yasodhara ashram wins environmental responsibility award

February 20th, 2009 by roseanne Posted in ascent, yasodhara ashram

Swami Radhananda, ascent magazine columnist and spiritual director of Yasodhara Ashram, accepted the 2009 Environmentally Responsible Tourism Award last week in Vancouver, BC. Before handing the award to Swami Radhananda, the presenter listed the ashram’s impressive environmental accomplishments: a multi-year program for upgrades and retrofits of buildings, and lighting, heating, and hot water systems, as well as a comprehensive sustainability program, ranging from menu planning, food ordering and housekeeping to solar and geothermal heating systems.

In addition to these long-term goals, the ashram employs some simpler measures on a day-to-day basis: 25% of all produce is grown in the ashram’s organic garden and a large amount preserved for winter use; vinegar, borax and washing soda, and non-chlorine bleaches are used as household cleaning agents; drying racks are provided to reduce clothes dryer use; and paper products are recycled paper using vegetable ink.

As she accepted the award, Swami Radhananda remarked, “We at the ashram take sustainability personally and seriously. Living in BC, we are privileged to have beauty all around us. We feel that maintaining it is our first responsibility to our guests.”

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in the classroom with geetaji

April 29th, 2008 by juniper Posted in ascent, community, yasodhara ashram

These are a few images from the final days of the ascent intensive with Geeta Iyengar, offered at Yasodhara Ashram. Participants in the intensive are always welcome to share their reflections on this unique learning event - feel free to post a comment.

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learning with geetaji

April 25th, 2008 by juniper Posted in ascent, community, yasodhara ashram

The ascent intensive continues, 5 days of teachings with Geeta Iyengar, who arrived directly from India and proceeded to teach with her usual fire and stamina, half a world away from her home.

The class is mixed, with many less experienced students as well as senior Iyengar teachers - “the vanguard” as one said, mostly women now entering their elder years who have helped to share this Yoga in the U.S. and Canada. For this mixed group of ages abilities and limitations, Geetaji has focused on the basics. The first day we went deeply into standing, the second day we focused on sitting. Pranayama class is quiet and full of space as we rest mostly on our backs, exploring the subtle ways the breath can open the chest area and heart centre.

Exploring these foundations of Hatha Yoga is complex and rich. The intensity does not wane because of the seeming simplicity of the asanas or breathing practices. I am learning about what holds my body up, what allows space, and, very slowly, I am learning how to release tension while maintaining a lengthened and more alert spine. Practice is what gets these learnings into our bones, into our cells, the conversion of experiences into what Geetaji calls “body knowledge.”

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opening the intensive

April 24th, 2008 by juniper Posted in ascent, community, yasodhara ashram

Geeta Iyengar opened the ascent intensive with joy, humour and enthusiasm for Yoga. About 90 students and 40 karma yogis at Yasodhara Ashram shared in a warm welcome in the cool, misty mountains of British Columbia. In the beautiful, spacious temple dedicated to the light in all spiritual traditions, Geetaji reflected on unity: “Religion is not created by God. It is created by humans. Lord is one.” She encouraged us to not be divisive when we think of different paths of Yoga: Iyengar Yoga is one approach and her ways of teaching are her ways of teaching, but she sees herself and all other Yoga practitioners as part of one great family.

“There are only two paths,” she said, “The path of denying reality, and the path of going toward reality.”

During the first day of the 5-day intensive, we explored the reality of our bodies through asana and breath through pranayama. In asana class, I am impressed by the complexity of the body that makes Hatha Yoga a constant discovery – Geeta lightly and with humour works with individual students as examples to show the whole group. We saw how a subtle turn of the calf muscle aligns the legs, pelvis and spine, or how softening the front of the thigh allows the back of the thigh to lengthen further and reduce strain. Despite the challenge for me of having limited knowledge of Iyengar Yoga and also being 7 months pregnant, I am grateful to be part of this group of curious and willing yogis and yoginis. We fit like puzzle pieces in the classroom and in the temple, finding harmony – there is always a little more space somewhere when it is needed!

ascent invites the men and women participating in this course with Geetaji to share what they experience. This way we can let others know across the world what is happening in this unique and intimate time of learning: What of Geeta’s teachings remains with you? What gems have you picked up so far? What are your impressions of the atmosphere in this course?

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blogging about swami radha

November 11th, 2007 by roseanne Posted in ascent, timeless, yasodhara ashram

We recently came across this older post on the Bodhi Tree blog about Swami Radha, who is the founder of ascent magazine, timeless books and Yasodhara Ashram in BC. It’s a lovely tribute to Swami Radha’s teachings on the Divine Light Invocation, and it’s generated some interesting discussion among regular readers of the blog. Here is an excerpt from the post:

Lately I’ve been (re)reading a few different books by Swami Sivananda Radha, who is a beautiful, blessed soul who has taught so much to so many. Unique in that she was one of the first western women in the world to take sanyasin vows, thereby dedicating her life to her spiritual quest, she also started the first ashram in Canada. The ashram is in British Columbia, on Kootenay Lake.

She showed people many profound truths over the years of her dedication, and the Divine Light Invocation that she taught is one of the most direct and powerful ways of bringing light not only into your own life, but of sharing it with those around you, using your conscious intent. I first learned of this particular exercise many years ago at a retreat that I attended, and it has popped up over and over again at various times in my life.

To read the rest of the post and comments, click here.

For more information about the Divine Light Invocation (a powerful standing meditation and visualization of light), check out timeless books’ recent reissue of Swami Radha’s classic text.

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polishing inner diamonds at yasodhara ashram

November 1st, 2007 by roseanne Posted in ascent, reflection, yasodhara ashram

Last week, Yasodhara Ashram hosted the 4th annual Polishing the Diamond, an ascent Intensive retreat with Swami Radhananda. 17 people gathered for five days of yogic practices such as mantra, meditation and Hidden Language Hatha Yoga. One of the participants, Pat Carty, reflects on her experience:

Attending a retreat at the ashram is a precious gift I give to myself. It allows me the opportunity to go to a level that I can rarely delve into when I am at home. I explore ‘who I am’ by examining my reaction to whatever is happening in my life, and my life gives me many chances each day.

I was drawn to attend the Polishing the Diamond ascent Intensive with Swami Radhananda because her articles in the magazine have a clarity that touches my heart and mind. When we gathered as a group she challenged us to look and explore within. “Who are you at the deepest level?” she asked. “And as diamonds in the rough, what needs to be polished?” read more…

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satsang with swami radhananda

September 24th, 2007 by roseanne Posted in ascent, yasodhara ashram

Swami Radhananda, ascent magazine columnist and spiritual director of Yasodhara Ashram, speaks about the yoga of meaningful work during a special Labour Day satsang.

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becoming divine

August 24th, 2007 by luna Posted in ascent, timeless, yasodhara ashram

Recently, the ascent and timeless books staff spent ten days at Yasodhara Ashram for our annual meetings. I had forgotten in the few months I’d been away from the ashram just how precious it is to be in a place where it’s assumed that the divine, in all its myriad forms, is at work in the world. On this basis alone, day-to-day life is transformed.

After going on several retreats at the ashram, I’m getting to know the process. When I first arrive, I usually feel like a caricature of the busy urbanite. I walk with a sense of harried purpose. I pass people on the path because they’re in my way (“Why are they strolling? Strolling takes too long!”). I carry way too many things around with me, just in case I’ll need them. But little by little, the city fades – the lip gloss starts to go unused, I walk slower, think slower and check the mirror less as the urge to compete quiets in me. It all seems less relevant when I feel this supported.

It would seem that taking time away from the habitual busyness that characterizes city life always changes something. In our upcoming Gender&Sexuality issue of ascent (Fall 2007), Vanessa Fisher reflects on her four-month hiatus at a rural ashram in which she took a closer look at what beauty means.

Through the companionship of Siva and Shakti and her curiosity about their mythologies, she finds a new angle on divinity and worth, and how to seek it in herself: “I felt a new sense of solid ground under my feet, alongside a growing flexibility in my awareness. Although often fragile, this grounded feeling allowed me to sit at the centre of my self-critical thoughts and gazes and remain untouched by them.” Her personal reflection is in issue #35 of ascent – on newsstands in just a few weeks.

ps: On September 7th, we’ll be posting an animated photo slideshow on our website depicting our favourite Siva and Shakti myths related to Vanessa’s story – keep your eye out for it!

Photos by Karen Messer. Top: a butterfly in the ashram garden, Middle: some of the ascent staff (l to r)…assistant editor Luna Allison, editor Roseanne Harvey and office manager Karen Messer, Bottom: timeless books managing editor Kendra Ward.

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