Vajrayoga – A Mahasiddha Reunion: Devotion, Wisdom, and Taras’ Magic
With Dr. Robert Svoboda, Krishna Das, Nina Rao, Michele Loew and Robert A.F. Thurman
December 11 - 17, 2023
Don’t miss your chance to join an all-star team of teachers and practitioners of Indic yogic sciences for a weeklong Vajrayoga study and practice intensive, “A Mahasiddha Reunion: Devotion, Wisdom, and Taras’ Magic” December 11 – 17 at Menla or online. Space is very limited for the in-person option, so sign up now for this amazing opportunity to study and practice with some of the best minds and hearts in the field!
This stand-alone hybrid Vajrayoga intensive explores the so-far little-known common origins and philosophical and practical relationships between Tantric Indo-Tibetan Buddhism and Hathayoga. You will leave this retreat physically energized, personally inspired, and connected with a growing community of students who are looking to go deeper in their yogic studies and practices.
For all morning sessions, the Vajrayoga/Hathayoga practice stream will be navigated by expert yogini, Michele Loew, as she covers a broad spectrum of yogic practices that are most beneficial when practiced together. Through movements strung together on the thread of the breath, we will bring the brilliant core of the central axis out through the forms of the postures, turning them into mudras of feeling and expression so that our practice is an ever-deepening source of inspiration.
For the afternoon teachings, Robert Thurman and Robert Svoboda will lead lively discussions presenting the vast and amazing teachings of some notable Indian mahasiddha adepts. The first westerner ever to graduate from a college of Ayurveda and be licensed to practice Ayurveda in India, Robert Svoboda will present some of the main teachings of the extraordinary Indian Aghori, Vimalananda, with whom he spent many years studying in the 70s and 80s. Robert Thurman will share teachings from the famous Indian master Vimalakirti (whose famous sutra Thurman translated himself) and the Indian Mahasiddha Virupa, relating them to Svoboda’s presentations and giving special emphasis to the female Buddha Tara.
Our evening sessions will consist of riveting all-faculty discussions on the Vimalakirti Sutra, Bhagavat Gita, and other seminal Indian texts, with students encouraged to offer many questions. Kirtan chant-master Krishna Das will join in several of these discussions and will of course also lead some devotional chanting!
On Sunday, Svoboda and Thurman will lead a very special Fire Puja in the central field of Menla’s campus, with all students participating. This puja is a powerful way to celebrate the Buddha’s birth, death, and total enlightenment (as well as our own in the future!) in a gorgeous setting.
The intensive counts for 60 hours of Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Credits!
Click Register Now above if you wish to register to attend in person at Menla. If you can only attend part of the retreat, you may arrange a partial/prorated registration via our Front Desk at frontdesk@menla.org. Please note that we have a two-night stay minimum. Also, we have a few spots reserved in shared housing for those needing partial scholarships. If you are interested in applying for a partial scholarship, please email Michael Burbank at mburbank@menla.org.
* Image used by permission © Thomas Laird, Murals of Tibet, 2018
Schedule
Monday, December 11
- 3 – 6 pm Arrival & Check-in
- 6 – 7 pm Dinner
- 7:30 pm Discussion (Thurman, Loew)
Tuesday, December 12
- 7 – 9 am Vajra Yoga & Tara Practice (Loew)
- 9 – 10 am Breakfast
- 10:30 am – 12:30 pm Morning Session
- 12:30 – 1:30 pm Lunch
- 1:30 – 4 pm Free Time for Spa Appointments, Relaxation, or Self-Study
- 4 – 6 pm Teaching (Thurman)
- 6 – 7 pm Dinner
- 7:30 pm Discussion (Thurman, Loew)
Wednesday, December 13
- 7 – 9 am Vajra Yoga & Tara Practice (Loew)
- 9 – 10 am Breakfast
- 10:30 am – 12:30 pm Morning Session
- 12:30 – 1:30 pm Lunch
- 1:30 – 4 pm Free Time for Spa Appointments, Relaxation, or Self-Study
- 4 – 6 pm Teaching (Thurman)
- 6 – 7 pm Dinner
- 7:30 pm Discussion (Thurman, Loew)
Thursday, December 14
- 7 – 9 am Vajra Yoga & Tara Practice (Loew)
- 9 – 10 am Breakfast
- 10:30 am – 12:30 pm Morning Session
- 12:30 – 1:30 pm Lunch
- 1:30 – 4 pm Free Time for Spa Appointments, Relaxation, or Self-Study
- 4 – 6 pm Teaching (Svoboda & Thurman)
- 6 – 7 pm Dinner
- 7:30 pm Kirtan (KD & Friends)
Friday, December 15
- 7 – 9 am Vajra Yoga & Tara Practice (Loew)
- 9 – 10 am Breakfast
- 10:30 am – 12:30 pm Morning Session
- 12:30 – 1:30 pm Lunch
- 1:30 – 4 pm Free Time for Spa Appointments, Relaxation, or Self-Study
- 3 – 4 pm Chanting with Nina Rao (Rao)
- 4 – 6 pm Teaching (Svoboda & Thurman)
- 6 – 7 pm Dinner
- 7:30 pm Discussion (KD, Svoboda, Thurman, Loew)
Saturday, December 17
- 7 – 9 am Vajra Yoga & Tara Practice (Loew)
- 9 – 10 am Breakfast
- 10:30 am – 12:30 pm Morning Session
- 12:30 – 1:30 pm Lunch
- 1:30 – 4 pm Free Time for Spa Appointments, Relaxation, or Self-Study
- 4 – 6 pm Teaching (KD, Svoboda, Thurman)
- 6 – 7 pm Dinner
- 7:30 pm Kirtan (KD & Friends)
Sunday, December 18
- 7 – 11 am Check-out of Rooms
- 7 – 9 am Vajra Yoga & Tara Practice (Loew)
- 9 – 10 am Breakfast
- 10:30 – 12:30 pm Closing Discussion (KD, Svoboda, Thurman, Loew)
- 12:30-1:30pm Lunch & Departure
*Please note that the schedule is subject to change at any time.
Leaders
Dr. Robert Svoboda was the first Westerner to graduate from a college of Ayurveda and be licensed to practice Ayurveda in India. During and after his formal Ayurvedic training, he was tutored in Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotish, Tantra and other forms of classical Indian lore by his mentor, the Aghori Vimalananda. He is the author of twelve books including Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution and the Aghora series, which discusses his experiences with his mentor during the years 1975 – 1983. In 1972 he earned a B.S. from the University of Oklahoma in Chemistry with a minor in French. After being ritually…
Learn more about Dr. Robert Svoboda
Krishna Das is a Grammy-nominated chant artist and has sung with people all around the world for over 35 years. His music offers the practice of chanting mantras– mostly in the Indian tradition, with some Buddhist and Gospel infusions. By sharing his life experiences on the path in his book Chants of a Lifetime, and workshops with people around the world, participants have found a way to integrate spiritual practices in their lives in a better way with some peace of mind. In 2018, Krishna Das released his 16th album “Peace of my Heart.” Learn more at www.krishnadas.com Suggested Book & Recordings by Krishna…
Learn more about Krishna Das
Nina Rao learned traditional chants from her grandfather in a village in south India when she was nine years old. The chants quietly stayed with her until she rediscovered chanting with Krishna Das in New York in 1996. For many years Nina has been Krishna Das business manager and assistant, and accompanies him musically. In 2007, she recorded the track ‘Nina Chalisa’ on Krishna Das’ CD “Flow of Grace” and in January 2013, she released her debut double-CD album, “Antarayaami – Knower of All Hearts“. She released her second album “Anubhav” in 2018. You can find her interviews on a…
Learn more about Nina Rao
Michele Loew is an international yoga teacher and the founder and director of The Yoga Space in Portland, Oregon. She is known as a teacher’s teacher and is respected for her 200 Hr. & 500 Hr. Yoga Schools and her ability to combine Western knowledge of the body (anatomy & physiology and modern kinesiology techniques) with the Eastern tradition of yoga. She has practiced and taught Hatha & Vinyasa yoga since 1998, having studied extensively in the Iyengar and Ashtanga traditions as well as the Sri Vidya lineage & since 2014, the Kalachakra Yogas. She is known for her keen…
Learn more about Michele Loew
Robert Thurman is Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University as well as co-founder and President of Tibet House US and it’s Menla Retreat & Spa. A world-wide lecturer on Tibetan Buddhism, activist for the plight of the Tibetan people, translator of Buddhist texts, and writer of popular Buddhist books. He recently has been awarded the Padma Shri Award, India’s fourth highest civilian honor for achievement in enriching Indian education and literature. His most recent book is the 300 page graphic novel, Man of Peace: the Illustrated Life Story of the Dalai Lama of Tibet. Suggested Books & Audio by…
Learn more about Robert A.F. Thurman
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