The 2014 Sedona Yoga Festival Schedule is here... Feel free to browse and familiarize yourself with the offerings... Pre-registration is open to All Access Pass Holders!!! Buy your ticket now to be among the first to choose your own adventure at SYF2014!!!!
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www.sedonayogafestival.com
This is a SEPARATE Pre-Festival Event. You MUST register separately (above) from the SYF2014 "main event" to attend. You may also register and/or purchase Festival passes here: http://sedonayogafestival.com/purchase-tickets/
We are proud to present a one of a kind Pre-Festival Experience that is transformative and is for anyone, no matter your age, physical ability or level of yoga experience. The creators of the Ageless Program Nick Montoya and Javier Montoya will be leading this pre-festival day based on the four Ageless transformative steps of:
1. LET GO 2. PEACE 3. REJUVENATE 4. CREATE
You will definitely want to sign up for this day if:
- You have never done or tried yoga; never been to a yoga festival, but want to
- Want to be introduced to yoga in a non-invasive way – Want to meet other beginners like yourself
- You are not as mobile as you used to be
- Healing from a life transition experience
The Ageless Program style of teaching includes live music, breath, chakras, meditation, education, nutrition and an introduction to various yoga styles.
Nick and Javier specialize in teaching beginners and experienced yogis alike how to be their healthiest best. One of Nick’s key messages: “It is only in being our healthiest best, that we can effectively serve the rest.” Their popular DVDs “Ageless Yoga with Nick Montoya” and “Ageless Movement & Breath From Your Chair” have helped thousands of people on their journey to a healthier lifestyle.
You will experience their teaching first hand in this pre-festival session that will build lifetime friendships and build a solid foundation for your yoga journey. Live music by Javier throughout the day is an experience unto itself.
The entire full day, from 9am – 6pm will take place at the premiere L'Auberge de Sedona Resort, just right for beginning your Sedona yoga experience.
Agni meaning the cosmic fire in Sanskrit is a ancient ritual of capturing the unique pranic & celestial energies that pour on the earth at the moment of sunrise and sunset.These time periods are often chosen to do special spiritual practices to harness and celebrate the changepoint from dark to light and the release of the light to the night. The Sun has for thousands of years been regarded as the embodiment of divinity or god. In a copper pyramid called a kunda, a fire is lit made of cowdung and ghee and at the moment of sunrise and sunset, an offering of rice and ghee are made to the mouth of agni dev as a simple mantra is chanted. Each morning will include planetary mantra, setting of intention and silent meditation as a preparation for the day.
Join veteran yoga instructor, Johanna Maheshvari Mosca, PhD, for a clear picture of the ingredients that make up the “Wide World of Yoga.” If you’ve ever been confused about terms used in Yoga, this is your chance to understand the eight limbs of yoga, the various types of yoga, and the ten core Yoga principles for harmony and well-being.
After introductions and centering, Maheshvari will lead an interactive discussion of the eight limbs of Yoga from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, a review of various types of Yoga (Hatha, Bhakti, Jnana, etc.) and the ten Yoga principles to achieve lasting contentment. Workshop will include discussion of key yoga sutras to combat suffering and Johanna’s original 4-step process for handling life’s upsets. The workshop will close with a guided meditation to clear and enlighten your mind, emotions and body.The meditations that you’ll learn are powerful, yet simple to do, and easy to keep doing. They include:
This collection of practices is called the SEED Meditation Method : S for simple, E foreasy, E for every, and D for day. Meditating is like planting a seed – an intention - and watching it grow.
Each person has their own reason for learning to meditate, and whatever it is, whatever their intention is, it serves as the seed that will be nourished by the deep silence and possibility that meditation brings. The seed grows into the fruits of meditation: inner peace, creativity, inspiration, harmonious relationships, fulfillment, better health, more self-awareness, and so much more.
"A seed hidden in the heart of an apple is an orchard invisible." -Welsh Proverb
"If you want to learn something, read about it. If you want to understand something, write about it. If you want to master something, teach it." – Yogi Bhajan
Interested in teaching yoga? Join us for a candid discussion about teaching yoga and the opportunity to practice teach in a safe and supportive setting. Bring your questions and curiosity as we explore the transition to teaching yoga and take a playful and juicy journey into practice teaching.
We’ll cover such topics as:
• How do I know if I’m ready to teach?
• What’s my calling as a teacher?
• How can I play to my strengths while working on my weaknesses?
• How can I get more experience practice teaching?
• What should I look for in a teacher training program?
• What should I look for in a teacher trainer?
• What are the differences between trainings in the United States vs. India?
• How can I prepare for the transition from student to teacher?
• And so much more!
Expect plenty of time for practice teaching!
Preparation: Please wear comfortable walking shoes and warm comfortable clothing. Please bring extra layers, water and your camera for photos.
Bio for Anahata Ananda:
Blending the compassion and tenderness of an Angel and the wisdom and strength of a Shaman, Anahata guides journeys of profound healing and awakening. Anahata has trained extensively with gifted shamans, energy healers and spiritual teachers from Peru, India, Asia and North America in order to artfully integrate the fields of energy healing, self-empowerment, shamanic teachings, emotional release, spiritual studies and visualization techniques. Anahata masterfully creates a safe and loving space for inward transformational journeys that empower individuals to release their fears, open their hearts and reclaim their power. During her healing sessions, Anahata facilitates profound and lasting shifts that enable one’s true radiance to shine in all areas of life. Her extensive client base spans the globe and includes business professionals, parents, couples, healers and individuals of all ages, who seek to heal and awaken their fullest potential.
Anahata is the founder of Shamangelic Healing based in Sedona, Arizona, where she offers a wide range of Shamangelic sessions, personalized and group retreats, soulful land journeys, sacred ceremonies and annual Sacred Equinox Journeys to the Sacred Valley of Peru. She is also the founder & primary instructor for Sedona’s Shamangelic Healing School where she offers essential training courses in Empowerment, Awakening, Energy, Healing Tools, Shamanic Teachings and Shamangelic Breathwork.
For detailed descriptions of Anahata’s transformational healing and spiritual awakening services, training courses and upcoming retreats, visit www.ShamangelicHealing.com.
Can you remain immune to criticism or disapproval of others?
Can you feel the deep sense of meaning behind every manifestation and embrace the imperfect world?
Can you really stop judging yourself and others and open your heart to Real Love?
This workshop is a transformational journey into discovering divinity within yourself and within all living creatures.
If Inner Freedom is your quest, this workshop is for you!
Experience a dynamic workshop designed to promote balance and take the adventurous yogi to a deeper level of self-awareness. Using 7 specially focused Salutations related to each of the 7 Chakras we will learn how to unblock all mental & physical barriers so we can manifest the happiest life ever!
Through the ancient study of the chakras—conduits of energy—we will promote self-healing through harmony of heart, mind and body. This is an ideal way to discover how stress, family history, unresolved emotions, past traumas, and bad habits can cause your chakras to become energetically blocked. Learning about your chakras enables you to use Yoga Psychology and apply abstract concepts to your life in practical ways. Once you understand how your emotional expression affects your behavior, you can become un-stuck. You will be empowered to make better choices based on your right to feel, to love, to see, to speak, to understand. This way, you can attract the energy you want and design the your most joyful life!
Some key topics covered include:
· What are chakras? What is the key focus and personality traits of each chakra?
· What is the root or foundation for happiness?
· Where are your Chakras Excessive?
· Where are your Chakras Deficient?
· How can you work with your dominant Chakras?
· Which are the Chakras of Manifestation?
· Which Chakras guide healthy Relationships?
· Which Chakras help you Communicate with greater confidence?
· Which Chakras do you focus on to help you relax and de-stress?
· How do you balance your Chakras with poses, pranayama and meditation, mantras, colors and healing stones?
Agni Sara will redefine how you look at the core. This in-depth look at one of the most strengthening, applicable and impressive practices of yoga could not enhance your practice, but could change your life.
Your digestive fire, or agni, is the foundation on which good health is built. ‘Sara’ means essence. Through this practice you create – and become - the energy, light and transformative qualities of fire. Practiced regularly, agni sara increases metabolism, tones core muscles, improves circulation to internal organs, strengthens the pelvic region, improves elimination, promotes reproductive health, exercises the diaphragm, massages the heart and lungs, increases energy, and elevates mood. Agni Sara practice builds core strength from the inside out and provides the foundation for the deepest abdominal work—nauli kriya. The ancient yoga texts say agni sara cures all digestive illnesses and that if you have time for only one yoga practice each day, choose agni sara.
Yoga and Mysticism for Women
Pregnancy through Menopause
The quest of the mystic mother is to lead a child into the world and make it a better place to dwell. We do not need to wait until the kids have left home to deepen our spiritual practice that balances the mind and body. During the magical times of great change, such as pregnancy and menopause, we need to cultivate more earth element and apana vayu. In this part lecture/part practicum, we will be exploring the needs of women at these major junctions in her life.
Inspired by the magic of motherhood, Camella has authored a book "Prenatal Kriya Yoga" and designed a home study teacher training course. She has been teaching yoga to hundreds of women and leading women’s groups for over a decade. She will be sharing some inspirational insights during this workshop, enabling us to cultivate our connection to The Divine Mother within us all.
The two most used and abused words in our language and perhaps any other, are the words “I am”. Any guilt, shame, judgement or worry that we can imagine arises from a sense of our own mistaken identity. What does “I am” imply? How many of us are qualified to use those words with any sense of authority? This fireside talk and group discussion will be on the notion of identity. We will discuss “who” we are, “where” we are, and what it means to be a vehicle of consciousness.
Essentially, whatever we identify ourselves as being or not being is inaccurate. Any pursuit of individuality that does not conclude in the ultimate awareness of unity misses the point. What does it mean to hold consciousness in individual form while the common source of consciousness makes the all-inclusive “I am” inevitable?
As cerebral as this may all sound, this fireside talk will be casual, fun, and down to earth. Please bring your open minds, and be prepared to flip the “bypass switch” on your ego. Group participation and a variety of perspectives is encouraged.
--“Facets of Infinity”- a short film by Chris Spheeris.
The unfolding of this film takes place in the theater of the mind, in the deep and often forgotten wells from which the magic of perception springs forth. Somewhere in the the 90% “dormant” mass of grey matter, we all perceive the design of things, we all sense the perfect orchestration of life as art, and we all comprehend the multi-dimensional existence in which we flicker and dance. This film has been ten tears in the making as techniques were developed to move the imagery from the representational to the deeply dimensional. The still images, exclusively of North American cacti and succulents, come alive as they fold onto themselves into mandalas and kaleidoscopes and reveal worlds and “truths” that feel at once abstract and oddly familiar.
Agni meaning the cosmic fire in Sanskrit is a ancient ritual of capturing the unique pranic & celestial energies that pour on the earth at the moment of sunrise and sunset.These time periods are often chosen to do special spiritual practices to harness and celebrate the changepoint from dark to light and the release of the light to the night. The Sun has for thousands of years been regarded as the embodiment of divinity or god. In a copper pyramid called a kunda, a fire is lit made of cowdung and ghee and at the moment of sunrise and sunset, an offering of rice and ghee are made to the mouth of agni dev as a simple mantra is chanted. Each morning will include planetary mantra, setting of intention and silent meditation as a preparation for the day.
Girish Chant Workshop
Girish’s chanting immersion is for anyone seeking to bring the bliss of Sanskrit chanting into daily life or to deepen an existing chanting practice. You’ll explore several of the most powerful Sanskrit mantras and offer practical guidance on integrating them into your yoga, meditation, or pranayama practice. No previous experience necessary!
Girish’s chant workshop covers:
· The tradition of Bhakti Yoga (the Yoga of Devotion)
· The sacred power of Sanskrit
· The Gayatri Mantra
· Chants to the Goddess
· Bija Mantras (mystical seed sounds)
· The Hanuman Chalisa
· Meaning, pronunciation, and yogic application of all the chants
· Resources for further study and inspiration
Cooking the Yoga Sutras
Bringing the ancient yoga teachings to the table for easy digestion
By using the kitchen and cooking as a metaphor for these ancient yogic teachings, those who have found the sutras and other spiritual texts a bit elusive will learn how to bring some vital sutras alive in a very practical way within their home kitchen . Find out what the significance of Adam eating a lemon and not an apple is, as well as, why honey is a great metaphor for “Abhinivesha klesha”, or our clinging to the physical body. Camella Nair (Swami Nibhrtanada) is one of a few ordained women sharing the wisdom from the Kriya Lineage, embodying what the Dali lama has said about the western woman; that they will bring a powerful shift to mankind that will help the world.
Some food tasting.
In this workshop, see how to put all of this into practice.
Australia’s submission for the Academy Award and winner of the Best First Feature award at the Berlinale and Best Narrative Feature at Tribeca, The Rocket is a heartwarming, triumphant tale of self-love set entirely in Laos.
Ahlo is the 10-year-old surviving twin of a difficult birth and is believed to be cursed. When Ahlo and his family are displaced by the construction of a dam, further tragedy strikes as they relocate. Upon reaching the relocation village, Ahlo befriends young Kia and her eccentric uncle Purple, but is still ostracized by the superstitious community, and even by his own family. Ahlo decides that his only hope of redemption is the Rocket Festival: a riotous, and dangerous, annual competition where huge bamboo rockets are set off to provoke the rain gods. Set amidst a beautiful landscape, The Rocket is a powerfully moving and uplifting film.
“One of the truly special films of the year.” Unseen Films (US).
“Endearing, gripping and heartwarming…The Best And Brightest Of The 2013 Tribeca Film Festival”, Indiewire.
“Captivating…a total crowd-pleaser, deserving of its wild praise.” CinemaBlend (US)
Reel Healing Circle
Sarah Payne Naylor is a life, career, and leadership coach who is passionate about working with people to facilitate spiritual and personal self-exploration. Prior to this work she was assistant director for public policy in the Lutheran Office of Governmental Affairs in Washington, D.C. As a member of the Board of Directors for Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, she traveled to refugee camps around the world. She is the author of the well-received book “Crossing Rough Waters: Journey from Fear to Freedom,” and was featured in the film, “THE SONG WITHIN,” a production of Wise Women Circles filmed in Sedona. Sarah will take us on a powerful faith journey, showing us that Source will see us through, especially during life’s challenges. These rough spots can provide lessons to help us grow stronger and consider the possibility of something new. Be unique. Be God’s gift in the world. This is a message of hope. If you are seeking more joy in your life and possess the courage to realize your potential and grow, this is a workshop you will treasure.
Your yoga practice and teachings have led you to All That Is. You are inspired to give, to be of service. So much excitement, so much desire. You stand at the threshold, poised to give financially… and then… your core beliefs of lack, limitation, guilt, powerlessness, unworthiness, abandonment and fear of death itself rise to the surface.
“If I give, I won’t have.” Yet it is our giving that opens up our true recognition that we already have everything. The Universe doesn’t withhold. It doesn’t give to get, or keep score, or hold resentments or wait until it sees what it gets from you. It is an Ever Present, Ever Trusting, Infinite Flow. And so are you.
Come bridge the gap between your soul’s longings and your experience-based fears. In this 2-hour laughter- and tear-filled workshop, we will:
Uncover the locations in your body where you feel resistance to each core belief
Heal resistance to financial giving and re-giving
Move beyond the traditional paradigm of giving and receiving
Cross the bridge from resistance to flow when it comes to financial tithing
Shift your perspective from believing your good comes from your hard work or you don’t fully deserve infinite good to KNOWING you are One with the Flow.
Extensive Q&A time will be provided so you can personalize this session to meet your heart’s highest desires.
Langenburg’s mission on a grand scale is to clean the world’s water, and we believe we will accomplish this monumental task. We’ll be sharing with attendees insights into this newly released technology that is poised to clean the world’s water on a large scale with alternative energy our by product. We are honored to have the opportunity to share the benefits of our perfect water and share with you insights into a technology poised to change the world.
Chocolate Kundalini – More Power To You!
Have you ever wondered what Kundalini is? How to find it? How to clear the blocks inside of your body, inside of your heart, inside of your mind that are preventing you from manefesting the life you want to live now? Come to this playful, fun, informative, Challenging and enlightening Chocolate Kundalini Workshop and experience more power to you.
Looking forward to seeing you "here"!
In this exciting workshop, we will be invoking the sensotorium of taste, smell, pleasure and adhering this experience to the limbic system which regulates our storage of emotion, memory and behavioral choice making of the human mind. Invoking the limbic system, will help your manifesting a align with your focused intention in a more current way.
together we will begin a journey by invoking the inward process with a sampling of Ginni's raw sensational "Dimensional Chocolate". We will continue on the healing path of yoga learning about our own energetic systems, our chakras and discover mantras, mudras, kryias and more.
You can expect to leave with an enhanced sense of well-being, inner equilibrium and balance, expansion of consciousness, greater awareness of self, improved general health and a BIG BRIGHT OPEN-HEART!
Kundalini yoga strengthens over 72,000 nerves in the body, clears energy blockages, balances the glandular system, purifies the bloodstream and so much more. It brings balance to the body, mind and soul. Kundalini gives us the tools for positive, empowering attitudes and thinking and builds strength and self-awareness so that we can fulfill our highest callings in life.
Although this workshop is only two hours long, you will walk away with LONG LIFE LASTING BENEFITS!
Ginni Selle, PhD is a graduate of the ecole chocolat Professional School of Chocolate Arts and Chocolatier of Dimensional Chocolates. Starting with raw, stone-ground cacao, each raw, organic chocolate is hand crafted from scratch to include some of the most influential herb adaptogens and superfoods available. Using a low-glycemic, nutrient-dense sweetener, Dimensional Chocolates are vegan, free of any processed sugars, soy, dairy, corn, gluten or fillers. Full of enzymes, minerals and nutrients, chocolate this dimensional, sensual and rich is just good medicine. DimensionalChocolates.com 630-730-1871
This presentation is an introduction to the conflict resolution and mediation work of Rama Jyoti Vernon, used to bridge cultural differences to form alliances and transform stereotypes.
Based in the philosophy of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the first phase of the training begins with addressing conflict closer to home within one’s relationships in family and community. The deeper understanding of yoga through its philosophy is ideal preparation for developing citizen diplomats or those who feel called into community activism.
In BREATH OF THE GODS, director Jan Schmidt-Garre goes in search of the origins of Modern Yoga, which is practiced by tens of millions of people throughout the world, and originated in the early 20th century through the teachings of Indian savant T. Krishnamacharya. The documentary follows Schmidt-Garre's investigations into authentic yoga, meeting both relatives and students of Krishnamacharya along his journey.
The film features major names of Yoga including Pattabhi Jois and B.K.S. Iyengar. Jan Schmidt-Garre investigates the transformation of Yoga from its introduction to Western culture in the 19th century, when the practice was met with skepticism, to its widespread acceptance gained through Krishnamacharya's teaching. While Yoga today is a billion-dollar industry with many devotees, this film presents the history of an ancient, sacred tradition with roots going back to the god Shiva.
For anybody curious about the roots of Modern Yoga as practiced today, this film provides an in-depth history, placing the practice of yoga in a spiritual context, the practice of which can lead to union with the cosmic Self.
Explore the emotional, psychological and spiritual aspects of the human journey through film. The REEL HEALING Series pairs mainstream movies with expert wellness practitioners and speakers to facilitate powerful personal growth and evolution.
ILLUMINATE is the country’s premiere experiential film festival for mind-body-spirit cinema. Dedicated to spreading enlightened ideas and elevating consciousness on a mass scale, ILLUMINATE showcases the best of conscious media to uplift, inspire, and transform. World-class workshops complement film screenings, featuring expert practitioners and thought-leaders in consciousness, wellness, raw and organic food, spiritual practice, and sustainable living. Aimed at becoming the country’s first market for mind, body, spirit films, ILLUMINATE is poised to become a landmark destination and launching platform for conscious entertainment.
Agni meaning the cosmic fire in Sanskrit is a ancient ritual of capturing the unique pranic & celestial energies that pour on the earth at the moment of sunrise and sunset.These time periods are often chosen to do special spiritual practices to harness and celebrate the changepoint from dark to light and the release of the light to the night. The Sun has for thousands of years been regarded as the embodiment of divinity or god. In a copper pyramid called a kunda, a fire is lit made of cowdung and ghee and at the moment of sunrise and sunset, an offering of rice and ghee are made to the mouth of agni dev as a simple mantra is chanted. Each morning will include planetary mantra, setting of intention and silent meditation as a preparation for the day.
Born in Southern California, John M. Soderberg spent the first 18 years of his life in Central and Southeast Asia, and circled the world eight times before graduating high-school in Bangkok, Thailand. Gil Gillenwater has travelled much of his life, and among many other countries, extensively studied and explored in Tibet. Both, in their own way, have been fascinated by, and explored, the human experience. John became a member of Gil’s Rancho Feliz Charitable Foundation in its early days, and both have worked together since 1988 on numerous humanitarian projects and charitable efforts. After Gil’s latest immersion in Tibetan culture and sacred landscape, he told John of his experiences and realizations, and invited him to sculpt the Tibetan goddess Vajrayogini.
John had been moved for some time to work in that direction, and Gil formally commissioned him to do the sculpture. They worked together for three years designing this piece, and all of the elements involved, as John sculpted her. In the truest sense of the word, the bronze Vajrayogini evolved. This evolution began in the early lives of John and Gil, in their explorations, interests and growth, and continued through their design partnership. Following, in their own words, is an introduction to this evolution of the bronze Tibetan goddess Vajrayogini.
John M. Soderberg: "I was six or seven years old when the Dalai Lama came to Kashmir. He came to see the movie about the holy-man Moses, with Charlton Heston. I was living at that time with my family on a carved wooden houseboat on Lake Dal. We also went to the movie, and I still vividly remember the Dalai Lama’s face as he smiled at me, in the gardens outside the theater.
In the 1940s, my father had been commissioned by the king of Afghanistan to build the first engineering school in the country. The first five years of my life were spent there, where I sculpted in mud and clay, and began painting in oils. We then moved to India for six years, living mostly in New Delhi, but spending much of the time travelling and exploring from Sri Lanka to Madras, Srinigar, Nepal and Assam. International attention was on India then, and I met President Eisenhower, Prime Minister Nikita Krushchev, Prince Phillip, others, and had tea in the palace with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru when I was seven years old.
The art of India marked me deeply. From the carvings on the ancient forgotten temples my brothers and I found and explored in the jungles and forests, to the intricate sculpture in the bazaars, and the storytelling paintings of the Ramayana, I discovered my passion. Every Sunday, in New Delhi, Tibetan gypsies would show up in front of our home and spread out a blanket on the driveway. From bulging bags, they would pull out pots, jewelry, ceremonial knives, and sculptures in jade, wood, and silver. They laid everything out in rows on the blanket. I would spend hours holding and studying the art.
When I was eight years old, my family and I rode on horseback from Northern India up to the foothills of the Himalayas, and the glaciers. We rode for several weeks, sleeping in small dark bungalows in mountain meadows. We caught our horses after breakfast around a fire in the morning, and rode on. The beauty was immense. Two months later, I stood alone inside the Taj Mahal, next to her tomb, on a full moon at midnight, looking through the filigreed marble walls at the moonlight reflecting from the lily ponds.
When I was 11, we moved to Thailand. At 12, I began studying teakwood carving with the leading master in the country, a Buddhist monk. Every weekend, we would set up in old-town Bangkok near the 90 feet long reclining Buddha, and carve all day on Buddhist angels, dragons, etc. The master would speak as we worked of his childhood, of Buddhism, and of art. My high school was the International School of Bangkok. We had over 90 nationalities represented. For a time, my girlfriend was a Buddhist Cambodian.
I studied various martial arts from age 13 or so, and spent much time in various dojos around Bangkok. I studied with Koreans, Japanese, Americans, and Thais, and made my Black belt by age 17. It was an important time in my development, as an artist and as a student of humanity. From as early as I can remember, I have been fascinated by people, and have been drawn to philosophy and psychology. I have been most led to those essential human elements that serve to unify people over the superficial barriers which too often separate them. The evolution of my art has been to document and explore the essence of humanity, and this led me to service-work in the early 1970s.
After high school, I flew to America in the late 60s to attend university in Washington State. Due to culture shock and the unrest of the late 60s , I dropped out, painted for a year on the street in Berkeley in the middle of the People’s Park riots, then enlisted in the Marine Corps. I taught martial arts in the military, and became involved with service-work, mainly stress and drug-abuse counseling. After my Honorable Discharge in 1973 I worked as a tool and die maker-machinist, painted and made jewelry at night, and expanded my volunteerism. I became most involved with charitable groups, which focused on women and children in need.
In 1976 I committed my art-life to bronze sculpture, and have worked exclusively in that medium since. I have continued to expand my service-work involvement, and have used my sculpture to benefit numerous organizations including Amnesty International, Rancho Feliz, Free the Slaves organization, one of the Paul Newman Hole in the Wall Gang camps for seriously ill children, domestic abuse shelters, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, the Advancement of Women for Northern Arizona University, community service clubs, and other causes. In 1998 I received my Ph.D. in Humane Letters from Northern Arizona University, and a year later was Knighted by a Swedish Count for service-work, and for art achievement.
I have sculpted numerous historically influential figures including Christ, Moses, Merlin, Norman Vincent Peale, Billy Graham, Steven Biko, Poseidon, Archbishop Fulton Sheen, St. Catherine of Siena, Sacajawea, Gil Gillenwater, various corporate founders, and others. I have sculpted several Asian-theme pieces over the years, but for the last decade have felt a strong pull to sculpturally explore more deeply the influences of my childhood. I have begun this process with the bronze "Vajrayogini." It feels very good to come home."
Gil Gillenwater: "I am a life-long resident of Scottsdale, Arizona. I am a yoga and meditation practitioner, an outdoorsman, a traveler and a black belt in Kenpo karate. In addition to this, or should I say because of this, I am also a philanthropist.
My interest in Buddhism and Eastern thought came directly through my fascination with the human mind. As an existentialist, I have always been intrigued with consciousness and our unique ability to create realities through the study and power of our minds.
My quest led me from positive thinking, to hypnotism, to Hinduism and eventually to Buddhist meditation master Chögyam Trungpa and his "Shambhala, the Sacred Path of the Warrior". (Little did I know how prophetic the words "Shambhala" and "Warrior" would be in my life.) Discovering "service to others" as an ego-diminishing, fast-track to awareness, in 1987 I founded the Rancho Feliz Charitable Foundation, Inc. (www.ranchofeliz.com). I have since devoted a major portion of my life to service. This is my chosen path to awareness. In 1993 I took my Bodhisattva vows from the Dalai Lama. In 2006 I founded the Guardian Warrior Foundation, Inc., a self-funded charity established to support Rancho Feliz and to promote its concepts on a global basis.
In 1999, I was a recipient of the Hon Kachina Award, Arizona’s highest honor for volunteerism. In 2000, I was one of five members throughout the United States chosen to receive the National Association of Realtors, "Good Neighbor Award", likewise honoring volunteerism.
My interest in Buddhism led me to Tibet in 1994. Obtaining some of the first permits to enter the forbidden Pemako region, my brother and I smuggled a 12-foot paddle raft into southeastern Tibet. Here, with two companions, we made a "first descent" attempt down the world’s highest, remotest and wildest river, the Yarlung TsangPo. This was my first of three ventures into the revered Beyul Pemako region – the "Hidden Land of the Blossoming Lotus", the Shambhala of Tibet. It was here that I was introduced to the female Buddhist meditational deity -- Vajrayogini.
Vajrayogini is repre
...This class will provide a basic asana practice proven effective in working with incarcerated veterans to address the effects of accumulated trauma in the body and to discharge the ongoing trauma resulting from living in the chaotic environment of prison. The class will include a yoga nidra session.
In prison you’re on edge 24/7. You never know what is around the next corner. You can be rolled up and placed in administrative segregation at any moment with no cause, or maybe you offended someone, so he and his friends lie in wait to beat you down. In many ways prison is more dangerous than combat. In combat, when the patrol is over you have the relative safety of base camp. Prison is a free-for-all, anytime and any place. Marine Corp combat veteran and current San Quentin prisoner
Ha Tha: Unlock the mystery and power of extreme polarities
Through the mere definition of hatha, ha = sun and tha = moon, we can get a glimpse into the opposing energies in this ancient and powerful practice. Learn how these dynamically opposed forces can not only co-exist, but actually become supportive partners on your journey of life and healing. The power unleashed when these forces work together creates an explosion of energy and strength. And, ultimately, you will find the constant that lies beyond the polarities - your guiding light; your pure intuition; your true self.
Enjoy the music of East Forest's live ethereal soundtrack for a dreamy fluid practice that will flow into a meditative and deep sound healing savasana designed for to help facilitate a healing inner journey.Cultivating peace within yourself is the best way to bring peace to the world. Join the globally broadcast Sedona Yoga Festival meditation gathering from Sedona or broadcast into your location of choice. Hay House author and meditation mentor Sarah McLean leads the program which includes a 45-minute guided and silent meditation. No meditation experience is necessary. Everyone has a part to play in world peace.
In this meditation gathering, participants connect with the field of love and peace, then intentionally connect with our global family, who are welcomed to join in the meditation in real time. Scientists have discovered that a tiny change in one place, like the breeze created by the flapping of a butterfly’s wings in South America, may produce a large effect in a faraway location. It’s called the ‘Butterfly effect’. In the same way, every individual — everyone who is breathing, talking, walking, thinking – has a part to play, and influences peace on this planet. When we take responsibility for our own peace, we can definitely impact the planet.
Meditation begins precisely at 1:11pm. We welcome all festival-goers to stream in with their device from anywhere in Sedona - out on the land, anywhere!
We will be broadcasting into other venues with this technical capacity at 1:11 - 1:56 and will list them here. The capacity for sitting with Sarah is 222 in the CLC Great room, attendees are welcome to overflow at the rest of the Creative Life Center, as well.
World Peace Meditation, led by Sarah McLean and Broadcast to the World Live during this hour...
Come Sit with Ana Brett and Ravi Singh at the Sedona Rouge Ballroom and hold space for World Peace...
World Peace Meditation, led by Sarah McLean and Broadcast to the World Live during this hour...
Come Sit with Sunny Dawn Johnston at the Sedona Creative Life Center Chapel and hold space for World Peace...
World Peace Meditation, led by Sarah McLean and Broadcast to the World Live during this hour...
Come Sit with Chris Spheeris at the Sedona Creative Life Center Sedona Room and hold space for World Peace...
~A fusion of movement, sound healing, creative expression and Spiritual connection~
Come join us to discover what makes Sedona one of the top 10 most sacred spots in the world. The first part of the workshop we will discuss the qualities of Sedona that contribute to the powerful healing powers present in this sacred land. The second half will be dedicated to an all-level gentle practice to move energy and prepare for a unique crystal gong meditation designed to help you transcend to a higher vibration. The class will conclude with creative expression through the coloring of mandalas.
The benefits are profound and will not only help with your unique connection to the magic of Sedona but to assist in strengthening you auric shield for love, life and healing.
Please sign up early to ensure your space for this one-of-a kind workshop dedicated to our Mystical Sedona
Nurture, Grow and Bloom: Prenatal Yoga Video is the ideal resource of therapeutic tips for yoga teachers, practitioners and mommas new to yoga, as well as those aspiring to help new mommas experience greater ease and grace throughout their pregnancy. And it’s finally here!
Join Bea Love at the 2014 Sedona Yoga Festival for the worldwide premiere of her new yoga video, Nurture, Grow and Bloom. The video dispels pregnancy myths and delivers safe and gentle yoga guidance for new mommas throughout each trimester. Each segment offers proven practices with clear medical facts about yoga and pregnancy, including specific preparations for labor, postpartum recovery and dramatic insights from a renowned board-certified, medical specialist for mothers with pregnancy complications.
Stargate Productions will host the video release party on February 9, from 3:00-4:00pm at 55 Shelby Drive, Sedona AZ 86336. The first twenty guests will receive a complimentary video. All attendees of Bea Love’s yoga sessions during the Festival weekend (Saturday February 8th and Sunday the 9th) will also receive a complementary copy.
Bea Love is an accomplished international yogini, new mother, Doula and owner of Bea Love Yoga. She designs custom yoga wellness programs for corporate clients and luxury Enchanted Yoga Retreats for private clients and groups. Bea Love’s mission is to inspire all to realign, reconnect and renew themselves by cultivating and nurturing their own daily practice. Please contact Bea at bea@bealoveyoga.com or 760 258 5156 for more details and group discounts.
This year, Chris will be presenting a two-hour workshop on the art of listening and the yoga of “presence”. This is a hands-on workshop that will include lecture, stretching, movement, stillness, writing, active listening, and a beautiful closing meditation. The point of this workshop is to explore receptivity as it inspires effortless expression.
Chris is a mentor in the field of creative expression and a living example of an open creative channel. He is a world-renowned recording artist, a writer, a performer, a photographer, a filmmaker, a graphic artist, and a workshop facilitator. Motivating all of his work is a deep sense of devotion and mysticism. For examples of his work in more information, please go to: www.ChrisSpheeris.com.