Event - Ashtanga yoga retreat with Ty Landrum

Description

The Dance of Siva is one of the crowing jewels of Tantric iconography. More than an image of divine revelry, it encodes one of the most potent teachings about the nature of the mind. It symbolizes the natural unfoldment of psychical phenomena, from the early formation of thought and feeling to the pivotal moment of dissolution that graces us with the opportunity for insight. By decoding this symbology, and contemplating the reality that it represents, we learn to see the inner turnings of our minds in an altogether different and more revealing light, as spontaneous movements of an ecstatic play of consciousness. And we learn to appreciate even the most caustic emotional episodes as poignant opportunities for seeing through our delusions and touching the sublime center of who we are.

In the Dance of Siva retreat, we look closely at this compelling piece of Tantric philosophy, and we uncover the internal scope of practice that it implies, only to rediscover the role of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga in cultivating the kind of contemplative awakening that exposes us to true and lasting insight. More specifically, we rediscover how the rhythmic flow of breath and attention through an intelligent sequence of postural forms can support the unfoldment of revelatory experience, and we continue the thread with chanting, pranayama and guided visualizations of the subtle body.

Through these explorations, we reconnect to the Tantric roots of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. And we learn to use the practice for the purpose for which it was originally designed—to bring awareness down into the depths of embodied experience, and touch something unspeakably sweet and refined—a kind of quiet bliss, emanating from the center of our being, and suffusing every moment of our lives. And we come to appreciate the practice as an opportunity to participate with blistering clarity in the unfoldment of something absolutely divine—the internal revelry of our own experience—which gradually reveals itself as Siva’s Dance.

This retreat will involve a mix of morning Mysore and guided asana classes, followed by pranayama, chanting, philosophy, and a series of afternoon workshops lovingly designed to illumine our theme. The afternoon workshops will be balanced between practical technique (on breath, bandha, postural alignment, adaptation, sequencing, and the like) and reflective mythology. The last half of each afternoon session will be devoted to the mythology of the Siva cycle, so that will be a strong part of the retreat.

This is designed to be a two week experience! The second week will build on the first, and there will be no repetition of content. You are highly encouraged to come for both weeks, but one week stays are also allowed, if circumstances demand it. There are no requirements of technical proficiency, and open-minded beginners are absolutely welcome to attend.