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AHYMSIN newsletter, Issue - January 2012 | ||||||||||||||
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Seeds Were Plantedby Sabina CesaroniA new year coming...2012 … … … the children’s retreat of passed 2011 is just slowly fading away … but the echo of those days is still in the air and, especially, in our hearts. So many things happened, concentrated in just a week time… Please … follow me… 22nd December…officially the retreat opens: so many children, so many families altogether and so many volunteer teachers ready to start this fantastic adventure. People coming from all over the world, different languages…life styles… but a unique goal: gathering together, sharing, rejoicing, learning and passing those seeds of the ancient Himalayan tradition to future generations…and here they are! Swamiji surrounded by kids, smiling, blessing everyone…. Every day several opportunities…playing, studying, enjoying labs of Yoga (practice and philosophy), prayers and meditation. A special class early in the morning introducing families and kids to the art of practicing sadhana, prayers…meditation. Classes of Art and crafts Yoga, Kirtan and bhajan, music and brain gym, Puppetry, The art of joyful being…dancing and clowneries, Ayurveda, classical Indian vocal music, Art and body mind, Krishna (Orissa) dance…. From 0 up to teen agers! Small, medium, large…all sizes… A team of people coming from all over the world. Germany, France, Greece, Italy ,USA, Korea, Taiwan, Hungary, Denmark, Suriname, Africa and various states of India… The Ashram became a real global village, a unique field…with flower kids blossoming everywhere… The adults learnt to observe and cultivate their "inner child"… As Swami Veda reminds us…
Those seeds were planted…waiting for the future fruit!! And everyone in those days was mother and father of any single kid! Everybody could really rejoice and have a pleasure time also exploring the outside: Rishikesh and its beautiful sight-seeing .Several different trips were the right occasion! From the Himalayan peaks reaching the highest temples to the Safari or visiting Dehradun hospital, founded by Swami Rama…or just visiting the nearby town.. And every night there was a performance or a magic show!!! Dancing, singing…sharing and being together. On the 24th…Christmas Eve…big surprise! Santa Claus came to visit the Ashram, knocking at all cottages' doors followed by his singing and dancing elves…wow…that was real fun!!! The Christmas Parade ending in the meditation hall where performances and gifts to the kids found their right place and time! Swamiji seemed rejuvenating every day! We could see Him walking and feeling stronger…that was a real gift… Now that I am writing silence replaces the joyful confusion of those days… Remembering early in the morning the fire offering…the chanting…the first "chai" of the morning… everyone smiling… some little ones still in pajamas!! …that Passion, that fire, that life and joy are travelling now with people a little bit everywhere.. … … … Waiting for the next seeds to be planted The Lab: Art of Joyful BeingThe atmosphere is absolutely joyful! These kids coming for the “Children’s retreat” entered the Ashram core with such an innocence and love that everybody was completely involved and could learn… As teachers, selfless teachers, we were asked to guide them into various activities. So groups were made out of this; we had “smaller” and “larger” classes…different ages from 2 years up to teen-agers? From Hatha Yoga (practice and philosophy) to puppetry, Brain gym, movement, Art of Joyful Being (dance and mime-clownery), first teaching of Ayurveda, paperwork homemade, origami, chants, Orissa Dance, education to rhythms…and much more!! So many choices and each is interesting…it was hard to chose!! Every day a continuous flow of children entered their specific classes… Coming from all over the world, sharing the same participation and joy. Francesca and I, we were involved in the lab: “the art of joyful being.” Dancing and miming, entering the space with movement and learn how to balance, to “count” music while dancing, listening to…and sharing with others the same space finding our own space. We had been preparing a small choreography for the final showcase on the 30th December and this was useful to learn how to memorize steps, concentrate and be aware of others, moving in space in a specific geometry. At the beginning there was some joyful confusion!…but we do know that a dancing star always move from chaos…the kids enjoyed and also learned to discipline body and mind through the art of movement and miming, exploring the field of emotions and the deep link with the five elements, so we have been dancing earth, water, fire, air, and space finding sounds and like an orchestra, use them to play with. The time was little but the enthusiasm was high…so we did it! Welcome then to the next gathering…and…bring your kids!!! Hari Om Sabina Cesaroni Editor's Note:Sabina is from Florence, Italy, and teaches at the Himalayan Yoga Institute there. 21st - 24th June 2012, The Himalayan Yoga Institute in Florence, Italy, will be hosting the European Retreat of Meditation and Yoga in the Himalayan Tradition in La Verna, Italy with Swami Veda Bharati, Swami Ritavan Bharati, Dr. Stephen (Stoma) Parker, and Swami Nityamuktananda Saraswati. Please see http://www.himalayaninstitute.it/?page_id=266 for more information.
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