Dharma Breathe...
 - Temple Yoga Seminars 

“Before you know what kindness really is
you must lose things,

feel the future dissolve in a moment
like salt in a weakened broth.

What you held in your hand,
what you counted and carefully saved,
all this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness.”

Length : 2 days, 2 nights

About the Retreat:

A weekend dedicated to deepen our understanding of the essentials of Yoga practice. 
To allow the in-depth immersion into the teaching and discussion, each time four topics will be covered in one retreat. 
(see details of the topics at the end) 

Four Topics:
- Origin & Evolution of Yoga (4 hours) 
- Revitalize yourself thru mantra & Japa-yoga (4 h) 
- Inner Journey thru the chakras (4 hours) 
- Love & yoga :Bhakti yoga 

And,
cut the busyness, mental formation and retreat ourselves in an ancient temple, 
following our yoga master for a journey into Yoga, theory and practice; 
breathe consciously in the morning and night, purifying oneself, revitalize oneself, awakening and follow the true self WITHIN…

Itinerary
Experience and adapt to the temple regular life for 2 days and 2 night, the timing is determined according to temple and spiritual practice.

Day 1
19:00 leave shanghai to temple 
21:30 arrive temple, small introduction of the 2 days 

Day 2
05:00 wake up 
05:30 morning Yoga Session
06:30 breakfast 
08:30 Yoga Seminar 1:Origin & Evolution
11:00 lunch 
13:30 Yoga Seminar 2:Revitalize yourself thru mantra & Japa-yoga
17:30 dinner
18:00 Yoga Seminar 3: Love & Yoga
21:00 sleep 

Day 3
05:00 wake up
05:30 Yoga Seminar 4:Inner Journey thru the chakras
06:30 breakfast
08:30 Yoga Seminar 4:Inner Journey thru the chakras (continue)
11:00 lunch
13:30 sharing and Q & A
15:00 leave for Shanghai

Transportation:
A private mini-bus will be arranged from/back to Shanghai downtown.

Gathering:
Time: 7:30 p.m. (19.30)
Place: (unless notified differently)
Zhongshan Park Subway Station, Line 3-4, Exit 3
Beside the 7-Eleven shop

Meals:
The meals will be temple food. All vegetarian, with countryside local dishes, fresh vegetable in a traditional way. Simple and Healthy.
Should you have especial requirements, please let us know beforehand.

Temple lifestyle:
- We stay in the temple's facilities
- Separate dormitories for male and female
- Hard beds with blanket provided
- Usually no A/C, not always hot water shower
- Vegetarian meals
- No smoking, no alcoholic drinks during the retreat
- No mobile phones during the lessons and the meal time

Equipment:
(Need to be prepared, by each participant)

- Flexible clothes for Yoga practice
- Your own Yoga mattress
- Sport Shoes
- Personal toiletries and towel.
- Drinking bottle (no plastic bottles as often refill is with boiled water and it melts)
- Yoga Brick (support for some poses, sitting positions & meditation)
- In winter time: warm clothes, a blanket, a sleeping bag.
- Warm layers
- Rain Coat
- Weather protection according to the season

Booking Procedures:
Click here to book

Activity Confirmation:
Upon reaching the minimum amount of participants, you'll receive an email with the last details about the trip. Usually 2 days before the departure.
If we are unable to reach the minimum amount of participants, we will postpone or cancel the activity.

Price : 1199 RMB

Payment is done on- site, directly collected by our Tour leaders.
No deposit required, however we kindly ask you to keep us updated if after booking you are unable to attend. Thank you.

Minimum 8 persons, Maximum 25 persons
Private Groups & Team Outings:
Choose a date and we can arrange this trip especially for you (price is dependant on group size).

Included:
- Transportation From & Back to Shanghai
- Insurance (Click here for details)
- Meals as per itinerary
- Guiding & Coaching
- Accommodation

Not Included:
- Activities and expenses not mentioned in the itinerary and personal expenses 

Enjoy your vitality, devote to the Present and experience nature with serenity… 
See you soon!

Two days of simplicity,
 yoga practice and spiritual abundance. 
Authentic monk life calms our mind and turns time off… 

Yoga Coach - Ram Vakkalanka 

Ram Vakkalanka is a Yoga philosopher, Sanskrit expert, Sitar and Kirtan artist, belonging to the spiritual lineage of Dattareya. He studied Sanskrit for 7 years while growing up, along with many ancient texts such as Yoga Sutras, Bhagavadgita and Upanishads. Ram was initiated into Sitar in his teens and studied it for 6 years. He belongs to the musical lineage of the world renowned Sitar Maestro Ravi Shankar. Ram travels all over the world, sharing his knowledge of Yoga philosophy, Sanskrit, Kirtan and Nada Yoga, thru workshops at Yoga studios and Retreat centres as well as on one-on-one basis. Many yogis/yoginis, corporate executives, doctors, healing arts practitioners study Sanskrit, Yoga philosophy, Kirtan, Sitar and harmonium with Ram.

Ram’s writing on Yoga philosophy are published in newspapers. His talks on philosophy, Sanskrit and Nada Yoga are broadcast on web TV channels as well as TV networks all over north America. Well-known personalities in the Yoga world such as Yogini Kali Raja (founder of Tri Yoga) and Datta Yogi Raja highly commend Ram’s works. Ram conducted workshops at many yoga studios and Retreat centres such as Sivananda Ashram, Moksha Yoga, 5 Elements Yoga, Datta Retreat Center on a variety of topics including Sanskrit, Yoga Sutras, Bhagavadgita, Vedanta, Meditation, Kirtan, Tantra, Mudras and Pranayama.

Ram is a good story teller and puts ancient philosophy in modern perspective, while remaining close to the original text, explaining to the rationale as well as the inner meaning of it. Ram’s style of teaching is smooth-flowing, humorous and filled with real-life examples..

So far, Ram released two albums of meditation music (Sitar by the ocean and Nada Kusuma - the fragrance of music), an audio book of Yoga Sutras in Sanskrit and English and a Mantra-chanting album (‘Japa Yoga’). To find out more about Ram or see sample videos of his workshops, visit www.askharayoga.com"

Yoga Coach - Ganesh
Ganesh, Founder of Just Yoga Born to a family of traditional yoga practitioners, MasterGanesh is a pioneer in the field of yoga in modern world. He has won innumerable yoga awards at national and international levels. For him, yoga is a way to experience life to its fullest. His persistent pursuit for deeper yogic knowledge has taken him to various schools for academic research. He has done Master Degree in Yogic Sciences, currently preparing to pursue PhD in Yoga.

His experience with teaching yoga began at a tender age of 11 when he imparted yogic techniques to a family in Vijayanagar. He later went on to teaching at various educational institutions, public gatherings, places of worship and premises of corporations. His technique includes an assimilation of assorted learning such as “Yoga Basic Style”,“Asthanga Yoga”, “ Iyangar Yoga”, “ Hata Yoga”, “kundalini Yoga”, “ Japa Yoga”, “ Nruthya Yoga”, “ Music Therapy”, “ Jnaya Yoga”, “Bhakthi Yoga”, “Karma Yoga” , “Raja Yoga”, “ Vinyasa Yoga”. He is good at tailoring his teaching to the students’ need. He also takes his students through a well- planned regimen that works best for them.

9 Topics
1, YOGA SUTRAS OF PATANJALI

Yoga is a system of philosophy as well as a discipline of practical application at the same time. Yoga invites us to expand our hearts, rise above mundane existential limitations and discover and celebrate the unlimited Divine Essence inside of us. The ultimate goal of Yoga is to help us live in perfect harmony with everything and everyone around us.

‘The Yoga Sutras’ of Patanjali is a great compendium of the principles and practises of Yoga. It is one of the most authoritative and time-tested texts on Yoga and has been guiding millions of practitioners over thousands of years. Yoga Sutras contain a detailed roadmap with eight milestones that mark the yogic path of the practitioners. Yoga Sutras is a perfect starting point for anyone looking to expand their Yoga practice beyond the mat and explore the philosophy behind postures.

In this workshop, we will be exploring six most ancient philosophies of the world, zoom in on Yoga, its history, the four-levels of individual Consciousness, the eight limbs of Yoga proposed by the Sutras and how they lead to a life perfectly harmonious with everything and everyone.

2, KOSHAS - THE DIMENSIONS OF LIFE

‘Koshas’ are the dimensions of Life. The Koshas govern the physical, energetic, mental, intellectual and blissful aspects of our lives. The Koshas interpenetrate each other and influence each other to make the individual feel like one integrated unit.The quality of life as an existential journey is determined by the five Koshas. Deeper understanding the five Koshas and mastery of them leads to great enhancement of the quality of life. In this workshop, we will explore the five Koshas, their functions, roles and influence on one’s wellbeing as well as useful practices to energize and purify the Koshas.

3, PRANAYAMA - THE VITAL ESSENCE

Pranamaya Kosha (Energy Body or Vital body) is one of the dimensions of our life. The Energy body governs the bio-chemical activities of the physical body and plays a large role in the individual’s well being. In this workshop, we will explore the Universal Prana, individual Prana, the ten categories of Pranic energy and the critical biochemical processes they control, how to enhance one’s Pranic energy, curing of addictions and Pranic healing.

4, BHAGAVADGITA - FINDING THE PURPOSE OF YOUR LIFE

BhagavadGita is a perennial source of practical wisdom for life. In Gita, we find transformational wisdom about the simplest aspect of life to the sublimest. From what kind of food to eat all the way to highest Vedanta philosophy, no important aspect of life is left untouched by Gita. Gita helps people in all modes of life in transforming themselves. Over thousands of years, Gita has guided millions of seekers in their quest to find their Dharma, balance spiritual aspirations and societal obligations, contribute their best to the community and lead most fulfilling lives. BhagavadGita can be an interesting historical document, intriguing philosophical work, instructional manual for how to live life as well as the best self-help book ever written, depending on how one approaches it. The wisdom of Gita is in deed worth a life-time of study, for it shows man how to soar to Divine heights by drawing energy from spiritual practices as well as worldly responsibilities, just as a bird draws strength from both its wings for its flight.

5, SACRED VIBRATIONS OF SANSKRIT - SANSKRIT FOR BEGINNERS

Sanskrit is an eternal, vibrant language of most ancient origins. Sanskrit is a collection of the subtle vibrations of the Cosmic Energies and is called the ‘Language of Gods’. Ancient Yogis perceived the subtle vibrations of the Universe in deep meditative states and organized them into Sanskrit language. Chanting and contemplating upon Sanskrit sounds is very energizing and helps in attuning oneself to Cosmic Consciousness. Sanskrit is Yoga in language-form. Practice of Sanskrit opens channels for the flow of subtle, vibrational energies thru the mind just as practice of Yoga opens channels for the flow of energy thru the body. Sanskrit is a powerful, transformative Yogic tool that calms the movements of thought, induces meditative state and gently carries the restless mind to Quiescence. Learning Sanskrit can be a fun, fulfilling experience and adds richness and authenticity to yogic lifestyle. ‘The Sacred Vibrations of Sanskrit - Sanskrit for beginners’ covers four aspects of this wonderful language:
1. Basic spoken Sanskrit
2. Accurate and authentic pronunciation of some energizing Mantras and chants
3. Meaning and authentic pronunciation of Sanskrit names of popular Yoga pose
4. Intro to Sanskrit alphabet, their experiential basis in the body of the practitioner

6,  INNER JOURNEY THRU THE CHAKRAS -1 & 2

Chakras are the energy centers in the subtle body that influence all aspects of our lives, health and well-being - physical, mental and spiritual. These storehouses of power also hold the key to unleashing the best and the highest potential in us. Understanding the Chakras and their influence over us; how to cleanse and balance them as well as unleash the energy locked up inside them can have incredibly transformational impact on us. In this workshop, we will explore the seven principal Chakras in the body, their areas of influence, their imbalance and balance and some techniques to balance the Chakras. This workshop involves meditating intermittently to Chakra-balancing music. Come prepared by
wearing loose and comfortable clothing. Bliss guaranteed!

7,  LOVE AND YOGA - BHAKTI YOGA

Bhakti Yoga is a heart-based approach to Yoga. Bhakti’ means unconditional Love. In the Bhakti Yoga tradition, we practice true, unconditional love towards the divine and learn how to direct it towards all living beings.Mastery of Ego, compassion for all beings, expansion of the heart to include all the living and non-living beings in its fold are the objectives of Bhakti Yoga. In this workshop, we learn about unconditional love, approaches to Bhakti Yoga and the nine limbs of the Bhakti Yoga and how to practice Bhakti Yoga in our daily lives.

8,  REVITALIZE YOURSELF THRU MANTRA AND JAPA YOGA

Mantras are unique Vibrations that embody specific energies of the Universe. Repetition of Mantra - called ‘Japa Yoga’ - attracts the Cosmic Energies, channels them inward and ignites corresponding energies inside the practitioner. Mantras help energize and centre ourselves, calm the negative chatter of the mind, deal with addictions, improve self-image, break thru obstacles in life and induce inner peace and harmony. Japa Yoga promotes concentration, leads to deep meditative state and results in Samadhi - the goal of Yoga. In this workshop, we will learn about the various Cosmic Energies, called ‘Devatas’ or Deities, prerequisites of a Mantra, accurate pronunciation of a few energizing Mantras, practical applications of Mantras, , how to practice Japa Yoga and Mantra Meditation.

9,  ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF YOGA

Are you dabbling with the idea of practicing Yoga but would like to know more before getting on the Yoga boat? Are you a Yogi(ni) whose interest in Yoga extends beyond the mat (...and looking good in tight, stretchy pants)? In this workshop, we are going to take a trip to the Historyville to explore the ancient origins of Yoga, understand if Yoga is a philosophy, religion or science, walk down the History lane for a quick glance at the evolution of different Yogic schools, admire some classical works on Yoga, get familiar with different approaches to Yoga, say 'Namaste' to some Ascended Yogis of ancient as well as modern times and understand how Yoga spread thru the world. All you need for this lovely day trip is an open heart and an inquisitive mind. Come prepared to be thoroughly fascinated!

-> INFORMATION & BOOKING

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