If you have read this far, you must be wanting to know a little more about the rationale and inspiration behind this idea and whether this is something that would be helpful to your path right now. So, I have decided to write about this as if I were the person applying and to present the kind of questions that would be arising as I perused this information prior to committing myself. This is a co-educational enquiry in all respects. Please do email me any other questions that are not answered sufficiently or at all here.

Why are you doing this? at this time?

As noted in the preliminary information, we are living at a very interesting, unstable and challenging time. Whatever you think about predictions or prophecies around 2012, you must agree that 2011 has been an extraordinary year and we cannot live in denial of what nature is telling us, what grassroots organisations like Occupy/UK Uncut/the Arab spring are questionning, and the sense that many rigid systems of thought, ways of being that do not answer humanities aspirations for a sane, more egalitarian, healthy, spiritual existence are beginning to crumble or implode. So there is something very vital in the timing and a sense that we are being called to look at a different paradigm. In some small way, I want to be part of that discussion and I seek and have sought for a number of years to bring my yoga practice into the light of a broader context using the wisdom of the buddhist practice and the guidance of the earth and those that care for the earth.

I also feel that my 30 years on this exquisite collective apple farm in northern california prompts me to stay home more and listen more closely to the wisdom around me, right at my doorstep. This is where my practice feels the most connected to all the subjects under discussion. It feels as if many of us are incubating something powerful right now in the way that we look at the relationship between practice and living.

Having evolved various distance learning programs – many connected to teacher training programs, since the early 2000s, I have found what is sometimes most urgently needed is not necessarily more yoga information, but more appropriate information and a community setting in which to explore that information. A group of like minds to inspire, critique, cajole and self-educate. E-ducare being the root of education – “to draw out’ not to stuff in! A sangha to dispel the notions of isolation and solitary existence and to – as one of my teachers says- help us lead an unselfish life. An interesting, engaged and peaceful life. Having the opportunity recently to teach a one day workshop of 6 hours at the Piedmont Yoga Studio where there was time to practice asana, meditate, and discuss reminded me how valuable this type of practice has been for myself over the years. (PYS friends Richard Rosen and Caryn Dickman kindly allowed me to offer this idea to the universe using their studio as its meeting place).

In Presence in Yoga retreats, I have heard students say how they appreciate the creativity and inspiration that arises from this type of quiet deep practice. The flow into and out of silence and the discussions that can arise from this type of collective dedication, nourishes practice and teaching for years to come.

What kind of credentials do you have to present this type of program?

Probably not a lot more nor less than any of us who have been bumbling around in the yoga and meditation world for a few decades. However I do feel that my particular contribution – along with others -to this world is in creating a more seamless connection between buddhist practice and yoga practice….a less – to put it poetically!- clunky one. I have been a vipassna practitioner since the early 80s and began looking more deeply at the texts in my own study in the 90s, and in the dedicated practitioners program at spirit rock in 2004. This too was an ongoing program with similar intention to create community and stimulate practice. It did not bring in yoga or ecology and this is what I would like to do here. In the Faraway programs, I created a course on the 8 fold path – some of which will be used in this course and it lent itself to further evolution and exploration.

For the past 6 years, I have been attending the Bioneers conference, and finding that many of the presentations here and literature from the ecology movement, have fed my practice and way of being far more than any yoga class or teacher. I empathise with Satish Kumar’s criticism of today’s spiritualism “ instead of ‘my’ body, ‘my’ mind, and ‘my’ spirit, the focus should be on “soil, soul, and society”

I also feel that although I will do the donkey work here – and enjoy it! – the success of the program will be in the willingness to fully participate from the group. I am requiring applications for both programs. My question is: What are your credentials/offerings?!

What subjects will be under discussion?

Later in the spring I will be able to give you an outline of the themes. These are some of the topics and questions that I am currently considering for the program.

Why bother? to practice? to participate? to move against the predictive flow?

What is an earth-based, earth inspired practice? How do we live as intrinsically of the earth not merely on the earth? What mentors do we have in the world today and in our traditions of practice? What is joyful embodiment?

What is the natural order? How does this apply to posture, breath, movement?

The boddhisattva intention - Interbeing

Exploring Dukkha – Understanding and embracing desire.

Nirvana - What is letting go?

Creativity – the muse How does intention impact inspiration and vice versa?

What is enough? Simplification and renucniation as celebration. Is this moment enough? Sustainability as creativity.

Anatta – whose heart is it anyway?

Annica- What is it to be grounded? to be groundless ? to be with overwhelm, anxiety? Exploring eco-depression and ecotherapy.

Uppekha – space and the central channel

Wise Speech – creative expression – where do the words get in the way? when to be silent in practice and life?

What is sangha? in the body, in life?

What do we mean by the feminine?

What..where….how….is balance?

Grief and loss

Slowing down, waking up

Mindfulness as a term…sati as a way…. the science and art of insight.

Remembering

How will the Saturday at PYS practice sessions break down?

We meet from 1.30-7pm.

1.30-4.30pm We begin with a meditation and then break into checkin groups to review the month for approx 20 mins. The main focus of the day will be introduced in the active asana session of approx 2 hours that follows.

Break 4.30-5pm

Presentation and discussion on the coming month’s theme followed by a short walking meditation

Passive yoga

6.30-7pm Meditation

The meditation, presentation and practice sessions will be recorded for the online group.

What level of commitment is there beyond the actual 6 hour days?

Buddy Checkin

For PYS group: You have the option to checkin with someone in the group during the month. I hightly recommend this option as a way of getting to know the group and also as a meditation and practice in itself. We will need to have enough people in the program willing to take on this part for it to work. You arrange this at your convenience and you will be given a list of who to checkin with each month.

For Web group: This is an essential part of the program, it isn’t an option!

Monthly Email

For both PYS group and web group, every month, you will be asked to send in a short response by email to the material and practice that has been explored during the month. Sometimes there will be a specific question to consider, sometimes an opportunity to share reflections arising. This material will be put together in a file and sent to everyone and in this way we use the group as a laboratory for practice and inspiration.

Monthly Package

For both groups, there will be a package of material sent out by the first of every month that will form the basis of the months suggested practice. There is no obligation to follow each and every suggestion, it’s more like a stimulus for practice and it will have articles to read to accompany the main theme of the month.

Audio Material

The recorded sessions from the PYS group will be shared with the web only group on the web page that will be on my website and there will also be a blog/yahoo group, so folks can keep the discussion going in any area that arises that has juice. We hope to get this material up within a few days of the class. The suggestion is to follow the practice through x 2 if you are on the web group or once if you came to the actual live session. There may be other podcast material made available during the course and copies of dvds/cds that students will be able to access relating to eco and dharma subjects.

Conference Call

This is a key part of the online group and will be held on the fourth Saturday of the month 4-5.30pm. (CA time) You will be given all the necessary information regarding the call in the first packet. The call will be recorded for those who don’t make it and want to hear it later. It is unusual for everyone to show up on a call but we need to have a general intention to show up regularly in the web group particularly for this to work. For those in the PYS group, it’s a wonderful extra and a way of meeting people all across the country with similar interests and interesting perspectives and backgrounds.

Online group phone checkin

This part of the course is only arranged for the online group although if individuals from the PYS course wish to have an individual phone checkin with Mary on the dates arranged for the online course, it can be done with prior notice and separate payment of $140. Dates will be arranged in November, February and May for a 25 minute call for each online participant. If you decide that you do not want to have the call, no problem but there is no deduction in fee.

What does it cost?

The fee for the PYS course and the meetings on 9 Saturdays is

Sliding scale $750-1100 Payable by check after application is accepted. You can also pay a $200 non refundable deposit and full payment will then be due by 6/1/12. No refunds after 6/1/12 – all refunds prior to that time subject to the deduction of the $200 deposit.

Every attempt has been made to make this affordable as we know that you will inevitably miss a session here and there. Please pay at the higher end of the scale if economically feasible. There are no substitutions if you miss a class. Also, if you decide not to continue, we are not responsible for returning payment. In emergency situations, we may offer you the web course as an alternative.

Full Course group size will be minimum of 10 and maximum of 22.

There is a partial work trade option for anyone in financial difficulty and can do administrative tasks. I am seeking someone to help with the audio portion of course also.

Per session if space exists, $120. One day participation does not give access to the audio/web material or group discussions.

The fee for the online only course:

$700 - $600 for previous Faraway graduates; partial work trade available for someone with financial limitations and admins skills. Payment will be by check only after application has been accepted.

This includes the 3 x 25 minute checkins

Group size: 10-12 - if we find that there are too many people on the conference call, we will arrange another conference call just for the online group from 2-3.30pm ca time – this is unlikely to occur!