This weekend we had the grand privilege of being part of a Veterans Wellness Conference, helping introduce alternative therapies for PTSD to veterans, their families, and clinicians who work with military veterans every day. The team from the Fort Bliss Restoration and Resilience program came with their top-notch therapists working in Reiki, massage, acupuncture and movement therapies - and all enjoyed an amazing presentation by Army Col. Lillis-Hearne about scientific studies supporting the benefits of yoga.
The need to help veterans heal cannot be overstated. Many returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are suffering greatly - and some veterans of earlier wars are just beginning to seek alternative treatments, to great impact. There is much more to come and we will keep you informed of our efforts.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Aloha and Mahalo
It's true: the weather is beautiful in Hawaii year round! We had the grand privilege of visiting the Big Island in August and met a group of 50+ volunteers of all ages, creating sustainable gardens, constructing eco-buildings, and cooking great food on the 120+ acres known as Kalani Oceanside Retreat. Many thanks to JaRed and all the crew for some great classes in a truly breathtaking setting. Ocean sunrises, tidal pools, and the powerful energy of an erupting volcano just down the beach made for an unforgettable visit. We promise to return, as soon as humanly possible!
We are now gearing up for the third season of Yatra retreats, in Costa Rica, Mexico and Belize in the winter of 2011. Thank you to all of our friends and clients, for your ongoing support of our efforts to generate peace, one retreat at a time.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Let it Snow!
The weather has indeed been frightful across the U.S. and beyond this winter... at our home base in the desert southwest, we're secretly delighted. In addition to one of the best ski seasons we've had in awhile, we know that the extra moisture will entice out the secret spring wildflowers that sleep underground through the drier years. It's an unusual sight, and one worth waiting for.
This month, Yatra's first two retreats of 2010 take off for warmer climes, to Mexico and Costa Rica. Groups have formed to join our fine teachers on adventures to new places, and new opportunities to connect with and deepen their practice. In our experience, a full seven days of yoga and self-care bring up parts of ourselves that often lay dormant - like the seeds under the desert, that can sometimes receive the extra care they need to blossom.
The result? Beauty! For ourselves, and for others to enjoy. We want to thank our loving hosts on site, and wish everyone safe travels for a time of self-discovery, relaxation and renewal.
This month, Yatra's first two retreats of 2010 take off for warmer climes, to Mexico and Costa Rica. Groups have formed to join our fine teachers on adventures to new places, and new opportunities to connect with and deepen their practice. In our experience, a full seven days of yoga and self-care bring up parts of ourselves that often lay dormant - like the seeds under the desert, that can sometimes receive the extra care they need to blossom.
The result? Beauty! For ourselves, and for others to enjoy. We want to thank our loving hosts on site, and wish everyone safe travels for a time of self-discovery, relaxation and renewal.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Resolutions, Wishes
A new year is upon us, bringing an annual discussion among our friends about... resolutions. Some always make them, some never have, and others gave up long ago, realizing that those ten pounds always come back, and the bank account rarely rises to the level they dream.
One writer this season encourages us to not to bother with resolutions and instead, write a "year in review," noting the people we've met, places we've been, and things we've done in the previous year. And then, write a list of what we want to create in our lives for the coming year. At YYI, 2009 manifested our first season of retreats with new relationships nationally and internationally - energetic clients, strong teachers, gracious hosts, and peaceful natural settings. It was a year of many blessings, and we thank you all for joining us on this journey.
In 2010, a whole new decade is upon us, and the possibilities are abundant. As you write your list of what you want to create in your life, we hope you'll resolve to allow spaciousness in your thoughts, freedom in your feelings, and happiness in all that you do. One of our teachers notes the beauty of all that can happen when we "get out of our own way" -- and we wish you a clear path through the next decade and beyond.
One writer this season encourages us to not to bother with resolutions and instead, write a "year in review," noting the people we've met, places we've been, and things we've done in the previous year. And then, write a list of what we want to create in our lives for the coming year. At YYI, 2009 manifested our first season of retreats with new relationships nationally and internationally - energetic clients, strong teachers, gracious hosts, and peaceful natural settings. It was a year of many blessings, and we thank you all for joining us on this journey.
In 2010, a whole new decade is upon us, and the possibilities are abundant. As you write your list of what you want to create in your life, we hope you'll resolve to allow spaciousness in your thoughts, freedom in your feelings, and happiness in all that you do. One of our teachers notes the beauty of all that can happen when we "get out of our own way" -- and we wish you a clear path through the next decade and beyond.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Yatra Teachers on the Road
Our own Jennifer Tipton recently returned from Africa, with new stories and inspirations from her adventures with the Masai, a tribe which lives in its rich traditions in Kenya. As you can see, she took the opportunity to do a camel pose on the beach with some locals - and a camel!On a seven-day safari, Jennifer visited Amboseli (the home of Mt. Kilimanjaro), Lake Nakuru (the world famous location of the greatest bird spectacle on earth), Lake Naivasha (part of the great rift valley), and the Masai Mara, Kenya's most abundant wildlife preserve.
Yatra Yoga International is pleased to offer yoga safaris in Kenya and South Africa, with some of the best local guides in the country. Call us at 888-359-5020 and we'll share our favorite itineraries with you, your family or small group. Namaste!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Revelations on the Mat
Someone asked me recently how my journey with yoga began. I remember it vividly, and know that I am like many others who found a new part of themselves on the yoga mat... and then just kept going with it.
I was in a yoga class at the local community center, bored, complaining in my mind about the teacher, who I thought just talked too much. I’d been practicing for a few months, loving the asanas and feeling physically great after every class. So I was annoyed with this teacher, and impatient for the flow to begin.
The theme of the class, she explained, was opening the heart. She went on to describe the different heart-opening poses we’d learn, and warned that for some people, it could bring up emotions, for others maybe not. The New Yorker in me was thinking, “yadda yadda… Can we move on here?”
We started moving, some simple vinyasas, and then a series of poses I’d never done, arches and backbends that lifted and exposed the heart, alternating with rest – child poses with forehead to the mat, known to still the clamor of the mind.
And then it happened.
Tears started flowing. And flowing. There was nothing particular in my thoughts, and I can’t say that I felt sadness necessarily, but something was releasing, and the tears were literally flying out of my eyes. Nose running, mat soaked with tears, I walked out to find a tissue, not understanding what I was feeling or why the tears would not stop. It continued through the final meditation, and I was speechless afterward.
That was the day I understood that yoga is bigger than me. And I committed to practicing and learning as much as I could about it.
There's more to the story of course -- a years-long process that continues every day. And now, through YYI, I now have the honor and pleasure of offering yoga retreats to others, working with some of the best teachers in the country, and sharing the beauty and power of this ancient practice.
My team would love to hear your story! Send us a note on our Facebook page, or an email to info@yatrayogainternational.com. Namaste.
Jodi
I was in a yoga class at the local community center, bored, complaining in my mind about the teacher, who I thought just talked too much. I’d been practicing for a few months, loving the asanas and feeling physically great after every class. So I was annoyed with this teacher, and impatient for the flow to begin.
The theme of the class, she explained, was opening the heart. She went on to describe the different heart-opening poses we’d learn, and warned that for some people, it could bring up emotions, for others maybe not. The New Yorker in me was thinking, “yadda yadda… Can we move on here?”
We started moving, some simple vinyasas, and then a series of poses I’d never done, arches and backbends that lifted and exposed the heart, alternating with rest – child poses with forehead to the mat, known to still the clamor of the mind.
And then it happened.
Tears started flowing. And flowing. There was nothing particular in my thoughts, and I can’t say that I felt sadness necessarily, but something was releasing, and the tears were literally flying out of my eyes. Nose running, mat soaked with tears, I walked out to find a tissue, not understanding what I was feeling or why the tears would not stop. It continued through the final meditation, and I was speechless afterward.
That was the day I understood that yoga is bigger than me. And I committed to practicing and learning as much as I could about it.
There's more to the story of course -- a years-long process that continues every day. And now, through YYI, I now have the honor and pleasure of offering yoga retreats to others, working with some of the best teachers in the country, and sharing the beauty and power of this ancient practice.
My team would love to hear your story! Send us a note on our Facebook page, or an email to info@yatrayogainternational.com. Namaste.
Jodi
Friday, August 7, 2009
Connecting
Perhaps the best thing about sharing the gift of yoga is connecting with new friends, and seeing the results when those friends spend time re-connecting with themselves. It is difficult to describe the lasting benefit of diving into oneself for a full seven days - removed from the cares of the everyday world, listening to your heart and the pulse of nature all around. The quiet place within, the place where all things are known and understood, is allowed to come forward. And that is the magical moment when the heart and the mind connect.
Since part of our mission at Yatra involves connecting with the very people who are ready for an inner adventure - last week we got ourselves up on Facebook, to help spread the word of our work, and the work of our gifted teachers. It's turning out to be a fun way to start new connections - and we invite you to join us and learn more. Namaste.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Santa-Fe-NM/Yatra-Yoga-International/87947280628?ref=ts
Since part of our mission at Yatra involves connecting with the very people who are ready for an inner adventure - last week we got ourselves up on Facebook, to help spread the word of our work, and the work of our gifted teachers. It's turning out to be a fun way to start new connections - and we invite you to join us and learn more. Namaste.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Santa-Fe-NM/Yatra-Yoga-International/87947280628?ref=ts
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