Buddha and the Yogis : Freedom on the Path to Compassion

Days

Hours

Mins

Buddha and the Yogis: Freedom on the Path to Compassion

June 28 - July 03, 2020

Diving deeply into the complementary teachings of Mahayana Buddhism and classical Indian thought, we find at the core the common ground of cultivating compassion within the context of daily life. This turns out to be an essential step toward peeling away layers of confusion and habitual ways of thinking and acting that keep us stuck and unable to experience the interpenetrating nature of all things.During this week of yoga, meditation, storytelling, chanting and lively discussions, we will explore how these two traditions are profoundly relevant to life in the 21st Century. As a backdrop to the practices, we will study sections of the Amrta Siddhi, Yogavaśiṣta, Vimalakirti Sūtra, Narada Bhakti Sūtra and Heart Sūtra, exploring how these practices and teachings stimulate our creative imagination for problem solving as well as how they ignite the intuitive sense of who we really are as part of the ecosystem we call life.

ScheduleSunday, June 28th

3:00 - 8:00pm Check-In

4:15 - 6:00pm Early Arrival Asanas

6:00 - 7:00pm Dinner

7:30 - 9pm Welcome & Opening Discussion (All Faculty)

Monday, June 29th – Thursday, July 2rd

6:00 - 7:15am Mysore-style Open Yoga Practice (Mary and assistant will begin assisting at 6am, but you may begin as early as you like)

7:15 - 8:45am Guided Asana Class (Richard and Mary)

9:00 - 10:00am Breakfast

10:45am - 12:00pm Chanting and Meditation (Richard and Mary)

12:00 - 1:00pm Free time

1:00 - 2:00pm Lunch

2:00 - 4:00pm Free Time

4:00 - 5:45pm Afternoon Class

6:00 - 7:15pm Dinner

7:30 - 9:00pm Evening Discussion (All Faculty)

Friday, July 3rd

6:00 - 7:15am Mysore-style Open Yoga Practice (Mary and assistant will begin assisting at 6am, but you may begin as early as you like)

7:15 - 8:45am Guided Asana Class (Richard and Mary)

9:00 - 10:00am Breakfast and Check Out

10:30am - 12:30pm Closing Discussion (All Faculty)

1:00 - 2:00pm Lunch & Departure

*Please note that schedule is subject to change.

ABOUT THE TEACHERs

Richard Freeman

A student of yoga since 1968 and is one of America's foremost teachers of yoga. He has studied various traditions in Asia which he incorporates into the Ashtanga yoga practice as taught by his principal teacher, K. Pattabhi Jois. Richard is an avid student of both Western and Eas...

Mary Taylor

Mary Taylor began studying yoga in 1971 while earning a degree in psychology. In 1988, Mary traveled to India to study with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and began to see the overlay of yoga with her interests in food, cooking, movement, anatomy and art. Mary has authored three cookbooks ...

Robert A.F. Thurman

Robert Thurman is Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University as well as co-founder and President of Tibet House US and its Menla Retreat & Spa in service of HH Dalai Lama & the people of Tibet. A close friend of the Dalai Lama’s for over 50 years, he is ...

“It was a lovely weekend as it always is at Menla! Thank you. It truly is a special place in many ways. The people who work there and run the place really do make the difference, as they are all very nice and kind. I’ve been to other like places where that typically isn’t the case. I realized this past weekend that just being at Menla is simply awesome!”

Sasha Laumeister

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Terre Blair Hamlisch

“Menla is indeed magical, a place out of time that is rich in presence. The vibrational quality of this sanctuary is palpable as well as the magnificent natural beauty. Healing, peaceful and luminous with Light, a pilgrimage to Menla evokes the proverbial Medicine Mountain, and yet it is so close to NYC. Our Ayurvedic massage and experience at Dewa Spa was transporting, regenerative and deeply nourishing. Looking forward to our next retreat here and sharing this treasure with friends.”

Sarah Drew

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