Yoga as an Aid to Meditation and Reflection

Workshop # 42
Ann Ritter

(Kundalini Yoga tradition) Simple postures (from floor or chair), breathing and hand movements, group chant to recorded music, followed by silent meditation resembling Meeting for Worship. Aim: to deepen openness and discernment, and lead to the still point/ light within. Daily discussion of group energy and Q&A regarding individual practice.

Percentage of time:
Worship/worship-sharing 50; Lecture 0; Discussion 20; Experiential 30
(PT)

Open to all

My expectations and objectives for the week:

Yoga in its original design was a technology and corresponding set of tools that allowed practitioners faster and deeper access to a clear meditative state. Today it remains a major avenue for connecting to the spirit within. My aim is to share the technology with the workshop participants and allow each to take away what he or she can and will.  

A list of the specific areas or topics that I expect to cover:

I will demonstrate and lead participants through Yoga postures (asana), specific breathing techniques (pranayama) and hand positions (mudra) done to particular music recordings (mantra). We will work toward increasingly longer moments and periods of meditative stillness. At first these will be done to recorded chant. The period of chanting, which can be completed by merely listening to the recordings OR by chanting along, will be followed by a concluding section of silent meditation that resembles a Meeting for Worship.  

A rough description of the format: 

The first day of the workshop will include a brief overview of our intention and purpose. Subsequent days will begin with a period of Q and A for the participants to discuss what experiences and feelings might be emerging for them and that they wish to bring to the group for sharing. I also precede each of my sets of planned asanas and other techniques by asking what specific areas of their physical experience participants might need and want to address as we begin. Beyond direct questioning, I aim to intuitively seek out what movements participants might need and lead those postures as part of our “warm up.”

The warm-up, followed by the more formal and structured yoga sets will comprise a movement portion taking roughly an hour. The remaining workshop time will be divided between chant and silent meditation and will conclude with a closing that seals our experience as a group for each day.

Specific recommendations for advanced reading, or reading assignments during the Gathering.

No absorption of intellectual material is required, although I will bring with me to the gathering copies of yoga publications and books that participants might want to review in their free time. The workshop is designed to be experiential rather than purely cognitive.