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Daily
Yoga Classes from 7am-8:30 are a great way to start the day.
Sarah
and Lesley's expert guidance will give you access to the wonders
of enjoying your body, experiencing vitality and letting go of
stress and tensions that might be stored there. Each day you will
focus on the postures related to the planetary influence of the
day.
The healing aspect of yoga will be emphasized and a personal yoga
regime that works for you - one you can easily remember and continue
when you return home will be given to you. |
"Thanks
for getting me into an asana routine that I have for so long
knew I needed to get into but was too lazy and unmotivated to
stay with. I've practiced my asanas both mornings I've been
home and I feel good!"
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| Brunch
9:00am-10:00am
(pictured
- Seema our host buying oranges) |

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Each
Day You Will Visit One Of The Planetary Temples...Monday the MOON
TEMPLE,
Tuesday the MARS TEMPLE etc...bringing balance to your life as
you explore all NINE.
This is a LIFE-CHANGING empowering experience.
(I haven't been the same since..!)
Here you receive direct transmission
of the power of the Planet. Here the Planet is seen as a deity
blessing and influencing your life.
Time will be given for personal meditation, journaling and exploration
in each sacred site.

small shrine within one of the temples |
| South
Indian Lunch |
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4:00pm-7:00pm
Yantra Painting Classes
The late afternoons
you are invited to create the Planetary Yantra to put the day's
experience into a tangible form. Outlines of the Yantras will
be available to color (bring coloring pencils and/or paints) or
you may create the Yantras from scratch each day. These creative
sessions spark immense personal creativity while quieting the
mind and focusing on the beautiful project at hand.
See
Sarah's new book "NINE
DESIGNS FOR INNER PEACE" for more on the Planetary Yantras.
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"The
food was so healing for me, I have lost almost 10 lbs during this
trip!" |
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4:00pm-7:00pm - Optional Yoga and Meditation Offerings in the afternoon.
Much
time will be given for personal reflection through the power of
self-awareness as you go through the pilgrimage. Each temple is
dedicated to one of the nine planets representing a unique aspect
of your personality. The NINE temples teach
you about yourself, empowering you to strengthen all aspects of
your nature. By spending time at the temple, absorbing
yourself in the stories of the deities, the yoga postures that
correlate with the planet, reciting the planetary mantra and creating
the planetary yantra your experience of the planets within you
will be brought to life. When possible we
will visit the actual temple that relates to the day: Sun
temple on a Sunday etc. Areas of your life that appear
unfulfilling now, will be brought to the surface for you to ignite
with passion and awareness.
What a great way to begin 2009!!!!
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The
last few days of the retreat will be spent at Arunachala,
the sacred mountain where Sri Ramana Maharshi lived. Walking around
mountain is a ritual we are including in this program as a special
EXTRA! For more info on Ramana and Arunachala click on the image
below.
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7:30-10:00pm
Light Dinner+activites.
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Lesley and Shiva |
Visiting
Temples

Photo:Gaston Olsen |
Photo:Gaston Olsen |
Photo:Gaston Olsen |
Photo:Gaston Olsen |
Photo:Lori Berkowitz |
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"Thank-you
for opening the way for me to experience the culture and spirituality
of India!" |
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Sarah
Tomlinson and Seema Johari are your guides for this experience.
Sarah has been studying, practicing and teaching Yoga and Yantra
Painting for many years, enriching her experience of these sciences
through time in India with Seema traveling to sacred sites.
Sarah met Seema through her father, the
late, great Harish Johari who was Sarah's teacher. They regularly
run retreats at the Johari family home and once in a while...venture
to the South of India to propitiate the planets! Seema
lives in Haridwar, and spends her time maintaining the beautiful
Johari household while also leading retreats for students from
Europe and the US to the Kumbe Mela (Indian festival), and other
sacred pilgrimage sites. Her knowledge of the sacred traditions
and gift for organizing tours and retreats makes each day a
delight. Lesley Desaulniers is joining
us, offering yoga classes to assist the yoga and mantra experience.
Lesley has been studying yoga and meditation since 1996, taking
her practice to New York, Russia and India, and back. In 2001,
Lesley moved to Ananda Ashram where she intensely studied Sanskrit,
yoga philosophy, asana and meditation. She was hired to teach
at the Jivamukti Yoga Center in downtown Manhattan in 2003 and
continues to study, practice and teach daily. Her classes and
workshops are imbued with a rare blend of scholarly study, spiritual
awareness and good humor.
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