Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Jim Ryan

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras are some of the earliest studies of the human psyche and of the path of spiritual union and liberation sought through yoga. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras formulate the elements of yoga practice, its philosophy, its results and rewards. A sincere study of Patanjali’s sutras is important for anyone pursuing the practice and path of yoga.

In this workshop, we will focus on selected passages and carefully parse individual sutras, accompanied by the commentary of Veda Vyasa, with references made to important subcommentaries and issues of disagreement in interpretation.

We will pay close attention to the interpretation of the sutras and their implications for yoga practice as we move into more spacious realms of spiritual discovery.

Faces of Your Soul: Mask-Making Your Ancestors and Spirit Guides
Kaleo and Elise Ching

Discover your spirit guide and create your own unique totem mask. Guided imagery and mask making are ancient and ubiquitous practices that summon archetypes, latent or raw, within the psyche, to emerge as creative embodiments that express personal as well as universal themes and meanings. In this exciting workshop, you will experience an initiation into manifesting and empowering your relationship with your spirit guides.

The journey begins with chi kung to open the body for protection and strength and for encouraging creativity and self-expression. You will then sculpt a plaster mold of your face, and paint and embellish it with the inspiration of your spirit guide to reveal your totem mask. This workshop is perfect for artists, therapists, healers, and anyone interested in the mysteries of energy flows, archetypal influences, and creativity as a journey of self-discovery.

The Call to Spiritual Experience: An Introduction to Traditional Kundalini Science
Brahmacharini Joan Shivarpita Harrigan

Based in scripture, oral tradition, case study, and direct experience, the ancient Vedic teachings of traditional Kundalini science provide a model for understanding and guiding spiritual development. This sacred science explains the nature and workings of the Divine within, called Kundalini Shakti. Described as having a motherly nature, the primary purpose of this sacred presence is to serve as our spiritual director. Thus, the divine design of the universe and the human being is meant to support spiritual advancement by directing us back to the source of being, the One.

This seminar describes the ancient science of Kundalini Vidya, a discipline that demystifies mysticism by offering explanations of the how’s and why’s of spiritual practice and progress. It describes subtle body physiology so we can understand the importance of correctly engaging our energy and mental systems with the deep inner calling that draws us to the Source. This review clarifies what Kundalini Shakti is and is not, describes the Kundalini risings that are possible, and explains how to support a Kundalini process so that it can elevate safely to the pinnacle—union with the One.

The Trickster in Tibetan Buddhist Practice: Working with Paradox, Provocation, and Humor
Steven Goodman

The trickster lurks within, creating mischief, provoking challenge, and bringing humor into the serious business of spiritual transformation. This workshop will focus on three different aspects of the trickster, comparing Buddhist approaches with Western mythic and psychological tales:

• The Buddha as Trickster
Participants will explore the story of Buddha’s quest for enlightenment as a tale of provocation and paradox, and learn a variety of Buddhist practices that stimulate heart-centered change.
• The Ego as Trickster
Have you ever noticed the undercurrent of humor in your egoic and emotional rigidity? We will exercise our imaginations to reveal how the ego is our closest friend and our worst enemy.
• The Teacher as Trickster
A destroyer of illusion, the teacher gleefully goads us to live beyond hope and fear. We will explore Buddhist practices of union with the guru, learning how to be with the trickster within.

Musical Magic, Shamanism, and Semantics
Claudio Naranjo

Music, deeply rooted in shamanism, has the potential to elevate and deepen consciousness and to evoke sacredness. This workshop explores the broad spectrum of the qualities of sacredness associated with musical intervals and the way elementary qualities combine to create more complex units of musical meaning.

On the first evening Naranjo will illustrate at the piano how the music of the German Romantics relates to the depth of the human psyche, showing, for example, how the intuition of a premature death permeates Schubert’s music; how Schuman’s music ‘speaks’ of a lost paradise and the longing to return to it; and how Brahms’s compositions may be therapeutic in view of the balance they embody between ‘heroic’ father love, motherly compassion, and childlike eros. Other sessions of this class will afford a rare opportunity to gain insights into deep archetypal structure of Western classical music and transformation of consciousness, guided by a legendary teacher of the human potential movement as well as an accomplished pianist.