YOGA, BUDDHISM, ECOLOGY: inspiring practice in challenging times
with Mary Paffard
October 13 2012 - June 9 2013
a nine-month conversation
Go To Tutorials Page
Option 1 - at Piedmont Yoga Studio and online
Option 2 - online-only distance learning course
Detailed information, proposed course outline and applications | Reading List
Overview
We are looking at a radical shift in the way we live right now. How can we bring the richness of the traditions of Yoga and Buddhism into the understanding of our current human existence? How does our practice meet our individual and collective needs? In what ways can we bring our appreciation of the beauty and the woes of this extraordinary planet to inform the way we move, breath, live?
Each month, the workshop will present a specific Buddhist theme that will be woven into the fabric of the asana and meditation and will be used to stimulate discussion and reflection on these themes throughout the month. Ecology themes that connect to the main Buddhist theme will also become part of the monthly practice and discussion. Participants will be asked to commit to daily practice, a simple reading assignment, and a short email reflection each month.
Option 1, at PYS with conference call and online component
- Nine Saturdays of asana practice, meditation, pranayama and discussion focusing on themes that bring Buddhist principles and ecological understanding into our yoga and our day-to-day lives
- Second Saturdays October 2012-June 2013 1.30-7.30pm at PYS, reading lists, monthly package and practice podcasts
- Suggestions for practice based on monthly themes
- Monthly conference calls facilitated by Mary for participants to share their explorations of the themes on the fourth Sunday of the month 4-5.30pm. A concurrent web course will be held with a group of participants who live in other parts of the country or internationally. They will be participating in the conference calls and listening to the recordings of the Saturday workshops
- Buddy check-in system for those who wish
FEE: 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 8/1/12. Space available as of June1 2012, but please get your applications in asap.
It may be possible to attend individual sessions at a higher fee if space exists on a Saturday. Every attempt will be made to create a cohesive community conversation and commitment by keeping conference call , homework sharing, monthly packages within the group committed to the whole program - $120/150 – 2 sliding scale options for individual sessions that will be paid through PYS if space is available. Max group size: 20.
Option 2, Online
- All materials in a monthly packet of articles and practice guidelines
- Podcasts that will include live practices from the Saturday sessions at PYS and some pre-recorded material
- Conference call mid-month with California group. If deemed necessary, an extra call will be arranged for online group e.g., if over 15 participants are on the call at the same time regularly
- Three 25-minute phone check-ins with Mary on prearranged dates during the nine months
Buddy check-ins and shared homework with online community
FEE: $700 ($600 for previous Faraway graduates). Application forms (with a $20 application fee) are due in asap, group filling/full as of June 1 2012. A partial work trade available in both courses for participants with low incomes and who are willing to do email/administrative support for the course.
This series makes no attempt to give a comprehensive overview of Buddhist thought or the entirety of deep ecology. It does attempt to use themes from Buddhism and ecology that can inform our yoga practice and bring relevance to the way we contribute and live in the world—the way we “inter-be” as Thich Nhat Hahn describes it. We will also focus on a specific pose or group of poses that is challenging in itself every month and use our time together to observe how we can meet that which threatens us with integrity, curiosity, and plain old patience and persistence!
This program is suitable for a wide range of serious yoga practitioner and teacher/trainee who seek community, inspiration and a commitment to living their yoga fully at this time. If you have not attended a silent meditation retreat (7-10 days) or do not have a regular meditation practice, we encourage you to get going prior to attending this series. Like right now! The Presence in Yoga retreat in July/August 2012 (see Mary’s Schedule) is highly recommended for those wanting retreat experience prior to the program. We assume participants have a regular yoga practice or are teachers.
Mary Paffard has been practicing yoga since the early 70s and teaching since the mid 80s. She is on the faculty of the Deep Yoga Program and has directed and created four programs, one of which, Faraway, has included a large distance learning component and has been taught internationally. Some of the materials for this course are selected from the Faraway program, particularly the focus on the Eight-fold path and teachings from the Theravadan vipassna tradition which is the source of her yoga.
Mary lives on a collective apple farm in Mendocino County and seeks to unravel the word “sustainability” in every realm of life and to unearth the inner guru in herself and all who are willing to work with her!
For further information, please contact Mary directly about either program 707.468.4842 or Email her directly.