Ready to unplug for a weekend? Join Mandala Moon Yoga founder Dena Beratta for a spiritually rich and restorative weekend of yoga and meditation, delicious and nourishing vegetarian food, and the therapeutic use of mandalas.
Mandalas
A mandala is a design that radiates from a central and unifying center—a sacred circle. Yoga is a practice designed to help us connect with our own core and become established in our essential nature. Connecting the two is a natural fit.
A simple translation for the Sanskrit word mandala is “circle.” Some Sanskrit experts might also point out that if broken down into syllables, a mandala is an essence (manda) container (la). A mandala is symbolically so much more than a simple circle. It’s a tool for healing, a meditation practice, and a work of art. It is a symbol of wholeness.
We’ll be exploring mandalas through color and symbols to get a clearer picture of what is going on in our own psyches. Additionally, we’ll use our mandalas as a meditation tool.
Malas
We’ll spend time practicing japa meditation, a form of meditation using mala beads as a counting tool (much like a rosary) to recite or chant mantra, usually 108 times. Bring your mala if you have one, but don’t worry if you don’t have one—we’ll have some loaners!
Moon Meditations
It wouldn’t be a Mandala Moon event without some moon salutations. Much of our yoga practice, like our lives, is spent in doing, accomplishing, and striving. Sun salutations, a sequence of yoga postures common in many yoga classes, are strong and heating. This is in-line with cultural pressures and, in terms of yogic philosophy, our more solar and masculine energies. Our moon, or feminine side, connects us with our cooling, calming, and nurturing nature. And who in this culture doesn’t need a bit more of that energy in their life?
Registration Information
Retreat tuition is payable directly to Mandala Moon Yoga. Tuition cost is $199. Sign up by October 15 for the early-bird discount and pay only $149.
Room and board is payable directly to the Himalayan Institute. There are many accommodation options. Please reserve your room through the Institute as early as possible.
