Part of our mission is to offer extended programs to enable people to experience all aspects of Yoga for body, mind and spirit. Examples of these programs include:
- Swami Ramananda Australian Tour – January 2015
- Living Yoga Program - 2016
- Swami Ramananda Australian Tour – January 2017
- Living Yoga Program 2021
Click here to explore some of Swami Ramananda's wisdom on our links page
Swami Ramananda Australian Tour – January 2015
In January 2015 we ran a series of 5 programs over a three-week period delivered by Swami Ramananda, Director of the Integral Yoga San Francisco Institute. Fifty-one participants attended the programs which were offered in Melbourne and in Hepburn Springs. The Melbourne programs included:
- Two evening programs: Work, Love, Lunch & Laundry and In Conversation With Swami Ramananda. In addition a weekend retreat was offered titled Easeful Body, Peaceful Mind, Useful Life.
Two residential retreats were held at Hepburn Springs:
- Transform Your Life (weekend retreat) and Raja Yoga Intensive (5 day intensive).
The tour was extremely successful. For many participants it was the first time they had met a Swami and/ or attended extended Yoga programs and activities outside their weekly classes and they thoroughly appreciated the opportunity to mix with like-minded people. The feedback indicated that participants were extremely positive and enthusiastic about the teaching programs describing them as excellent, thought-provoking, inspiring, relaxing, stimulating, and a great experience. Some of their comments reflected the benefits they received from this experience:
- I appreciate Ramananda's travelling so far, giving so much of his time to others, his knowledge of yoga, his emphasis on good principles for living, the generous spirit with which he shares knowledge and ideas, his openness to others' ideas, and the personal example he sets of humility and devotion.
- It inspired me to think more about the spiritual part of my life
- I liked the very informal relaxed atmosphere. Loved the experience of it
LIVING YOGA PROGRAM - 2016:
In 2016 senior Integral Yoga teachers Chitra Stern and Mitra Dema provided a 12-month program: Living Yoga: A Year Long Commitment to Ourselves through Yoga Practice . Seven attendees met monthly to discuss and share a range of topics which included:
- Yoga in a Western Context
- Daily Practice - Hatha Yoga, Pranayama and Meditation
- Food Awareness
- Overview of Koshas (layers of consciousness)
- Introduction to Non-Violent Communication
- Paths of Yoga
- How the Mind Works
- Affirmations
- Creative Expression and Learning
It was a highly stimulating and rewarding journey of exploration and discovery which strengthened and enhanced the participants’ yoga practices, their health and well-being and journey to further spiritual growth. Here is a photo of the participants and teachers at the completion of the course standing around Louise’s meditation circle which she constructed as goal from the program.
Swami Ramananda Australian Tour – January 2017
Building on our 2015 tour Swami Ramananda, Director of the Integral Yoga San Francisco Institute returned to Australia and ran a series of seven programs in January 2017. Forty-seven participants attended the programs which were once again offered in Melbourne and in Hepburn Springs. The Melbourne programs included:
- two evening programs – An Evening with Swami Ramananda: Yoga Practice and Q & A and Ecstatic Chanting and the Wisdom of Yoga with Jarek Czechowicz;
- A Private/Small Group Session/ Mentoring and Integral Yoga Teachers’ Practicum
- A day workshop – Yoga for Stress Management
In addition two residential retreats were offered:
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- a weekend retreat titled How Yoga Heals and a 4-day Intensive Meditation and Yoga
The feedback was once again extremely positive with participants experiencing Swami Ramananda as inspiring and amazing and a wonderful teacher and many commented on their own learnings and enjoyment. They stressed the:
- Valuable content, pace great and teaching style very supportive and encouraging of everyone to practice at their own level.
- Venues were sympathetic, sensitive to our needs, catering delicious and inspiring.
- What a wonderful couple of weeks we have had sharing Swamiji's wisdom and teachings and each other's company. Thank you so much for organising such a fabulous program. Everything seemed to run so smoothly. Thanks for all the glorious classes and all the sharing of wisdom,
- The retreat came at a special time in my life and the theme of healing was very timely. It exceeded expectations. Wonderful.