"The Beautiful Gathering" Fall Yoga Festival in Duncan

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Saturday, September 11th, 2010

We welcome you to join us and other yogis as we share a beautiful space, with wonderful workshops, great food and lovely people...the spring festival was such a wonderful success that we are compelled to offer it again in much the same format. It is for experienced and non-experienced alike...come, participate or observe, soak up the vibe and leave energized!


Cost $20 + vegetarian dish for potluck+ used good for potlatch (free-store)


Includes: Various free yogic workshops, free tenting, and free vending (by pre-approval) free coffee, tea, punch, mid-afternoon snacks, a great vegetarian Potluck dinner, Sunday left-overs breakfast and access to the free-store (potlatch)


PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED

payments taken on credit card by phone (250) 709-9010
OR
mailed cheque (payable to Sun Lotus)...please Email us so we can confirm when we receive it. [email protected]

This in an ALCOHOL-FREE event, you are invited to bring a tent and stay over, as the events run late into the night.

There is also some accomodation available in the guesthouse, bunks in the dorm $30; private rooms for (2)$80; tipi for (4) $160 call or email to book.
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SUPER SATURDAY SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
The developing schedule includes the following:
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12:00 SUN-SALUTATION by Lilian Bianchi of namasteyoga.ca

Lilian has again graciously offered her presence to open our festival!

The physical base of SUN SALUTATION links together twelve asana in a dynamically performed series. These asana are ordered so that they alternately stretch the spine backwards and forwards. When performed in the usual way, each asana is moved into with alternate inhalation and exhalation

see extra information below
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1:00 ACRO-YOGA Demonstration by Nicola & Pan of www.kaliyoga.ca

Nicola and Pan will demonstrate their amazing strength and finesse with Acro-Yoga on the open-air deck!

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1:30 PARTNER YOGA Led by Nicola & Pan of www.kaliyoga.ca

If you didn't bring a partner, here's a chance to meet someone new...
explore, in a fun and playful way, that mysterious and dynamic edge where people connect - physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Take Yoga to a higher level! No previous experience necessary, only the courage to try something new and different!

see extra information below

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2:30 DRUMMING led by Lynn Weaver of www.moondancearts.ca

The drum is an easily accessible tool for reconnecting with our deeper selves. Our hands connect with a drum that vibrates with our energy and vitality. In turn this calms us, centers us, and reconnects us with ourselves as well as with the world around us. Drumming is one of the oldest healing rituals known to man. Drumming the HEART BEAT RHYTHM can be done with little or no previous musical background or training. This is an experience accessible to all people. The ability to drum is alive in all of us.

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3:30 TRIBAL BELLY DANCE DEMO by the Lotus Sisters of Studio 2000 Duncan (taught by Angelina Peterson)

Belly Dance can be a deeply meaningful artistic and spiritual path that leads towards self-discovery, self-actualization and an essential understanding of nature and life. Tribal Belly Dance (ATS) is a fusion of traditional middle eastern dance with other folkloric dance styles, it is not choreographed and requires mindful practice and close sense of unity among the dancers for its successful presentation.

In its profoundest sense, to really Belly Dance one has to know oneself. To this extent, Belly Dancing has certain elements in common with the Eastern spiritual practices of Zen Buddhism and Yoga. These qualities include a commitment to expanding one�s consciousness, an absolute presence in the moment, a focus on the breath, a daily discipline, a meditative outlook, a pursuit of quality and truth, a compassionate and loving attitude, and a love for Divine Union.

see further details below
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4:00 VINYASA FLOW, with crystal chakra activation by Tara Christensen of www.yogashanti.ca

The word Vinyasa means �breath-synchronized movement.� Tara will instruct us to move from one pose to the next on an inhale or an exhale. This yoga becomes like a dance because of the smooth way that the poses run together.

see extra information below
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5:00 CHANTING led by: Sadie Bartram of

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6:00 free VEGETARIAN POTLUCK DINNER, coffee, tea, punch & water
provided---please bring your own plates, cutlery & cups

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7:00 POI (fire) & HOOP DANCE DEMONSTRATION by Willow Chandler

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7:30 HOOP-YOGA (with glowsticks) led by Sally Whibley of smartfitt.com

Hula hooping offer all individuals ways to express their feminine nature through expressive, empowering, low impact movement.
In addition to the usual pros of working out, including improved strength, flexibility, endurance, and metabolism, hula hooping improves mobility in the spine whilst delivering a therapeutic massage to abdominal organs. Most importantly, hooping is a great way to unwind and have fun. The playful nature of hula hoops helps to transform stress and add years to our lives.

Yoga Hoop dance is done to music leading through the 4 rhythms of earth, water, fire and air. Including hoop meditation, and an obstacle course and hoop limbo.

specific benefits:
reduces abdominal fat
reduces stress
strengthens lower back
improves flexibility
optimizes energy
improves digestion
relieves constipation
improves fertility
relieves menstrual cramps

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8:30 KUNDALINI (CHAKRA) DANCING led by: Christy Lindell of reflectionsholisticretreat.com

Set to the pounding of a superb selection of "trance" music, dancers are inspired to generate their kundalini, through a combination of rhythmic energy breathing and movement and utilize it to purify the body mind, and move into NATURAL STATES OF ECSTASY.

see extra information below

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9:30 STAR-GAZING MEDITATION led by: (still seeking facilitator)

see extra information below

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10:00 SWEAT LODGE led by Jeff Otf Newell

A traditional Native-American lodge built on-site of natural willow branches will provide the space to experience the trans-formative effects of this ceremonial sauna.

The sweat lodge is a re-enactment of a return to our mother womb-like experience, which is the cleaning of the body, mind and spirit. People remove all accessories like watches, rings, and glasses, to remember that we came into this world without material possessions. It is a time of sharing our problems with other people and praying for the needs of our innermost self. Then after the rounds we re-enter creation reborn with New Hope and a changed attitude.

(if the fire ban has lifted)

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NIGHTTIME: Hot tub, Campfire (if no ban) available--come prepared


SUPER SUNDAY SCHEDULE
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8:00 am RAINBOW BRIDGE KUNDALINI YOGA led by Taj O'Brien & Janine

Taj & Janine will start our morning off with Kundalini Yoga meant to invigorate and activate the kundalini energy residing a the base of spine in every human being.

Come plant the seed of awareness, and allow it to uncoil rainbow light through the chakras. Arrive in the center of your being, and expand from this place of grounding. Celebrate the actualization of your heart's intent with conscious breathing, posture, movement, meditation, & sound...Sat Nam!


SPECIAL NOTE: Currently Taj is offering Kundalini Yoga classes on Thursday evenings 6:30 at Sun Lotus Guesthouse--please contact us if you are interested in attending

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9:30 COFFEE & "LEFT-OVERS" breakfast

The spring festival breakfast consisted of dozens of boiled eggs, many different types of bread, spreads, cheeses, and fruits...it worked out pretty good actually!!

If you are tenting, perhaps you want to bring a little extra to add to the morning spread--we'll boil the farm fresh eggs and have the coffee brewing!

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10:30 LAUGHTER YOGA by Sally Whibley of smartfitt.com

Laughter Yoga combines Unconditional Laughter with Yogic Breathing (Pranayama). Laughter is simulated as a body exercise in a group; with eye contact and childlike playfulness, and becomes real contagious laughter. Since the body cannot differentiate between fake and real laughter one gets the same physiological and psychological benefits-- its a simple and profound complete well-being workout.

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11:30 am 5-RYTHMS DANCE led by: Shauna Devlin of [email protected]

The 5Rhythms are a physical and spiritual practice that offers healing, aliveness and awareness through dance. They are a simple, powerful moving meditation that anyone-of any age, size, or physical ability-can practice. There are no steps to follow, no choreography to learn, no way to do it wrong. The only requirement is a body that is still breathing, a heart that is still beating, and a mind that is still curious.

Just like light, sound or ocean waves, a dancing body, when moving, passes through 5 distinct rhythmic patterns. These patterns continuously repeat themselves in a wave of motion. The 5 Rhythms are:

Flowing, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical and Stillness

Practicing the five rhythms helps us become attuned to the underlying patterns in our everyday existence, teaching us that life is energy in motion and we can recognize them, work with them, and therefore not become too fixed in our pre-conceived notions.
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WHAT TO BRING:

vegetarian dish or snack for potluck dinner & gently-used goods of all kinds for the potlatch (and perhaps a little extra snack for breakfast?)

your tranquil nature, yoga mat, picnic blanket, plate, cutlery & cup for dinner, swimsuit & towel, tent, warm clothing and anything you'd like to share with your yoga community...
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POTLUCK?? **VEGETARIAN**

We will be collecting meal donations at the gate, you might consider donating snacks--crackers, bread, chips, nuts, cheese, spreads, prepped-veggies, dips, salads, desserts, fruits or a full-on cooked-dish...

We might re-plate/compile food as needed--please bring a sufficient quantity representative of the people in your group.

It would be very helpful if you label your food containing hidden allergens or if it is wheat-free or vegan (unless its obvious)

This will be OUR DINNER so lets be good to our community!!

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POTLATCH???

Based on the beautiful native tradition of giving away one's accumulated wealth to the community, we will be collecting all kinds used goods from which attendees can take any items that they need...all left over goods will be donated to Sister Frida's Free Store at Providence Farm.

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CHILDREN? NO CHILD-MINDING

While children are welcome, there is NO child-minding, and you are responsible for your child during the workshops. If your child is unable to play quietly please understand our desire that you take leave of the event--go for a walk and see if you can return.

PLEASE CAREFULLY CONSIDER OTHERS, YOUR CHILD'S TEMPERAMENT, AND WHETHER YOU MIGHT ENJOY THE DAY MORE WITHOUT YOUR CHILD PRESENT.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on WORKSHOPS AND PRESENTERS:

SUN SALUTATION (SURYA NAMASKAR)--Lilian Bianchi

Lillian is a revered yoga teacher in the Duncan area. She has been teaching Yoga since 1982. Her teachings are rooted in the classical eight-limbed system of Patanjali. She understands Yoga as an energy-based healing art for the integration of Body, Mind, and Spirit. Lillian is registered with the Yoga Association of British Columbia as a senior teacher. She is also a Yoga-Teacher Trainer.

More Information about Sun Salutation:
Surya namaskara is a series of twelve physical postures. These alternating backward and forward bending postures flex and stretch the spinal column through their maximum range giving a profound stretch to the whole body.

Often, after a hard days work, we would just flop down on the couch * apparently * relaxing our bodies - but it is NOT so. The stagnant energies remain locked up and the organs remain de-oxygenated to a large extent.

Surya Namaskar has a deep effect in detoxifying the organs through copius oxygenation and has a deeper relaxing effect.

To list some of the benefits of Suryanamaskar:

Tones up the digestive system by the alternate stretching and compression of abdominal organs. It activates digestion and gets rid of constipation and dyspepsia.

Strengthens abdominal muscles.

Thoroughly ventilates the lungs, and oxygenates the blood.

Acts as detoxifying agent, by getting rid of enormous quantity of carbon dioxide and other toxic gases.

Tones up the nervous system and improves memory.

Promotes sleep and calms anxiety.

Normalizes the activity of the endocrine glands - especially the thyroid gland.

Refreshes the skin. Prevents Skin disorders.

Improves muscle flexibility.

In women, stimulates the breasts to help firmness normally. Restores any lost elasticity, through stimulation of glands and the strengthening of pectoral muscles.

Suppresses menstrual irregularity and assists in easy childbirth.

Prevents loss of hair and graying.

Helps reduce fat.

Reduces abnormal prominence of the Adam's apple.

Eliminates unpleasant smells from the body.

Lends grace and ease of movements to the body.

Revives and maintains the spirit of youthfulness.

Broadens chest and beautifies arms.

Makes the spine and waist flexible.

Produces health, strength, efficiency and longevity.

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PARTNERS YOGA:

Nicola Cusi

Nicola has been teaching Yoga for nearly 20 years in Austria, France, Mexico and lately here in the Island, where she owns KaliYoga Studio in beautiful Shawnigan Lake.

Trained in the Hatha Yoga tradition and as a Yoga Therapist, Nicola's passion is in taking Yoga out of a solitary practice and bring it to that mysterious and dynamic edge where people connect - physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It's in our relationships where we find mirrors to reflect our beauty, our fears, our boundaries and challenges. Taking Yoga to a higher level with Contact Yoga and AcroYoga (a mix of Acrobatics and Yoga)

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BELLYDANCE-Lotus Sisters of Studio 2000 (taught by Angelina Peterson)

To expand one�s consciousness the Belly Dancer must at a very fundamental level become aware of dense places in her body. (Please note that most Belly Dancers are women, but that there are men who do perform and do so very well). Imbuing these areas with feeling and sensation is a never-ending process of constant refinement, integration and balance. This is similar, in approach, to the execution of the third limb of Yoga which are the physical postures, called Asanas

Another example of unblocking blocked areas is the particular awareness that Belly Dance brings to the unloved abdominal area. Belly Dancers work on gaining specific control of the various stomach muscles by isolating them individually and then moving, rolling and fluttering them making for a fuller, more rounded look to the abdominals. This is especially important in our Western society where we are constantly given the message to lose our waistline inches, flatten our stomachs and to create �abs of steel� by doing endless, mindless stomach crunches. Failure to attain this perfect washboard stomach contributes to poor self-esteem and eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia. As Belly Dancers, we reject this static, unhealthy attitude and bring life to our abdominals. In effect we say to ourselves and others, �Hey! I can have body fat here and still have incredible control and be in good shape!� When an audience experiences a dancer who is connected to all parts of her body, the door is opened for them to become more connected to their own bodies.

the Buddhist idea of right thought and a Yogic love for the refinement process is necessary.
Another quality that assists the dancer on her spiritual and artistic path is for her to increase her awareness by being present in the moment. Most individuals live in the past or future or are distracted somewhere else in the present, ie. talking on a cell phone while trying to drive, or sitting and watching TV. They are not directly experiencing their bodies in the here and now. Zen Buddhism might be defined as �waking up in the present� and much of its discipline is designed to shake its practitioners out of a dull, absentminded state. The dancer, as well, must train herself to be ever-present. She needs to avoid the trap of thinking in numbers while doing choreography and looking as if she is demonstrating the movements as opposed to living and breathing them.

Yet it is the dancer, herself, who is the focal point, the vortex in which each individual feels the connection to him/herself and the whole. In these times, when it is easy to feel disconnected, isolated and distinctly separated, the great Belly Dancer provides an exquisite and vital community healing. Her love, beauty, truth and compassion which she has fostered in herself is felt by all and consequently taken out into the world to be shared with others.

extracted from the site: http://www.zhelene.com/Zen.html

ALSO READ: ttp://www.zhelene.com/Papers.html


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VINYASA FLOW YOGA-Tara Christensen RYT/RM

Tara has studied esoteric and magickal systems including yoga for 15 years and Reiki, she works with crystals and does workshops in many of these areas. She especially likes to promote outdoor activity as well as connection with nature--she cherishes the opportunity to share her practices in different locales where people can connect more readily with the natural elements. You can find her on the web @ www.yogashanti.ca

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DRUMMING: Lynn Weaver

For centuries, drumming has been a central part of indigenous cultures worldwide. Drumming has been commonplace at wedding ceremonies, births, deaths, harvests and rites of passage. It is used by peoples to connect to the Earth and to one another. As a universal, vibrational language, the drumbeat communes with the Earth and all her creatures. In recent years, major articles describing the healing effects of this ancient practice have appeared in newspapers and magazines such as The New York Times, Yoga Journal, The Wall Street Journal and Newsweek.

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KUNDALINI-CHAKRA DANCING: Kristy Lindell

Christy Lindell is a facilitator in training under the tutelage of Leyolah Antara Dekanic, the developer of this unique form of ecstatic dance.

It is a practice that is deeply transformational, the practice rejuvenates the body, clears stagnant emotional energy, brings insight and clarity into limiting beliefs, and supports the awakening and integration of higher consciousness. Kundalini Dance is a revolutionary new method for self-healing and personal awakening.

Kundalini is an innate inner energy found in the core of the earth and in very human being, where it sits in at the base of the spine, and unless cultivated remains dormant. Kundalini is prana, essential life-force in a highly potent form. The ancient Indian yogic mystics the Siddhis referred to Kundalini as Shakti, the divine feminine energy within us, which when cultivated was the key to self-realization, health and longevity. Raising Kundalini clears negativity and awakens higher consciousness.

One of the underlying principles of Kundalini Dance is the mind, body, spirit connection. Thought patterns and emotions are initiated and stored not only in our brains, but also within the cells of our bodies our organs and our energy fields. We hold the imprints of all that we have ever experienced in this life. Unexpressed or unintegrated experiences carry strong mental and emotional energy that can become locked in the body as tension, resistance and body armoring--this is an opportunity to open your body by accessing your innate love.

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STAR-GAZING MEDITATION

Since the beginning of time, humans have gazed at the stars in the night sky with awe, seeking in their luminosity everything from answers to inspiration to guidance

Gazing at the stars is no doubt one of the earliest forms of meditation practiced by human beings, and it is readily available to this day. If you make a habit of it, you will begin to know the seasonal changes of the night sky, deepening your connection to the earth and the universe in which you live.

One of the best ways to stargaze is to lie down on a blanket so that your body can fully relax. This position allows your breath to move easily through your tranquil form as you settle down into the earth, connecting your consciousness to the sky. As you look deeply into its vastness, allowing your awareness to alternate between the pinpoints of light and the blue-black space that holds them, your breath expands and contracts your body, just as the universe expands and contracts to its own eternal rhythm. You may feel as if you are floating amidst the stars or that they are raining down upon you. You may feel peacefulness, joy, and connectedness, or any of a full range of emotions. Simply continue to breathe, experiencing the wonder of this universe and your place within it.

extracted from: http://www.dailyom.com/articles/2007/10793.html

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VENDORS LIST:

Vending space is limited to approximately 20, and is free with admission and PRE-APPROVAL, spaces are allocated upon arrival, we encourage you to arrive early (from 9am on) and set up before we begin.

Healing Cards, by Sybille of www.beyondideas.ca

Massage, by Kata Polano

Earrings, gloves, Himalayan salt, by Willow of "House of Indigo" Nanaimo

Chair Mass. & Reflexology, James Cunningham, Soles to Soul Bodyworks

Hula Hoops, Sally Whibley of smartfit.com

Tibeten Jewelery & Tea Readings, by Veronica Nicholson