Pranayama Workshop at Sintra

The roots of this workshop go back to a lunch we had at Aurolec Canteen in Auroville  on lovely February Sunday. I invited Lisa &Nuno and their family for lunch as well as Maurizio. The idea was to connect these two friends who live in Portugal. Marizio invited four other people (three of them from Portugal) and it became a big gathering with 11 people from Portugal! It is during the lunch that Lisa came up with the idea that Maurizio can help in organizing a workshop at Sintra. Maurizio, Lisa and Nuno discussed this in Portuguese and Maurizio gladly expressed his willingness to see how he can help. 

Maurizio connected with Miguel, who actually organized the event in Isabel’s place. Till I actually landed in Sintra on the day of the workshop, I had no idea that Sintra is a paradise on earth. Nuno explained that there are a few places where the meridians intersect - Sintra and Auroville are two such places blessed with extraordinary energy of Mother Earth. The place is too beautiful words and even pictures. It is a combination of pristine and abundant verdure, undulating landscapes, places of historical and archaeological interest, a bohemian atmosphere created by the fun-loving and large-hearted people. The combination is incredibly powerful and beautiful, filling up the senses and touching the heart.  The place made an indelible impression on my heart and the day I spent at Sintra will remain etched in my memory forever.

The workshop went great and we did two sessions in the garden and the last session indoors due to rain.  The workshop was made special for me by Nuno as he attended two of the sessions.

I am grateful to Miguel, Isabel and Maurizio for this extraordinary opportunity in this beautiful place. My heart is filled with gratitude to Lisa and Nuno for making my travel to Portugal possible and creating opportunities to experience the splendors of Portugal culture.

 

Pranayama workshop at CASA TERRA, Sinagoga, Alagarve, Portugal

This was another instance of pure synchronicity. The day after Lisa and Nuno invited me to Portugal and we talked about the dates, I got a mail from Anna van Remundt asking me whether I could go to Portugal and visit Dorine, her mother and share Pranayama with her. I jumped out of my skin and jumped at the opportunity. Anna attended my workshop in 2012 and she connected me with Mundo in Amsterdam, who hosted me in Amsterdam in 2013. I am enjoying the growing friendship with Mundo and Mundo is organizing the workshops in Amsterdam this year.

The idea emerged that we could do a 3 session workshop for a small group in Dorine’s home. Then Dorine e-introduced me to Maurizio, a landscaping-architect, who has been volunteering at Matri Mandir for more than 7 years. Maurizio came over to Auroville in Jan 2014. It was great that he attended the Pranayama workshop in Savitri Bhavan. When he went back to Portugal and met Dorine, he suggested a place where the workshop can be organized better (and for more people) at Casa Terra http://www.casaterra.pt. What began as a small private group eventually turned out to be the biggest group so far in Europe!

Dorine lives in a pristine, ecologically protected land near a quaint village, Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo, close to Tavira in Algarve, the most beautiful part of beautiful Portugal. Her place is one of the most serene places I ever had the pleasure of staying in. The place is charged with positive energy and you can see the care and love given to every plant and structure in the place that is called O Monte  http://www.montealgarve.com. The experience was further intensified by the charming and kind-hearted hospitality of Dorine, making it unforgettably and immensely enjoyable.

Dorine organized the workshop very well and many of her friends attended the workshop. Doing the workshop was a pure joy for me as the group was very focused, receptive and attentive. It is more than a privilege to share Pranayama with such a group and I don’t have the vocabulary to describe my experience.

I am slowly understanding the Portuguese culture and learning to appreciate the beauty of the people of Portugal. They are essentially fun-loving, large-hearted, easy-going people who love to celebrate life.   

I am grateful to Anna van Remundt and Dorine for this wonderful experience. I am grateful to Maurice for the lovely venue, Ana for her support with charming positive energy and Maurizio for suggesting it. I am grateful to Lisa and Nuno for the invitation to Portugal, making my travel to Portugal and this event possible. I look forward to many more visits to this lovely place and reconnecting with the people and doing workshops and enjoying Algarve.

Integral Being Week-end Retreat at Casa do Limoeiro, Portugal

 This is my first visit to Portugal and it happened because of Lisa and Nuno. Lisa and Nuno come to Auroville every year from Portugal with their adorable four children and Lisa’s mother. Lisa’s father was Indian and they named their eldest daughter “India”. For the first time I have come across India as a name for a girl and what a beautiful name for a girl! Lisa and Nuno amaze me with the ease and grace with which they travel around the world with their children and enjoy doing it. I am fortunate to get to know them and receive an invitation to Portugal. The rest flowed with so much ease that the word ‘synchronicity’ springs to the lips.

I had a grand welcome at the Airport as Nuno and Lisa came along with their four children but my checked-in bag did not arrive. Nuno helped with an overnight change and this was indicative how they cared and helped me throughout my stay in Portugal. The next day was very warm and I enjoyed the lovely beach of Lisbon, watching Nuno and his children.

 Lisa and Nuno introduced me to Tiago who runs Brahmi , a Oriental Wellness Center  http://www.brahmi.pt/ . He responded positively and he very professionally promoted a week-end retreat at a charming, homely, beautiful and quaint place (the home of his ancestors) about 100 KM north of Lisbon. The retreat is essentially a combination of Health (Pranayama), Harmony (Stress Management) and Happiness. We had a fabulous group of highly interested and committed people and the retreat was a beautiful experience in the idyllic country side of Portugal. It was great that Nuno offered a session on healing sounds and Tiago did a Yoga session, making it a very integral and collaborative event.  I missed the Yoga session conducted by Tiago but participated in the Healing sounds session of Nuno. It was a fantastic experience to be immersed in the healing sounds. I did a Pranayama session by the side of the swimming pool for the first time and it was just too good to describe in words.

The great experience was further made memorable with the tasty, sumptuous vegetarian food prepared and the extraordinary hospitality of Tiago’s  parents, who live there.

I would cherish the sweet memories of the week-end with this extraordinary group in a fairy-tale like place of such positive and powerful energy. I am grateful to Lisa, Nuno, Tiago, Tiago’s parents and the fabulous group. I look forward to coming back here again and again. 

Pranayama Workshop at Istanbul

This is a new city for me as a workshop venue. I was in Turkey last year and did workshop on a boat cruise but not in Istanbul. Thanks to Gunnur and Tugay, I could be in this beautiful, historic and wonderful city again and also do a workshop. I continue to be in awe of the pervasive network of Integral Yoga and discover it everywhere and anywhere. I also continue to be pleasantly surprised with the keen and sincere interest of the people of Europe and Turkey in yoga , meditation and personal growth.
I have immensely enjoyed doing the workshop of 3 sessions. It is always a privilege for me to share Pranayama. It is even more so and very enjoyable when it is a keen group in a new city for me. I am grateful to Tugay for organizing the workshop and Gunnur for translating into Turkish.
I am grateful to Tugay for taking me to Blue Mosque, a boat cruise and walk through the famed bazaar of Istanbul. The most pleasant surprise was the visit to the monastery where Rumi began his work as a Sufi saint.
This was the 2nd consecutive year in Turkey. Would 2015 be third? I do hope so.

Health, Harmony and Happiness Retreat at Marmaris

I was the house guest of Guray and Elif in 2013 and enjoyed their kind hospitality. During those couple of days, I got to know them a little and we talked about the possibility of doing a weekend retreat in the summer of 2014. Lo and behold, I start this year’s tour with this event.

More than the event itself, the 3 days at Marmaris were beautiful in the company of Guray, Elif and Hayal, their beautiful daughter. Hayal started speaking English and I cherish the conversations I had with her. A visit to Hayal’s school and seeing her perform in the event for parents was one of the highlights. Elif’s mother was also there along with a friend of hers and together gave me a taste of the famed-Turkish cuisine with so much love and affection. It was fabulous experience to be with this family of three generations and learn from their ‘being’.

The attendance at the retreat was a breakdown. Despite that, it was a very enriching and enjoyable event, particularly because Guray also took part in all the sessions. I am so happy and grateful to Guray to have made all this happen. We need to rethink the strategy for 2015 and beyond to make it viable and sustainable.

Pranayama Session for Savitri Study Group, NY.

 This is yet another workshop made possible, thanks to Julian. I am amazed with Julian and the extraordinary way he networks! He remembers the name and background of very person and he keeps the connection alive and vibrant. He is living Wikipedia of the immense network of the Integral Yoga of the Mother and Sri Aurbindo. It is wondrous to discover the Mani hara of the Integral Yoga Network and I am blessed to have friends like Julian and Wendy, who help me in my journey.

Julian introduced me to Sidharth (Sid for short), who is eh initiator and one of the coordinators of the Study Group. The group meets regularly on Mondays from 7-9 PM. In eh time that I was in USA, the only day that would have worked for me was the Monday of the Memorial Day Long Week-end. I was doubtful whether they would meet on that day. I was pleasantly surprised to get an enthusiastic positive response from Sid.

The event was held in Sid’s flat and we had a small but wonderful group, who were attentive and interested. I was a pleasure and privilege to meet this extraordinary group that meets every week – like a heart beat that maintains their Savitri consciousness. I immensely enjoyed meeting the group and sharing Pranayama with them.

I am grateful to Sid and Julian for making this happen and look forward to meeting this g group next year.