Thank You Edmonton

Thank you all for being such caring, respectful community members and staying home as much as possible during this pandemic.

Here are a few resources in the Edmonton area to support your physical, mental, and emotional wellness during this challenging time.

Free Online Yoga Classes by Donation from Yoga Within

Free Online Pranayama and Meditation Classes from Sun Yoga

Free meals for people who need them from Ganesh Sweets

Online Music and Sound Therapy from local Musician and Music Therapist, Tiffany of  Sparrow Harmonix

Online Grief Support from local expert Sandy Ayre

Namaste, 2019 Yoga Teacher Trainees at Yoga Within!

Marigolds, representing "Plasticity"

A heartfelt welcome to the new 2019/2020 class of Hatha Yoga Teacher Trainees at Yoga Within!

I wish you all the cheerfulness and flexibility you will need to navigate this lifelong journey of personal transformation.

I'm aware that in this age of prolific body-centered practice, studying the origin, history, and philosophy of yoga may seem a bit... extra.  

Yoga (or more precisely, the practice of yoga asanas) has become a global phenomenon and a multi-billion dollar industry.  Millions of people in Canada alone now participate in classes, workshops, and retreats.  Remarkably, the numbers keep growing.

While some think philosophy and history are irrelevant to yoga today or that philosophy is something "other people" think about, actually, There is no one who does not have a philosophy.  Learning about the origins and intentions of Classical Yoga can help us to identify and examine our own philosophy (and hypocrisy) in yoga and in life.

Knowing where the teachings come from, how they blended into modern culture, and how experts see them trending in the future can make you a more critical (I don't mean judgemental) and engaged student. It can also make you a more informed and professional Yoga Teacher.

Today's yoga teachers need to navigate issues of cultural and spiritual sensitivity.  They encounter students from many backgrounds and educational frameworks.  In order to address the wide range of physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social issues students seek out yoga to address, it is essential to be aware of the "big picture".  Having as many tools in your box as possible allows you to excel when preparing and presenting yoga to individuals or groups and have a positive impact on your students and your community.

Many yoga teacher trainees are surprised to discover that this part of their education is not boring or dry.  It does not require a brilliant mind or running away to a cave.  Rather, it is a way to examine and articulate your own values and goals.  It allows you to engage with the purpose behind the practice.  It develops compassion and respect for the ideas and ideals of all Yogis and Yoginis, past, present, and future.

I hope to convey some of my enthusiasm and spark your curiosity about Yoga's original language, oral history, and works of world-literature as well as the fascinating cast of characters who have brought Yoga to Atha, or "this moment" which all of our previous experience, contemplation, education, and practice have prepared us for.

"And now the teaching on Yoga begins." P.Y.S. 1.1

Namaste,

Tara 

Yoga Within, TTP Homework

Source: Hindustan Times (Shutterstock)

Namaste Hatha Yoga Teacher Trainees,

It was great spending time with you today introducing the Language and Literature of Yoga.

Next time we meet, we will be examining two of the foundational texts of Yoga in greater depth:

• The Bhagavad Gita
• The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

To prepare, please select one translation of each of the aforementioned texts and answer the following twelve questions for each:

1) What type of source is it?
2) Who authored or created it?
3) What year was it written or created?
4) What historical events were taking place at the time?
5) Who was the intended audience?
6) What point of view does the author/creator represent?
7) How does the point of view shape the source?
8) What does the source contribute to Yoga as we know it?
9) Is this source historically convincing? Why or why not?
10) Why did you choose this source?
11) Would you recommend this source to others?  If so, who?
12) How did this source translate the key definition of yoga? (BG 2.50 and PYS 1.2)

This set of questions has been adapted from The Historical Thinking Project, Primary Source Evidence template.  The Historical Thinking Project is a non-profit educational initiative, funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage, which promotes critical historical literacy for the 21st Century.

Om Shanti

Mantra Music and Meditation, Friday September 18, 2015

Friday, September 18 from 7-8:30pm please join me to launch a monthly satsang at Yoga Within!

Let's share yoga songs and silence promoting peace, unity and serenity.

Next date: October 23, 2015

Summer Yoga and Meditation Summary

Big thanks to all of you who attended my classes this summer at Yoga Within!

Here are a few links to past posts I mentioned in case you'd like to delve a little deeper.

In June: We practiced a Tibetan meditation of Taking and Giving known as Tong-Len which includes asanas and breathing to offer the six perfections or Paramitas for the benefit of others. (Ahem.. and ourselves!)

In July: We practiced a "loving-kindness" meditation and worked with the mantra Soham, I Am That.

And last Sunday: We practiced Sun Salutations, or Surya Namaskar.  I chanted the mantras as well as their translations and the affirmation poem my Mom and I composed a few years ago.  You can find it all here: Surya Namaskar - Salutation to the Sun.

I also introduced you to japa, or repetitive chanting of mantras using a mala, or string of 108 beads.  Curious about that sacred number?  Check out Kali's Kitchen's Post Number 108!

Yoga and Meditation, August 16, 2015

Origami Buddha: oneloveorigami

Yoga and Meditation at Yoga Within

Sunday August 16 from 10 am - 11:30 am

Move easily into stillness with postures that relieve stress and tension.

Rejuvenate and calm your mind with simple, powerful breathing.

Experience the synergy and support of meditating in a group.

Explore and fortify your own personal practice.

Start the week with keen insight and a fresh perspective.

All are welcome!

Yoga and Meditation at Yoga Within

Saleem stopping to smell the roses and mint.

Looking for ways to refresh your body and mind this summer?

Please join me for Yoga and Meditation Sunday, June 28 from 10-11:30 am.

Also Sunday July 19, and August 16, 2015.

$20 per class or all three for $50

Register at: Yoga Within

Introduction to Meditation at Yoga Within

This Sunday, May 31, 2015

10:00 - 11:30 am

Please join me for an Introduction to Meditation at Yoga Within.

- Find the style of meditation that works best for you.

- Transform what captivates you into your personal practice.

- Open to anyone who wants to reduce stress, focus intention and quiet mental chatter.

Feel free to bring your meditation cushion, a blanket or bolster.

Yogi Bhajan Birthday Celebration 2014

Photo of Yogi Bhajan's Feet

Saturday, August 23

2:00 – 6:00pm at Yoga Within

Come and be uplifted through the experience of video recorded teachings of Yogi Bhajan himself on this 9th annual celebration with Satwinder Sran and friends. (Including me!!) 

Join together with community for yoga, mantra, meditation, singing bowls, live kirtan and a delicious vegetarian dinner!

Suggested Donation: $50, all proceeds go directly to Guru Ram Das Center for Medicine and Humanology.

Contact Satwinder: s_sran@yahoo.com or (780)-457-6639



Full Moon Meditation and Kirtan, August 10

Nine Nights of Sacred Sound, July 12-20 2014

Summer is the time for music and celebration! 

Just in case you can't get away on a "yoga vacation" to the bigger retreat centres and festivals, here is your chance to steep yourself in sacred sound and satsang, without leaving your own home town!

Join me and Raja Yoga Summer Camp at various locations in the Edmonton area.  You can join us for some or all of the events. 

Please note that the first and last days are by invitation only.  If you would like to attend, and are not already on the Raja Yoga Summer Camp mailing list, please let me know at:  tarawoltjen@yahoo.ca


Also note that some days, there is more than one event!

Nine Nights of Sacred Sound Schedule:

Day 1)  Saturday July 12:  Guru Purnima Puja at Tara's 1-4 pm * By invitation only!

Day 2)  Sunday July 13:  Shiv Puran Katha 10-12 am at Bhartiya Cultural Society

Songha with Sparrow and Friends at Noorish 7-9 pm

Day 3)  Monday July 14:  Shiv Puran Katha 6-8 pm at Bhartiya Cultural Centre

Day 4)  Tuesday July 15:  Shiv Puran Katha 6-8 pm at Bhartiya Cultural Centre

Day 5)  Wednesday July 16:  Shiv Puran Katha 6-8 pm at Bhartiya Cultural Centre

Day 6)  Thursday July 17:  Shiv Puran Katha 6-8 pm at Bhartiya Cultural Centre

Day 7)  Friday July 18:  Eight Limbs of Yoga 7-9 pm at Yoga Within

Day 8)  Saturday July 19:  The Power of Sacred Sound 2-4 pm at Yoga Within

Shiv Puran Katha 6-8 pm at Bhartiya Cultural Centre

Day 9)  Sunday July 20:  Shiv Puran Katha 10-12 am

Potluck Dinner and Kirtan at Tara's 5-8 pm *By invitation only!

The Power of Sacred Sound, July 19, 2014

Saturday, July 19, from 2-4 pm join me again at Yoga Within to experience the Power of Sacred Sound!

Nada Yoga, the Yoga of Sound, uses mantras, chanting, singing and storytelling to purify our hearing and speech, raising our vibrational resonance in the world and within.

Nada Yoga embraces the notion that the basic stuff of the universe is vibration. 

By attuning our resonance with it, using verbal, instrumental and subtle sound as a medium for meditation, we can not only enjoy, but elevate our lives.

No musical experience necessary!

The Eight Limbs of Yoga: July 4, 11, 18, 25, 2014

Vishnu reclining on Adishesha with Brahma

Four feet and eight limbs?  Sounds strange! 

Actually, the Asht-anga or eight limbs of yoga are a practical eight-part practice to reach our highest bliss, on and off the mat.

The four chapters of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, known as padas or feet, describe three paths to samadhi or bliss.  The second chapter describes the most famous and easiest path, known as Asht-anga.

Join me at Yoga Within every Friday night in July from 7-9pm for chanting, group discussions, reflections, personal practice suggestions and more.  Find out what this 2000 year old text has to offer us today!

Drop-ins are welcome.

Summer 2014 Workshops at Yoga Within

I'm looking forward to sharing two brand new workshops with you this weekend at Yoga Within: 

The Power of Sacred Sound and

 Aromatherapy and the Chakras 

Also, check out Yoga Within's July/August Workshop Schedule for more events including The Power of Sacred Sound, and a series of Friday night gatherings focusing on the Eight Limbs of Yoga, the "easy path to bliss" described in the second chapter of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

Wishing you an enlightening summer!

Namaste!

The Power of Sacred Sound, June 27, 2014

Tibetan Singing Bowl, with Engraved Tara

This Friday, June 27, from 7-9 pm join me at Yoga Within to make some joyful noise!

Nada Yoga, the Yoga of Sound, uses mantras, chanting, singing and storytelling to purify our hearing and speech, raising our vibrational resonance in the world and within.

Nada Yoga embraces the notion that the basic stuff of the universe is vibration, and that by resonating with it, using verbal, instrumental and subtle sound as a medium for meditation, we can not only enjoy, but elevate our lives.



No musical experience necessary!

Aromatherapy and the Chakras, June 28, 2014

Wild Alberta Roses

Join me at Yoga Within this Saturday from 1-4pm for a fragrant journey through the chakras honoring the earth element with asanas and aromatherapy!

Incense, spices, herbs and flowers have all been used since ancient times to maintain physical health, elevate the mind, and connect to divine essence. 

Uplift and ground your energy through relaxing yoga postures and your sense of smell.  Practice beautiful "scent-ering" rituals, sample an all-natural "body incense", learn how essential oils can enhance your yoga and meditation practice, and more!



Yoga Teachers Training this Saturday at Yoga Within

Krishna and Arjuna, in The Bhagavad Gita

Workshop this weekend:  Yoga and the Bhagavad Gita

This is a continuation of the Yoga Philosophy section of the Yoga Teachers Training Program at Yoga Within, Edmonton.

When: Saturday, February 8, 2014 from noon - 6pm

Students, please feel free to bring your own copy of the Gita so that we can compare translations, and be prepared to discuss the Yamas and Niyamas assignment from our last session.

Considering taking Hatha Yoga Teacher Training?  Find out more about Yoga Within's 200 and 500 hour programs here.



Raja Yoga Summer Camp is in Full Swing!

Prasad from the Mahaganapathy Temple

Thanks to all who came (despite the tornado warnings!) on tonight's Raja Yoga Summer Camp field trip to the Mahaganapathy Temple!

It was such a beautiful experience and so wonderful to share it with you!

Thank you to everyone at the Temple who made us feel so welcome, you've given us an evening to remember!  Our eyes and ears and hearts were filled with sights and sounds, customs and kindness!

I can hardly wait until we go back on Wednesday, July 17th, 2013!

If you'd like join Raja Yoga Summer Camp, email me:  tarawoltjen@yahoo.ca

Ganesha holding Tara's marigold

Also, thank you Tara from the Yoga Within Hatha Yoga Teacher Training class. 

Tara, of all the students and friends I've given peace marigolds and marigold seeds to (and there have been lots!), you're the first ever to plant them and bless me with a bloom! 

Namaste!

Best wishes to you and all of your classmates as you complete your Yoga Teacher Training!

Atha yoganushasanam (Yoga Sutra 1.1) ...NOW the teaching on Yoga begins...

Jai Ganesha!

This Weekend at Yoga Within

There are still a few spots available for this weekend's workshops at Yoga Within!

February 8 - 9 ~ Sanskrit for Absolute Beginners with Tara Woltjen

$82.50 + GST

Friday, February 8,  5:30 – 8:30pm (3hrs)

and Saturday, February 9,  1 – 4pm (3hrs)

The Sanskrit letters are said to be the sounds of the inner winds heard by the ancient yogis in deep meditation. Learn the basics of Devanagari script and transliterated Sanskrit in an easy, lighthearted way so that you too can resonate with these sacred healing sounds.

February 9 - 10 ~ Mantra Yoga the Complete Science with Yogi Amandeep

Feb 9th  - 1-6pm  $65, at door $75

Feb 10th – 10-2 pm $55, at door $65

 

Cost: for both days $111

  Mantra Yoga is perhaps one of the most ancient ways of self realization. “Man” means mind and “tra” means wave, Mantra is that which controls the waves of the mind.

According to the metaphysical science Mantras are primal sounds that alter the patterns of the mind and brain chemistry. Mantras are living conscious energy and have to be awakened to fully benefit from the sound, a process closely guarded secret.

The chanting of Mantras create blissful and peaceful mind. They bestow upon us the power to attain our goals and lift ourselves from the ordinary to the higher level of consciousness.  They give us the power to heal, attract prosperity, abundance and health. 

A very unique workshop on the detail science of mantra, how to awaken them, how they work, different forms of mantras, different stages in practise, their physiology in the body, their seats in the chakras, activation of 72,000 Nadis, their imprint in the mind and the whole science of mantra perfection.

Kirtan with Sparrow at Yoga Within

I'm so excited to be joining Sparrow this Friday evening for Kirtan at Yoga Within! 

Come sing along!

Friday, January 11, 2013

Kirtan with Sparrow Grace

7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

$20 + GST

"Sparrow is a Canadian singer songwriter and kirtan artist. She offers musical experiences featuring her original world folk art songs blended with uplifting, moving kirtan, mantras and chants."