Level 1 Yoga Teacher Training (200+ hours) Yoga Alliance Accreditation

When: 9 February - 10 March, 2012

Where: Satsanga Retreat, Goa, India

Cost: 2,500 GBP (Includes yoga tuition/2 Ayurvedic vegetarian meals a day/twin share accommodation.)

We believe that Yoga is not gymnastics. It is an ancient science that uses the body and breath to understand the mechanisms of the mind and liberate us from suffering. With this in mind, we treat asana as the starting place for meditation so that the practice moves beyond a mere physical experience and makes the yogic inquiry genuine and relevant to real life.

While we use the traditional Mysore Astanga Primary Series as the main form of practice, this course offers a comparative study of contemporary yoga styles and takes its inspiration from the classical Indian Yoga system of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. Our aim is to understand the inner/outer techniques of Vinyasa, to reveal the spiritual path underlying the practice, and the technology to stabilize the mind and glimpse at our true nature.

During the month training, you will study Yoga philosophy, classical Pranayama and meditation techniques. You will develop your own practice, understand the biomechanics of asana, get hands-on experience with adjustment techniques (with emphasis on assisting/apprenticing so that you are prepared to work alongside someone once you have finished), learn the Astanga Primary series count, and the art of sequencing Vinyasa. Our aim is to teach you how to teach, from the heart, following in the traditions of ancient yoga philosophies. There will be plenty of time for practical teaching and learning about the Business of Yoga.

We believe that the Guru lies within. We will do everything in our power to help you on this journey that will transform your perspective on the world and change your life.

More Information HERE

When: Feb 9 - 18 March, 2013.

Where:: Satsanga Retreat, Goa, India

Cost: 3450 GBP (includes yoga tuition + 2 Ayurvedic vegetarian meals a day + twin share accommodation)

This 5-week Advanced Teacher Training course (300 hours) is for people who have already completed a Level 1 (200 hr training) from any Yoga Alliance accredited school. On graduation you will be qualified as 500 RYS with Yoga Alliance. We welcome experienced practitioners who want to further their teaching skills and yogis who simply want to deepen their own yoga practice.

The Advanced Yoga Teacher Training program is a comprehensive and practical training in how to teach yoga. It takes an innovative approach. While structured around the categories required by the Yoga Alliance, this training includes 200 hours at Satsanga in Goa where you will have the structure to develop the discipline to do a daily practice, plus a 100 hour YOGA JOURNEY, a cultural/spiritual tour in India where you will study philosophy in relevant locations.

We intend to dust off the manuscripts and bring the ancient yogic teachings to life and provide a glimpse into sacred India in a way that will give you authenticity and depth as a teacher. Six days a week you will immerse yourself entirely in yoga for up to 9 hours of practice daily. Modules include pranayama, meditation, asana, mudras, philosophy, anatomy & physiology, as well as the business of yoga and practical teaching. Self-inquiry is fundamental to the practice. Pre-requisite reading is required and a written 3,000 word yoga essay.

For details, SEE HERE

India’s rich spiritual legacy has inspired us to create a series of Yoga Journeys, or cultural/spiritual tours in India, as part of our Advanced Yoga Teacher Training. (These Yoga study courses are certified by Yoga Alliance for 100 hours each.) They focus on two major philosophical schools of classical Indian thought - the worlds of Shiva and Buddha - and, specifically, where they intersect with the Tantric world that laid down the fertile soil for Hatha Yoga to emerge. Depending on your interest, you can delve into Shiva’s realm in Tamil Nadu or Benares, or follow the Buddhist trail to Dharamsala or Leh.

These tours will take you through magnificent landscapes that will ignite your imagination. We will study yoga and yogic philosophy ‘on location,’ surrounded by spiritual art, sculpture, architecture, temples and monasteries, to gain a deeper understanding of its purpose. We will observe ancient rituals and contemporary practices, smell the burning camphor and incense, hear the chanting and mantras, spin prayer wheels, encounter devas and deities, and sit in the presence of spiritual masters - rinpoches, lamas, yogis and sadhus. This descent into the ancient world of yatra, mudra, pranayama, meditation, darshan, devotion and true knowledge will give you texture in your yoga teaching and your life.

Yoga Journeys are open to all serious students of yoga (practitioners, scholars and artists) and, especially, yoga students participating in the Advanced Yoga Teacher training course. Teachers will be either Buddhist or Shaivite scholars, both with a tantric practice of many years. Asana/pranayama/meditation will be taught in the mornings. Afternoons will include a guided philosophy tour of ancient temples/monasteries/sacred places, as well as teachings with local Rinpoches and Swamijis. We will endeavor to mediate wherever possible, and the teachings will focus on the tantric system of the subtle energy body and the inner limbs of pratyahara/dharana/dhyana. Pre-requisite reading is required.

For Details SEE HERE

Vinyasa Yoga Retreat: Chateau Dumas, France

May 12-19, 2012 / from £895 per person

Chateau Dumas is an elegant 18th C country house about 45 minutes north of Toulouse. It has great character and has been lovingly restored to contemporary standards. Perched on top of a hill, there are sweeping panoramic views of the rolling countryside and medieval villages in the distance. Visit the delightful hilltop village of Montpezat de Quercy, cycle or hike the surrounding hills, relax by the pool, treat yourself to body therapy, and dine on delicious regional cuisine. The beautiful, oak beamed yoga studio is light and airy and just a short stroll across the Chateau's formal gardens. There will be two yoga classes a day with the opportunity for each guest to practice at his/her own level making the week suitable for students of different abilities. Do yoga and get to the spiritual heart of the practice.

For details SEE HERE

Vinyasa Yoga Retreat: Santa Maria Del Sole, Puglia, Italy

August 9-16, 2012 / £895 pp (shared accomodation)

Santa Maria Del Sole is an exquisite yoga retreat designed in the traditional architectural style of Puglia. It is one of the finest yoga venues in Europe. The cool, white stone building makes it a perfect temperature even under the hot Italian sun. This magical spot in the Itria Valley is secluded in the countryside, yet close to local villages with cobbled streets and turreted Trulli houses. The stylish rooms are extremely comfortable and the traditional Italian cuisine is mouth-wateringly divine. Santa Maria Del Sole is the ultimate yoga destination.

Whether you want to deepen your yoga practice, chill by the pool, relax with a massage, cycle the rolling hills, or swim in the sea - all is possible in this spectacular location. Two yoga classes a day with the opportunity for each guest to practice at his/her own level making the week suitable for students of different abilities. Do yoga and get to the spiritual heart of the practice.

For details SEE HERE

Photography is a big passion of mine and I’ve been taking photos since the 80s. My new photography website showcases recent photographs of spiritual practice in India. My intention with photography is to reveal the spirit of the place whether that is found in the Himalayas, the smiling eyes of a Rinpoche, or the intrinsic devotion of a stone carving. It's about dristi (gaze) and trying to remove the obscurations of my ‘ego view' in order to see the essence of the object in front of me. I want to communicate the sense of AWE /AH that I feel in sacred places, the decisive moment when I lose my sense of Self and merge with the object. The great cinematographer, Vilmos Zsigmond, once said, "Photography is writing with light." For me, the light is the Guru and photography a spiritual journey.

The photo website consists of THEMES: Destinations, Buddhas, Deities, Temples, Nature, Yoga and Projects. DESTINATIONS (India) has images from Ladhak, Himachel Pradesh, Dharamsala, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Orissa and Mysore, as well as slideshows from Myanmar and Sri Lanka. TEMPLES include Konark Sun Temple, Shravanabelagola, Belur, Halebid, Belur, Rajrani, Hampi, Mahabalipuram. DEITIES focus on all aspects of spiritual practice, puja and darshan, on the Hindu trail in India. BUDDHAS include images of golden buddhas, monasteries, sacred shrines, sculpture, paintings, and Buddhist culture in around Ladkak, Himachel Pradesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. NATURE has images from the place I love most. The photographs all go full screen and there is a thumbnail bar that enlarges all the images in the gallery.

Elton Photography Site

Article by Heather Elton

July, 2011 - Namarupa Magazine publishes "Spiritual Heart: My Travels in Tiruvannamalai"

Read an excerpt or purchase online

Photography: The Destroyer of Illusion

Opens 25 November - Weekdays 7:30 am-9 pm

Evolve Wellness Centre - 10 Kendrick Mews | London SW7 3HG

Directions on the web: Evolve Wellness Centre

Telephone: +44 (0)20 7581 4090

View a preview slideshow: Photography: The Destroyer of Illusion

 

Heather Elton - Artist Statement

The photographs in this exhibition were taken during my travels to India and represent devotional aspects of yoga and tantric Buddhism, as seen through the intersection of photography and yoga. As a yogi, I try to integrate my photographic process with the inner limbs of Patanjali's Astanga Yoga - Pratyahara (sense control), Dharana (focus), Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (super consciousness/enlightenment). For me, photography is a physical and spiritual act that uses Dristi (gaze) to 'see' through the veils of Maya (delusion), towards God or the intrinsic divine nature of everything.

Much photography involves substantial physical effort, in a similar way that I put effort into my spiritual practice. I've trekked through tropical rainforests, ski toured across glaciers, climbed 5000 m mountain passes, endured the heat of Native American sweat lodges and cold silence of Vipassana meditation. Whether I climb a mountain peak, onto the roof of a Buddhist monastery, up the 650 stone steps to Shravanbelagola, watch the sunset from a Buddhist cave, or rise before dawn for temple meditation, I believe that the effort to get somewhere makes the experience of fully being there more profound. Having climbed up to Hamuman Temple in Hampi, I'll never forget who the Monkey God is, or the epic tale of Ramanyana, so in this sense the photographic process is an act of Swadhyaya (self-study; study of scriptures).

I try to practice Santosha (contentment) and be happy with what I encounter in the present moment rather than wishing the angle of the sun was different or I had chosen a better view. The big challenge is not to be greedy and insatiable in taking the images, but to practice Aparigraha (non-covetousness). Photography, like yoga, can easily pull you out of the present moment and thrust you into an act of obsessive desire for perfection and covetousness of the moment. It can be so seductive sometimes I feel I haven't really experienced the moment unless I've captured it. Then I turn off the camera, look inside in Self-Inquiry (Advaita Vedanta) to quiet the grasping ego and empty my mind.

Ultimately, my intention with photography is to reveal the spirit of the place whether that is found in the Himalayas or the intrinsic devotion of a stone carving. I try to get my ego out of the way in order to see the Truth of the object in front of me. I focus my Dristi in an attempt to perceive with yogic x-ray vision and 'see' clearly before I pick up the camera. I want to communicate the sense of AWE that I feel in sacred places, the decisive moment when I lose my sense of Self and merge with the view (without the stain of perception), into the blissful yogic state of Samadhi Pada where the yogi is absorbed into the One. The great cinematographer, Vilmos Zsigmond, said "Photography is writing with light." For me, the light is the Guru and photography is a spiritual journey to merge the divine light within.

Before being a full-time yoga teacher, I worked as a freelance writer/editor/photographer. I was a travel writer for Rough Guides and Fodor's, and my photographs have been published in those publications as well as in international magazines including Yoga Journal, Esquire, Marie-Claire, The Times, Sunday Times, The Guardian, Home & Garden, In Britain and Banff's Best Dayhikes, a hiking guide in the Canadian Rockies.

Each photograph is part of a limited edition of 20 prints.

Print sizes:
A4 - 10 x 12 - £75.00
A3 - 16 x 12 - £96.00
A2 - 20 x 16 - £116.00
A1 - 30 x 20 - £180.00
A0 - 40 x 30 - £280.00

All photographs for this exhibition are printed by Flash Photodigital in London on high quality Epson Watercolour paper.