Join us for a Warriors at Ease Retreat that offers a deep dive into the practices of yoga, meditation, and yoga philosophy! This retreat is special because it’s a civilian-veteran retreat, designed to bring people together for a week of personal reflection, transformation and growth. Through this unique combination, participants will have the opportunity to learn from one another and develop a deeper sense of connection amidst deep practice.

Attendees can expect a daily program that includes yoga, iRest Yoga Nidra, Vedanta lectures, silent meditation, breathing practices, creativity practices, vegetarian food, personal reflection time, and community fun with fellow attendees. As a special surprise for Winter Creativity Retreat participants, Hipólito Arriaga-Harari III and Anthony Torres Jr. will be leading us in some truly unique creativity experiences and collaborations! There will also be two days of silence during the week, in which participants are invited to adhere to Mauna (Sanskrit for “silence”) throughout the day’s activities.

The focus is on going deep into the practices of yoga and meditation. There will be no difference in participation between veterans, civilians, or providers of the retreat. We are all in this together, we will all be doing the practices. We will all be sharing in the experience.

This retreat is open to veterans and civilians who already have a regular meditation and yoga practice and are interested in an advanced retreat. This retreat will maintain a strict retreat schedule. It is rigorous, but we are inviting people who are serious practitioners and who from their own personal interest want to experience Advanced Retreat.

Costs:

Through the generosity of a private donor, the tuition for this retreat is covered for both civilians and veterans. Veterans need to cover only their travel expenses and civilians need to cover their travel and accommodation expenses at the Ashram. The Sivananda Yoga Ranch Ashram is a sweet place, which is carefully maintained by beautiful souls and on a gorgeous piece of property. The food is vegetarian and delicious. Much of it is grown on the property. Vegan and gluten-free options are available. Please advise of other dietary restrictions. There will be two shuttle buses departing from NYC. Times will be announced soon. If you are able to make it onto these shuttles, transport to/ from NYC is included. If you cannot make the shuttles, you will need to arrange your own transport to the ashram.

To register, please email Betsy Diller, the retreat coordinator, at: retreats@warriorsatease.org

January Winter Creativity Retreat Schedule:
6:00 am: Wake up
6:30 am: Morning Satsang: Silent Meditation & Program
8:00 am: Morning Pranayama (Breathing) & Yoga
10:00 am: Brunch
12:00 pm: Creativity Practices
2:00 pm: Yoga Philosophy Talk/ Discussion with Swami Paramananda
4:00 pm: Afternoon Practice & iRest Yoga Nidra Guided Meditation
6:00 pm: Dinner
7:30 pm: Evening Silent Meditation & Program
10:00 pm: Lights out

Facilitators:

Molly Birkholm (Teaching at both Retreats) Molly Birkholm is a yoga and meditation teacher trainer, professional speaker, consultant, and author. She is the co-founder of Warriors at Ease and has helped pioneer evidence-based trauma-sensitive yoga and meditation programs for PTSD in the military and other communities affected by trauma and stress. Molly’s stress management programs, resilience training, and trauma treatment programs are used by leaders and top organizations. Molly teaches trainings and retreats around the world and also online on The Great Courses and as the host of the Women’s Empowerment Initiative on Yoga International. www.mollybirkholm.com

Swami Paramananda (Teaching at the January 13-18 Retreat) is the manager of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Ranch and longtime teacher of Sivananda Yoga Teacher Trainings in the Bahamas, New York, and India. A much-loved teacher admired for his humor, warmth, and devotion to the practice, he seamlessly weaves classical yoga teachings into modern daily life. He is also a veteran after serving in the Israeli Special Forces.https://sivanandayogaranch.org

It’s remarkable how life’s biggest challenges often pave a direct path to understanding life’s deeper meanings. Rather than accepting victimization, the possibility exists to rise above adversity and create momentous change. Yoga acts as both a catalyst and healing agent in this way — it holds the potential to help you shine light on your darkest moments, giving you the courage to move through them toward profound purpose.

Yoga, meditation, service, and community are some of the most effective tools that bring the empowerment needed to transform a traumatic experience. Wisdom rarely emerges in spite of difficulty, but rather because of it … and when integrated with yoga, that wisdom is more deeply understood.

Learn the ways that yoga has successfully saved lives — how it has transformed the experiences of human trafficking survivors, veterans, prisoners, and others who have undergone immense trauma. Get inspired by the stories of those who have survived life’s greatest challenges … and how they went on to become changemakers in society.

Offered as 1 satsang and 1 workshop (subject to change)

Please visit the Sivananda Ashram website for more information and to register for this event!

Gather to celebrate and explore yoga nidra with teachers from Satyananda Yoga Nidra, I AM Yoga Nidra^TM, Total Yoga Nidra, and iRest® Yoga Nidra. Together, we recognize and honor the roots of these teachings and establish a yoga nidra “family tree” that strengthens our community and reveals our united purpose.

Through experiential teachings and deep understanding, this first-of-its-kind conference offers an opportunity to

• Interact with a global community of yoga nidra practitioners
• Experience deep restoration, integration, intention, and creativity as you explore your essential nature and truth
• Learn more about the science behind the healing power of yoga nidra
• Discover new ways to carry these ancient teachings into everyday life.

Take time to connect, collaborate, and deepen your understanding of yoga nidra in order to transform and heal our world.

Presenters: 

Richard Miller, PhD
Stephanie Lopez, LISW-S, C-IAYT
Swami Shankardev Saraswati, MD
Swami Atmarupa Saraswati, E-RYT 500, RPYT, RCYT, YACEP
Kamini Desai, PhD
John Vosler, E-RYT 500
Uma Dinsmore-Tuli, PhD, YTh Dip, C-IAYT
Dr. June Henry, C-IAYT
Indu Arora
Jennifer Reis, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, LMT
Molly Birkholm

Visit the Kripalu website to learn more and register today!

Trauma and anxiety pervade modern life, causing major public health concerns within society.
Cutting-edge clinical research can now confirm what yogis have known for thousands of years — that yoga and meditation regulate the nervous system, releasing tension and trauma from the body and mind. Especially today, these are crucial practices to know how to use … and teach!

Designed to give you a direct experience of the healing potential within these practices, this certificate course is both experiential and educational, intended for yoga teachers, healthcare workers, and interested souls. By experiencing these teachings firsthand and understanding the “why” behind them, you’ll be better equipped to integrate them into your personal and professional life.

Course topics include:

• How to create a safe and nurturing trauma-sensitive yoga practice using evidence-based methodologies
• Yoga Nidra guided mindfulness meditations for insomnia, chronic pain, anxiety, and depression
• The modern clinical research behind these ancient techniques, showing how they heal trauma
• Healing practices in breath, visualization, sound, movement, and mindfulness
• Resilience, empowerment, and post-traumatic growth
• Building a self-care plan to integrate these life-changing practices into daily life

To learn more and register for this course, please visit the Sivananda Ashram website.