Enjoy a vegetarian, healthy holiday with yoga, meditation, chanting, and inspiration from a group of extraordinary teachers.
The vegetarian Thanksgiving feast will make our turkey friends say "Thanks!"
Reinspire ourselves to the idea of seeing the One in the many in spiritual relationships and see how the great saints and sages did this. Unity in Diversity is not a political slogan but a real application of Vedanta and Truth of all Religions in Daily life, in our interrelationships with others.
"Paths are many but Truth is One, Names are many for God is one, love thy neighbor as thyself. " This universal Compassionate teaching is more than ever to be contemplated upon in our times of global crisis and fast communications between countries and cultures.
The Vedantic ideal and the realization of our Oneness is the Path to Peace and Love in family, personal relationships and local and international communities. Hear the discussion of this topic from many great teachers from different traditions.
- Brother Rolph - about Saint Francis and other saints
- Tulku Karma Rinpoche - about his inspiring life story
- Haripriya Dillon - about Indian Saint, Ananda Mayi M
- Craig Webb - music concert and Non-Violent Communication workshop
- Pieter Veltevrede - Dutch master artist speaking on his relationship with his Guru, Harish Johari.
- Swami Sitaramananda - about Swami Vishnudevanandaji
-Swami Padmapadananda - on Swami Sivananda
- Swami Pranavananda - Hatha Yoga, Kirtan worshop
Retreat Schedule
Thursday, Nov. 26
6-8am Morning Satsang - Meditation, Chanting and Readings from Swami Sivananda on Love and Unity, lead by Swami Padmapadananda
8-10am Yoga Class
10-11am Vegetarian Brunch
11-12am Orientation Tour and Labyrinth Walk
1-2pm Workshop: Yoga - Positive Thinking and Meditation. Lead by Swami Sitaramananda
3-5pm Yoga Class
5-7pm Vegetarian Thanksgiving Feast - the turkey will
thank you
7:30-9:30pm Interfaith Ceremony -Mass, Puja and Jesus Puja -Introduction to Retreat Topic, 'Seeing the One in Many' -Brother Rolph Fernandez speaking on love and compassion in world religions
Friday, Nov. 27
6-8am Guided Meditation, Chanting and Tulku Karma Rinpoche, sharing his life story
8-10am Yoga Class
10-11am Vegetarian Brunch
11-12am Painting Exhibition of Pieter Veltevrede
12-4pm Deity painting workshop with Pieter Veltevrede
12am-1pm Workshop I: Tulku Karma Rinpoche Speaks on Compassion
2-4pm Workshop II: Prayers from East and West by Brother Rolph Fernandez
4-6pm Yoga Class
6-7pm Vegetarian Dinner
8-10pm Guided Meditation, Chanting and The Life of St. Francis of Assisi - Brother Rolph Fernandez
Saturday, Nov. 28
6-8am Guided Meditation, Chanting and Stories from the Lives of Swami Sivananda and Swami Vishnudevanandaji - Swami Sitaramananda
8-10am Yoga Class
10-11am Vegetarian Brunch
11-12am Karma Yoga
12-4pm Deity painting workshop with Pieter Veltevrede
12-1pm Workshop I: Hari Priya on Ananda Mayi
Ma's Story and her relationship with Ma
2-4pm Workshop II: Tulku Karma Rinpoche on Forgiveness
4-6pm Yoga Class
6-7pm Vegetarian Dinner
8-10pm Guided Meditation, Chanting and Tulku Karma Rinpoche, Brother Rolph Fernandez, and All Participants - Panel on Love and Compassion in Our Times
Sunday, Nov. 29
6-7am Puja
7-8am Pieter Veltevrede on Harish Johari and other Indian saints
8-10am Yoga Class
10-11am Vegetarian Brunch
11-12am Karma Yoga
12-4pm Deity painting workshop with Pieter Veltevrede
12-2pm Workshop I: Craig Webb on Non-Violent Communication
8-10pm Guided Meditation, Chanting and Brother Rolph on the Lives of Saints
Costs:
Accommodations for 3 night stay -
Tent: $195
Dorm: $240
Double Cabin: $300
Private Cabin: $465
Painting Workshops: $75 per day
Day Rate: $50; $35 for evening yoga class and vegetarian Thanksgiving feast only
About Swami Sitaramananda Swami Sitaramananda is a Yoga and Meditation teacher for more than 25 years. She is presently the main teacher of the Yoga Teachers Training Courses offered at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm, Grass Valley, CA where she is serving as the director. She also teaches at other Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Ashrams & Centers in India and Nassau, Bahamas, Asia, as well as Centers along the West Coast USA, including her birth country, Vietnam.
She is a direct disciple of Swami Vishnu-devananda. She was nominated by her teacher as Goraknath acharya (spiritual teacher, one of the holders of the lineage) in 1989. Her lectures are based on the four classical paths of yoga as well as the 5 points of Health.
About Hari Priya Dr. Haripriya Dillon has been involved with the Healing arts for over 30 years. She is a gifted healer using a broad spectrum of sbtle energetic modalities that can coorect imbalances and dis-eases on all levels. She is offering her services out of her home office in Penn Valley . Her holistic health services include Flower Essence Therapy, Diet and Nutrition counselling, Homeopathy, Herbal therapy. She also works with a Quantum Energetic Machine that has over 900 holistic healing programs (QXCI).
Her website is www.holisticgift.net
haripriya108@sbcglobal.net
About Swami Pranavananda Swami Pranavananda took the vow of Sannyas in 1995. He is a gifted teacher who is the main hatha yoga teacher at the ashram and teaches the Anatomy and Physiology section of our Teachers Training Course. He co-directed the San Francisco Center for five years.
A talented musician, he enjoys leading kirtan and bhajan chanting sessions during satsang.
About Swami Padmapadananda Swami Padmapadananda was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and began his yoga practice in 1970. He is a senior disciple of Swami Vishnu devananda and was initiated as a sannyasi in 1979. He was named after a disciple of Sankaracharya, Padmapada, the "lotus-footed one". Noted for his heart and humor, he is by nature a 'Bhakta', one who is easily drawn to Bhakti Yoga (the yoga of devotion).
Swami Padmapadananda has directed Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers in Israel, London, New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and the Yoga Ranch in upstate New York.
He presently directs the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center in San Francisco. He is part of the teaching team of the Yoga Farm, where he conducts various programs during the year.
About Brother Rolph Fernandes Brother Rolph Fernandes is an international meditation and Interfaith teacher, native from Trinidad and citizen of Canada. He was a Franciscan monk for 43 years during which time he was mandated by the Franciscans as their Inter-Faith representative for the Canadian branch of their Order.
Rolph was sent by the Order to attend the Parliament of World Religions in 1983 and also international conferences in Melbourne, Australia, in Rome, Paris and Sarajeivo. Rolph visited India twice and met with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1971 and received empowerment from His Holiness The Karmapa.
In 1981 to 1982 he lived in Shantivanam ashram in India, under the guidance of Fr.Bede Griffiths and also took retreat in a cave in the Himalayas. During his visits to India, he has visited many living Masters such as Ma Ananda Mayi.
He founded in 1987 in Montreal, "the Peace Prayer in the Spirit of Saint Francis" and was the main organizer of the event for 10 years. In 1993, he organized the "Interfaith Gathering " in Montreal to host the visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Rolph now lives on his own and has been sharing his experience in Inter-faith Dialogue and also lecturing on Franciscan spirituality as seen in that light. He lectures on " Yoga and Christianity" , "Yoga and the Spirit of Saint Francis" , "Meditation", "Meditation Techniques of Eastern and Western Traditions". He also gives talks on his research between mystics of both Christian and the tradition of India.
Rolph sees St Francis as a saint of all times and as such , he seeks to show how St Francis lived through the difficulties of his time as an example for us today. In 2004, Rolph was ordained as an Interfaith minister in NY, and now he serves at AA retreats, Aids clinic, and do personal spiritual counseling. He believes strongly in the strength of a community and in the importance of a personal connection with God, supported by prayer and meditation.
Rolph@rogers.com
About Craig Sim Webb Executive Director of The non-profit DREAMS Foundation. Craig is a professional speaker/trainer and dream analyst/researcher/author. He has participated in pioneering dream research at Stanford University and Montreal's Sacre-Coeur Hospital, and has spent 15 years, practicing, studying, writing, and teaching about applied dreaming, dream interpretation, lucid dreaming, creativity, conscious communication and biofeedback with a refreshing, enthusiastic style that blends soul, science, heart and humor.
As an author/columnist and hired/invited expert for feature motion pictures, international TV shows, magazines, and others, he's broadcast/published numerous cutting edge practical psychology concepts as well as interviews with leading visionaries. He and his work have made hundreds of international public/media/corporate appearances in such places as The Discovery Channel, ABC, BBC, CBS, AOL, MSN, The London Times, The New York Times, internationally syndicated articles/radio shows, and many others. He has also designed biofeedback technologies with worldwide distribution, and helped found/produce Making Contact, a progressive international radio show airing weekly on ~200 stations for nearly 15 years.
Craig's empowering teaching/counseling approach has enabled CEO's, celebrities, doctors, professors, best-selling authors, students, and many other clients from all walks of life to make profound mental and emotional breakthroughs while having a heck of a lot of fun.
About Tulku Karma Rinpoche The Venerable Tulku Karma Gyurme Sonam Rinpoche is the founder and spiritual leader of the Yogi Tsoru Dechen Foundation based in Miami, Florida. The Foundation was created to provide Westerners access to the Buddha Dharma (Path of Awakening), and to supply Compassion and Wisdom to all human beings. Tulku Karma is recognized as a Lama - a term reserved for senior members of the Tibetan Order.
Rinpoche has devoted his life to champion humanitarian efforts. He travels throughout the world teaching the Buddha Dharma, and speaking to small and large audiences on the empowerments of achieving a calm mind and loving heart through compassion. Rinpoche also continues to help establish new Dharma centers in the United States. Visit www.ytdr.org for more information.
About Pieter Veltevrede Pieter Veltevrede is a internationally recognized Dutch master artist with hundreds of exquisite paintings of Hindu Gods and Goddesses, Yantras and Mandalas. He is a disciple of Harish Johari and also studied with Johari's art teacher, Master Chandra Bal, and Suresh Johari. He tours annually in India, Europe and the USA exhibiting his art and giving painting workshops. For more information on Pieter Veltevrede and his artwork, please visit www. sanatanansociety.com
The Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm is a 501(c)(3) volunteer-based non-profit organization (530) 272-9322/(800)469-9642 - 14651 Ballantree, Grass Valley, CA 95949 - yogafarm@sivananda.org
