July 2010

Programmes marked with * are also recommended for yoga teachers.

Yoga vacationers enrolling in more than one vacation programme pay only one daily rate.
Rates:
Friday – Sunday: 70 €, plus 2 days room and board
Monday – Friday: 128 €, plus 4 days room and board

Rates for special programmes are specifies directly under each programme.

Fri 2.7. / 3pm – Sun 4.7. / 3pm

THE YOGA BODY CHECK *

Often just little adjustments can lead to greater quality of life: Workshops focussing on the shoulders, back and hips show us how we can systematically improve our flexibility in the yoga class.

A muscle test and a postural analysis give you the motivation you need to make a change. Yoga offers a broad palette of methods for strengthening the nervous and cardiovascular systems: from deep relaxation through to resistance training by holding the asana postures.

Through the yogic breathing exercises you can increase your life energy. Yogic techniques for organ cleansing (Kriyas) make it easier to detox the body. In the cooking workshop you will learn energy-giving vegetarian food combinations.

Fri 2.7. / 3pm – Sun 4.7. / 3pm

Sivananda Beginner's Guide to Yoga

A comprehensive basic guide from the Sivananda Yoga Centres.

Theory
The basic principles for all-round health
Overcoming stress
Conserving vital energy
Step-by-step relaxation
Life philosophy of yoga
Practice
Abdominal breathing, deep breathing and pranayama
Better flexibility through the sun salutation
12 basic poses with warm-up exercises and deep relaxation
Cooking workshop – the vegetarian alternative
Concentration and meditation exercises

Textbook: "Sivananda Beginner's Guide to Yoga" (Gaia Books)

Mon 5.7. / 3pm – Fri 9.7. / 3pm

THE YOGA VITALITY WEEK

This yoga vacation week puts the focus on personal guidance and individual correction in the yoga postures. Nature walks in the breathtaking Tyrolean mountains and a gradual increase in the breathing exercises help strengthen the immune system. The seminar includes an introduction in the meditation techniques for mental relaxation as well as a cooking workshop on how to prepare easy-to-digest meals and on improving the acid/base balance.

Mon 5.7. / 3pm – Fri 9.7. / 3pm

EXPANSION IN THE ASANA*

PRACTISE WEEK FOR ADVANCED STUDENTS

Detailed asana workshops with individual corrections

- Training in stretching and flexibility

- Classical variations for strength, duration and flexibility

- Meditative holding of the asanas

- Lectures on anatomic basis of the spinal chord, muscles and inner organs

- Pranayama

- the energetic component

Mon 5.7. / 3pm – Fri 9.7. / 3pm

EXISTENCE – KNOWLEDGE – BLISS *

An introduction into Vedanta philosophy

- Universal terms

- Change and reality

- Intellect and intuition

- The experience of the self, the aim of all yoga paths

- The classical scriptures of Vedanta

- "Who am I?" - Meditation and self inquiry

Fri 9.7. / 3pm – Sun 11.7. / 3pm

ASANAS – STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY

Classical asana variations with individual guidance:
Easy variations leading up to the twelve basic postures. Advanced variations aimed at making the body more flexible and allowing progress in the basic postures. In the workshops you will learn anatomical details of the asana practice, helping you get more out of the yoga classes. Special yoga asanas for the back enhance flexibility and strengthen problem areas. Step by step, you’ll learn the art of deep relaxation by making the most of the short relaxation between the asanas and skilfully applying the autosuggestion technique. The daily practice of meditation and mantra chanting will make the seminar into a holistic yoga experience.

Fri 9.7. / 3pm – Sun 11.7. / 3pm

THOUGHT POWER AND POSITIVE THINKING

"You sow a thought and reap an action.

You sow an action and reap a habit.

You sow a habit and reap a character.

You sow a character and reap your destiny.”
Swami Sivananda

Besides the daily practice of asanas, pranayama and meditation for the relaxation of body and mind, we will focus in this series of lectures and workshops on the world of thoughts, creative life management, exercises for developing thought power, guided contemplation and visualisation.

Mon 12.7. / 3pm – Fri 16.7. / 3pm

YOGA@HOME

The daily yoga practise at home lets you tap new energy, which can change your outlook on life. Workshops introduce the most effective exercises for the daily routine, based on various asana sequences with a duration of at least 15 minutes. In an introduction to the practise of concentration and meditation, you will learn the time-tested techniques of controlling one's mind - a kind of mental hygiene for daily life. A cooking workshop gives practical tips for optimising one's diet for both body and mind. All this, together with a list of recommended reading, will equip you for successful Yoga@Home.

Mon 12.7. / 3pm – Fri 16.7. / 3pm

YOGA AND MOUNTAIN MAGIC

Yoga and hiking holidays in the majestic Kitzbühel Alps offer both active recreation and a pleasant escape from our hectic lives. Several two-hour (approx.) hikes with like-minded people are combined with daily yoga classes with individual correction where we delve into the true nature of body and mind. We will go on excursions to the most beautiful areas of the region:

Bichlach: Rolling hills of meadow and forest around the Vogelsberg and Gieringer Weiher lakes. Venedigerblick: A fabulous hiking route.

Astbergweg: High-elevation hike with breathtaking views of the Wilder Kaiser and the Kitzbühel mountains.

Other possible excursions: Hiking in the Hohe Tauern and Welten Mittersill national parks. Visits to the Gaudeamushütte alpine lodge on Wilder Kaiser and the Grimmler waterfalls.

You can join this active yoga vacation at any time.

Please bring hiking shoes and raingear.

Wed 14.7. / 19.30 h

Swami Sivanandas Mahasamadhi

Celebration of the great yoga master Swami Sivananda.
With Puja, meditation, stories and mantra chanting.

(Donations welcome)

Fri 16.7. / 3pm – Sun 18.7. / 3pm

YOGA FITNESS

This seminar focuses on strengthening body and mind, promoting holistic health.

Yoga asanas provide optimal development of muscle strength and flexibility. This is excellent prevention against posture faults such as lordosis, kyphosis or scoliosis, and helps improve existing posture faults. In addition to learning how to breathe naturally when the body is at rest, you will learn pranayama breathing exercises that systematically increase your vital capacity. Relaxation exercises strengthen the nervous and immune systems. In the cooking workshop we will present easy-to-make and easy-to-digest meals, suited to the yoga practice.

Sat, 17.07. /15 h – Sat, 24.07. YOGA AND MEDICINAL HERBS *   With Brigitte Addington, herbalist, Nuremberg Certificate of participation for 90 TUs   Lectures and herb gathering excursions will convey knowledge from both folk medicine and modern science. We will conjure up vitamin-rich snacks and drinks made of wild plants and tree leaves and process them into cosmetics. TOPICS · History of medicinal and wild plant lore · Basics of phytotherapy · Nature's apothecary along the footpath: "Weeds" as medicinal plants · Active ingredients and applications · Traditional knowledge about bushes, trees and roots · Vitamin-rich meals and delicious drinks · Medicinal plants as cosmetics and special recipes · Immersing in the souls of plants · Closing ritual, summary   DAILY SCHEDULE 12–2 pm and 3–5 pm Yoga and medicinal plant lectures, workshops and excursions, integrated into the yoga holiday schedule.   Brigitte Addington is a specialist nurse and certified medicinal plant expert. She is founder and director of the Communication Centre for Herbalists (Medicinal Plant School & Training) near Erlangen (Germany).   more…

Mon 19.7. / 3pm – Fri 23.7. / 3pm

THE YOGA BODY CHECK *

Often just little adjustments can lead to greater quality of life: Workshops focussing on the shoulders, back and hips show us how we can systematically improve our flexibility in the yoga class.

A muscle test and a postural analysis give you the motivation you need to make a change. Yoga offers a broad palette of methods for strengthening the nervous and cardiovascular systems: from deep relaxation through to resistance training by holding the asana postures.

Through the yogic breathing exercises you can increase your life energy. Yogic techniques for organ cleansing (Kriyas) make it easier to detox the body. In the cooking workshop you will learn energy-giving vegetarian food combinations.

Mon 19.7. / 3pm – Fri 23.7. / 3pm

IN PEACE LIES STRENGTH

Confronting our body’s own tension – this is stress management based on asanas (yoga postures). The conscious flow of breathing enables mental relaxation and the elimination of stressful thought patterns. A cooking workshop gives tips on detoxing the body with a vegetarian diet. Mantra meditation – the sound experience of yoga – awakens the power of one’s own primal life energy. Lectures and recommended reading on yoga psychology show how you can change your life through positive thoughts.

Fri 23.7. / 3pm – Sun 25.7. / 3pm

THE YOGA LIFESTYLE

This seminar shows you how to turn your yoga practice into a yoga lifestyle.

The harmonious processes of the classical asana sequence such as pose and counterpose, as well as posture, breathing and relaxation, bring harmony and rhythm to our daily lives. The yoga exercise plan for busy people gives new ideas for personal time management. The topics of developing willpower and inner strength through meditation help to relate the psychological aspects of yoga to one’s own experiences in life. The cooking workshop teaches how to make healthy dishes and snacks suitable for people on the go.

Fri 23.7. / 3pm – Sun 25.7. / 3pm

MEDITATION PRACTISE WEEKEND

The experiences one can have in meditation vary greatly: Concentration develops naturally through performing the asanas. Also, a detailed understanding of the correct meditation postures can help us in establishing a meditation practise. The mental practise includes meditation exercises using light and objects, the universal sound ‘OM' and uplifting qualities. Various additional practise s are introduced, for example relaxed concentration through writing a mantra.

Fri 23.7. / 3pm – Sun 25.7. / 3pm

AYURVEDA, YOGA AND HEALTH

You learn the basics of Ayurveda and the Ayurvedic science of nutrition, including many recipes and tips for your body type.
The physical and mental characteristics of the three body types Vata, Pitta, Kapha are clarified. In addition to the yogic guidelines for optimal nutrition, you will learn how to find the optimum balance of the six food tastes. A workshop on typical spices, theireffects and constitution-related uses prepares you for the Ayurveda cooking course: Together, we prepare an Ayurvedic menu with grains, vegetables, legumes, salad and dessert.

Sun 25.7.

Guru Purnima

Mon 26.7. / 3pm – Fri 30.7. / 3pm

THE YOGA WORKSHOP SERIES

Spend a week loosening, stretching and strengthening the muscles.

Daily workshops look at the main aspects of the yoga class in depth: muscle relaxation in the relaxation pose (Savasana) through autosuggestion; enhanced flexibility of the spine and limbs through specific stretching in the asanas; strengthening of back and abdominal muscles for improved posture; specific asana cycles for the flexibility of hips and pelvis and for strengthening shoulders and chest.
Increased vital capacity through deep breathing: on the basis of abdominal breathing and full yogic breathing you will be introduced step by step to the classical pranayama techniques, which lead to improved energy resources for both body and mind.

Mon 26.7. / 3pm – Fri 30.7. / 3pm

YOGA AND MOUNTAIN MAGIC

Yoga and hiking holidays in the majestic Kitzbühel Alps offer both active recreation and a pleasant escape from our hectic lives. Several two-hour (approx.) hikes with like-minded people are combined with daily yoga classes with individual correction where we delve into the true nature of body and mind. We will go on excursions to the most beautiful areas of the region:

Bichlach: Rolling hills of meadow and forest around the Vogelsberg and Gieringer Weiher lakes. Venedigerblick: A fabulous hiking route.

Astbergweg: High-elevation hike with breathtaking views of the Wilder Kaiser and the Kitzbühel mountains.

Other possible excursions: Hiking in the Hohe Tauern and Welten Mittersill national parks. Visits to the Gaudeamushütte alpine lodge on Wilder Kaiser and the Grimmler waterfalls.

You can join this active yoga vacation at any time.

Please bring hiking shoes and raingear.

Fri 30.7. / 3pm – Sun 1.8. / 3pm

YOGA VACATION LIGHT

Two gentle yoga classes per day for all levels, as well as group meditation in the mornings and evenings,
are the basis for this relaxing week at the Retreat House. Between 11 am and 4 pm you have more time for relaxation and other leisurely pursuits.

Fri 30.7. / 3pm – Sun 1.8. / 3pm

Sivananda Beginner's Guide to Yoga

A comprehensive basic guide from the Sivananda Yoga Centres.

Theory
The basic principles for all-round health
Overcoming stress
Conserving vital energy
Step-by-step relaxation
Life philosophy of yoga
Practice
Abdominal breathing, deep breathing and pranayama
Better flexibility through the sun salutation
12 basic poses with warm-up exercises and deep relaxation
Cooking workshop – the vegetarian alternative
Concentration and meditation exercises

Textbook: "Sivananda Beginner's Guide to Yoga" (Gaia Books)