Yantra Yoga, or the Yoga of Movement, is an ancient system of Tibetan yoga based on the text, The Union of the Sun and the Moon, written in the 8th century by the Tibetan Dzogchen master and translator Vairochana. Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche wrote a detailed commentary on the root text and began transmitting this teaching in the West in the early 1970's.
Yantra Yoga is a fundamental method to integrate the profound essence of the Dzogchen Teaching in the body, voice and mind of the practitioner. Through positions and movements combined with breathing, one's energy is coordinated and harmonized, enhancing physical health and allowing the mind to relax and find the authentic balance that is the basis for contemplation.
In this workshop, we will focus on Complete Breathing and the practice of Exhaling the Stale Air. Emphasis will be on cultivating presence and awareness while developing and deepening our understanding and experience of the breath, both within the yantras (movements) and the pranayamas (breathing methods).
Please wear loose, comfortable clothing and bring a blanket or mat to lie on.
Lynn Sutherland is a senior student of Dzogchen master Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, a member of the International Dzogchen Community and an authorized teacher of Yantra Yoga. She teaches Yantra Yoga in retreats and public courses throughout the United States and Mexico and worked extensively on the book Yantra Yoga: The Tibetan Yoga of Movement, authored by Chögyal Namkhai Norbu (Snow Lion). For the past twenty-five years, she has also taught and practiced the Feldenkrais Method®. Lynn lives in Chicago.
Immerse your body, speech and mind in meditation through simple, powerful dance and chanting. The Mandala Dance of the 21 Praises of Tara, created by Prema Dasara, has been taught all over the world as personal practice and communal offering. The dance involves simple, graceful, t'ai-chi like movements done with Tara Mantras and the Twenty One Praises of Tara, a traditional Tibetan practice translated into English.
A Tantric Deity like Tara is an archetype of our own deepest nature. By focusing attention and identifying with Her we arouse and bring into manifestation our own wisdom, compassion and power. In this Dance we Invoke Her, Honor Her, and Embody Her.
Julie Thomas is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Youngstown State University. She earned a BA in Psychology from Sophia College, Bombay, India; a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of TN; and was a Post-doctoral Fellow in Clinical Psychology at Dartmouth Medical School. She is currently a Level II student teacher in the Tara Dhatu dance program, training under the auspices of Prema Dasar and Anahata Iradah, creators of the sacred dance of Tara, a Buddhist goddess of wisdom, compassion and power. She completed Level I & II Reiki training under the auspices of Anita Levin, Reiki Master in Toronto. She was also awarded a Diploma in Indian Art by the Governing Council of Nalanda Dance Research Center, affiliated with the University of Bombay in 2001. Currently she holds the rank of 2nd kyu in Aikido and has passed the first degree black belt examination in Shotokan Karate.
Don't hold your breath waiting for politicians to solve the Global Warming and other environmental crises. Learn how to calculate and reduce *your* carbon footprint, to help our beleaguered planet... for the good of our future and our children! The 3 top sources of global warming are: 1) power/heating, 2) agriculture, and 3) transportation. We will focus on high impact steps you can take in these three areas to reduce your global warming and environmental impact. Being a Bodhisattva is about compassion to all life (including to our home, Earth), and about skillful means. You can't make a difference if you DON'T KNOW HOW!
Susan Lincke, PhD, associate professor of computer science at University of Wisconsin-Parkside, has worked to optimize her energy efficiency in all three top areas: home energy, food consumption, and transportation. Most recently she had an energy audit performed on her home and achieved lower heating bills. In addition, she is vegan and drives a hybrid! She is a member of the Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association - Chicago, and a life member of Sierra Club, Vegetarian Resource Group, and NAVS.
Whether we say her name sweetly or in anger, she is always there. The cries of the world are rarely pretty, and her response is not conditioned on our benevolence. Kwan Seum Bosal, Kwan Seum Bosal, Kwan Seum Bosal...
Chant is a common thread and healing power in all world religions. Melodic, monotone, spoken, first language or words and syllables we don't understand, whether by piano accompaniment or to the beat of the moktak, there is healing power and magic in sound and true intimacy in silence.
Buddhism has a rich history of chant dating back to Shakyamuni Buddha. This workshop will explore this magic of chant, the use of mantras, the power and the healing energies of sound specifically by using our own instrument, our voice, to make this possible.
Sensei Tricia L. Teater is a Zen Buddhist Chaplain and Priest in affiliation with Udumbara Zen Center of Evanston and is Director of Udumbara's National Chaplain Program. She is on the Board of Directors and is the immediate past president of the Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. She is the coordinator of death row visits to Pontiac Correctional Center.
Tricia has worked in maximum security prisons and on death row in Indiana and Illinois for over 10 years, conducting Buddhist meditation services, offering spiritual support and hospice care. She is a long time team member with Horizon Hospice and Palliative Care.
She received her Master's Degree from Roosevelt University and is certified in conflict resolution and mediation. Tricia is the Director of Human Resources for Cook County Clerk David Orr.
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