National & International Instructors
Desert Song is proud to offer you workshops from the following instructors
Nicholai Bachman
www.sanskritsounds.com
Nicolai has been teaching Sanskrit, chanting, yoga philosophy, Ayurveda, and other related topics since 1994. He has a knack for synthesizing and organizing complex topics into simple and understandable presentations. His education combines informal, traditional study with the academic rigor of university classes. Nicolai studied extensively at the American Sanskrit Institute, the Ayurvedic Institute, the American Institute of Vedic Studies and the Vedic Chant Center. He holds an M.A. in Eastern Philosophy, an M.S. in Nutrition, and is eRYT500 certified.
Sanskrit, Origins of Yoga and Chanting
March 9-11, 2012
$200 all four sessions
Individual Classes and Prices:
Friday 3/9 7:00-9:30 p.m. (2.5 hours) $50
Sanskrit Basics for Yogis: Fundamentals of Pronunciation
The science of yoga is filled with Sanskrit vocabulary. Teachers and practitioners of yoga, Ayurveda or meditation can benefit from learning how to pronounce Sanskrit with correct breath, resonance, rhythm and tongue position. The class will read transliterated text (English letters with diacritical markings) alongside the original script.
Saturday morning 3/10 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (3 hours-short asana practice included) $60
Overview of the Yoga Sutras: History, Structure and Key Concepts
In what context did Patanjali compose his masterpiece called Patanjala-Yoga-Darshanam, commonly referred to as the Yoga Sutras? Taking a bird’s-eye view, we will examine its history and structure, then discuss what the Yoga Sutras are about in general, focusing on certain key concepts and the overall purpose of this monumental work.
Saturday afternoon 3/10 2:30-5:00 p.m. (2.5 hours) $50
Introduction to the Bhagavad Gita and the Three Gunas
The essence of yoga as a philosophy is revealed in a deep philosophical dialogue between Krishna (the divine) and Arjuna (a human). This “divine song”––one of the most sacred and profound poems ever written––is an exploration into the eternal “seer” that resides within us. We will also cover three energetics (gunas) that are present in every aspect of the manifest world and how understanding them sheds light on the yogic world view. Selected verses and sutras will be chanted in a call-and-response fashion, explained word-for-word, then discussed.
Sunday 3/11 10:15 a.m.-2:00 p.m. (3.5 hours-short asana practice included) $70
Origins of Yoga with Chanting: History, Classical Texts and Sound
Where did yoga come from? What is the larger context of yoga? How are Sanskrit, mantra, tantra, Samkhya, and Ayurveda related? We will explore the structure and basic content of several primary yoga texts, and experience their sound directly through chanting sutras and verses. Fundamentals of chanting will also be covered.
Michele Hebert
Michele Hebert is a yoga and meditation teacher, natural nutritionist, and author. She pioneered the first meditation-based stress management program at the renown Scripps Clinic, in La Jolla and developed the course introduction to Meditation at UC San Diego. She has been associated with Rancho La Puerta Fitness Resort for twenty years. As a senior teacher in the Walt Baptiste Method of Raja Yoga, her work has been a transformative factor in the lives of thousands over a thirty year period. She continues her spiritual studies with Swam Veda Bharati of Rishikesh, India and was initiated into Tibetan Buddhism by H.H. the Dalai Lama.
She is the author of the multi-award winning spiritual memoir, "The Tenth Door: An Adventure Through the Jungles of Enlightenment (2011), the story of her spiritual journey with legendary yoga master Walt Baptiste. www.rajayogis.net
Doug Keller
www.DoYoga.com
Doug’s teaching is rooted in a vast and inclusive perspective of study and practice that honors the insights of the many streams of wisdom that flow into the river of yoga. He is a very regular visitor to The Life Centre, always drawing rave reviews for the usefulness and depth of the variety of topics he has covered over the years, and for his lightheartedness, humor and wisdom. He continues to travel and teach extensively in both the US and Europe, as well as at his home base near Washington D.C. He can be found at:
Rama Vernon
www.ramavernon.com
Rama started Yoga Journal in the early 1970s, as a newsletter that she typed at her kitchen table and sent to other yoga teachers because she felt there should be communication among them. Her vision led to the creation of the California Yoga Teachers' Association and the newsletter expanded into a major magazine. Also, during this period, she introduced BKS Iyengar to the US.
Erich schiffmann
www.movingintostillness.com
Erich Schiffmann teaches a healing, opening style of yoga emphasizing creative sequencing, intuitive alignment, and moving into stillness while being guided from within. A practitioner for 40 years, Erich teaches yoga as the art of living. He can be seen on the award-winning DVD Yoga Mind & Body, with Ali MacGraw, and is the author of Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness
