Sedona Yoga Festival 2019

In this workshop we will unpick your monkey mind programming. We will teach you how to stand back and observe yourself, how to step outside of your programmed perception and see things as they are. You'll learn how to observe unhelpful beliefs, unconscious reactions and ultimately raise your awareness. You can then override your conditioning, break bad habits and change unhelpful patterns of behaviour Who are you? Meet your ego How to observe the ego How to transcend your programming Beyond the Self How to access your higher intelligence

Only a human being has the freedom to choose his/her actions! In this study of ourselves, we will learn the principles and techniques from ancient yoga texts which teach us how to make our choices objective and consistent with who we are. Once you understand the anatomy of action, your actions will lead you to success in all you do. Lecture, interactive discussion. Oh, and always a surprise!

The pinnacle of the Goddess archetype is the Wisdom Goddess with side archetypes of the Mother and the luminous Devi. Discover the archetypes of Shakti within us as Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kali, Durga, Tara and Kwan Yin. Unleash this Shakti, within you as the creative power of the One that guides us through all aspects of life transitions and fully express our heroine’s journey to Self Actualization.

Through pictures and storytelling, learn about the pantheon of vedic gods & goddesses described in the ancient Sanskrit texts called Puranas, These deities represent universal archetypes associated with elements, planets, parts of the body, animals, colors and are celebrated in traditional pujas or fire ceremonies. This class reveals the vedic mythology of gods and goddesses as the inspiration of some traditional yoga postures unlocking some of the deeper experiences that can be found in the practices of asana, pranayama and mantra through understanding the deities. Lecture/Discussion

Are you ready to deepen your spiritual practice off the yoga mat? While Sage Patanjali is renowned for the 8-step path of Yoga, there exist even older disciplines of mind purification from India that beautifully facilitate Yogic Sadhana. This class will introduce the Non-dualism (Advaita) based 9 Step spiritual discipline known as Sadhana Chatushtayam, that originated in ancient Vedic Upanishadic lineages, and was later systematized by Adi Shankarachaya in the 8th century. This cognitive thought-based practice remains relatively unknown in the west. For Yogis and Yoginis who struggle to maintain their inner equipoise or samatvam in daily life, these rich teachings provide a different pathway to purify the thoughts, make better life choices, and calm the ego. These practices support us to stay centered and focused on our spiritual goals, while participating fully and gracefully in the world. Ultimately this sadhana prepares us to receive Self knowledge as adhikari – qualified students of Jnana Yoga. Teacher Aparna Amy Lewis, a longtime student of Vedic scholar and lineage holder Acharya Shunya, and member of Veda Sarayu Sampradaya, will be sharing her lineage’s hidden treasure, the Sadhana Chatushtayam, as well as “spiritual case studies”, and her own journey of Self Enquiry as a student of a Vedic Gurukulam. For students who want to go deeper, copies of Aparna’s book Starting Your Spiritual Path (Jan. 2019) will be available.

Explore the practical teachings of India’s most read scripture & the paths of yoga that aid intranscendence. Together they integrate balance into your practice and provide a guide for how to continue down the spiritual path with your unique constitution and beliefs. Karma – Action, Selfless Service, Heart Chakra Bhakti – Faith, Devotion, Mantra, Kirtan, Worship, Throat Chakra Jnana – Knowledge, Wisdom, Third Eye Chakra Raja/Ashtanga – Meditation, 8-Limbs, Crown The Bhagavad Gita has more commentaries written about it than any other book in the world. So rather than offer another narrative, this workshop is intended to help students of yoga by offering them tools to deepen their personal practice with information and experiences that support their understanding of yogic techniques. We will introduce the Mahabharata, India’s longest poem, of which the Gita is a part, and explain some of the historical and symbolic importance of the characters in this epic. Then, we will discuss the meaning of dharma and how to understand and apply it to our life. Finally, we will explore how these yoga paths can be and already are incorporated in our daily live will be supported though the practice of yoga postures, partner work, mantra and meditation.

Manoj will bring in statues of deities such as Ganesh, Shiva, Lakshmi, Buddha,Tara and relate their symbolisms to our journey to enlightenment. Through humorous archetypical story telling, discover your Isthadevata (personal archetype), uncover their secret symbolisms and learn the five ways to work with them as part of a practice towards spiritual awakening.

We are going to symbolically kayak through Jung’s collective unconscious for Hindu/Buddhist Archetypes. And how entertaining story telling fully expresses our hero’s journey to Self Actualization. Uncover their secret Symbolisms & practices and allow them to express through your subconscious mind.