Yoga Vedanta Weekend at Woodstock, NY

MONDAY, 28 MAY 2007

Woodstock, a pioneer in Arts, is also known as pioneer on the journey within with a deep connection with India. On June 1-3, Woodstock will once again celebrate the wisdom and culture of India with the Third Annual Yoga Vedanta Weekend. Founders Shubhraji from Namah Vedanta Center and Julian Lines from Matagiri Sri Aurobindo Center join hands with Pravrajika Gitaprana from Ridgely Vivekananda Retreat in Stone Ridge to celebrate Indian wisdom and culture.

Many of us appreciated the visit of HH the Dalai Lama to Woodstock last fall. But not everyone knows one of the greatest spiritual teachers of the twentieth century, Swami Vivekananda, visited nearby Stone Ridge over one hundred years ago.

The property where he stayed is now a spiritual retreat, Ridgely. They are hosting a concert on Saturday June 2 by Aashish Khan, son of the famous sarod master, Ali Akbar Khan. He will be accompanied on tabla by local maestro, Ray Spiegel.

The weekend begins in Woodstock at Mountain View Studio with a tribute to three of the visionaries at the heart of India's spiritual renaissance: Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo and Swami Chinmayananda. This will be followed by a slide show on India by local award winning photographer, Martin Brading, known for his photographs in "The Art of Yoga".

Saturday will consist of a series of workshops on Vedanta at Mirabai Books on Mill Hill Road starting with Shubhraji. Afternoon workshops on the sacred sciences of energy in your home and in your meditation practice will be explored with Nidhi and with Mavis Gewant, an expert on the sacred geometries of the Yantras. There will also be two yoga classes at Mountain View Studio with Barbara Boris, one beginner class: "Yoga for Non-Yogis" and a general level class: "Hatha Yoga as a Spiritual Practice." The day will end with the Aashish Khan's concert at the Stone Ridge Center on Route 209.

Sunday's activities center on Mountain View Studio in Woodstock featuring a morning Iyengar Yoga class by Barbara Boris followed by a workshop on Ayurveda, India's holistic healing system. A hatha yoga panel discussion will represent some of the major yoga traditions. At 4 pm, the talk will change into chant with a community kirtan, followed by a delicious vegetarian dinner. Actually, there will be delicious samples of chutneys and curry masala all afternoon at Mountain View courtesy of Daadima's Kitchen, a small, locally owned company in Wappingers Falls. All of their products are made naturally without any preservatives, additives, or thickeners, and they contain no wheat or gluten.

Those interested in dinner must make reservations at Pondicherry on the Woodstock Village Green by calling 679-2926.

A complete schedule is on the Pondicherry website: www.pondi.biz.

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