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Living Yoga Retreat
March 13-22, 2009
at Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram; Rishikesh (Tapovan), India

One of the holiest sites in India, every yogin should make a pilgrimage to the shores of the divine Ganga in Laxman Juhla at least once in his or her lifetime! No doubt you will be transformed when surrounded by the foothills of the Himalayas, the quiet and continuous prayer of the river and the blessings of the saints who continue to walk the Earth here and who have done so over thousands of years.

Immerse yourself in yogic living during these ten days. Enjoy an Anusara-inspired Yoga session each day from 9:30 AM-12:00 PM, from 3:30-5:30 on five afternoons with Sara. In the afternoons we will delve more into pranayama, philosophy, meditation and quieting postures, while the morning sessions will be a full-spectrum asana practice. If you wish, spend the rest of the day participating in the ashram’s other offerings (yoga classes with ashram founder, Yogi Vishvuji, in the early morning, evening kirtans and fire ceremonies.

We will engage in karma yoga (selfless service) at Ramana’s Garden, a local school and orphanage, and attend satsang with Sara’s spiritual teacher, ShantiMayi. Also enjoy an afternoon free to explore the area, go swimming or whitewater rafting in the Ganga, get Ayurvedic treatments on or off the premises, and even enjoy the spiritual art of shopping!

This is a rare opportunity to embrace and experience the full spectrum of the yogic lifestyle—asana, pranayama, meditation, philosophy, chanting, yogic diet, karma yoga, mindful living and the excellent company of a spiritual community.

Falling just the week after the International Rishikesh Yoga Festival, you are welcome to come early and partake in the festivities before settling into the retreat. Sara will also be teaching at the festival.

The Anand Prakash Ashram was founded by Yogi Vishvketu and his wife, Chetana Panwar, and had its opening ceremonies on Deepavali, November 9, 2007.

The vision for the ashram is to create a comfortable, nurturing sanctuary for spiritual seekers from around the world where they will have safe, clean food and water, and guidance for their yogic journey.

The ashram also promotes Akhanda Yoga, the holistic, non-sectarian yoga teachings of its founders, in which students are encouraged to practice all aspects of the diverse tradition of yoga: satkarma, asana, pranayama, Vedic mantra, kirtan, and meditation, as well as to contemplate various traditions in yoga philosophy: Vedanta, Tantra, Samkhya and Classical Yoga.

The ashram is located in the dynamic international village of spiritual seekers in an area of Rishikesh called Tapovan, about 250 kms. north of Delhi. The Ganges river valley here is surrounded by mountains on three sides, and it is considered the gateway to the Himalayas. Tapovan is an ideal location for yoga sadhana; it is named for its heritage as a site for spiritual disciplines. Tap, represents tapas, the practice of spiritual disciplines. Van means forest. So, Tapovan is the forest of the yogis. Anand Prakash is on a headland above the banks of the Ganges, one of the first open spaces down river from the source of the Ganges. The wind and all the prana carried from the Himalayas whistle down the river valley and blow out over this headland invigorating the ashram area.

All of the rooms are fresh and clean. They have single beds with bedding appropriate to each season, and an adjoining balcony and private bathroom with a Western toilet.

The ashram has two practice halls, the Patanjali Sadhana Hall (1300 square feet) on the lower level, and the Nataraj Yoga Hall (1900 square feet) on the third floor with beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. Each hall has pillows, bolsters and yoga mats available.

The ashram also has a Library and Sitting Room for you to enjoy during your stay. There is a budding selection of English, Japanese and Hindi books on yoga and spiritual fiction which you may borrow to read in the sitting room, or in your own room.

Here is the basic structure of our retreat. Evening kirtan is optional and offered by the ashram. Please note that the schedule may shift slightly.

Aside from the retreat schedule, you are invited to participate in the ashram's offerings.

Agni Hotra (fire puja) is held daily at 8:00 AM, before breakfast, and you are welcome to attend. The fire puja is an ancient ritual described in the Vedas and performed with Vedic mantras. Ghee and herbs (samagri) are offered into the fire by participants to send out aromatic prana to the surrounding area, and also as a metaphor for our offering to the fire any outmoded habits, emotions or thought patterns that we wish to be transformed by the light of clarity.

Kirtan is usually three times a week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7:30-9:00 PM. Kirtan is the chanting of names, or archetypes. It is a melodious, uplifting practice which encourages the surrender of the ego, and letting go of constructs which hold us back from free-flowing energy and opening the heart.

Three meals a day are provided in the dining hall overlooking the mountains to the north of the ashram. Food is fresh cooked Sattvic vegetarian including a varied day-to-day menu of:

Breakfast (8am): Ayurvedic herbal tea, porridge with dates, raisins, coconut, bananas, papaya, or chickpeas.

Lunch (12pm) and dinner (6pm): dal (pulses), vegetables (pumpkin, carrot, cauliflower, peas, spinach etc.), rice, chapatti, and some raw vegetables. We strive to provide you with nourishing, clean and tasty yogic food and to offer options such as sugar-free and milk-free porridge and tea. We offer both rice and chapatti at lunch and dinner. Often people will choose one or the other at a meal for easier digestion. These are the main grains available locally.

We observe silence (mauna) from 9:00 PM to 9:00 AM. This ensures the maximum peace for spiritual practices and rest in the ashram community. It is also lovely to enjoy one meal (breakfast) together in silence and to observe the energy exchange that occurs even without speaking.

We ask that you observe the dress code even on balconies during your stay in order to respect other's cultures. The dress code is:

Capped sleeves (no tank tops or spaghetti straps)

Clothes that cover your undergarments (tops and bottoms that are not too low cut)

Preference for light colors and less black

No bathing suits

Getting There

By Plane:
Fly into the airport in Delhi or from 2008 the new airport at Joly Grand in Dehradun. From there you can take either a train, bus or hire a car.

By Train:
There is a train from New Delhi called the Shatabdhi Express that leaves at 6:55 AM daily and takes 4.5 hours to Haridwar. From Haridwar, you can take a bus to Rishikesh and a 3-wheeler to the ashram, or a white taxi directly to the ashram.

By Bus:
There are buses from many locations in India to Rishikesh bus terminal.

Once you are in Rishikesh:
Take a taxi or auto-rickshaw (also called 3-wheeler or tuktuk) to Laxman Jhoola stop on Badrinath Road (the high road). Tuktuks can be hired to take you alone for 50 rupees, or will stop to pick up others like a mini-bus and each passenger pays 5 rupees. From the tuktuk stop, continue walking along Badrinath Road about 1 kilometer. You will see a restaurant named Jasmine Tea on the right hand side. A bit further there is an alleyway going down to Shiva Enclave where you will see Ayurpak Restaurant and next door, Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram. The ashram building is yellow with red trim.

If this is your first time traveling in India or if you just want to make things easier, we can assist your travel by ordering a private car to pick you up either at the airport or train station to take you directly to the ashram, if you wish.

Investment

€400

Includes shared room for 9 nights/10 days, 3 daily meals, all yoga sessions with Sara, satsangs and all ashram activities. Airfare and transportation to/from the ashram is not included.

Registration

To secure a space, please register early. For those who register later you cannot be guaranteed a room in the ashram and may be lodged in the hotel just next door to the ashram.

Please fill out registration form and return it by e-mail to info@fourmermaids.com.
Submit a €100 nonrefundable deposit.
Your final payment will be due by February 1, 2009. Please contact us for bank account details.

The Art of Healthy Living:
Spring Yoga & Detox Retreat in Bali
postponed until 2009
April 12-18, 2008
With Sara Avant Stover and Rebecca Andrist

Eat well, rest well, deepen your yoga practice, and rejuvenate under the expert guidance of Sara and Rebecca in Bali, aptly nicknamed “The Island of the Gods.” Join us for this unique, all-inclusive 7 day/6 night residential retreat at the idyllic Desa Seni Resort, recently voted by conde nast traveler as one of the best new resorts in the world.

This is your time to renew, delve deeper into Yoga, cleanse your body and mind, and learn important self-care tools that you can take home with you to stay healthy, bright and inspired year-round. Spring, the time in the yearly cycle associated with rebirth, is an auspicious time for cleansing. While the word “detox” often conjures up notions of deprivation and discomfort, this does not have to be the case. Cleansing can be done gently and gradually. Throughout the retreat we will eat meals that are light, fresh, easy to digest, rejuvenating, nourishing—and, most importantly, delicious. In addition, you will learn how to make these meals yourself, empowering you with the skills that you need to better care for yourself when you return home.

Each morning, enjoy yoga with Sara in Desa Seni’s beautiful, outdoor yoga pavilion. We will gently tone and strengthen our bodies while also looking into the regions of our bodies that feel stuck, congested and tense. By striking a delicate balance between active and resting postures, this yoga will leave you feeling vibrantly relaxed. Drawing upon Anusara Yoga, Yin Yoga, breathing practices, and Buddhist awareness and heart meditations, we will unravel patterns of body/mind holdings to reveal deep spaciousness, renewal and passion for Life.

In the afternoons, join Rebecca for informative and hands-on Art of Eating classes, "In the kitchen" classes and discussions. Topics will include proper food combining, a Daily Cleansing Diet, basics o Conscious Eating, Setting up a Healthy Kitchen and Raw Foods.

Throughout your stay you will receive personal attention from Sara and Rebecca to support your unique process of unfolding.

By the end of these seven days you will leave feeling lighter, more vibrant in tune with yourself and the world around you.

about the venue:

Desa Seni, as a cultural village, offers individual antique houses with beautiful terraces, sitting areas and private modern bathrooms. The interior of each unique house has been individually re-furbished to provide all the necessary luxury and comfort, while the exteriors have retained the integrity of traditional Balinese rural village life. The traditional rice field setting and the authenticity of the cultural village, with all the modern amenities and services, ensures a truly unique and memorable experience.

While at Desa Seni you may enjoy their saltwater lap pool, yoga practice in their open air studio, relaxing at the spa, or taking part in a wide range of diverse activities during your free time-- wandering off through the rice fields to the beach, horseback riding, golfing, or temple touring. Desa Seni will be able to arrange and accommodate all your leisure activities.

Guest Room Amenities include:

21” flat screen TV
Satellite TV
Stereo and DVD player
Electronic Personal safe
IDD Telephones
Luxury Bathroom Products
Complimentary drinking water
Room service
Complimentary daily fruit basket
Complimentary daily offering plate

about the instructors:

Sara Avant Stover is an Anusara Inspired yoga teacher™ and RYT 500 and teaches at venues in the United States, Asia and Europe. Her primary inspirations include leading teachers of the Anusara tradition, Richard Freeman (Ashtanga-Vinyasa), Sarah Powers (Yin/Yang Yoga), Sofia Diaz (Women's Yoga), Gary Kraftsow (Viniyoga), Buddhist insight meditation and The Wise Earth School of Ayurveda. Her teachings celebrate presence, self-acceptance and kindness. Also a freelance writer, Sara is a frequent contributor to Yoga Journal and Fit Yoga magazines. She lives in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Rebecca Andirst is a qualified nutritional advisor as well as a certified yoga teacher and massage therapist. She has worked in healing centers in Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, India, Europe and the U.S, including serving for four years as core faculty at the Dharma Healing Center, a fasting center on Koh Samui, Thailand. Rebecca now leads detoxification programs around the world. Visit www.jivahealing.com

investment:

$1,200 USD (twin share)
Early Bird Discount $1,000 (for registration before January 10)

$1,450 USD (single)
Early Bird Discount $1,250 (for registration before January 10)

This includes: 6 nights/7 days accommodation; 3 gourmet vegetarian meals daily; fresh fruits in the afternoons; 2.5-hours daily yoga/pranayama/meditation sessions with Sara; 2-hours daily Art of Eating classes with Rebecca; evening guided Nidra/ meditation sessions with Rebecca; 1 hour foot reflexology treatment and 1 hour full body massage at Desa Seni’s Wellness Center; unlimited purified water, fresh fruits, herbal teas, daily morning paper and offering plate; round-trip airport transfer.

Transportation to/from Bali, visas and additional spa treatments and services are not included.

Schedule for Days 1:

2pm-5pm	Registration
6 pm	Dinner
7:30 pm	Opening Session

Schedule for Days 2, 3, 5:

7:30 am	Breakfast
9 am-11:30 am	Yoga with Sara
12:00 pm	Lunch
12 pm-3:30 pm	Free time for going to the beach, short excursions in the area, spa treatments on your own.
3:30-5:30 pm	Art of Eating class with Rebecca
6 pm	Dinner
8 pm	Guided Yoga Nidra/Meditation

Schedule for Day 4:

Guests will have this afternoon free, and the Art of Eating/meditation class will be from 7:30-9:30 with Rebecca.

Schedule for Day 7:

8 am	Breakfast
9:30-11 am	Yoga
11 am-12 pm	Closing Session
12 pm	Lunch

Travel Information:
International flights come into Denpasar and tourists of most nationalities may get a 30-day visa upon arrival for $25 USD. Some countries offer a longer stay if your visa is purchased before leaving, while other nationalities require a visa to be obtained before arrival. Please make your own inquiries about the visa requirements applicable to your nationality. Prices may vary if visas need to be arranged outside of Bali.

Please check your passport expiry date. You must have six months validity remaining on your passport from the date of your return from Bali.

Please inform us of your flight details so that we can arrange your complimentary airport pick-up/drop-off.

Registration:

Please fill out registration form and return it by e-mail to info@fourmermaids.com
Submit a $400 USD nonrefundable deposit.