The Mystical Path of Yoga

Director(s): Yoganand Michael Carroll
Dates: January 19-21, 2018

Location: Main Line Shala

For students with min. 6 months yoga or meditation experience.

We practice yoga for many reasons: health, vitality, a sense of well-being, strength, flexibility. In its earliest stages of development, however, yoga was createyogad as a path to the soul. It was designed to lead us to the direct experience of spirit.

In this retreat for experienced practitioners, we look at applications of asana, pranayama, and meditation that have been lost from many traditions—techniques that were once central to yoga practice as a path to the mystery within. We focus on techniques that can easily be taken home and incorporated into a daily practice.

This program includes:

• Morning practice just for our group
• The study of ancient yoga symbols and stories that hold meaningful secrets
• Esoteric asana and pranayama techniques

Come practice in a safe community with like-minded seekers as together we explore the mystical path of yoga.

Cost:

• Full Weekend:  $315

Pranakriya Immersion Program

Director(s): Yoganand Michael Carroll
Dates: February 9-11, 2018

Location: Whole Body Yoga

Spend a weekend immersed in Pranakriya Yoga. Explore postures, pranayama, meditation, history, philosophy and deepen your relationship with yourself. This weekend combines both lecture and experiential practices to further your understanding of the Pranakriya lineage of yoga.

The weekend begins with a long, meditative yoga practice on Friday night. Saturday will include learning two intermediate pranayamas and incorporating them into a meditation practice. You will also explore the history of Pranakriya Yoga with a focus on Swami Kripalu. Sunday, we will deepen our practices of meditation as well as learn the difference between the verticalist and horizontalist paths of yoga.

Pranakriya’s meditative yoga class has an emphasis on physical sensation and breath awareness. It is at a slower pace with longer holding of postures to raise prana, and uses basic postures. This class is suitable for all levels of students looking for a more internal practice.

Pranakriya’s gentle yoga class is appropriate for students new to yoga as well as elderly individuals and those with injuries.  The focus is stress release and gentle stretching.  It is intended to be a very internal class.

Cost: $240

CAPPA Labor Doula Training

Director(s): Abby Bordner
Dates: February 23-25, 2018

Location: Yoga for Everybody

This is an 18-hour course that is required to become certified with the international Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association. CAPPA Faculty member and Pranakriya School of Yoga Healing Arts Director Abby Bordner teaches an intensive workshop to learn to support women and families in late pregnancy, birth and early postpartum.

A certified labor doula is a birth professional with a focus on educating and supporting women physically, emotionally and spiritually through the process of birth. In this training you’ll learn:

• end of pregnancy health and wellness
• anatomy and physiology of birth and the stages of labor
• positional support and coping skills to manage pain and fear
• hospital procedures
• early postpartum recovery for mom and baby, supporting bonding
• newborn procedures
• the process to become certified with CAPPA

Cost: $500

Earlybird: $450 by January 23, 2018

Rest, Restore & Renew: A Retreat Weekend to Pamper Yourself

Director(s): Jacci Gruninger Dates: March 24-25, 2018 Location: Salt Tree Yoga Join Jacci for a weekend of gentle and restorative yoga to soothe your soul and change your practice.  The weekend will consist of a series of gentle and restorative yoga practices as well as meditation, yoga nidra,  journaling, introspection, experiential exercise and small and large group dialogue around the concept of rest. Students will leave feeling restored and take with them a self-created guide to finding rest in their lives.  All students will be provided a journal when they arrive. Join us to restore your body, mind and soul. Program Times: Saturday & Sunday 9:00-4:00pm Cost:

• Full Weekend:  $290 (includes 2 lunches at $15 each)
• Earlybird:  $250 (includes 2 lunches at $15 each) by February 23, 2018

Embodiment: A Pranakriya Immersion

Director(s): William Hufschmidt
Dates: March 16-18, 2018

Location: Santosha Studio

Full Price:  $200

Earlybird:  $175 by February 16, 2018

$50 per workshop:

• Fri 6p-9p – Part I – Your Body’s Earth – Asana and Gravity
• Sat 9a-12:30p – Part II – Your Body’s Space – Meditation in Motion
• Sat 2:30p – 6p – Part III – Your Body’s Air – Pranayamas #1-#10
• Sun 9a-12:30p – Part IV – Your Body’s Fire – The Deeper Practice
• Sun 2:30p-6p – Part V – Your Body’s Water – Integrating Wholeness

Asanas as Spiritual Doorways: A Weekend Experience

Director(s): Yoganand Michael Carroll
Dates: April 6-8, 2018

Location: Village Yoga

In ancient times asanas played a very different role in yoga practice. They were the foundations for many other yoga practices, including Pranayama, Kriya, Bandha, and Meditation. In this program, we will study Swami Kripalu’s approach to asana where asanas were done in a meditative but energetically powerful way. We will explore how all these techniques were combined with specific asanas in combinations that led to profound experiences of connection to spirit.

Learn about the original role of asanas in Tantric Hatha Yoga and how that role can be recreated to inspire and empower your personal practice. We will learn 8 asanas from the ancient tradition and see how these asanas can be used with pranayamas and other deep practices and incorporated into a modern yoga routine.

Program Times: Friday 6:00-8:30pm, Saturday 9:00-12:30 and 2-5pm, Sunday 9-12:00pm and 1-3pm

Cost:  $275 for the entire weekend

$30 Friday Evening

$130 per day ($260, $220 if register for both)

Earlybird: $250 (full weekend only) by March 6, 2018

The Deep Roots of Yoga

Director(s): Devadas Gregg Day
Dates: August 3-5, 2018

Location: Crofton Yoga

“Yoga is 6,000 years old, right?”  We will explore the historical beginnings of yoga, the early yogis and their Upanishadic philosophy, influences of Samkhya and Buddhism, and the medieval development and decline of Tantra Yoga and its ultimate reformation into Hatha Yoga.

While the yogic practices have changed dramatically over the millennia, the goals of the practitioners have remained remarkably stable; and so we find these philosophies rich and fertile areas for the development of a meaningful and dynamic context and personal intention for practice today.

Practice sessions will be interspersed with lecture and discussion sessions. Practices will introduce and include pranayama, khumbakas, and the bandhas and incorporate these into the asana practices where appropriate.

Those already familiar with the practices will be encouraged to move and practice at a depth that supports them, while those new to the practices will be led in a guided and structured experience.

Cost: $300

Earlybird: $275

The Mystical Path of Yoga

Director(s): Yoganand Michael Carroll
Dates: August 24-26, 2018

Location: The Yoga Center

For students with min. 6 months yoga or meditation experience.

We practice yoga for many reasons: health, vitality, a sense of well-being, strength, flexibility. In its earliest stages of development, however, yoga was created as a path to the soul. It was designed to lead us to the direct experience of spirit.

In this retreat for experienced practitioners, we look at applications of asana, pranayama, and meditation that have been lost from many traditions—techniques that were once central to yoga practice as a path to the mystery within. We focus on techniques that can easily be taken home and incorporated into a daily practice.

This program includes:

• Morning practice just for our group
• The study of ancient yoga symbols and stories that hold meaningful secrets
• Esoteric asana and pranayama techniques.

Come practice in a safe community with like-minded seekers as together we explore the mystical path of yoga.

Cost: $325, Earlybird: $275 by July 24, 2018

Yoga from East to West

Director(s): Devadas Gregg Day
Dates: October 5-7, 2018

Location: The Yoga Center

We pick up the history of yoga with the development of Hatha Yoga in 1000 AD and follow its development, decline and revival through the Muslim conquests, the British Raj, the Indian Renaissance, and its ultimate transmission to the West.

We will compare hatha yoga then and now, consider the western changes to the practices and goals of hatha yoga, and explore what a hybrid path might look like that straddles both the old and new in the development of an authentic yoga in the 21st century.

Practice sessions will be interspersed with lecture and discussion sessions.  Practices will introduce and include pranayama, kumbhakas, and the bandhas and incorporate these into the asana practices where appropriate.

Those already familiar with the practices will be encouraged to move and practice at a depth that supports them, while those new to the practices will be led in a guided and structured experience.

Cost: $325

Earlybird: $275

Igniting the Fire of Yoga: A Transformational Retreat

Director(s): Yoganand Michael Carroll
Dates: October 12-14, 2018

Location: Salt Tree Yoga

Yoganand Michael Carroll, E-RYT 500, is Dean of the Kripalu School of Yoga. Through many years of intensive study and practice, he has gained a profound ability to distill and interpret esoteric yoga texts and… For all levels. In the company of supportive community, experience a life-changing retreat skillfully guided by longtime practitioner and teacher Yoganand Michael Carroll.

Ancient yoga texts speak of two lights within the body: the moon in the crown of the head, symbolizing the rational self, and the sun in the pelvis, representing the emotions. The conflict between these two forces causes all of life’s pain and suffering. Through postures and pranayama, the yogi converts sun energy into yogagni, the fire of yoga. This fire rises up and dissolves the moon back into the witness, the seed of the self. When the sun and moon disappear, the yogi becomes the whole universe.

This transformational retreat include:

• Plenty of asana and pranayama practice
• Esoteric teachings that make a lot of sense
• Information and techniques to deepen your practice when you return home
• Hope and inspiration for your spiritual journey.

Program Times:  Friday 6-9:00pm, Saturday & Sunday 9:00-4:00pm

Cost:

• Friday only: $35
• Full Weekend:  $275
• Earlybird Full Weekend by September 12, 2018:  $250

Yoga from India to the West

Director(s): Yoganand Michael Carroll
Dates: October 20-21, 2018

Location: Fun Yoga Studio

We pick up the history of yoga with the development of Hatha Yoga in 1000 a.d., and follow its development, decline and revival through the Muslim conquests, the British Raj, the Indian Renaissance, and its ultimate transmission to the West.  We will compare hatha yoga then and now, consider the western changes to the practices and goals of hatha yoga, and explore what a hybrid path might look like that straddles both the old and new in the development of an authentic yoga in the 21st century.  Practice sessions will be interspersed with lecture and discussion sessions.  Practices will introduce and include pranayama, khumbaks, the bandhas and incorporate these into the asana practices where appropriate.  Those already familiar with the practices will be encouraged to move and practice at a depth that supports them, while those new to the practices will be led in a guided and structured experience.

Program Times:  Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm, Sunday 10am-4:00pm

Program Cost:

• $350 Full Price
• $250 Early bird price for entire weekend by 8 weeks out (August 20, 2018)
• $300 Earlybird price for entire weekend by 4 weeks out (September 20, 2018)