Special Program

Ashtanga Yoga & Ayurveda Retreat

June 2 - 9, 2007

With Dr. Shantala, Jessica and Paul

About the Retreat

Ayurveda is a sister science to yoga, which teaches us to use nature's tools to bring the body, mind, and spirit into balance. Based on an individual's unique constitution, ayurveda recommends certain foods and lifestyle to achieve a state of health. The aim of this retreat is to bridge yoga and ayurveda at our retreat center, with the goal of fostering an understanding of how to achieve health using diet, lifestyle, common herbs, and yogic practices.

The retreat will start with an introduction to ayurveda, following its historical evolution through the classical texts and its importance as a medical science, especially in India. We will cover a number of topics, in order to equip you with basic tools from Ayurveda and yoga, allowing you to make changes in your own life to improve your health and vitality, and prevent illness.

You can expect to learn about:

• the fundamentals of ayurveda, such as the five elements, and the concept of Tridosha,
• the effects of Tridosha on the daily and seasonal cycle, and each one of us as individuals,
• the concept of prakriti, or basic nature and vikriti, or imbalance, and how to distinguish between the two. You will also get an idea of your own basic nature,
• How the five elements compose the six tastes, and how to use the tastes to choose foods that balance your own nature
• How to adjust foods and lifestyle according to season,
• An ideal daily routine for maintaining health,
• Methods of boosting immunity through food and lifestyle,
• the medicinal uses of common 'culinary' herbs such as ginger, cinnamon, and turmeric and how to apply these to a few simple recipes

In addition, we will build time for question & answer into the schedule. Dr. Shantala will be available for private consultations for those who would like to get more specific advice or help.

The morning Ashtanga practice will be taught by Paul & Jessica, and the ayurveda lectures will taught by Dr. Shantala Priyadarshini, with assistance from Jessica.

About Dr. Shantala

"Every human being's aspiration should not be for sensual pleasures, materialistic wealth or salvation. Every human being should strive to decrease the sorrow of fellow living beings... say the scared scriptures, and being born into an orthodox Indian family I was made to believe the above and the best way to serve others would be to become a doctor. From childhood I was determined to be a doctor, which was not difficult as my family had other Ayurveda doctors" Dr. Shantala Priyadarshini

After completing post graduation in Ayurveda, Dr. Shantala was fortunate enough to be tutored by many eminent Ayurveda vaidyas, or Ayurvedic doctors at the Maharishi Vedic University in New Delhi and the Netherlands. She helped to design and structure the Ayurvedic programs at the Maharishi Vedic University. Her understanding of life and the science of life, Ayurveda, have been radically influenced by her experiences practicing Transcendental Meditation. She also studied personally with Sri.Sri.Raghavendra Swamiji of Malladihalli who lived an exemplary life of a yogi for 106 years. He was an expert in all martial arts, yoga, Ayurveda and other Vedic Sciences. Dr. Shantala studies Vedic chanting with an authority on the Vedas, Sr.Pandit Venkatanathan of Mysore. At present she is Professor at the Mysore College of Ayurveda, and has a busy Ayurvedic practice in Mysore. She has taught students and treated patients from all over the globe, and sincerely tries to spread Ayurveda in its purest form through articles, lectures and workshops. We are fortunate to have her for our first retreat which will join the sister sciences of Yoga and Ayurveda.

The Daily Schedule

The schedule is subject to change at the discretion of the teacher.

 

7:30 am	Meditation & Breathwork
8:30 am	Led class growing to mysore style (self) ashtanga practice - detailed building of the primary series step-by-step
9 - 10:30 am	Breakfast buffet
11 - 12 pm	Personal Consultations with Dr. Shantala
12 - 1 pm	Workshop on food according to Ayurveda (two days during the week)
1 - 2 pm	Lunch buffet
4 - 5 pm	Ayurveda Lecture
5 - 6 pm	Questions & Answer, followed by meditation
6:30 - 7:30 pm	Dinner buffet
7:30 - 8:30 pm	Evening program
8:30 - 9 pm	Meditation / quiet time

The rate is inclusive of:

• Full yoga program
• One Personal Consulation with Dr. Shantala (Specific ayurvedic treatments will be extra)
• Accommodation in one of our bungalows
• Delicious home cooked meals (3 times daily)
• Filtered drinking water, tea, coffee