heart Song technique is one of the more advanced and powerful exercises that ThetaHealing offers. It allows expression of the deep sorrow and grief that prevent us from healing. The sound waves of the Heart Song have a positive influence on the body’s organs and cells and allow for efficient healing. Explore the world of inner tones and vibrations and let the body and voice be your instrument to heal yourself and others on all levels. Narayan Jyoti was brought up in the Sivananda Yoga tradition at the ashram in the Bahamas. A musician with a unique voice, he has focused his practice on sacred music of the heart since childhood. Narayan Jyoti is also a senior student of Vianna Stibal, creator of ThetaHealing, and has spent the past decade studying, practicing, and teaching ThetaHealing around the world.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAMS pages 22–77
JUNE SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS Take home skills you can use. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
June 1 – 3
Essentials of Meditation Weekend Narayani Chaitanya Learn simple practices for promoting a calm and joy-filled mind. See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
June 11 – 15
Essentials of Yoga I Narayani Experience an inspiring jump start to yoga practice and ashram life. See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
June 15 – 17
Essentials of Meditation Weekend Parvati Chaitanya Learn simple practices for promoting a calm and joy-filled mind. See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
June 18 – 22
Essentials of Yoga II Pranava Dive further into yoga postures, meditation, and a healthy lifestyle. See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
June 22 – 24
Essentials of Positive Thinking Weekend Krishna Chaitanya Take charge of your destiny with practical tools for focus and fulfillment. See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
June 25 – 29
Essentials of Positive Thinking Narayani Chaitanya Take charge of your destiny with practical tools for focus and fulfillment. See page 83. SIVANANDA ESSENTIALS
June 29 – July 1
Essentials of Meditation Weekend Iswara Chaitanya Learn simple practices for promoting a calm and joy-filled mind. See page 83.
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES pages 80–109
PROFESSIONAL ACCREDITATION AND CONTINUING EDUCATION Yoga Alliance Accreditation The Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat is a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga School. The Yoga Teacher Training Course and Advanced Yoga Teacher Training Course fulfill the requirements for the Yoga Alliance 200-hour and 500-hour certification, respectively. Other certification courses fulfill the Yoga Alliance requirements for Continuing Education Units and may be used as credit towards RYT-500 accreditation (visit our website for more information).
Open International University for Alternative Medicine The Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat is affiliated with the Open International University via the International Institute for Integral Human Sciences in Montreal, Canada. By graduating from the Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course or any other certification course at the Yoga Retreat, you can earn credits towards bachelor’s (BTC) and master’s (MTC) degrees in Therapeutic Counseling and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Therapeutic Counseling.
Continuing Education Units (CEU) Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are offered for some of our programs through the presenters. Please see the program descriptions online for more information. The Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course and the Advanced Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course offer CEUs for social workers and nurses.
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PLANNING your visit to the ashram HOW TO GET HERE
Here are the basics for planning your stay at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Bahamas. We look forward to welcoming you!
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
Experiential Courses and Trainings Please arrive at least one day before the first day of the course and depart at least one day after the course ends. Courses generally begin in the morning of the first day and end in the evening of the last day. You are welcome to arrive earlier or extend your stay to enjoy the Yoga Vacation Program. Yoga Vacation Program You choose your arrival and departure dates and can attend all or part of any of the Yoga Vacation Programs listed in this catalog. Room check-in time 3:00 pm; room check-out time 11:00 am
Fly to Nassau International Airport Most citizens from the US, Canada, and European countries do not need a visa to visit the Bahamas (you can verify whether you require a visa to enter the Bahamas at Bahamas.com or by contacting the closest Bahamian Consulate). You do need a passport to enter the Bahamas. We’re closer than you think — • 3.5 hours: Toronto and Chicago • 3 hours: New York City • 1 hour: Miami At the airport Call us from a courtesy phone or airport pay phone (they take US coins) at 363-2902 or use WhatsApp (+1-242559-3642) — let us know you are on your way and we will send our boat to meet you at our dock in Nassau. Then take a taxi to our dock at Elizabeth on Bay Marketplace and Marina in downtown Nassau (about 20-30 minutes). The ashram boat will bring you across the bay, about a five-minute ride from the dock. Please note that we can receive calls at any time.
Late checkouts: Subject to room availability: After 11:00 am, pay a $25 supplement; after 3:00 pm, full night payment (a 7.5% Bahamian VAT tax will be added).
DAY VISITORS We welcome people interested in spending a whole day at the ashram or simply taking a yoga class with us or sharing a meal. The Yoga Vacation Program day rate is $45 (a 7.5% Bahamian VAT tax will be added). Please call or visit our
website for more information — and drop-in pricing for individual yoga classes and meals.
WHAT TO BRING
Recommended items: casual comfortable clothes appropriate for a spiritual ashram, modest clothes (covered legs and shoulders) for meditation and satsangs, yoga mat (you may also buy one at the boutique or rent one at reception), meditation shawl (cushions are available for use and for purchase), toiletries, slip-on sandals, clothing for warm days and cool mornings and evenings, rainwear, flashlight, insect repellent, alarm clock, beach towel, bathing suit, refillable water bottle, and snorkeling equipment. For tent space only, please bring tent, towels, and bedding.
HELPFUL REMINDERS In order to maintain a proper ashram atmosphere, attendance at two daily satsangs and yoga classes is expected. As the ashram is a spiritual community and study center, we ask that clothing be respectable and modest. Non-vegetarian food, drugs, alcohol, and tobacco are not permitted on the premises. We also recommend silence from 10:00 pm to 8:00 am daily to ensure a pleasant night’s sleep and peaceful morning satsang for everyone. Sheets and blankets are provided for use in the rooms and tent huts only. Please note that there are no safety deposit boxes available.
CHILDREN Families with children are always welcome at the ashram as part of the Yoga Vacation Program. We also offer special family, children, and teen programs. Children’s rates Baby cots are available for $15 a night (a 7.5% Bahamian VAT tax will be added). For children
staying in their parents’ room only (age at the time of arrival): Under age 5: Free Age 5 – 11: 50% discount on accommodation rates (page 132). Yoga Vacation Program fees do not apply (unless otherwise indicated). From age 12: Standard accommodation rates (page 132) and Yoga Vacation Program rates (page 13) apply.
FIND MORE ONLINE:
sivanandabahamas.org GUEST INFORMATION • FAQS • PRE-ARRIVAL INFORMATION
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REGISTRATION & RATES CHOOSE YOUR PROGRAM
CHOOSE YOUR ACCOMMODATION OPTION
All guests must be registered for a program.
Room Types We offer a range of housing choices; see photos and details in the Guest Information section on our website, www.sivanandabahamas.com. Accommodation Rates Rates are per person, per night and are listed in US dollars. They include accommodations, meals, yoga classes, satsangs, and amenities.
YOGA VACATION PROGRAM Add the following amount to accommodation rate: • November 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018: $32 per person per night* • July 1 – October 31, 2017: $20 per person per night*
WINTER SEASON November 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018 Room Type
1–6
7–13
14–20 21 or more
Tent Space
# of Nights:
69
64
61
58
Tent Hut Single or Double (private)
82
77
73
70
Dormitory (3–4 beds)
80
75
71
69
Garden Room (shared*)
112
106
101
97
* A 7.5% Bahamian VAT tax will be added.
Beach Hut (shared*)
127
119
112
108
Garden Room Single (private**)
133
125
119
113
EXPERIENTIAL COURSES (Including Sivananda Essentials and Professional Trainings) Add tuition fee (listed with course description) to accommodation rate. You may come early or stay after by registering for a day or more of the Yoga Vacation Program.
Garden Room with Bath (shared*)
138 129 122
TTC, ATTC, AND RESIDENTIAL STUDY PROGRAM These programs’ rates include tuition and accommodation. Please see pages 14 to 17 for Teacher Training Courses and page 18 for Residential Study/Karma Yoga rates.
117
Oceanview Deluxe Room (King Bed or 2 Twin Beds & Private Bathroom)*** 147 137 130
125
Beachfront Deluxe Suite (2 Double Beds & Private Bathroom)*** 159 148 141
136
SUMMER SEASON July 1, 2018 – October 31, 2018 Room Type
1–6
7–13
14–20 2 1 or more
Garden Room (shared*)
# of Nights:
99
93
88
84
Beach Hut (shared*)
109
102
97
93
Garden Room Single (private**)
116
108
103
99
Garden Room with Bath (shared*)
121
113
107
103
Oceanview Deluxe Room*** (King Bed or 2 Twin Beds & Private Bathroom) 129 121 114
109
Beachfront Deluxe Suite*** (2 Double Beds & Private Bathroom) 136 128 121
116
* Garden shared rooms have two beds. If you register for this shared room by yourself, a roommate of the same gender will be assigned to your room. ** We also offer private rooms with double beds for singles or couples. Please call to find out about prices. *** There is a two-adult minimum for Oceanview Deluxe rooms and Beachfront Deluxe Suites. For individual occupancy, double the rate (less 15% in the summer season). All prices include local energy surcharge. Bahamian VAT tax of 7.5% NOT included. Accommodation rates do not include course tuition or Yoga Vacation Program fee. All prices are subject to change. Minimum 2-night stay. Minimum 4-night stay December 22, 2017 – January 2, 2018. Minimum 3-night stay February 23 – 25, 2018.
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REGISTER TODAY ONLINE at sivanandabahamas. org CALL us: 1-866-559-5167 (US and Canada only) 1-416-479-0199 (all countries) Our reservationists are available to answer your questions.
RESERVATION POLICY
Deposit To guarantee your reservation, the following deposits are required: $100 for Yoga Vacation and Residential Study Programs; $300 for TTC and ATTC; $150 for all other courses (per course). Deposit amounts are per person. Full payment of the balance is due upon arrival. Payment Methods We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, cash (US dollars) and US certified bank drafts to the name Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat. We do not accept traveler’s checks or personal checks. All deposits and payments in US dollars only.
SPECIAL RATES AND DISCOUNTS
Summer Special Double rooms are offered for single use at 85% of the double full-occupancy rate in the summer season. Group Accommodation 10% discount for groups of 10 or more; 15% discount for groups of 20 or more * Applies only to accommodation rates and only if all members of the group register and pay together as a group for the same time period. TTC Graduates 10% discount on accommodations and tuition/Yoga Vacation rates. Senior Citizens 10% discount on course tuition for people 65-years-old and older. Multiple Course Tuition Discounts Applies only when you register for two or more courses simultaneously and pay in full upon arrival for the courses: 1 course: full tuition; 2 courses: 5% off tuition for both; 3 courses: 10% off tuition for all 3 * Only one type of discount may be taken, including special promotions.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Refunds* are available: Up to 30 days prior to the scheduled arrival date, subject to deduction of processing fee**. If 30 days or fewer prior to the scheduled arrival date, subject to deduction of the deposit. Credit Notes*** Apply to cancellation following arrival date. Credit notes will not be issued for the deposit. Any amount in excess of the deposit may be credited as follows: • Yoga Vacation Reservation: A credit note will be issued in an amount equal to the amount paid for the cancelled portion of your original reservation. • Teacher Training Course/Advanced Teacher Training Course: A credit note will be issued in an amount equal to the amount paid for the cancelled portion of the course. • Other Courses: A credit note will be issued in an amount equal to the unused accommodation fees ONLY. No credit or refunds will be given for the tuition amount. * Refunds will be given solely by way of crediting the credit card used for the applicable payment. ** Processing fee in the amount of US $50 per person will be due in conjunction with any cancellation, in addition to any amount due. *** Credit notes are valid for two years from the date of issue. Credit notes can be used for booking a Yoga Vacation, a course, or a daily program in the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat, Nassau, Bahamas only (specifically excluding Boutique purchases and Well Being Center services). Credit notes are personal and nontransferable. No refund or credit notes will be available if you attend a program and are dissatisfied with its presentation or content, or due to dissatisfaction with the Yoga Retreat’s schedule or accommodations.
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Well Being Center Integrative therapies with healing professionals. Slow down and experience your inner divinity through personalized healing treatments and consultations with our skilled practitioners. An integral component of holistic living, our services are designed to bring your body and mind into balance and nurture natural health.
Take a look online. Open December – June. Call ahead to book a session before you arrive to guarantee availability.
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PRESENTER INDEX A
Susan Alden 98 Eben Alexander 45 Jorge Alfano, 43 Swami Aparokshananda Saraswati 56 Arjuna 26, 36, 41, 44, 48, 91 Aiyana Athenian 70 Davod Azad 38
B
Debashish Banerjee 69 Beata Barnard (Savitri-Devi) 89, 100 John Beaulieu 43, 90, 92 Itzhak Beery 32 Nora Benian (Sundari) 30, 87, 102 Brett Bevell 27 Erin Bidlake 75 Mira Binzen 47, 94 Jenny Bird 24 Molly Birkholm (Madhavi) 101 Sylvie Boisclair (Saraswati) 24, 84 Latif Bolat 26 Joan Borysenko 31 Swami Brahmananda 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 32, 36, 47, 49, 59, 69, 72, 75, 98 Edwin Bryant 45 Mirabai Bush 46
C
Todd Caldecott 39 Douglas Canterbury-Counts 26, 56 Jaya Canterbury-Counts 26 Margarita Carreras 90, 97, 107 Loren Carpenter 49 Mirabai Ceiba 38 Denise Chapman (Vidya) 100 Swapan Chaudhuri 51 Kam Thye Chow 85, 95 Lissa Coffey 39
D
Shambhavi Dandekar 72 Krishna Darshan 67, 70, 72 Krishna Das 46 Lama Surya Das 32 Karnamrita Dasi 28 Manu Dawson 85, 88, 104 Jeff Deen 43 Andrea Deerheart 107 Arnaud Delorme 49 Stacie Dooreck (Saraswati) 93 Anne Douglas 97 Paul Dugliss 30 Durga Leela 65, 102, 103 Mallika Dutt (Parvati) 54
E
Paul Epstein 86
F
Rabbi Ted Falcon 32 Carol Fitzpatrick 76 Helen Folsom 98 Matthew Fox 39
G
Leonard George 61 Mavis Gewant 28 Catherine Gillies (Kumari) 57 Daniele Giovannucci 24 Girish 54 Roshi Bernie Glassman 59 Rabbi Yoel Glick 48 Joscelyn Godwin 61 Dr. Gopala 36 Amit Goswami 53 Tzivia Gover 53 Linda Graham 25 Aira Guevara (Rukmini) 52
H
Marc Halpern (Siva) 39, 107 Paul Hanna 29, 36, 73 Tanya Hanna 29, 36, 73 Lee Harrington (Mirabai) 76 Joyce Hawkes 98 Meenakshi Angel Honig 84 Swami Hridyananda 27, 31, 54, 68, 88, 94, 102
I
Iswara Chaitanya 50, 87, 91, 94, 105, 109
J
Priscilla Jabouin (Satya) 68 Shweta Jhaveri 51 Jnaneshwari Chaitanya 48, 92 Mary Ann Johnson (Isvari) 100 Aaron Jones 60 Tara Rachel Jones (Omkari) 60
K
Menas Kafatos 44, 69 Gopi Kallayil 46 Kamala 36 Rodger Kamenetz 25 Kanti Devi 36 Swami Kashi Muktananda 63 Nathan Katz 25 Ajeet Kaur 30 Sat Dharam Kaur 65 Snatam Kaur 32, 33 Sally Kempton 72 Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa 34 Scott Kiloby 65 Margaret Koblasova (Yogapriya) 104 Gregg Krech 27 Rose Kress 99 Krishna Chaitanya 41, 53, 94, 105, 109 Manas Kshirsagar 71 Manisha Kshirsagar 71 Suhas Kshirsagar 71 Clarissa Kussin 93 Ramkumar Kutty 65
L
Dennis Lang 24 Kathy Lang 24 Marisa Laursen (Sri Devi) 54, 92, 104 Andreas Ledermann 92 Julie Lusk 56 Frederic Luskin 75
M
Nisha Manek 45 Sohini Ray Manipur 51 Roshi Eve Myonen Marko 59 Brigitte Mars 96 David Moises Perez Martinez 43 Sara McCullough (Jnaneshwari) 33 Grandmother Isabelle Meawasige 32 Swami Medhananda Puri 63, 66, 72, 75 Father William Meninger 64 Dan Millman 30. 52 John Milton 56 Nitin Mitta 51 Mohini 74 Raginder Singh Momi 51 Raymond Moody 50 Richard Moss 59
N
Rubin Naiman 41 Silvia Nakkach 43, 90 Krishnan Namboodiri 33, 36, 44, 72 Vasudha Narayan 29 Narayan Jyoti 38, 89, 108 Narayani 109 Narayani Chaitanya 42, 85, 87, 89, 94, 101, 109 Karen Newell 45 David Newman (Durga Das) 70
O
Annie Okerlin 98 Liz Owen 54
P
Steven Michael Pague 62 Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo 72 Ramesh Parmar 36, 96 Suba Ramesh Parmar 36 Parvati Chaitanya 85, 91, 94, 101, 105, 109 Vidisha Patel 54 Daniel Paul 57 Russill Paul 53 A. Pavan 97 Pooja Goswami Pavan 97 Neil Pearson 54, 99 John Perkins 59 Krishna Peter Perry 70 Tao Porchon-Lynch 35 Samani Rohini Pragya 96 Samani Satya Pragya 96 Pranava 31, 42, 62, 85, 91, 101, 109
R
Radhanath Swami 67 Imam Jamal Rahman 32 Brigitta Raimann 92 Rama 38, 89 Nina Rao 46 Luna Ray 74 Brother Paul Richards 32 Sister Greta Ronningen 27 Priti Robyn Ross 93 Marilyn Rossner 54
Marjorie Roth 61 Santiago Suarez Rubio 39 Rukmini Chaitanya 89, 90, 91, 94, 101, 102, 105 Peter Russell 72
S
G.S. Sachdev 36, 51, 97 Melanie Sachs 60 Robert Sachs 60 Gina SalĂĄ 57 Sanatani (Sandrine Remy) 25, 26, 33, 39, 64 Silvia San Miguel (Surya) 34, 89 Swami Sarvapriyananda 41 Shaykh Abdul Haqq Sazonoff 72 Marilyn Schlitz 59 Anna Scorik (Ambika) 29, 86 Brant Secunda 43 Andrea Mantell Seidel 31, 64 Eva Selhub 40 Swami Shambhudevananda 106 Swami Shantananda 72 Tia Sharee 38 Swami Sharvananda Giri 60 Shyam 74 Olga Sokolova (Mandodari) 68 Srinivasan 34, 36 Vianna Stibal 44 Chris Streeter 54 Swami Swaroopananda 11, 27, 32, 33. 36, 40, 47, 54, 55, 62, 70, 72, 76
T
Neil Theise 69 Mary Thompson 66 Maya Tiwari 39 Mark Torgeson 76 Theodore Tsavoussis 57
U
Jai Uttal 64
V
David Vago 27 Amir Vahab 72 Ram Vakkalanka 76 Elaine Valdov 103 Grace Van Berkum 106 Bessel van der Kolk 52 Gaura Vani 32, 33, 67 Cassandra Vieten 49 Manish Vyas 40
W
HelenĂŠ Wahbeh 49 Master Ou Wen Wei 50, 96 Amy Weintraub 99 Ralph White 25, 61 Bishop Trevor Williamson 54, 55 Jan Willis 25
Z
Zuleikha 29
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PROGRAM GUIDE Asana Practice Adapting Sivananda Yoga to Your Body Krishna Chaitanya................................41, 53 Fine Tune Your Asana Practice Sylvie Boisclair (Saraswati)....................84 The Teachings of Hatha Yoga Krishna Darshan..........................................67 Yoga for the Three Bodies: From Asana to Stillness Arjuna..............................................................91
Ayurveda Ayurveda for Conscious Human Development Paul Dugliss................................................. 30 Ayurveda Marma Therapy Course Mary Ann Johnson (Isvari), Denise Chapman (Vidya)......................100 Ayurvedic Healing: Doshas, Digestion, and Daily Routine Durga Leela and Swami Hridyananda................................. 102
Classical Indian Music and Dance Festival G.S. Sachdev, Swapan Chaudhuri, Shweta Jhaveri, Sohini Ray Manipur, Raginder Singh Momi, Nitin Mitta.........51
Healthy Eating, Nutrition & Cleanses
Creating Sacred Space with Vaastu Shastra Olga Mandodari Sokolova.......................68
Fall Cleanse, Detox, and Juice Fast Manu Dawson..............................................85
Painting Planet Mandalas Mavis Gewant...............................................28
5-Day Ayurvedic Cleanse: Purify Your Body, Nourish Your Soul Marisa Laursen (Sri Devi)........................92
Sacred Dance and Yoga Andrea Mantell Seidel........................ 31, 64
Gracious Living Detox Cleanse Grace Van Berkum...................................106
2nd Annual Classical Indian Music School G.S. Sachdev, Pooja Goswami Pavan, A. Pavan.........................................................97
Healing with Herbs, Food, and Essential Oils Brigitte Mars.................................................96
Spiritual Film Festival Shyam and Mohini...................................... 74
New Year’s Cleanse, Detox, and Juice Fast Manu Dawson..............................................88
Yantra Painting: Transformation Through Sacred Form Mavis Gewant...............................................28
Paradise Beauty from the Inside Cleanse Margarita Carreras.....................90, 97, 107
Families & Children
Rejuvenation Cleanse and Detox: Reawaken Your Vibrant Self Clarissa Kussin.............................................93
Ayurvedic Yoga Retreat Krishna Peter Perry and Aiyana Athenian..........................................70
Annual Spring Family Holiday Program: For Children Ages 4 – 12 Tara Rachel Jones (Omkari) and Aaron Jones................................................ 60
Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy Certification Marisa Laursen (Sri Devi) and Margaret Koblasova (Yogapriya)........104
Christmas Family Yoga Holiday Program: For Children Ages 4 – 12 Sandrine Remy (Sanatani)......................33
Enhanced Recovery through Yoga and Ayurveda: A Symposium on Life Beyond Addiction Durga Leela, Ramkumar Kutty, Sat Dharam Kaur, Scott Kiloby..............65
Teen Yoga Holiday Program Sara McCullough (Jnaneshwari)...........33
5-Day Ayurvedic Cleanse: Purify Your Body, Nourish Your Soul Marisa Laursen (Sri Devi)........................92 Inner, Outer, and Secret Beauty through Aryuveda Melanie Sachs............................................. 60 A Mindful Approach to Emotional Health Mary Thompson..........................................66 An Ounce of Prevention: 5th Annual Sivananda Ayurveda Symposium Marc Halpern (Siva), Maya Tiwari, Lissa Coffey, Todd Caldecott, Santiago Suárez Rubio.............................39 Spirituality Health, and Beauty Through Ayurveda Suhas Kshirsagar, Manisha Kshirsagar, Manas Kshirsagar........................................71 The Twin Paths of Yoga and Ayurveda for Healthy Living Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa........................34
Creativity & Sacred Arts Awakening Healing from the Inside Out: Movement and Body Awareness Zuleikha..........................................................29 Chakra Immersion: Understanding Sacred Centers Mavis Gewant...............................................28
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Detox Basics: Cleanse at Home Sanatani (Sandrine Remy)....... 25, 39, 64
Thanksgiving Family Yoga Holiday Program: For Children Ages 4 – 12 Sandrine Remy (Sanatani)......................26
Healing Arts Trainings Assisted Yoga Using Thai Massage Kam Thye Chow..........................................95 The Body Sings Narayan Jyoti and Rama................89, 108 Energy Medicine Certification: Working with Polarity, the Elements, and the Stars John Beaulieu, Andreas Ledermann, Brigitta Raimann.........................................92 Introduction to ThetaHealing® Anna Scorik (Ambika)..............................29 Thai Yoga Massage Level 1 Kam Thye Chow.................................. 85, 95 Thai Yoga Massage Level 2 Kam Thye Chow..........................................95 ThetaHealing Advanced DNA Level 2 Anna Scorik (Ambika)..............................86 ThetaHealing Advanced DNA Level 2 Narayan Jyoti.............................................108 ThetaHealing Basic DNA Level 1 Anna Scorik (Ambika)..............................86 ThetaHealing Basic DNA Level 1 Narayan Jyoti.............................................108
Spring Cleanse, Detox, and Juice Fast Manu Dawson............................................104 The Yogic Diet Pranava...........................................................42
Holidays & Traditional Ceremonies Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s Symposium: Unity in Diversity — Honoring Swami Vishnudevananda Swami Swaroopananda, Lama Surya Das, Brother Paul Richards, Rabbi Ted Falcon, Snatam Kaur, Grandmother Isabelle Meawasige, Itzhak Beery, Gaura Vani, Imam Jamal Rahman, Swami Brahmananda................................32 Easter Sunrise Service Swami Swaroopananda, Bishop Trevor Williamson........................55 Maha Sivaratri Krishnan Namboodiri and Senior Staff.................................................. 44 Passover Seder Celebration Swami Swaroopananda...........................55 Swami Vishnudevananda’s Mahasamadhi...............................................24 Thanksgiving Celebration: Discover the Joy in Gratitude Swami Brahmananda and Arjuna.........26 Thanksgiving Symposium: Gratitude Practices Gregg Krech, David Vago, Sister Greta Ronningen, Swami Brahmananda................................ 27
Integrated Health & Healing Bouncing Back: Rewiring Your Brain for Resilience and Well-Being Linda Graham..............................................25 Cell-Level Healing: Taking Health to New Depths Joyce Hawkes and Helen Folsom.........98 Healing the Light Body: Exploring Shamanic Medicine Theodore Tsavoussis................................. 57 Healing Through Mystical Qigong Master Ou Wen Wei.......................... 50, 96 Heart Activation and Sound Healing Experience Carol Fitzpatrick and Mark Torgeson.............................................76 The Love Response: Stress and Neuroscience Eva Selhub................................................... 40 Mindful Healing: Curing the Body-Mind by Listening to the Self Paul Epstein..................................................86 Refilling your Well: The Art of Sacred Self-Care Priti Robyn Ross.........................................93 Waterfall Qigong: A Moving Meditation Practice Steven Michael Pague...............................62 Yoga and Energy Healing Retreat Brett Bevell................................................... 27 Yoga & Sacred Healing: Easter & Passover Symposium Swami Swaroopananda, Neil Pearson, Marisa Laursen (Sri Devi), Mallika Dutt (Parvati), Chris Streeter, Liz Owen, Vidisha Patel, Marilyn Rossner, Girish, Swami Hridyananda, Bishop Trevor Williamson........................54
Interfaith & Interspiritual Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s Symposium: Unity in Diversity — Honoring Swami Vishnudevananda Swami Swaroopananda, Lama Surya Das, Brother Paul Richards, Rabbi Ted Falcon, Snatam Kaur, Grandmother Isabelle Meawasige, Itzhak Beery, Gaura Vani, Imam Jamal Rahman, Swami Brahmananda................................32 Creation Spirituality Matthew Fox................................................39 11th Annual Yoga for Peace Symposium: Changing the World from the Inside Out ..................................................................58 Living the Great Ideas of the Kabbalah: Journey of Self Transformation Rabbi Yoel Glick..........................................48 Singing from the Heart: Songs of Interspiritual Mysticism Jenny Bird.....................................................24
Swami Swaroopananda’s Birthday Celebration: Connecting Across Faiths and Disciplines Swami Swaroopananda, Swami Medhananda Puri, Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, Swami Shantananda, Shaykh Abdul Haqq Sazonoff, Sally Kempton, Amir Vahab, Shambhavi Dandekar, Krishna Darshan, Swami Brahmananda, Krishnan Namboodiri.. 72 The Western Esoteric Tradition in the 21st Century Ralph White, Joscelyn Godwin, Leonard George, Marjorie Roth.............61
Spiritual Connection: Bahamian Music Concert with Paul and Tanya Hanna.............29, 73 Yoga of Chant Retreat Krishna Das.................................................. 46 The Yoga of Sound and Other Spiritual Joys Russill Paul....................................................53 The Yoga of Sound and Voice John Beaulieu and Silvia Nakkach...... 90
Meditation
Women Christian Mystics Father William Meninger........................ 64
Annual Meditation Retreat Swami Hridyananda.................................. 94
Yoga and Sacred Healing: Easter and Passover Symposium.........54
Asana, Mantra, and Meditation Arjuna.............................................................48 Essentials of Meditation..........................83
Kirtan, Chanting & Sound Awakening Bhakti: A Celebration of Divine and Human Love Jai Uttal......................................................... 64
Meditation, Deep Relaxation, and Asana Iswara Chaitanya........................................ 50 Meditation, Deep Relaxation, and Asana Narayani Chaitanya....................................42
Chanting the Hanuman Chalisa Nina Rao....................................................... 46
Meditation Retreat Swami Shambhudevananda.................106
A Healing Journey Ajeet Kaur.................................................... 30
Mind, Its Mysteries, and Control Swami Brahmananda................................ 75
Healing Sounds of Ancient Turkey: Mystic Sufi Music, Poetry, and Stories Latif Bolat......................................................26
Preksha Meditation to Harness Energy for Holistic Well-Being Samani Satya Pragya, Samani Rohini Pragya, and Ramesh Parmar..................96
Heart of the Universe: Chanting with Snatam Kaur...................33 Igniting the Inner Energies of Chakras: Meditations, Mudras, and Mantras Ram Vakkalanka.........................................76 Interfaith Devotional Singing Festival: On the Wings of Ecstasy Mirabai Ceiba, Davod Azad, Tia Sharee, Narayan Jyoti, Rama.................................38 Kirtan and the Bhakti Mandala: Healing Through Chant David Newman (Durga Das)..................70 Mantras, Ragas & Voice: Harmonizing Our Lives with Sound Karnamrita Dasi..........................................28
Practical Yoga Philosophy Advanced Raja Yoga Swami Brahmananda................................98 Foundations of the Advaita Vedanta Philosophy Swami Kashi Muktananda.......................63 Foundations of Raja Yoga Srinivasan......................................................34 How Karma Yoga Helps Swami Medhananda Puri......................... 75 Maha Sivaratri: Meaning and History with special guest Menas Kafatos....... 44
Ocean of Devotion: Kirtan Retreat Gina Salá and Daniel Paul....................... 57
The Path of Bhakti Vasudha Narayanan...................................29
Reawakening the Compassionate Heart: A Kirtan Retreat Lee Harrington (Mirabai).........................76
The Relevance of Karma Yoga in Modern Life Swami Aparokshananda Saraswati......56
The Science and Spirituality of Sound Healing John Beaulieu, Silvia Nakkach, Jorge Alfano, David Moises Perez Martinez, Jeff Deen...................................43
The Secrets of True Happiness: Teachings on Chapter 3 of the Bhagavad Gita Rukmini Chaitanya................................... 102
Shivoham: A Journey of Bliss Retreat Manish Vyas................................................. 40 Singing From the Heart: Songs of Interspiritual Mysticism Jenny Bird.....................................................24 The Soul of Voice: Chanting to Empower and Inspire Luna Ray........................................................ 74
Teachings of the Bhagavad Gita Swami Brahmananda................................47 What Does Swami Sivananda Teach? Swami Medhananda Puri.........................66 What Is Karma Yoga? Swami Hridyananda...................................68 The Yoga of Divine Love: Teachings on the Narada Bhakti Sutra Rukmini Chaitanya.................................... 90
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Self-Discovery Define You, Define Your Purpose Priscilla Jabouin (Satya)..........................68
Sacred Activism & the Environment
The School of Life Dan Millman..................................................52
Changing the World from the Inside Out: 11th Annual Yoga for Peace Symposium Roshi Bernie Glassman, Roshi Eve Myonen Marko, John Perkins, Richard Moss, Marilyn Schlitz, Swami Brahmananda................................58
Universal Patterns: Discover the Enneagram Father William Meninger........................ 64
Food as a Spiritual Path Daniele Giovannucci, Dennis Lang, and Kathy Lang....................................................24
Warrior Spirit: Keys to Life Purpose and Spiritual Growth Dan Millman................................................. 30
The Healing Way of Huichol Shamanism: Connect with Your True Nature Brant Secunda.............................................43
One Mind, One Heart: Neuroscience and the Yoga of Compassion Joan Borysenko...........................................31
The Yoga of Dreams Tzivia Gover..................................................53
Sivananda Yoga Teacher Trainings Advanced Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course...........................16 Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course............................................14
Science & Spirituality Life After Life: The Possibilities of Immortality Raymond Moody....................................... 50 Living in a Mindful Universe: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Heart of Consciousness Eben Alexander and Karen Newell......45 Living the Living Presence and Qualia Menas Kafatos............................................ 44 Psychoenergetic Science and Information Medicine Nisha Manek.................................................45 Qualia: The Foundation of the Science of Consciousness Menas Kafatos, Neil Theise, Debashish Banerjee, Swami Brahmananda................................69 Quantum Activism: Science and Consciousness Amit Goswami.............................................53 The Science of What Connects Us: A Symposium on Human Consciousness Cassandra Vieten, Arnaud Delorme, Loren Carpenter, HelenÊ Wahbeh, Swami Brahmananda................................49 The Science and Spirituality of Sound Healing John Beaulieu, Silvia Nakkach, Jorge Alfano, David Moises Perez Martinez, Jeff Deen...................................43
The Way of Nature: Reconnection and Renewal John Milton and Douglas Canterbury-Counts....................................56 Yoga Peace Ambassadors Certification Course Elaine Valdov.............................................. 103
Specialized Yoga Teacher Trainings Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy Certification Marisa Laursen (Sri Devi) and Margaret Koblasova (Yogapriya)........104 Chair Yoga Teacher Training: Making Yoga Accessible for Everyone Stacie Dooreck (Saraswati)....................93 Restorative Yoga Teacher Training Nora Benian (Sundari)............................ 102
Living Through Change: Yoga for the Grieving Process Catherine Gillies (Kumari)....................... 57 The Power of Service: The Path to Self and Other Douglas Canterbury-Counts and Jaya Canterbury-Counts..........................26 Practical Spirituality: The Life and Teachings of Swami Vishnudevananda Arjuna..............................................................41 Questions and Answers on Yoga and Spiritual Life Swami Swaroopananda.27, 33, 40, 47, 62, 70, 76 20 Important Spiritual Instructions Sylvie Boisclair (Saraswati)....................24 Vedic Astrology Krishna Darshan..........................................70 Yoga and the Art of Forgiveness Frederic Luskin............................................ 75
Yoga for Everyday Life Asana, Mantra, and Meditation Arjuna.............................................................48 Beginners Yoga Immersion Week Arjuna............................................................ 44 Dancing Light: Celebrating 100 Years! Tao Porchon-Lynch....................................35 Essentials of Positive Thinking..............83
Teach Yoga to Families Mira Binzen.................................................. 94
Essentials of Sivananda Yoga I: Establish Your Foundation.....................83
Teaching Yoga in the Workplace Nora Benian (Sundari)............................ 102
Essentials of Sivananda Yoga II: Deepen Your Practice...............................83
Warriors at Ease: Teaching Yoga in Military Settings Annie Okerlin and Susan Alden............98
Essentials of Sivananda Yoga III: Advance Your Studies..............................83
Yoga for Osteoporosis Teacher Training Beata Barnard (Savitri-Devi)..................89 Yoga for Stable and Calm Children Mira Binzen.................................................. 94 Yoga Nidra Teacher Training: The Art of Conscious Deep Relaxation and Healing Marc Halpern (Siva) and Andrea Deerheart............................ 107
Mastery of Mind: The Only Gateway to Freedom Silvia San Miguel (Surya).........................34 Meditation, Deep Relaxation, and Asana Iswara Chaitanya........................................ 50 Meditation, Deep Relaxation, and Asana Narayani Chaitanya....................................42
Spiritual Practice & Living
Passive Yoga Retreat: Deepening Into Stillness Nora Benian (Sundari)..............................87
As You Think So You Become Swami Hridyananda...................................88
Relax, Reflect, Revitalize Julie Lusk.......................................................56
Bhakti Yoga Retreat Radhanath Swami and Gaura Vani......67
Searching Inside: Bringing Mindful Awareness to Life and Work Mirabai Bush and Gopi Kallayil............. 46
Cultivating Willpower Jnaneshwari Chaitanya............................48 Deepening Our Understanding of Death and Dying Robert Sachs............................................... 60 Japa Yoga: The Power of the Divine Name Swami Hridyananda................................... 27
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The Life and Teachings of Swami Vishnudevananda: Bringing Peace to the World Swami Brahmananda................................24
Yoga for Health & Well-Being Aromatherapy to Relieve Stress, Anxiety, Depression, and Insomnia Aira Guevara (Rukmini)............................52 Enhanced Recovery through Yoga and Ayurveda: A Symposium on Life Beyond Addiction Durga Leela, Ramkumar Kutty, Sat Dharam Kaur, Scott Kiloby..............65
From Anxious to Awesome Mira Binzen...................................................47 iRest Yoga Nidra Level 1 Teacher Training Molly Birkholm (Madhavi)...................... 101 iRest Yoga Nidra Retreat: Health, Healing & Wholeness Anne Douglas..............................................97 A Mindful Approach to Emotional Health Mary Thompson..........................................66 Oh My Aching Back Retreat Catherine Gillies (Kumari)....................... 57 Seven Techniques for Mastering Stress Meenakshi Angel Honig...........................84 Stress Management Through Yogic Practices Pranava...........................................................62 Therapeutic Yoga Nora Benian (Sundari)............................. 30 Therapeutic Yoga for Pain Management Neil Pearson.................................................99
Special Events These symposia, conferences, and festivals bring together renowned spiritual teachers, musicians, scientists, and thought leaders in a celebration of unity in diversity. An important part of our mission, these events catalyze new discoveries, enlightening exchanges, and the emergence of great spiritual wisdom. Ashram 50th Anniversary: Celebrating Our History, Welcoming Our Future................................................... 36 Christmas and New Year’s Symposium: Unity in Diversity — Honoring Swami Vishnudevananda.................................... 32 Changing the World from the Inside Out: 11th Annual Yoga for Peace Symposium.................................................................... 58 Classical Indian Music and Dance Festival................................................................. 51 Enhanced Recovery through Yoga and Ayurveda: A Symposium on Life Beyond Addiction................................................................... 65 Interfaith Devotional Singing Festival: On the Wings of Ecstasy.................................................................................................. 38 An Ounce of Prevention: 5th Annual Sivananda Ayurveda Symposium.......................................................... 39 Qualia: The Foundation of the Science of Consciousness................................................. 69
Yoga for Healthy Joints and Bones Beata Barnard (Savitri-Devi)................100
The Science of What Connects Us A Symposium on Human Consciousness.................................................................. 49
Yoga for Mood Management Rose Kress and Amy Weintraub...........99
The Science and Spirituality of Sound Healing....................................................... 43
Yoga for the Nervous System Erin Bidlake................................................... 75 Yoga, Neurobiology, and Trauma Bessel van der Kolk...................................52 Yoga of Recovery: Between the Mat and the Meeting — Ayurvedic Healing for All Addictive Tendencies Durga Leela................................................ 103 Yoga of Recovery: Healing the Habits that Bind Us Durga Leela................................................ 103 The Yoga of Sleep: Healing Sleep and Dreams Rubin Naiman...............................................41 Yogic Remedies for Depression and Anxiety Swami Hridyananda....................................31
Yoga Scripture Bhakti Yoga: Tales and Teachings from the Bhagavata Purana Edwin Bryant................................................45
Searching Inside: Bringing Mindful Awareness to Life and Work........................................................46 Spiritual Narratives My Story, Your Story, Their Story...................................................................................................... 25 Spirituality Health, and Beauty Through Ayurveda................................................ 71 Swami Swaroopananda’s Birthday Celebration: Connecting Across Faiths and Disciplines.................................................................72 Thanksgiving Symposium: Gratitude Practices..............................................................................................................27 The Western Esoteric Tradition in the 21st Century............................................... 61 Yoga & Sacred Healing: Easter & Passover Symposium....................................................................................... 54
We hope you are
inspired
by our catalog — please continue your journey on
sivanandabahamas.org
to find just the right experience for you.
Brahmasutras: Path to Spiritual Liberation Swami Medhananda Puri.........................63 Drig Drisya Viveka: Analysis of the Seer and the Seen Swami Sarvapriyananda...........................41 Introduction to the Bhagavad Gita Pranava............................................................31 Tattva Bodha By Adi Shankaracharya Swami Sharvananda Giri......................... 60 The Yoga of Surrender: Teachings on Chapters 1 and 2 of the Bhagavad Gita Jnaneshwari Chaitanya............................92
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THIS SEASON, join esteemed presenters‌
Swami Swaroopanda
Srinivasan
Kanti Devi
Krishna Das
Tenzin Palmo
Bessel van der Kolk
Swami Medhananda Puri
Tao Porchon-Lynch
John Perkins
Snatam Kaur
Joan Borysenko
Swami Brahmananda
Marc Halpern
Roshi Bernie Glassman
Anne Douglas
Sally Kempton
Eben Alexander
Jai Uttal
Lama Surya Das
Radhanath Swami
KP Khalsa
Sahas Kshirsagar
Mirabai Bush
Gopi Kallayil
Raymond Moody
Gaura Vani
Mirabai Ceiba
Swami Hridyananda
Dan Millman
Amy Weintraub
See page 115 for a full listing of all our presenters. 120 sivanandabahamas.org
MESSAGE FROM
The Minister of Tourism & Aviation Hon. Dionisio D’Aguilar, MP A hectic world is in search of peace, joy, health and balance. Since 1968, seekers of well-being from all over the world have beaten a path to a tranquil corner of Paradise Island, to a unique retreat that has single-handedly established for The Bahamas a reputation as the go-to destination for rejuvenation through yoga. It gives me distinct pleasure, on behalf of the Ministry of Tourism, to offer heartfelt congratulations to the management and staff of Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Bahamas on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. Auspicious beginnings augur well for the future. The Yoga Retreat was founded 50 years ago by Swami Vishnudevananda, the founder of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres. This international organization is a first-of-its-kind yoga organization — the very first to offer a yoga teacher training course in the West. From a single course, the Retreat’s offerings over the decades have grown exponentially to nine comprehensive teacher training programs a year and hundreds of courses and seminars sought after by thousands from every continent. In expanding its mission of yoga instruction, Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Bahamas has created a unique market niche for The Islands of The Bahamas — a niche that it has superbly serviced for five decades. As a tourism industry partner, the Retreat delivers to our guests all they’ve come to expect of The Bahamas as a vacation paradise: warm hospitality, secluded, pristine tropical ambience and gorgeous beach, all of which form the perfect backdrop for spreading peace, health and joy through yoga. In Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Bahamas, The Bahamas has an ideal tourism stakeholder that has laid deep roots in our hospitality sector for half a century. We at the Ministry of Tourism embrace this occasion to offer best wishes to Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Bahamas for fifty more years of delivery of unforgettable yoga to our cherished guests. Warm Regards, Hon. Dionisio D’Aguilar, MP
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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS
in the Bahamas
November 2017 — June 2018 Choose from more than 200 programs & special events. Ayurveda Classical Yoga Cleanses Healing Arts Join us online.
Healthy Lifestyle Interfaith Kirtan Meditation
Science & Spirituality Teacher Trainings Therapeutic Yoga Yoga Vacations