Local Maher Event! Bollywood Dance!

Sister Lucy, as well as two wondrous young men who grew up in the Maher community will be here in our community September 24th. Tickets for a delicious Simmering Tava catered Indian dinner are currently for sale at both Food Coops. Purchase now to avoid disappointment! Last year our tickets sold out. There will be a Bollywood dance class at Presence Studio on the afternoon of the 24th, 1:45 to 3:45, with no advance sign up. Please come and share in community, joyful dance and play, powerful inspiration and delicious food in support of the visionary work of Sister Lucy!

 

Happy Thanksgiving and Corrected Flyer

The first flyer had a typo for the mailing address for registrations: here is a corrected version! All else is the same. Happy Thanksgiving!

Ravi Ravindra Fall 2014

For those planning ahead for Autumn, here is our flyer announcing the next retreat at Turtle Haven with Ravi.We’re especially excited for this theme! There will as always also be a public talk on Friday of the retreat. Let me know if you have any questions; other announcements will be forthcoming.

Inner Yoga: Summer Wednesday Night Series July 16th through August 13th

In another posting, I mentioned a forthcoming series of classes this summer that will follow the 6:15 Wednesday night Turtle Haven class, from 8 to 9 pm. In his book Inner Yoga, Sri Anirvan a great yoga teacher of the last century, says “To create an atmosphere conducive to meditation, a few things are necessary. You must make your lifestyle simple and disciplined, so that there is no unneccessary cause for restlessness or dispersion of the mind. You must develop the habit of remaining satisfied with whatever comes to you, so that your mind remains filled with a radiant gladness. You must keep a watchful eye on what happens in your mind when it comes into contact with external objects, so that this awareness of objects may be transformed into an awareness of self. And always you must cultivate a continuous stream of meditativeness, so the mind never never forgets its chosen object of seeking. To these disciplines, one more may be added— control of speech…..

During these Wednesday night explorations of meditation, we will consider our own personal lives, and our alignment, as well as lack of that, in relation to Sri Anirvan’s ideas of what is necessary in “creating an atmosphere conducive to meditation.”  The subjects for each class will follow the theme presented in the passage above:

July 16: Simplifying Lifestyle and Discipline for Practice

July 23: Contentment with Whatever Comes: Acceptance

July 30: Relationship of External Objects/Perceptions with My Own Inner Self

August 6th: Remembering the the Chosen Object of Seeking: Spiritual Life Woven into Daily Life

August 13th: What is the Control of Speech? How Do I Practice?

 

In our time together, we will engage in some discussion, supportive of establishing a practice of meditation, as well as engage with breathing practices useful in bringing a deeper state of inwardness. And of course we will practice sitting meditation with various methods!

$45 for all five classes; otherwise, $12 per individual class

Note: Please inquire if your financial situation is such that a reduced tuition is needed; no one turned away for lack of funds!

Summer Yoga: Schedule With a Twist

 

 

Summer yoga classes will be on the same schedule as usual, except for Wednesday nights! Wednesdays will be taught with one asana class, and then during certain weeks, there will be offerings in meditation, breathing practices and  suggested short readings, with group contemplation and reflection. This direction reflects my ongoing interest in considering the fullness of yoga practice as a life path. The Wednesday class will be at 6:15 pm  for a mixed level asana class, and details to be announced for the additional study/practice classes.

Please know that I am willing to work out trades/alternate arrangements if you are truly not able to afford coming.
Any 9 classes for $115
Any 8 Classes for $108
Any 7 Classes for $98

Drop Ins $16

Please know that I am willing to work out trades/alternate arrangements if you are truly not able to afford coming.

Summer Quarter will span from June 16th through August 14th, with no class for Tuesday morning the 24th! You may view the schedule also on my Google Calendar, through my website.

Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one’s weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.

Mahatma Gandhi

Shantala Returns to Bellingham for 4th Annual Benefit Kirtan June 22nd!

We are  excited to anticipate another heart warming, community building event with Heather and Benjy and their guest musicians, Sean Frenette and Paul Gorn as Shantala once again joins Friends of Maher Bellingham in a fundraising kirtan! There will also be beautiful hand made bags and other items just purchased from the Maher community,  as well as  Shantala’s items for sale at the event. Our event takes place once again at Jenny Macke’s warm and inviting Presence Studio; Jenny has been a pivotal support for our Friends of Maher events, and we have much gratitude and joy in being in her beautiful space. Amazingly, Heather and Benjy have now synchronistically MET Sister Lucy, the founder and inspiring powerhouse and deep soul who established the wondrous healing community in India called Maher, which means Mother’s Home in the local Marathi language. They have been even more deeply inspired by Maher after their direct encounters with Sister Lucy in the U.S.,  during the same tour when Sister Lucy was here in Bellingham, and various other parts of the country. Of course feel free to visit the Maher Ashram website, as well as Shantala’s!  PLEASE NOTE: we are inviting people to help us during the evening of the kirtan, with set up and take down, as well as with selling items for Shantala and Friends of Maher! Please let me know if you are interested in helping out. And of course we hope you will come to our event, and bring your family and friends! Children may come for free, or for a smaller donation, as needed.