Monthly Archives: June 2015
Sleep is the Best Meditation by Silvia Mordini
We don’t need science to tell us that when we’re tired, we’re often moody and irritable. We react more intensely, our emotions skyrocket, and as a result a lack of sleep can seriously stress our personal relationships. Sleep deprivation causes emotional and mental clutter. As a result, we can also make poor food decisions in an attempt to gain energy and alertness. Read the full article here by Silvia Mordini
What's the Schedule Like for Costa Rica Teacher Training?
We believe that a full immersion into the study of the self benefits from ample free time to process your learning. Each day is balanced to give you space and time to rest, get some sun, have fun along with your studies. There is no Mukti – freedom without Bhukti – Fun!
So check it out, siesta time, surfing, movie nights, chilling in the lounge and so much more!
MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
6:00am-7:30am Meditation + Yoga Practice
7:30am-8:30am Breakfast
8:30am-12:30pm Training Session
12:30pm-1:30pm Lunch
1:30pm-3:30pm Free Time: Beach, Siesta, Surf
3:30pm-6:30pm Training Session
6:30pm-7:30pm Dinner
8:30pm-10pm Training Session (M/W/Fri only, T/TH Free time)
10pm OM OUT
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
7:30am-8:30am Breakfast
8:30am-12:30pm Training Session
12:30pm-1:30pm Lunch
1:30pm-4:30pm Free Time: Beach, Siesta, Surf
4:30pm-6:30pm Training Session
6:30pm-7:30pm Dinner
8:30pm-10pm Movie Night (Sat only, Sun Free time)
10pm OM OUT
Blue Spirit Retreat Center Costa Rica
ABOUT COSTA RICA
Recently named the Happiest country in the world! This is a land of Pura Vida where Ecological Integrity really matters. The easy vibe and friendly locals welcome you like you were family.
ABOUT BLUE SPIRIT RETREAT CENTER
Blue Spirit has been described by Trip Advisor as “Peaceful Luxury at it’s best”. It is perched on a hilltop overlooking the Pacific Ocean and is the perfect place to experience your teacher training. When you’re not in training, you can relax at the salt-water infinity pool, indulge in a spa treatment, or you’re just a short walk away from a stunning, 3-mile long, sandy white beach.
Blue Spirit Address:
Blue Spirit Costa Rica
Guiones sur, Playa Guiones
Nosara, Guanacaste
Costa Rica
NOSARA AND NICOYA PENISULA
In the last 10 years Nosara has grown quietly into one of the hip holistic hot-spots on the planet. This peaceful and vibrant international community of nature lovers, surfers, yogis, and families truly embraces the Pura Vida lifestyle.
The community resides along the coast with 3 unspoiled stunning beaches – Playa Guiones, Playa Pelada, and Playa Nosara – with private houses, little hotels, and excellent restaurants hidden into lush tropical greenery. Blue Spirit has become a vital part of this community.
The residents of Nosara are committed to preserve their natural environment. The 3 beaches are protected as a turtle refuge, and almost half of the land in the entire area is protected forest, and a moratorium on hunting animals stretches back for over 20 years.
The actual village and original settlement of Nosara is 4 miles inland, alongside the Rio Nosara. It’s a a small traditional Costa Rican town with grocery stores, typical restaurants, churches, a disco, a soccer field, and the landing strip for daily flights to and from San Jose.
Blue Spirit Lives Within a Blue Zone
The Spa and Longevity Center at Blue Spirit offers our guests the opportunity to learn and experience the multi-faceted aspects of self-care that encourage a long, healthy and vibrant life. We welcome you to experience a new way of life in a Blue Zone.
Blue Zone is a concept used to identify a geographic area of the world where more people live to be centenarians (past 100 years) than elsewhere, as described in Dan Buettner’s book, “The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from People who Lived the Longest.” He identifies longevity hotspots in Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; Loma Linda, California: and Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica – where Blue Spirit is located. Scientists and demographers have classified these longevity hot-spots as having common healthy traits and life practices that result in higher-than-normal longevity.
In 2005 Costa Rican demographer Dr. Luis Rosero-Bixby revealed that Costa Ricans who survive to the age of 60 “have the longest life expectancy of anyone in the world”. National Geographic funded an expedition, which confirmed Rosero-Bixby’s findings and discovered further that in the specific region of Nicoya, in the northwestern part of Costa Rica, residents were longer-lived even than other Costa Ricans, making it the “Blue Zone” of the Americas.
Blue Spirit’s founder, Stephan Rechtschaffen MD, is teaching seminars on longevity and envisioning Blue Spirit to become in the next years one of the foremost places to learn more about longevity practices.
A Unique Opportunity to Learn about Yourself Alchemy of Yoga
Alchemy of Yoga is a 10 year old 200 hour program recognized by Yoga Alliance as a REGISTERED 200 HOUR YOGA SCHOOL. It offers you a unique opportunity to make a deep commitment to learning more about yourSELF.
Blue Spirit Retreat Center is a safe haven: a nurturing place to engage in open hearted self-exploration. I am devoted to offering you an poolviewatmosphere in which freedom of expression, fun, creativity and passion for life are “totally” encouraged! My program covers the foundations of the 8 limbed path of Yoga and believes in yoga as a life-long truthful celebration of ourselves and our world. This is a Green Yoga program dedicated to the Art of Self-Study.
1. The first phase will focus on the fundamental principles of Yoga including an introduction to yoga philosophy (Yamas and Niyamas), history, basic Sanskrit, the implications of Ethical Behavior and living your yoga with an Ethical Code and Ecological integrity.
2. The second phase will focus on General Principles of Poses, How to Teach a Pose safely to all levels of students, The Stages of Poses, Benefits of Poses, Purpose of Poses, Ways of Sequencing using Vinyasa Krama, Sun Salutations, therapeutics, & the Art of Assisting (verbal and physical adjustments and enhancements) in an authentic, safe and generous way.
3. The third phase will focus on the art of teaching including creative sequencing in class design, developing life affirming class themes, importance of positive languaging, voice intonation, musical awareness, personal practice as laboratory and how to teach to the heart of the student. The healthy Teacher-Student relationship: understanding it and how to resolve ethical issues.
4. The fourth phase will focus on the practical skill development of apprenticeship through observing classes, assistant teaching, and Karma yoga (community service yoga offering). And personal development in respect to the Business of Yoga.
Post Training Mentoring Includes but is not Limited to:
• Life Coaching one on one
• Dharma Mentoring: Planning a yoga career/business for optimal sustainability
• Yogaprenuership: how to best market yourself while maintaining strong ethical standards and life balance
• How to resolve ethical issues that arise from teaching yoga
Most Recommended Yoga Books for Teacher Training
With so many yoga books out there to choose from I am often asked what would you recommend I read to either prepare for a Yoga Teacher Training or simply increase my self-study. Here are my most recommended Yoga Books for serious students and teacher trainees.
MUST READ BOOKS:
1. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali,Swami Satchitananda or Secret Power of Yoga, Nichala Joy Devi Practice:
2. Yoga The Spirit and Practice of Moving Into Stillness, Eric Schiffman
3. Wheels of Light by Anodea Judith
4. The Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies by Vasant Lad
5. Yoga for Wellness, Gary Kraftsow, Penquin, 1999
6. Teaching Yoga: Exploring the Teacher-Student Relationship, Donna Farhi
7. Living Your Yoga: Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life, Judith Lasater
8. Muscles of Yoga Scientific Keys Volume 1 by Dr Ray Long
9. The Yamas and Niyamas Exploring Yoga’s Ethical Practice, Deborah Adele
10. How We Choose to be Happy: 9 Choices of Extremely Happy People, Rick Foster and Greg Hicks
RECOMMENDED BOOKS:
Yogi Bare by Philip Self;
The Language of Yoga by Nicolai Bachman;
Yoga from the Inside Out by Christina Sell;
A Path With Heart: A Guide through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life
Wherever You Go There You Are by Jack Kornfield;
Anatomy of Movement, Blandine Calais-Germain;
The Heart of Yoga: Developing A Personal Practice, Desikachar,
The Four Desires by Rod Stryker;
The Art of Forgiveness,
Lovingkindness and Peace, Jack Kornfield;
Healing Mantras, Thomas Ashley-Ferrand;
Women who Run with the Wolves, Clarissa PInkola Estes;
The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz;
Yoga & the Path of the Urban Mystic, Darren Main;
Breathing Book, Donna Farhi,
Its Easier than you Think, Sylvia Boorstein;
Womencode, Alisa Vitti;
Daring Greatly, Brene Brown;
The Way of the Happy Woman, Sara Stover;
The Hero’s Journey, Joseph Campbell;
The Heroine’s Journey, Maureen Murdock;
Be Happy, William Holden;
Sweat Your Prayers, Gabrielle Roth;
Light on Life, BKS Iyengar