Join me for the 3rd Annual Virtual World Yoga and Meditation Conference. 

This year’s virtual conference is dedicated to your inner practice – bringing you top-notch teachers from around the world who will share their wisdom, tools and techniques to transmute difficulties into doorways, bliss, and serenity.

Once again, I am participating in Yoga Hub's Annual Yoga and Meditation Conference. This 3rd Annual Virtual World Yoga Conference, entitled “Yoga, Meditation and the Philosopher's Stone" is a 5-Day Online Conference where you can learn at your own pace in the comfort of your home for less than what it costs to travel to most live events - in fact, for even less than it cost last year! In response to the economic situation of 2011, Yoga Hub has lowered the cost this year to $129! 

To get the whole story and to register now before you forget, click this link: http://bit.ly/b1ok2

My workshop will be on Thursday, February 9th at 12:15 Eastern Standard Time (EST) but starting on February 7th, with the purchase of one ticket, you will have access to over 50 hours of workshop content on a variety of topics focusing on yoga, health, and happiness. For more info on my workshop, please click here: http://events.yogahub.org/session/vc-2012/bhavani-lorraine-nelson/

My workshop is entitled, "A Simple "How-To" and "Who's Who" Introduction to Sanskrit Mantra" - Please read on for a class description...

WORKSHOP INFO

So you’ve discovered chanting and are enjoying it. Perhaps you’ve even practiced a mantra or two. But do you really know whom you’re chanting to? Do you know your Gayatri from your Ganesha, or do Krishna and Vishnu still sound like Greek to you? If you’ve ever wondered what energies are invoked with mantra repetition or if you’re the least bit unsure about the proper way to do mantra practice, this workshop is for you!

In this workshop we will unravel the mystery of Sanskrit mantra. You’ll learn some of the benefits of the simple, ancient practice of chanting to the divine, you’ll get clear on various methods of practicing these mystical phrases, and you’ll explore the archetypal energies represented by some of the major Hindu deities.

First we’ll take a look at the “Hindu Who’s Who” of Sanskrit mantra and see how the Hindu trinity relates to the Christian trinity. Then we’ll expand our view to take in a few of the most important members of the pantheon. You might say that we’ll be meeting the Hindu “Divine royal family.”

Each family member possesses specific traits or characteristics. Deepak Chopra calls them archetypes. Thomas Ashley-Farrand (Namadeva Archarya) talks about the deities as anthropomorphized qualities that we can incorporate into ourselves through mantra chanting. As you become familiar with the major players in the Hindu tradition, you can customize your practice by choosing specific mantras that will invoke the qualities possessed by these individual deities.

We’ll explore more closely three major players that can be very helpful to us in our daily lives. The first is Ganesha, the powerful warrior son of Shiva, whom we’ll ask to clear away all the obstacles for us for 2012. After that we’ll invoke Lakshmi to bestow prosperity upon us in every area of our lives. Finally we’ll address Krishna, practicing one of his most powerful mantras, Om namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya. This particular mantra brings abundance just as Lakshmi does, but it is primarily about gaining an experience of the Divine being you are.

Through the repetition of each of these three mantras, you’ll have an opportunity to taste what the different archetypes or energies feel like in your body. By the end of the session you’ll know how to practice mantra and you’ll have a clearer idea about how to choose a mantra that can enhance your life by bringing in specific qualities you desire.

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CONFERENCE INFO

The Virtual World Yoga and Meditation Conference is a virtual or online event where you get access to approximately 10 speakers each day from Tuesday, February 7th to Saturday, February 11th – all from the convenience of your home. All you need is a phone or web access to participate and your computer to download your handouts. It’s that simple.

You get complete access to all the live calls, the ability to interact with other participants and teachers in our online forum, “follow-along” handouts and action steps for each session, plus full recorded replays that will be available following the conference. 

Which means you can take the conference workshops at your own pace—no need to choose one over the other, or lament the fact that you can’t “do them all”. Because each session is recorded, you have up to two weeks after the live conference has ended to listen to the speaker, and to ask questions on the forum.

For more info on the conference, please go to: http://www.yogahub.com/ref/Bhavani/6ed5e0c6.html 
PS - If you'd like to take a sneak peek of what the conference is like, feel free to visit www.bit.ly/w7ok8 for access to 3 free sessions from last year's conference.

Experiential Workshops in Meditation
and Mindfulness

presented by Bhavani Lorraine Nelson
at the University of Maine at Farmington
February 8 – 11, 2012

Wednesday, Feb. 8
CHANTING WORKSHOP
11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Lobby, UMF Education Center
Bhavani, accompanied on the harmonium, presents the joyful practice of Sanskrit chanting.
SOUNDPLAY
7-8:30 p.m. Office of Christie James, Western Maine Osteopathic Healthcare, 225 Main St., Farmington
This is the foundational workshop for all of Bhavani’s work with sounding. In it she teaches how everyone is made of sound and prepares participants for chanting with easy exercises to open the body and release the voice.
To register, please call 207-778-7242. Spaces are limited.

Thursday, Feb. 9
VIRTUAL PRESENTATION OF “A SIMPLE ‘HOW-TO’ AND ‘WHO’S WHO’ INTRODUCTION TO SANSKRIT MANTRA”
12:15-1:15 p.m. Room 106, UMF Computer Center
Part of the third annual Virtual World Yoga Conference “Yoga, Meditation and the Philosopher’s Stone.” This on-line presentation will help participants understand how to do mantra practice and what energies are involved.
KIRTAN
7:30-9 p.m. Performance Space, Emery Community Arts Center
Prepare for a joyful evening as Bhavani presents the enchantment of Sanskrit chanting with drum accompaniment. Reception to follow. In case of inclement weather, the snow date for the Kirtan is 7:30-9 p.m., Friday, Feb. 10.

Friday, Feb. 10
MEDITATION MADE POSSIBLE
12 -1 p.m., The Landing, UMF Olsen Student Center
In this workshop, Bhavani uses a unique process to help people experience the meditative state.

Saturday, Feb. 11
TRANSFORMING STRESS INSIDE AND OUT
9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. North Dining Hall A, B & C, UMF Olsen Student Center
A relaxing and informative experience, in this session, Bhavani shares a tool-kit of transformative stress-relieving techniques and practices. (12-1:30 p.m. lunch break on your own)

These events are sponsored by the generous gift of an anonymous donor.
Seating will be available at the chanting and meditation workshops. Participants are also invited to bring yoga mats or cushions for their personal convenience.

May 4th - 6th, 2012 - Friday night start at 7:30pm

Have you heard about the benefits of meditation and wondered what the practice is really like? Or perhaps you’ve had some meditation instruction but not yet found a technique that fits your temperament and lifestyle, one that allows you to sustain a regular practice.

This weekend workshop introduces you to several major meditation techniques from the yogic and Buddhist traditions, including

• Meditation on the breath


• Loving-kindness, or metta, meditation


• Walking meditation


• Pranayama (breathing exercises)


• Meditative Sanskrit chanting.

A popular Kripalu presenter, Bhavani is known for her clear instruction and user-friendly approach. Take away the inspiration and clarity you need to continue meditating at home, along with a meditation practice that brings greater peace, equanimity, and contentment to your life.

CE Credits

This program is eligible for :
8.5 credits for Athletic Trainers (BOC), $20 additional charge

Click here for more information - http://www.kripalu.org/program/view/ITMR-121/introduction_to_meditation

Presenters: Sara Meeks and Bhavani Lorraine Nelson

For all levels; no prior yoga experience needed.

We are, in essence, harmonic beings, vibrating crystals that respond to the forces of the universe. This unique new workshop with two longtime Kripalu teachers demonstrates how movement from the inside out enables us to free our voices from the ground up. Sara Meeks and Bhavani Lorraine Nelson combine muscle contraction, spinal compression, tension, torsion, and the effect of gravity with breath, sound, music, and movement. This unique combination creates a profound consciousness of the body.

This weekend includes

• Principles of S. A. F. E. Yoga (Skeletally Appropriate For Everyone) alignment in seated, standing, supine, and prone positions


• The freedom of “toning” as Bhavani invites us into a magical wash of sound alive with the intention of healing ourselves and the universe


• The Spinal Rock, a Meeks Method original, designed to relax and heal the structures of the spine through rhythmic movement accompanied by music.

Take home practical suggestions for your yoga practice and your life from a program that leaves your body, mind, and spirit humming, your bones resonating, and your feet dancing to the rhythm of your own harmonic being.

Recommended reading Sara Meeks, Walk Tall! 2nd edition (Triad).

Note: Dress in loose, layered, comfortable clothing for movement.

CE Credits

This program is eligible for :
9.5 credits for Yoga Alliance (YA), $20 additional charge
9.5 credits for Athletic Trainers (BOC), $20 additional charge

Click here for more information - http://www.kripalu.org/program/view/YOT-121/s_a_f_e_yoga_harmonics_in_motion

Have you heard about the benefits of meditation and wondered what the practice is really like? Or perhaps you’ve had some meditation instruction but not yet found a technique that fits your temperament and lifestyle, one that allows you to sustain a regular practice.

This weekend workshop introduces you to several major meditation techniques from the yogic and Buddhist traditions, including

• Meditation on the breath


• Loving-kindness, or metta, meditation


• Walking meditation


• Pranayama (breathing exercises)


• Meditative Sanskrit chanting.

A popular Kripalu presenter, Bhavani is known for her clear instruction and user-friendly approach. Take away the inspiration and clarity you need to continue meditating at home, along with a meditation practice that brings greater peace, equanimity, and contentment to your life.

CE Credits

This program is eligible for 8.5 credits for Athletic Trainers (BOC), $20 additional charge