These week-long retreats provide an opportunity to develop yogic knowledge in greater depth.

[Living Patanjali] [Living Gita] [Living Sadhana]

Living Patanjali
1 week residential

The first of a series of courses aimed at applying the wisdom of the classic yogic texts to life in today’s world. This program is a practical exploration of the yoga sutras, a systematic approach to key sutras to help us to embrace life more fully, with greater sense of meaning and a quieter mind.

This course follows the highly successful formula of the Living Consciously course with concepts introduced alongside the experience of ashram living. It makes available the knowledge from the traditional text in a practical non-academic way.

Sutras explored in an engaging informal way include those relating to the vrittis and the nature of the mind, maintaining focus (abhyasa) managing raga and dwesha (attraction and repulsion), harmonizing the gunas (3 essential qualities) and guidelines to achieving a lightness of being through application of the yamas and niyamas to life situations.

Each day involves, yoga classes and both sitting and dynamic meditation, Theoretical exploration of key sutras is creatively linked with reflection on these ideas in the light of practical engagement with the rhythms of ashram life.

See calendar for dates

Living Gita
1 week residential
The Bhagavad Gita is the supreme text for how to live a spiritual life in a difficult world. The Gita gives us strategies for engaging and flowing with life, managing adversity and discovering our inner clarity and strength. This is the second in our series of courses on living traditional texts and will be run with a dynamic daily program.
This course looks at practical application of the wisdom of the Gita in everyday life. It considers sections of the Gita concerned with the dilemmas of living in the world and considers straightforward aspects of philosophy and practice that provide clues for how we can better manage our lives. Key verses are systematically introduced, discussed and expanded upon. The course provides a balanced program of theory, ashram lifestyle activities and yoga practices such as asana (postures), pranayama (breathing) yoga nidra and meditation, with space for personal reflection. With the inspirational ancient text to sustain and strengthen, there is the opportunity to approach life with increased clarity and enthusiasm.

See calendar for dates

Living Sadhana
1 week residential
Sadhana isn’t simply what we do when we practice our asana (postures) and pranayama (breathing). Sadhana is approached as the rhythm on life’s journey accompanying us through the entire range of life’s experiences. The week offers tools to maintain equanimity in the face of all situations, exploring how to transform every aspect of life into sadhana. The course is structured to consider how regular practice can be brought vividly alive by taking it into every breath and every action.

The fundamentals of regular practice are explored as a foundation to a more fulfilling life. Traditional views on sadhana are explored and compared. Each branch of yoga is considered for the value it brings to our development. The program is built on the questions: what are our goals in life, what is our sankalpa (resolve), what are our strengths and weaknesses, and how can we develop and achieve our potential by developing yogic practices and skills.

See calendar for dates

Please contact Rocklyn for booking and more information.