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Yoga La Source

Sanskrit, mantra chanting and bhakti workshop

starts Friday 24 october 2014 at 18:30

 

According to Yoga philosophy, one needs to balance the qualities of the head and heart to fully savor life. Bhakti Yoga is the path of connecting with, cultivating and expanding one's heart to experience Universal Consciousness. Bhakti Yoga is highly recommended for the current times of intellectual overload and analysis paralysis.

In this weekend of Bhakti Yoga related workshops, Ram is going to take us on a fascinating journey, beginning with the origin and evolution of Yoga thru time. He will then introduce us to BhagavadGita, which succinctly delineates the paths of Bhakti, Karma, Raja and Jnana Yogas. A deeper understanding of Bhakti Yoga and Mantra chanting follows next. Thereafter, Ram will introduce us to the Sanskrit language in a way that will allow us to achieve the maximum effect of chanting mantras, singing kirtan, and performing puja, all of which reside within the path of Bhakti yoga.

Take them all for the optimum benefit or mix and match to suit your requirements.

Schedule:

Day Activity
Friday 18:30-21:30

Origin and Evolution of Yoga

In this workshop, we are going to take a trip through history to explore the ancient origins of Yoga, understand if Yoga is a philosophy, religion or science, take 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 meet and greet some Yogic figures in the West to complete our journey. All you need for this lovely trip is an open heart and an inquisitive mind.

Saturday 9:00-12:00

BhagavadGita: Secrets of skillful living for modern times

BhagavadGita is a perennial source of practical wisdom for life. Gita teaches us how to be deeply invested in life and at the same time transcend it too. In Gita, we find transformational wisdom about the simplest aspect of life to the most sublime. From what kind of food to eat all the way to highest Vedanta philosophy. No important aspect of life is left untouched by Gita. Over thousands of years, Gita has guided millions of seekers in their quest to balance spiritual aspirations and societal obligations, contribute their best to the community and lead the 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 BhagavadGita can be an interesting historical document, intriguing philosophical work, instructional manual for how to live life as well as the best self-help book ever written, depending on how one approaches it. Gita teaches how man can attain perfection both as a spiritual being and societal being and leave his indelible footprint in the sands of Time. The wisdom of Gita is indeed 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.

Ram Vakkalanka is going to present BhagavadGita in all its aspects - its historical background, its relevance to today's society, its philosophical aspects and its practical wisdom. He will reveal some of the wonderful  secrets embedded in this ancient text that will simply ‘wow’ you. Regardless of one’s level of familiarity with the text, everyone will find something to take home.

We will also chant some of the sacred verses of BhagavadGita to get a taste of its vibrational energy.

Saturday 14:00-17:00

Revitalize yourself thru Kirtan and Bhakti Yoga

Mantras are Sacred Vibrations that embody specific energies of the Universe. Chanting Mantras attracts the Cosmic Energies, channels them inward and ignites corresponding energies inside the practitioner. Mantras help energize and center ourselves, calm the negative chatter of the mind, deal with addictions, improve self-image, break through obstacles in life and induce inner peace and harmony. Mantra chanting promotes concentration and leads to deep states of meditation. In this workshop, we will learn about the various Cosmic Energies, called ‘Devatas’, and accurate pronunciation of some energizing Mantras. This workshop involves music but no musical training is necessary for participants.

You can see a program of Kirtan with Ram here.

Ram will also share some practical tips about one's personal Mantra practice.

Sunday 9:00-12:00

The Sacred Vibrations of Sanskrit - Kindling the Inner Energy

Sanskrit is an eternal, vibrant language of ancient origins. Sanskrit is a collection of the subtle vibrations of the Cosmic Energies. 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 a meditative state and gently carries the restless mind to quiescence. Learning Sanskrit can be a fun, fulfilling experience and adds richness and authenticity to the yogic lifestyle. This workshop 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 poses
  4. Intro to Sanskrit alphabet, their experiential basis in the body of the practitioner
Sunday 14:00-17:00

Puja - connecting with the inner Divinity

Puja is a form of kinetic Meditation that combines the powerful practices of Mantra, Mudra and visual Meditation. Even though Puja is originally a Bhakti Yoga practice, its practice can be seen in Tantra, Buddhism and many other traditions across the world. Puja looks like an external ritual but is actually a heart-based internal practice that elevates the practitioner to higher levels of consciousness. In this workshop, we will learn how to connect with the Divine inside through Puja, various steps involved in the Puja and participate in a Puja to Ganesha, the remover of obstacles.

Ram will also share practical tips about how one can perform a Puja oneself. Please download his puja guide and steps here.

Join us for an energizing community celebration!

Cancellation Policy

Payment is fully refundable if cancellation is done no later than September 24th. 50% lost if canceled by October 8th. If you cancel after October 8th, you may only be refunded if you are able to find a replacement for your place.

Style: Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti is the spiritual path of yoga whose aim and practices are designed to sublimate the energy of the emotions into a feeling of love and devotion (bhava). In this state of love, all becomes one, and one experiences an expanded state of Self. Go to the Bhakti Yoga page.

Teacher: Ram Vakkalanka

Ram Vakkalanka Ram Vakkalanka was born and brought up in India in a family dedicated to Yogic style of living. He grew up studying the Sanskrit language, BhagavadGita, Upanishads and chanting Mantras as a lifestyle. In his teens, Ram studied music through the Sitar, eventually stepping it up to Nada Yoga. It was in Canada that Ram met his spiritual Guru and that meeting changed his life completely. In 2010, Ram dedicated his life to spreading the sublime philosophy of Veda and Vedic sciences such as Astrology and Ayurveda. Ram travels around the world sharing his deep knowledge of Yogic philosophy, Sanskrit, Nada Yoga as well as Vedic sciences such as Ayurveda. His teachings are simple but profound, filled with current examples and humor. He has released 24 CDs in four languages, one DVD and an online course about the origin and evolution of Yoga. He has appeared on TV as well as radio on numerous occasions.  Go to Ram's page.

Location: Strassen

147 route d'Arlon, Strassen. With oak floors and a warm ambiance, our Strassen center is a haven from the hustle and bustle of city life, located on route d'Arlon near rue de Reckenthal, just 200m from the A6/E25 autoroute. Go to the Strassen page.