Sunday Morning Yoga and Meditation in Marin

Join me in 2012 on Sunday Mornings for Yoga and Meditation at a beautiful, private Zendo in Marin. The series is inspired by the teachings of The Insight Yoga Institute, which brings together the strands of yoga, meditation, and psycho-spiritual inquiry. The five teachers in the teaching collective have deep background in two or more of these three strands, and each offer their unique approach to mindfulness-based yoga. The series takes place at a Zendo inside a beautiful, private residence in Corte Madera. Classes take place every Sunday morning from 9-11. You can find more information about the classes and the teachers at www.insightdeerrun.com. I will be teaching my first class of the series in two weeks, on Sunday February 5th. The class will include a long Yin yoga session, a shorter active yoga session, and a meditation period. I will also be giving a small talk at the start of class in order to introduce the class theme. The class theme on 2/5 will be an exploration of the relationship between our Innate Nature and our Conditioned Nature. I'll explain the role of yoga and meditation in working effectively with our conditioning in order to reveal the grace of our innate goodness. The class is open to students of all levels, but is most appropriate for students who are open to exploring the more contemplative aspects of yoga, and yoga as a form of spiritual practice. Please go to http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=wkfk56hab&oeidk=a07e5igl3ho8b226c18 to register or email me with questions. Hope to see you soon!

A Path with Heart



A Path with Heart: Yoga and Meditation for the Path of Life

Saturday November 12th
Downtown Studio, Yoga World
1:15-4:15

Sunday November 13th
Downtown Studio, Yoga World
2:00-5:00

Pre-Registration:
$40 Saturday only, $70 for both Saturday and Sunday

After 11/10:
$45 for Saturday, $45 for Sunday

Saturday only registration is allowed, but attendance at both sessions is strongly advised.
In order to attend on Sunday, you must also attend Saturday's teaching session.


The practice of yoga is a path of healing and awakening. The practice nourishes the body, heart, and mind in simple and profound ways that are evident early on, sometimes even after our very first time of doing yoga.

In this weekend workshop, we will go beyond the basic experience of body-mind benefit that yoga brings, and look very specifically at the ways in which the practice, at its most essential level, is about opening the heart. In opening the heart, we naturally become more available to life and its blessings. We are more open and compassionate with ourselves, our loved ones, and the world around us -- not because we try to be so, but because our practice path is actually clearing the way for our intrinsic and innermost heart to shine through.

Through meditation, yin yoga, active practice, and personal inquiry work, we will explore the heart as the natural source of our capacities for warmth, openness, and compassion.

This workshop is open to all levels of students. No prior experience is necessary -- though some interest in meditation and inner work is advised.

Please contact Yoga World directly to sign up, or be in touch with me with any questions about the weekend.

250 West Ocean Blvd
Long Beach, CA 90802
(562) 804-5525
Sign Up: yogaworldstudio@yahoo.com. Questions: sasha.papovich@gmail.com


Upcoming Yin and Buddhism Teachings

Hello dear Students,

I hope your summers are going well, and that there is time for inner life amidst the fun activities of the season!

I am very excited to be headed down to So Cal next weekend to teach at the Cloud Nine Yoga Collective. This is such a great group of people-- come join us!!


Saturday August 6th: Going Deeper with Yin Yoga

3:00PM-7:00PM $60

This afternoon will be for yoga students who wish to deepen their understanding of the Yin practice. We will discuss and explore the outer (physical), inner (energetic), and innermost aspects of Yin (psycho-spiritual). The afternoon will include Yin practice as well as discussion and teaching. You will leave this afternoon's session able to guide yourself through the profound, nourishing benefits of the Yin practice.

Monday August 8th: Yoga and Buddhism

6:00-9:00PM $45

This evening is for students interested in Buddhism and Meditation. There will be a discussion of the roots of Buddhism, an overview of Buddhism and its relationship to Yoga, and some experiential work that will deepen your understanding of the path of the meditative tradition. Though this might sound like a dry topic, it is actually interesting, inspiring and even fun! This is an all-time favorite evening for teachers and students alike.


Both events will be held at:
Cloud Nine Yoga Collective
18351 Beach Blvd,
Huntington Beach, CA 92831

http://www.cloudnineyoga.com

To register please email Erika Faith Hattigh at
yogaoncloudnine@gmail.com

Sending Love,
Sasha

Making Your Practice Personal

Hello Students,

The sun is shining and the air is warm here in San Francisco, which is an unusual thing! I hope your day is beautiful, wherever you are.

I'll be teaching this weekend in Southern California. Our theme is Making Your Practice Personal. We all have a sense that our practice life can really nourish, inspire, and contribute to our evolution. We're not always sure how to make that happen. Yoga is more than calisthenics -- it is a practice path of transformation of body, mind, and heart. How do we approach practice so that it can be extremely personally potent, and not just generally, vaguely helpful? We'll explore how the practices of Yin Yoga, Mindful Flow, and Meditation can be powerful tools for transformation.


** My students are welcome to the early bird registration prices even though those dates have passed. Just come a few minutes early, and let the desk registrar know.**


Friday Night, June 17th
Yoga World Downtown
6:30-8:30 PM
Yoga and Personal Inquiry


This class is limited to students who have done Inquiry work with me on retreat, in private sessions, or in the workshop series called Yoga and Psycho-Spiritual Inquiry. If you're unsure about whether you qualify, just send me an email to check in.


Saturday Afternoon, June 18th
Yoga World Downtown
1:15-4:15 PM
Extended Afternoon Practice


We'll have time for a quiet Yin practice, a more active flowing practice, and meditation. This class is open to all students of all levels who have an interest in mindfulness based yoga and meditation.


I hope to see you soon!

Warmly,
Sasha

You and Your Buddha Nature

Dear Students,

I am leaving in the morning for 10 days of silent meditation retreat. This will be a much appreciated time to practice deeply after a very busy first half of the year.

I'll leave with you some brilliant words-- John Welwood is an incredible writer & psycho-spiritual teacher, and he's one of my greatest influences. I know you'll enjoy.

http://www.tricycle.com/interview/human-nature-buddha-nature

(You might have to cut and paste the link.)

Metta Sent,
Sasha

Teaching in So Cal in June

FRIDAY JUNE 17TH
Daytime, Yoga World Downtown
PRIVATE SESSIONS


We can use this time to inquire into personal issues or challenges that come up in your everyday life, or on the issues and challenges that come up in your practice life. Contact me to discuss price, schedule, and/or the specifics of what you want to work on. (If you want to work together privately, but cost is a prohibitive issue, please let me know and we can work something out!) Contact me directly about these sessions: sasha.papovich@gmail.com

I am currently full for private sessions on Friday June 17th. Please let me know if you'd like to be on the waiting list in case anything opens up.

FRIDAY NIGHT JUNE 17th
6:30PM-8:30PM, Yoga World Downtown
PSYCHO SPIRITUAL CLASS FOLLOW UP
NO DROP-INS ALLOWED, REGISTER BY FRIDAY JUNE 10TH


This class is for students who:
~have worked with Sasha privately
~ have attended the Psycho-Spiritual Class Series
~ have attended a recent retreat in Santa Barbara

We'll review the teachings that support a return to our deeper ground of presence. There will be time to check in with questions and issues. We'll include Yin practice and meditation practice, but our main emphasis will be on personal inquiry work.

To register please go to www.yogaworldstudios.com, or email Michelle at yogaworldstudio@yahoo.com


SATURDAY JUNE 18TH
1:15-4:15, Yoga World Downtown
MASTER CLASS FOR ALL LEVELS
PRE- REGISTER BY FRIDAY JUNE 10th


This "master" class will incorporate all the main components of an integrated yoga practice. The longer class time gives us a chance to include and expand upon the usual yoga class practices of 1) asana 2) pranayma, and 3) meditation, which allows for a significant deepening of their effect.

We will begin with brief meditation and a long yin practice, followed by a slow-flowing active practice, closing with pranayama and another meditation. Experience the transformative, integrating, soul-nourishing effect of a deep afternoon practice together. The class is for all levels. New students with an interest in the meditative aspects of yoga are especially encouraged to attend.

To register please go to www.yogaworldstudios.com, or email Michelle at yogaworldstudio@yahoo.com

I hope to see you soon!!

SPRING RETREAT IN SANTA BARBARA : YOGA, MEDITATION AND PERSONAL INQUIRY WORK

I am very excited for our upcoming retreat in Santa Barbara in April! Our fall retreat was a deeply nourishing and beautiful time for all, and I'm so excited to have such a wonderful group already signed up for April.

The theme of the retreat is Return to the Heart, and our focus is on learning how to cultivate a rich and vibrant connection to our hearts.

In our time together this April weekend, we will specifically focus on the qualities of our deeper presence that make up the heart center. Through meditation, yin yoga, active practice, personal inquiry work, and (optional) heart centered massage, we will explore the heart as the natural source of our capacities for warmth, openness, and compassion.

Our work will have two equally important strands: (1) learning to recognize and invoke and cultivate those naturally-occurring qualities of the heart, and (2) learning to recognize and work with that which blocks our access to the heart and its intrinsic nature. Instead of trying to be warm, open, and compassionate, the uncontrived and un-fabricated fruition of our practices will be a return to your deeper presence, including the heart, where you will experience the naturally occurring warmth, open-ness, compassion, and wisdom that this connection to presence offers.

We all tend to fixate on our outer circumstances-- relationships, work, money-- as the cause of our suffering. We disconnect from our deeper presence, including our hearts, and we get busy trying to do the things that we think will fix the external situations. However, most of our suffering is actually a result of this disconnection from ourselves, so it is not the challenges of our everyday lives that we need to fix, it is our connection to our deeper presence that needs to be re-established. Retreat is a special opportunity to take a break from the many things in our lives that distract us and lead to our disconnection. In addition to practice time focused on re-establishing a connection to your deeper presence, you’ll have time for massage, time to rest, read, or hike, and time spent together in a beautiful and nourishing community space.

There are actually only a few spots left, and I'd like to encourage those of who have been contemplating it to make the leap and commit to joining us.We will have a lovely and deep few days together, and this will also be my only trip to southern California until June.

Our retreat begins on Friday afternoon the 8th of April (arrival time between 3-5PM, dinner at 6:00PM, evening session at 7:30PM) and ends after lunch on Sunday April the 10th (check out time between 2:00-4:00PM).

If you need more detailed information about our wonderful location-- Laurel Springs Retreat center (http://www.laurelspringsretreat.net)-- lodging choices, yummy food, or schedule, please feel free to email me with questions.

Rooming options with prices are as follows.

$500 is a shared room with a bathroom down the hall
$550 is shared room with a bathroom in the room
$700 is a single room with its own bathroom

PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR MORE INFORMATION!