The Art of Awareness

A 3- or 5-Day Workshop on Uncovering Your True Nature

with Sahajananda

Starting July 15, 2024

Presented in English in Longeval, France

Dive into the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra

Let the wisdom of the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra open you to the most intimate of experiences. This fundamental and fascinating Tantric text describes how to use everything—from commonplace daily experiences to sublime contemplations—to reveal the Consciousness of Oneness, the Reality of Being.

With Hridaya founder Sahajananda as a guide, you’ll spend three or five days exploring an intriguing array of practices that flow naturally from the intuition of the Spiritual Heart and demonstrate the potential for life to blend joyful mystical celebration and silent Self-Inquiry. As you develop a broader understanding of the spiritual path and how it can be walked in countless situations, Freedom and Love will naturally blossom.

Join us and learn to reveal the beauty inherent in every moment.

IMPORTANT: Please note that this is a traditional, spiritual course. The techniques shared may appear straightforward but require a thorough metaphysical explanation rooted in the Kashmir Shaivite tradition. Although we’ll devote much time to practice, when joining us, be aware that there are also satsangs (lectures), short video presentations, formal meditations, etc. Being open to this format will help you understand the subtleties of the teachings and experience them on a more profound level. Due to the metaphysical nature of its content, participation in the 5-day workshop requires prior completion of at least one 10-Day Hridaya Silent Meditation Retreat.

To support your practice, a printed booklet of the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra will be provided. Participants in the 5-day workshop will also receive a booklet containing a description of The Wheel of the Twelve Kalis.

This workshop is a registered continuing education program for Yoga Alliance teachers.

Content

Days 1–3:

Days 4–5:

  • The teachings and practices of the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra, including examples of the techniques as depicted in film
  • The visualization and arousal of Kundalini Shakti
  • Micro-practices (moments of intense awareness and energy)
  • The three fundamental paths (upayas) in Kashmir Shaivism, emphasizing Shaktopaya, the path of energy
  • The 5 kinds of breath awareness and their relation to the Supreme Consciousness
  • Sufi whirling
  • The celebration of both the abundance and lack of energy
  • Falling in love with both pure Light and Darkness
  • Yoga Nidra, the yoga of sleep
  • Spanda—The Sacred Tremor of the Heart; coming to the very origin of a desire—the joy of eating, drinking, aesthetic inspiration, and sexual pleasure
  • Discovering the gap between two thoughts, perceptions, etc.
  • Awareness practices (dharanas) based on breath, light, time, fire, the space of the Heart, darkness, and sound
  • Attitudes for constant Self-awareness (Bhairava and Krama mudras, soham, etc.)
  • The study of numerous other methods from the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra as well as new ways to deepen, refine, and stabilize the Self-Awareness
  • The teachings and practices of the Kramastotra regarding The Wheel of the Twelve Kalis, a highly esoteric Tantric approach (called the Krama system) of unfolding the unity between the outer and inner world in twelve steps. The study of each Kali illustrates the spiritual meaning of any quanta of the process of perception and Self-knowledge. Through this internalized form of Shakti worship, Her twelve facets are envisioned as natural phases of time and Self-consciousness. This also represents a radical way of purifying the subconscious mind.
  • Exploring bhavana (“sheer spiritual impetus”), the Tantric method of supramental imagination that unifies rational and mystic cognition
  • The presentation of the 36 tattvas, existential categories that disclose the metaphysical structure of the Universe and of the human soul, as well as the intricate journey toward the complete revelation of the Spiritual Heart

Testimonials

Schedule

Tuesday - Thursday/Saturday

7:00-8:00 Meditation (optional)
8:00-8:45 Breakfast
9:00-12:00 Teachings and practice
12:00-12:45 Lunch
12:45-15:30 Break
15:30-17:30 Teachings and practice
17:30-18:15 Dinner
18:30-19:30 Teachings and practice
19:30-22:00 Free time
22:00 Mauna (noble silence)

“There is nothing critical, there is nothing urgent, except Self-Awareness.”
–Sahajananda

Pricing and Registration

Click Pricing and Registration for information and to book a spot in this workshop.

DATESCOURSETEACHERPRICING AND REGISTRATION
July 15 – 19, 20243-Day Art of Awareness WorkshopSahajanandaPricing and Registration
July 15 – 21, 20245-Day Art of Awareness WorkshopSahajanandaPricing and Registration

Please Note:

  • This workshop is presented in English at our center in Longeval, France, and is open to all. No previous yoga or meditation experience is required.
  • The 3-day workshop is open to all. No prior experience is required. The 5-day workshop has the prerequisite of participation in at least one 10-Day Hridaya Silent Meditation Retreat.
  • The dates listed above are for accommodation. The course begins the morning after the date of arrival and ends the evening before departure. Check-in is available from 14:00 on arrival day.
  • Please read our Payment, Refund, and Amendment Guidelines before booking.
  • For more information about our center, including how to get to Longeval, please visit this page.

 

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