Celebrations

Earth, Wind and Fire Easter Celebration

3 days

Celebrate Easter exploring the positive qualities of creation. Activate the elements with dynamic yoga, workshops and lectures designed to expand awareness of the 5 tattwas (the elements of nature). The weekend aims to develop a healthier connection to the earth around us, and our core within.

The tattwas infuse every object, action and thought with their inherent attributes. Earth grounds, water creates, fire achieves, air moves and ether houses spirit.

Each morning deepen your understanding with elemental yoga classes and meditations with Acharya (Yoga master) Swami Satyadharma Saraswati. Having studied yoga for over 40 years in India, Swami Satyadharma shines with the qualities of a true Yogini, travelling the world as an ambassador for Bihar School of Yoga. Her classes offer a rare experience into the deeper esoteric practices of yoga and tantra.

Come to know the tattwas through a range of yoga classes, havans (fire ceremony), anna yoga (ayurvedic cooking) and a variety of workshops including practical yoga ecology, recycled sculpture, aboriginal spirituality (with local darkinjung representitive Woolballa), vedic theatre, drumming and contemporary/ kartik dance.

Start the day with a Satyananda Yoga class, breakfast and morning karma yoga. Fire ceremonies will feature widely throughout the program, and will include a midnight havan chanting the 1008 names of shiva.

Merge into the sea of Bhakti Yoga and expand your consciousness with 33 hours of non stop kirtan. Talented musicians and kirtanists from Satyananda Yoga and special guests from Govinda’s Lotus Room in Sydney will play throughout the day and night. Arts, dance and drumming workshops will culminate with a vedic theatre presentation.

Chill out with other yogis and yoginis in the Samadhi lounge, drink Ganapati chai, browse the mela markets, or simply spend the weekend relaxing and enjoying yourself surrounded by the ambience of Nature.

EARLY BIRD FEES -
until March 14th 4:30pm
Shared room:
Adults $240, Children $120
Camping:Adults $216, Children $108
Day only visit:
Adults $80, Children $40

Please note if you have paid already, you can still get the early bird discount, phone reception from Monday 1st onwards to make arrangements - 4377 1171

FEES FROM March 15th
Shared room:
Adults $300, Children $150
Camping:
Adults $270, Children $135
Day only visit:
Adults $100, Children $50

Gosford pickup Friday 4pm - $25, no other public transport options due to Good Friday public holiday.
Drop off to Gosford on Monday 3:30pm - $25
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Guru Poornima

Day or Evening

One of the biggest events on the yogic calender, Guru Poornima, the full moon in July, is a time to honour all spiritual teachers. It is also a time to acknowledge the teachings that come from all the people and situations in our lives. Joining us in the festivities this year is our special guest Swami Satyadharma from the Bihar School of Yoga, India. Activities include yoga classes, havan, chanting, satsang, feasting and kirtan until late.

Fees: by donation

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Navaratri

10 Days

Navaratri is a nine-day celebration honouring the divine warrior goddess, Durga. The story of Navaratri is symbolic of our own inner struggles, and sadhana during this auspicious time is especially valuable in overcoming these. Awaken the latent Durga energy, tune into cosmic consciousness and redirect your life towards positive evolution. You will participate in intensive mantra sadhana, meditation, storytelling, havan, karma yoga and mauna. Experienced yoga students are welcome to attend all or part of this sadhana retreat.

Fees: $600 or $85 per day

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New Years Eve

Overnight or evening

Renouncing the old and creating space for the new begins with a positive resolve. Set that resolve at this uplifting event and share your joy with other like-minded yogis. The festivities include a delicious vegetarian dinner, an indigenous ceremony and celebratory kirtan until late.

Fees: Overnight $65 or 5 pm until late evening $25

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Teachers' In-service Program

2 days

Special Guest & Key Note Speaker Swami Satyadharma Saraswati Swami Satyadharma will inaugurate this intensive development programme.
Renowned for her in-depth knowledge and experience of the classical yogic sciences, she is able to clarify the essential points of living and teaching yoga through her warm and natural communication.
Make sure you take this opportunity to refresh yourself in the living stream of inspiration with Swami Satyadharma.

Yoga & Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
With Rishi Vivekananda
As a physician for 50 years and a consultant psychiatrist for 45 years, Dr Rishi Vivekananda has taken a keen interest in ways to integrate yoga with modern knowledge of the mind, the functioning of the body, in healing, and as a system of evolving the quality of the human personality.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a specific anxiety response in a person, to a severe traumatic life event which they experienced or witnessed. The symptoms are persistent re-experiencing of the event in mind and emotions, persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma, and persistent symptoms of increased arousal. Yoga helps one to heal from the debilitating effects of this condition and other health problems, by offering principles and simple practices which encourage positive change and transformation, reduce stress and anxiety, and help one to sleep, manage anger, and experience positive feelings and thinking patterns. Yoga also provides a philosophy of life which is positive, creative and open.
Discover how Yoga helps one to heal from its debilitating effects through principles and simple practices which encourage positive change and transformation, and a creative and open philosophy of life.

Where yoga teachers stand from a legal perspective
With Swami Nityapooja
Swami Nityapooja uses his vast legal and yogic knowledge to present this serious topic in an easy to understand way. Able to summarise the relevant areas lucidly, this Senior Counsel of the Crown will give us the benefit of the doubt and show us how to stay on the right side of the law.

Yoga Ecology is Dharmic Living
“Nature is the ladder to access the divine.” Swami Niranjan
With Swami Ahimsadhara
Yogic ecology is re-connecting to nature as dharmic living. As yoga teachers we need to continually refine the understanding and expression of dharma in our lives. Havan and tree puja are practices to connect with the gross and subtle tattwas and with the simplicity of yogic lifestyle, aligning us to the energy and pulse of nature.
The ecological crisis is a crisis of disconnection from the source of life at the internal and external levels. Through yoga our consciousness expands and we experience insights and understandings which guide us to a harmonious state. When this harmony is real and meaningful it is expressed in our relationship with the natural world as well as with other people and with our inner self.
Essential practices in Yoga Ecology are havan and tree puja. Developing a connection with the tattwas in their gross and subtle manifestations and the simplicity of yogic lifestyle are key concepts in Yoga Ecology.

History of Tantra With Sannyasi Kaivalyavidya B.A., practitioner of 30+ years, currently teaches, studies Sanskrit and is passionately interested in the history of yoga.
Tantra’s early beginnings are mysterious and it’s development complex. Tantra introduced a whole new approach to spiritual practise which positively embraces the world, mind and body as expressions of the Divine. It attempts to utilize all the energies and experiences of life - even sexual energies - usually regarded as unspiritual. Tantra influences all the major religions of India – Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism - and its many of cults and sects represent a dynamic range of positions, some still considered radical today.

Some Principles of Meditation
With Swami Anandakumar
Student, teacher and exponent in a wide variety of yogic disciplines for over thirty years and travelling the world almost constantly, we are fortunate to have Swami Anandakumar here at this time.
Swami Anandakumar will share some observations and insights into the meaningful practice of meditation, both for enriching your own sadhana and to inform the teaching of meditation to your students.

Chronobiology With Swami Samnayasananda, BSc (Psych, Physiol); BSc (hons) (Physiol); MWSCY; FWSCY, practices as a consultant neurophysiologist, sleep scientist, and certified yoga teacher with over 30 years of experience.
His work explores the neurophysiological effects of certain yogic practices on the brain, heart and autonomic nervous system. This knowledge, particularly the balancing of autonomic activity of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems allows better understanding of how the practices work and how to get maximum benefits without other problems.
Swami Samnayasananda will share the fruits of his research and its practical application for enhanced health and well-being in a 2 hour session.

Chanting
With Swami Muktimurti
Swami Muktimurti has been resident in Satyananda Yoga ashrams in both Australia and India since the 1970’s and is well known for her singing. Having pursued a deep interest in music for the past 30 years, and incorporating her background in devotional singing (kirtan, bhajan and stotram), mantra, classical North Indian music, she has developed an experiential perspective on the practices of Nada Yoga.
Through her warm and generous manner, great ability and perceptive communication, Swami Muktimurti aims to encourage you to discover and deepen your own connection with the music of the spirit.

SYTA membership and Professional Development
With Sannyasin Sivagyana
Previously a senior corporate director, since yoga teacher training at Munger 1995 Sivagyana has taught in diverse areas including detention centres, drug and alcohol rehabilitation and as a counselor. Now President of the Satyananda Yoga Teachers' Association and co-director at Kailash Yoga Centre Sivagyana will discuss the currnet developments of SYTA related to:
- SYTA members website can advertise their yoga classes
- professional development through workshops and on-line modes
- Exercise Science
- bridging courses for those interested in upgrading to the SYA Diploma of Yoga Training
- quarterly newsletter and support for yoga teachers across Australia
- Q&A

Anat & Phys Applied
With Swami Karmayogini
Many of us have already benefited from Swami Karmayogini’s knowledge and practical wisdom, both in the community and the ashram environment.
Her background in physiotherapy and wide experience as a yoga teacher enrich her teaching to give new perspectives to what we think we may know well.
This early morning session and review promises to stretch body, mind and heart.

Qualities of Teaching
With Swami Yogasarita
Swami Yogasarita shares her skill and experience with us in an enlivening early morning yoga session and round table review/discussion. Besides her own long dedication to sadhana, her expertise has been further refined by coordinating and guiding yogic studies and bridging students, particularly through the tricky, difficult and challenging bits.
Follows the Earth, Wind andFire Celebration.

Fees: $240

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