Kathmandu, half way to heaven? By Gaby

One remarkable particularity of Tantra is to propose the view that the "micro" aspect of the universe reflects the "macro" aspect and vice-versa. More than that, there is a "continuum universe" from micro to macro that we are somewhere in between.

Gokarna, a yajna at the Shiva Temple

This view is expressed in various ways like the famous "So above, so below" but you can also find it in the not less famous "Samsara equals Nirvarna", meaning, there is no duality between the "here and now" and the "heavens" or the looked after state of union (yoked) with the Absolute. No need to run away from the world to find an illusory Nirvana.

We can also find similar meaning in the message of Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita, (not a usual reference Tantric scripture though):

BG III- 11  With this (sacrifice) may you sustain the deities so that the deities may sustain you. Sustaining one another, you shall obtain the supreme good.

BG III- 12  For, sustained by sacrifice, the deities will give you the desired “food”. He who enjoys their gifts without giving something in return is but a thief.

BG III- 13  Good men, consuming the sacrificial leavings, are released from all guilt, but those who cook for their own sake are evil and “eat” the karmic fruits of wickedness.

Like always in eastern philosophy, without a practical application, it would be considered futile or simply a "brain" exercise. WIthout even attempting a religious or spiritual explanation, taking Nature or Earth as an example of our macro universe, the above verses becomes quite clear: we need to sustain our environment so it can sustain us, and those who are just taking (without giving back) are called "thieves" and will end up eating the karmic fruits of their responsibility.

Looking at our bodies and all its functions as an example of our micro universe, here again it is clear that without providing the body with sacred sacrificial food (activity, equanimity, clean air/water, organic food etc) we are just robing ourself of health and I am sure you can figure out for yourselves what the karmic fruits can be.

Like in Varanasi (India) the ancient inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley wanted to embeb this ideal in their daily life.

Bhaktapur, Durbar Square

Since we are the middle cosmos, (between the micro and the macrocosm), they organized the environment in a way that would  constantly remind of our middle position, just like building a city-size Mandala (or Yantra) in which we would evolve; a spiritual landscape (some use the word faith-scape).

A place where Gods, (as representant of the macrocosmos) and humans live together in harmony. Each corner or angle representing a power point where to place a specific deity with a specific function to energize, protect, fertilize etc.

In this way you will find around the cities of Patan, Bhakatapur and Katmandu, 4 holy hills, 4 main Vishnu temple, 4 main Ganesh temple etc and by drawing imaginary lines between these power, you would draw a sort of Mandala with the city at the center. Each power point you will find a lingam, a pool of water (kund) a large tree (usualy a ficus religiosa) a temple, a fountain etc.

Obviously this goes along with a well organized calendar of festivals during which all respective deities would be worshipped to make sure none is neglected, and routes to allow pilgrims to go around, perform "yatra", along these imaginary mandala lines, stopping in each power point to pay respect making sacrifices (yajna).

Shanku, VajraYogini Temple

Each angle or corner of the mandala is considered Thirtha, a passage, a gate, a ford, a connection with the other world (the Ultimate or Absolute). Doing a Yatra along the lines of the mandala is a powerful way to connect with the Absolute.

Doing a yoga training in Kathmandu today still allows to benefit of that unfortunately vanishing energy and to refuel at the source of the yogic science and the reason why Nepal is called Sadhana Bhumi. See previous blog article in this respect. When practicing in Nepal, the mighty Himalayas will remind you of the macro by their majestic aspect and mere size. The meso-cosmos, as seen here is everywhere. The micro-cosmos will be the subject of our study and inquiry through our sadhana. Of course the spirit of all the enlightened master who have chosen to reside in the Himalaya will be helping us on our path.

Today's modern urban imperatives are unfortunately ignorant of the macro and micro cosmos.  And despite the economic model is falling apart everywhere, only the eco-cosmos is to be maintained at all price and our gods are called automobiles, supermarkets, petrol stations, airport etc.

In Kathmandu, despite being the most polluted city in Asia, projects are cutting trees to increase the size of the roads to allow more cars to travel (and only the rich have cars here), and it seems the brand-new car show room receive more attention than the temples.

Nowadays, everybody takes, but no one gives, as it is the major tenet of capitalism. We take all our resources from nature but do not give back anything, except pollution, because it would destabilize the eco-cosmos.

Let see what karmic fruits we will have to eat. My feel is that they will be very bitter, if not poisonous.

And now, Yoga begins *. By Ana Paula Martinez

 by Ana Paula Martinez

GANESH - KATHMANDU

It has been one month since I came back to Mexico, after the most magical and transforming trip of my life. The return has not been easy, as the changes in me are very profound. And it is interesting to see, once again, how we create our reality according to how much we let our mind participate. But there are many layers. As my yoga teacher Neera told me recently: Now the real Yoga begins.

It is not easy to describe the experience of a Yoga Teacher Training. I haven’t even understood yet how deep the inner transformation goes, and even more, how to manage to stay there while living in a society in which distractions are everywhere and darkness is present.

So when somebody asks me about my experience in the Yogi Nomad Teacher Training in Nepal, my feeling is that as hard as I try to explain it, my words will remain in a superficial level. It is like trying to describe what is impossible to say. In a Yoga Teacher Training we are exposed to a huge amount of information, which is hard to digest in such a short time; a very intense physical challenge; a deep exploration of the mind, going to indescribable places; and a strong energetic management that is hard to understand with our logic. In the Yogi Nomad teacher training, we also learn Thai Massage and Ayurveda. All these practices require absolute awareness, constant observing and discipline. Fortunately, the result from these six intensive weeks is equally positive in all levels: physical, mental, emotional and energetic. In terms of my yoga practice, I feel that it was greatly enriched. I learned that an advanced yoga level is proportionally related to the ability to be present and fully aware during the practice, instead of just being capable of doing complicated postures. I also realized that my practice is always different, it changes everyday, just like my body, and therefore, the experience of my yoga practice is always a new challenge.

HIMALAYAS VIEW FROM BANDIPUR

 My trip to Nepal was not only to the Yoga Teacher Training, but it was extended to traveling around in this wonderful country, around this sacred land that has magic in the air. Moreover, I was able to see directly many of the matters studied during the course, in the Nepalese culture daily life.

Since the first day that I arrived to Kathmandu, I felt it. I knew that nothing would ever be the same after Nepal. And it isn’t. Describing this experience is not easy either. In this journey I witnessed the most evidently strong peace that I have ever felt as 

I was approaching to the Vajrayogini Temple in Sankhu and its mystery. I spent many hours 

SANKHU – STEPS TO THE VAJRAYOGINI TEMPLE

observing life’s impermanence in the beautiful Pashupatinath, and was overwhelmed when I found myself in front of the Himalayas in Bandipur. I spent almost three weeks in Boudhanath, embracing the sense of ‘being home’ and feeling deeply grateful at every step I took in that beautiful place with such a powerful gravitational center.

ASPHODEL SCHOOL - KATHMANDU

Thanks to Shannon, a friend I met during the training, I spent one week painting a mural with the kids at an orphan school in Kathmandu, where I was deeply inspired by those beautiful little human beings.

This trip was not only to another country, to another culture, to the other side of the world, but it was also a journey inside myself. The Yogi Nomad team offered me this amazing opportunity through the Scholarship that they gave me,  and I will always be profoundly grateful with Gaby and Val for their generosity. Thanks to them, today I can tell this story.

Namaste.

Mexico, January 2012

BOUDHANATH, KATHMANDU

* Athayoganusasanam, Patanjali Yoga Sutra I-1

Sail to places you never imagined! By Leah Levinton.

Recommendation to a friend

by Leah Levinton

Hi Elaine!

Very happy to hear from you! Thank you for your patience with my reply...holidays!

Leah

I hope you don't mind that I cc'd Val in this email, I just wanted her to know that I got in touch with you. I was in the same boat last year when I decided to sign up for Yogi-Nomad. The website was incredibly helpful because it's a huge leap to commit to a program that takes place across the world and having not spoken to a past participant or to the program directors.

To be honest, I didn't get in touch with anyone to find out more about the program, the thing that tipped my decision to attend Yogi-Nomad TTC was Gaby's goofy fish/kissy face on the website! (click People, then Teachers, under Gaby) I just got a strong feeling that this was where I needed to be.

The program was utterly transformational. Well, 6 weeks with a full schedule, constant learning and education, intense personal insight, physical and at times emotional demand -- transformation, in my opinion is inevitable. 

This is a special program. This TTC is different from others for many reasons; an obvious one being the additional two weeks they offer for free. (of course, you don't have to attend if your schedule doesn't allow, but I highly recommend it!!) During the first 4 weeks of the training, there was SO much information given that having two more weeks for extra practice hours to teach classes was when I actually began the process of assimilating and digesting what I had just learned. And not to mention learning THAI MASSAGE!! A beautiful complimentary healing modality to yoga!! 

Avril, Leah, Tara, Kayla and friends...

Spending 6 weeks with a small group of people is an amazing experience. You will always feel a deep connection to those people, even if you don't see any of them again after the training. It is also possible that you will experience emotional "ups and downs" during such an intense training. Val and Gaby are beautiful facilitators to help you process and grow from these moments, to truly develop as a human being and understand a deeper connection that we can have with ourselves, other people, and our surrounding environment.

The structure of the program is terrific. When I went, the hours were very long (start the day with 5:30 am meditation and finish around 7 or sometimes 8:30 pm). They did this so we had two days off which was nice because we could explore Nepal over the weekends. It was an opportunity to see how you responded to an intense schedule and it showed me that I am capable of much more than I thought I could handle! I'm not sure what the program outline will be like this year. Yogi-Nomad does a wonderful job incorporating all of the Yoga Alliance requirements for a 200-hr TTC. 

Himalayas...

And not to mention NEPAL!! Last year's program was held in a facility that overlooked the Himalayas, so we gazed at breathtaking, marvelous and humbling mountains every single day. The people are so beautiful, spiritual and warm. (Their hello/goodbye/how are you/I see you/ greeting is Namaste!) Gaby and Val encourage exploration and have connections and tons of information about Nepal, so you can really see and feel the country for yourself.

I could probably go on for quite some time about this program, so let me end on this note: the Yogi-Nomad TTC, Gaby and Val literally changed my life. I absolutely HIGHLY encourage you to jump on this magnificent ship and sail to places you never imagined. Please email me as much as you'd like with more specific questions as they come to you. I'd love to be a support and connection. You shall have an amazing journey, you're already on it!

Leah, Mandy and more friends...

Love, light, sun, and cinnamon

Anchorage, Alaska

January 2012

Yoga Retreats and Teacher Training Courses in Nepal

Yoga is a traditional practice of mental and physical discipline that originated in Nepal and North India that has become very popular worldwide, especially in recent times now that western people are more open minded towards Eastern meditative practices. Though yoga workshops can now be taken in almost every city in Europe and America, for many die hard yoga practicers a yoga retreat in Nepal amongst the majestic Himalayas is the ultimate yoga experience that’s not to be missed. An Everest yoga retreat really is something special.

Kathmandu Valley, Nepal is home to a large number of yoga retreats, yoga workshops, ashrams and wellness centres, offering a large choice of yoga styles, holistic nutrition, and also yoga TTC (teacher training courses); these are visited by people from all over the world, all eager to improve their mind, body and spirit by practicing yoga in the Himalayas of Nepal, home to the humble Nepalese and proud Mount Everest.

There are already several well established yoga retreats and ashrams in the Himalayas that have Everest as a spectacular background for their classes, and the number of yoga retreats in Nepal is growing yearly as more and more visitors make the trip to Nepal to enjoy and learn from the many yoga workshops and yoga teachers that are based there.

Ashrams are traditionally a religious hermitage, though in modern times they often denote a place for various spiritual practices such as music study or yoga. There are a large number of ashrams in Nepal that specialise in yoga training, and they are typically located far away from human habitation so as to be able to offer the seclusion one needs for such a spiritual form of exercise.

Ashrams and yoga retreats in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal offer a wide range of different styles of yoga in their yoga workshops, so when choosing a yoga retreat one must consider what goals they are hoping to achieve with their yoga practice, and then research what style of yoga will be the most beneficial to them. Many of them also now offer holistic nutrition.

Yoga workshops don’t just offer training for people who practice yoga, but they also provide yoga teacher training for people that wish to take their yoga skills to a higher level and begin teaching yoga themselves.

Many of the yoga retreats in Nepal offer full yoga teacher training courses (TTC) in their workshops now and TTC’s are one of the fastest growing branches of the yoga retreats in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Studying a teacher training course at a yoga retreat in Nepal takes students to the next level of the yoga experience introducing new skills, knowledge and awareness of yoga practice, and of course most importantly it teaches one how to pass on this knowledge others.

There is something quite special about being nestled away in the Himalayas of Nepal, on the roof of the world, learning and practicing the ancient art of yoga. Perhaps this is because of the obvious historical association Nepal has with yoga, but there is also something about the Himalayas themselves, the remoteness, being cut off from modern civilization, and of course, beautiful scenery gives the region and Nepal a unique spiritual atmosphere that’s hard to find anywhere else. Whatever it is, visiting an Everest ashram or yoga retreat at Everest is an experience that is not to be forgotten.

A yoga retreat or Ashram in Nepal allows one to take time out from their modern lives and everyday stresses and take the time to focus their attention and concentration on themselves and their physical and mental well being, something that many people forget to do in today’s western society.

The benefits of visiting Nepal for a yoga retreat include the obvious physical benefits of increased strength and flexibility that come with yoga practice, the improved mental state of mind that comes from meditation, and last but not least the very basic relaxation and ‘getting away from it all’ feeling that waking up in the morning and looking out upon a mountain range as impressive as the Himalayas gives you.

Of course a yoga retreat is not only rewarding for the time one visits the retreat, it’s an educational holiday and learning new meditation and yoga techniques at a yoga workshop is a long term benefit that one can take home back to their own country where they continue to use the knowledge they have learned about yoga in Nepal to continue their practice and improve their lives.

Outside of yoga workshops and yoga teacher training courses, a yoga retreat or ashram in Nepal also offers an amazing Himalayan holiday experience and visitors can partake in a number of other activities such as taking long walks, trekking in the mountains, canoeing, cycling, and bird watching.

Yoga is considered beneficial for a person’s health for many reasons, including reducing high blood pressure (hypertension), lowering blood glucose levels, lessening the pain of carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain and arthritis, and even reducing the symptoms of asthma.

It should be noted though that studies on the medical benefits of yoga are not as comprehensive as they need to be able to have definite proof about the benefits of yoga. One of the reasons for this is that many studies on yoga are conducted in Nepal and India and only published in foreign medical journals where the standards of the journalists and researchers cannot be checked and controlled. Though these yoga study results regarding direct medical benefits are inconclusive there is a general agreement in medical circles and amongst yoga practicers that yoga is beneficial to one’s health.

People who practice yoga report better moods, having less tension and more energy after yoga workshops, all giving a better quality of life. There are also the more obvious benefits gained through exercising one’s body with yoga practice such as increased strength, increased flexibility and improved balance. There are several different styles of yoga and each one has its specific benefits so if you are trying yoga to obtain a specific benefit it’s worth researching what yoga style is going to be the most useful to you.

More information about Yoga retreats and yoga teacher training courses (TTC) in Nepal can be found at Yogi-Nomad.org .