Archive for the ‘retreat’ Tag
the mystical journey continues
Filed under: TTC, ashram, diary, religion, teaching, yoga | Tags: ashram, journey, meditation, retreat, sivananda yoga, teacher training, yoga
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photo: Katalin Kurko
This path of yoga is something that feels true on a deeper level. Finally I get answers to many of my questions. We had evening lectures with an Indian philosopher this week . After a long day of lectures I reach a state which is close to dreaming and I see very vivid pictures in my head.
Part of the lecture was something like this:
… A woman goes to hairdresser for 3 hours. She comes home and her kid comes up to her and drag in her hair. It is alright ! the mother have love for the child. In the same way our love for god makes us accept all the things around us even the things that are not so pleasant …
The focus is clearly on Vedanta and hinduism but there is also room for other religion. Sivananda, The founder of this yoga tradition wrote a prayer which includes Jesus , Buddha, Muhammad, Krishna etc. and he described these people as very good teachers on the spiritual path. The teacher on this level has realized the underlying truth about reality and now he spend his time to communicate this teaching to his fellow man.
the main goal of this school is not to make us yoga teachers but to make us into messengers for peace throughout the world ! a messenger who understand the difference between being a spiritual seeker and a religious fanatic 
ashram life in the middle of the swedish forrest.
Filed under: ashram, meditation, yoga | Tags: 2000, ashram, journey, meditation, retreat, sweden, yoga
Leave a Comment I think I have stayed with the Scandinavian Yoga and Meditation School through the years because they deliver a down to earth version of yoga. After my first session with them on a health exhibition in Gothenburg my whole body was totally relaxed and this was a new experience for me. After some evening classes and a trip to India I decided to give their 3-months course at Haa Course Center in the south of Sweden a go.
I had never been to their coursecenter before and I thought it was going to be like a vacation with a little bit of yoga in between. The following weeks of hard physical labour and a lot of physical yoga was not something I had expected. After years in front of a computer it was a great relief to work with the WHOLE body.
I have to admit that in some ways this is the toughest thing I have done in my life. Not because of the physical work but because of the deep confrontation with what is really me. In the long silent period a lot of thoughts surfaced who I had suppressed in my daily life for a long time. I was grateful for the heavy labour such as wood chopping and lifting stones which I enlisted for as much as I could. It was like training in an old school gym. I had doubts during the course and as the course intensified I really had to struggle.
If I should summarise this course it would be that it really focused my thinking and it brought clarity to my mind. I started to study at university shortly after this course and My first year of study was with really good grades. I felt totally focused on the studies and I think the course was the reason for this.
this is what you get at a course in Haa course centre
- a lot of yoga
- teachers who are very focused and most of the time friendly
- good value for money
- good discipline in the yoga room and on the course
At an early age I got interested in Buddhism and the prince who left his kingdom in the search for truth. How can I apply this story to my own life ? to be able to sit I took up the study of yoga. Is there a contradiction between yoga and science ? Sure we can get a theoretical understanding through books, but without the experience we are stuck. Why is it so hard to practice non-violence when the mosquito is landing on my neck ?