Join us for a week of Hatha and Raja Yoga training amidst the Ashram’s peaceful acreage of rolling hills and majestic trees. Acharya Hersh Khetarpal, along with other senior teachers at the Ashram, will provide in-depth teachings of Yoga philosophy and the practices of asana, pranayama, meditation.
Click to view the sessions and schedule for the retreat!
We have a special guest teacher, Melanie Camp (RYT), coming from Florida to teach the Asana classes each morning. Melanie has attended the Ashram’s retreats in the past and we are thrilled that she has volunteered to teach classes for the week! For those who don’t know Melanie, she became a certified yoga teacher in 2003, and teaches at Barkan Method Studio, Yoga Connection, and the Mind, Body, Spirit Theme Crystal Cruise Line Trips 2010-2011. . She is also a Duke Integrative Medicine Yoga Therapist, a certified Yoga for Seniors Instructor, and a Kids Yoga Associate Teacher for Yoga Kids International. Melanie is also well known for her classes overseas, including in SE Asia as part of the CARE International delegation following the Tsunami of 2004, aboard the 2005 Caribbean 1500 sailboat rally, beaches in the British Virgin Islands, yoga retreats in Costa Rica, Brazil, and Greece. To top it off, she climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2006 and practiced yoga with her crew while ascending. Melanie is currently writing a book of yoga tips from her world travels featuring her original oil paintings. You can view her artwork at www.artfulyoga.com.
Contributed by Louella Harty
On Sunday mornings, ten to twenty students gather to learn from the timeless Yoga scriptures. Acharya Hersh Khetarpal guides us through these rich texts, helping us understand the deep teachings and applications to our daily lives. For the past several months, we have been studying the Kathopanishad.
The Kathopanishad recounts the encounter and subsequent dialogue between Nachiketa and Yama, the God of Death, which was the direct result of Nachiketa’s father’s angry response to a question asked by Nachiketa. As a result of Nachiketa being a patient and honorable guest waiting for the arrival of Lord Yama, he was granted three boons by the God of Death.
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Yoga philosophy explains the life of this universe and the life of God’s creation using a measurement of time called “kalp”. At the end of the Kalp, the universe is destroyed and stays in dormant condition for a long time. Afterward, the Universe is resurrected and a cycle of another Kalp starts.
A Kalp is said to be a wink of Lord Vishnu, and Vishnu has a life span which cannot be calculated by any known scale. That is how old the universe, God’s Srishty, is. Here is how a kalp is calculated by Earth time.
There are 4 Yugas: Sat yug, treta yug, dwapar yug, and kali yug.
1 Sat yug = 1,460,000 Earth years
1 Treta yug = 1,095,000 Earth years
1 Dwapar yug = 730,000 Earth years
1 Kali yug = 365,000 Earth years
Sat yug + treta yug + dwapar yug + kali yug = 1 CHATAR YUGI = 3.65 million Earth years
1000 Chatar yugis = 1 day of Brahma
1000 Chatar yugis = 1 night of Brahma
2000 Chatar yugis = 1 Braham Divas = 7.3 Billion Earth years
365 Braham divas = 1 Braham Varsh =2.6645 Trillion Earth years
100 Brahm Varshs = Age of BRAHAMA = 1 KALP = 266.45 Trillion Earth years
ॐ प्राची दिग्गनिरधिपति , रसितो रक्षितादित्य इषवः I
तेभ्यो नमो-अधिपतिभयो नमो ,
नमो राक्षित्रीभयो नम इशुभ्यो नम एभ्यो अस्तु I
योअस्मान द्वेष्टि यं वयं द्विषम: तं वो जम्भे दध्म: II
Rishi: Atharva Atharvaveda 10.190.1-3 Chhand: Ashti
OM PRAACHI DIGGANIR-ADHIPATI, RASITO RAKSHITA-ADITYA-ISHVA .
TEBHYO NMO-ADHIPATI-BHYO-NMO,
NMO RAKSHITRI-BHYO NM ISHU-BHYO NM EBHYO ASTOO .
YO-ASMAAN DVESHTI YAM VAYAM DVISHAM TAM VO JAMBHE DADHMAA
In all the directions, God ( OM ) alone protects the peoples and bestows life. His protective powers present everywhere like rays of the sun. To that omnipresent God and His powers, we bow again and again. He is judicious and punishes the guilty. None should take justice in one’s own hands. All must trust on the justices of Lord, for He is the Lord of justice ( Dharamraj ). Everyone is treated alike and judiciously in His dominion.
The Ashram is proud to be hosting a gathering of the Chicagoland Yoga Community on June 27th, 2010 at 5pm! Many Yoga teachers in the community, including Karen Weber, Mitchell Manz, and Marina Lisjonok, have come together to organize a vegetarian potluck & drum circle to be held at the Ashram. Come join the group to meet like-minded individuals and enjoy the serene Ashram atmosphere. Please see the flyer below for more information!
By Rishi Aghmarsana
ॐ रितंश्चसत्याश्च अभीदधात्तपसो-अध्यजायत I
ततो रात्र्यजायत ततः समुद्रो अर्णवा II १ II
ॐ समुद्रा दर्न्वाधि संवत्सरो अजायत I
अहोरात्रानी विदधत विश्वस्य मिषतो ‘वशी’ II २ II
ॐ सूरय्याचन्द्रमसौ धाता यथा पूर्वं अकल्पात I
दिवं च पृथ्वीं च अंतरिक्षमथो स्वः II ३ II
Transliteration:
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On May 30, 2010, Acharya Hersh Khetarpal gave a much-anticipated speech at the Hare Om Templte outlining the similarities and the differences between Hinduism and Yoga. Below is a brief synopsis of the talk.
It is the Vedas that are the common link between Hinduism and Yoga which form their very foundations. Yoga is in fact one of the 6 main branches of Hindu philosophy. As a result, there is a common belief in reincarnation as well as in karmic philosophy; both believe in the ultimate goal of moksha; both meditate upon the Gayatri mantra; and both have a reverence for the Bhagavad Gita.
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Please enjoy this recipe from Louella! It’s filled with nutritious raw vegetables and tasty spices. A great soup for the summer!
Ingredients:
Two Large Carrots, Cut into One to Two-Inch Pieces
Two Large Celery Stalks, Cut into One to Two-Inch Pieces
Two to Three-Inch Piece of a Medium-Size Zucchini
Two to Three-Inch Piece of a Medium-Size Yellow Squash
One-Third of a Sweet Red Pepper
One-Third of a Sweet Yellow or Orange Pepper
Approximately One-Half Cup of Fresh Tomatoes, Quartered with Skin On
One-Half Jalapeno, Seeded, Optional
Two Tablespoons of Tomato Paste
One-Quarter Cup of Olive Oil
Purified Water, Slightly Warmed – Do Not Boil!
Two to Three Rapunzel Vegan Vegetable Bouillons
Two Tablespoons of Fresh Parsley
Several Leaves of Fresh Basil
One-Half Teaspoon of Herbes de Provence
Organic Trocomare Spicy Herb Seasoning Salt by A. Vogel
Ground Pepper
Recipe:
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Several readers have asked, what really is prana? Prana is the energy permeating the universe at all levels, including physical, mental, intellectual, spiritual, and cosmic energy. While it is hidden, in that the common person cannot hear, touch or feel it, the yogi knows that it is actually the mover of all activity. Both creation and destruction are made possible with prana.
While prana certainly is the power behind creation and destruction, its real power is how it sustains our body. Without it, the body and mind cannot function. Therefore pranayama, often mistaken for merely breathing exercises, is actually a series of techniques developed to enhance the prana in our body which leads to greater vigor and vitality. Prana flows through our nadis, or energy channels, and it is through the use of breath that we are able to influence it.
Knowing this, it may be difficult to distinguish prana and aatma. The Prashna Upanishad clarifies the two when one disciple asks what is “prana and how it is related to aatma?” The Rishi replies, “Prana is same to the aatma as a shadow is to the body.” In other words, they are not the same but move together.
In the next article about Pranayama, we will discuss the nadis.
We have a special guest teacher, Melanie Camp (RYT), coming from Florida to teach the Asana classes each morning. Melanie has attended the Ashram’s retreats in the past and we are thrilled that she has volunteered to teach classes for the week! For those who don’t know Melanie, she became a certified yoga teacher in 2003, and teaches at Barkan Method Studio, Yoga Connection, and the Mind, Body, Spirit Theme Crystal Cruise Line Trips 2010-2011. . She is also a Duke Integrative Medicine Yoga Therapist, a certified Yoga for Seniors Instructor, and a Kids Yoga Associate Teacher for Yoga Kids International. Melanie is also well known for her classes overseas, including in SE Asia as part of the CARE International delegation following the Tsunami of 2004, aboard the 2005 Caribbean 1500 sailboat rally, beaches in the British Virgin Islands, yoga retreats in Costa Rica, Brazil, and Greece. To top it off, she climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2006 and practiced yoga with her crew while ascending. Melanie is currently writing a book of yoga tips from her world travels featuring her original oil paintings. You can view her artwork at www.artfulyoga.com.
