You may or may not have otherwise seen the recent news posted on our website. A recap below follows some very important administrative announcements, changes that are shaping our school in positive directions for the expanding future of Agama.

We now offer months 1, 2, and 3 year-round, as of January. Advanced courses will also be held year-round (in the low season of August through December) if four or more students request teachings. We will also next year offer both winter and summer Teacher Training Courses (8 January-29 March, 2008, and 27 May-16 August, 2008). We are very excited about this opportunity to include more potential students annually (after overcapacity demand in 2007), to keep classes at strict limits (24), and to hopefully guarantee more personal attention to our TTC students and to the course itself. Reservations begin 1 July on our website under Teacher Training. An application must be filled out and submitted via email alongside a PayPal deposit to hold your place. Contact ttc@agamayoga.com with questions.

We have also restructured the curriculum into modules so that, in 2008, any student arriving on Koh Phangan to join the courses will be able to have teachings at any time (in high season), although students will no longer be allowed to skip or double up course levels nor, with these new changes, to take continuous classes year-round (which would intensify an already accelerated pace). See the full outline of our new administrative policies online – please read them carefully, as they apply to you! These policies were introduced on a trial basis in spring of 2007, but in 2008 they will be standard. Additionally, Agama has introduced twice monthly (on the lunar observances) supported meditations, during which Swami and anyone who wishes to join him will meditate in a synchronized manner at set times on the new and full moons. These times are announced within the full calendar of course offerings through summer, 2008. See Calendar for details!

And now, without another moment's hesitation, a recap of the latest news:

At the end of April, Swami traveled to New Zealand, where he had been invited to teach two workshops. He led an Art of Dying Workshop in Parapara, on the north end of the South Island, a gorgeous region, for a group of enthusiastic participants. He also taught a Tantra Weekend Workshop 27-29 April in Christchurch to an even larger gathering. He was charmed by the Kiwi friendliness and the natural beauty of the land. It was also his first trip across the Equator! Several of his students in New Zealand showed up here in Thailand in May to continue their Yoga studies.

While Swami was gone, we kept ourselves inspired with video showings of the "historical" Patanjali lectures from more than a year ago (the onset of the current series, which began early in the 2006 season). We also held our annual community potluck dinner at Ananda, the Divine Dinner, with awards for food in different categories and a "food as clothing" theme. The evening was great fun, with about 70 or 80 students attending. The "spaghetti kiss off" finale was a real crowd-pleaser, with four couples, hands behind their backs, each competing to be the first to lock lips after slurping down one long spaghetti from opposite ends! Also in Swami's absence, Mihaiela beautifully led the final ceremony for the first time. See News for photos.

The following week, the morning after his return from New Zealand, Swami premiered a new workshop, Yogic Chiropractic, which had limited enrollment due to practical space requirements. The workshop was absolutely incredible. Even those of us who had seen Swami doing these treatments for years had no idea of the extensive and highly beneficial nature of this rare system. We practiced day and night, and still seemed to run out of time after five full days; we probably could have used two more! We will form a "club" to continue our practice and build confidence. In six months' time, Swami will administer a very challenging exam to those who wish to be certified in this exquisite healing system.

In mid-May Swami wrapped up teachings of the Tibetan Bardo Thodol for the Art of Dying Workshop, in its full five-day format, here on Koh Phangan. The hall was full, with 69 people joining the course, which has not been presented here for two years. With these teachings, another generation of Agama yogis is now prepared to help their loved ones to a spiritual death, as well as face this moment themselves with lucidity and fearlessness.

Sunday 20 May we concluded an extraordinary - and totally silent - week-long meditation retreat, the Revelation of the Self. (See our new Retreats photo gallery up now.) For this special event, Swami only recently received the surprise participation of his long-time colleague, Claudiu Trandafir, a Yoga teacher for the last 22 years and former professor of Parapsychology, who has led this retreat for thousands of participants across Europe over the past six years. Claudiu is a renowned meditation master, and we felt deeply privileged to host him at Agama for this unique first-time collaboration. To accommodate the wishes of all teachers and nearly all advanced students to attend, we rearranged the teaching program so that no advanced classes took place during the retreat; first, second, and third month courses continued, however. A record number of people (83) attended the retreat, making this our largest event ever! Many participants were not sure they were initially up to the two- and three-hour meditation sessions, but by the end of the week, realized they were not only capable of such sittings, but enjoyed the great depth of meditation they conferred. The retreat featured inspirational talks each day highlighting non-dualistic teachings from a variety of traditions and eclectic sages (Meister Eckhart to Ken Wilbur, Nisargadatta Maharaj to Rumi) - but not too much talking! Claudiu is a purist, and prefers meditation in the present moment to mental conceptions about meditation.... :-) Some people shared that they had their deepest meditations ever, others confessed that they prayed for Grace and did samyama on Claudiu to become better meditators! All but a handful of attendees wished for another retreat soon, and for a longer duration. So we hope this is just the beginning of a long association with this humble and gentle teacher - he has already agreed to return.

Tantra 2, taught this year by a panel of senior teachers, closed out spring workshops 21-25 May, while Swami taught in Istanbul by invitation to a magnificent group of Turks comprising one of his largest international workshop receptions ever. We already look forward to the next events, which have been proposed for later this year.

In news around the world, Agama Rishikesh closed for the summer 19 May after a wonderful spring! Trika will reopen 24 September. Check our India page for course dates.... Agama Dharamsala opened in April, and is already very popular. Monika and Manu are soon finishing up their last month of teachings, although regrettably had to cancel the special workshop they had planned for 2-6 July.... The new Agama UK center is regularly holding Agama Yoga workshops and now offers drop-in classes, and is in preparation for Swami's visit to Bristol in August.... By the end of summer, Swami will be again in North America (Ontario, Ottawa, and Vancouver, Canada; Monterrey, Mexico; and Washington, D.C. - dates and events to be announced shortly), less extensively than in 2006, but with more depth to the teachings in each location.

We are this month wrapping up the height of high season, in anticipation of Swami's departure from Koh Phangan. We had a big splash of a season finale party last weekend: a Solstice Eve Pool Party under starry skies at Ananda, our best party of the year! There was a dance on the elements including fire-twirling and synchronized swimming, as well as a video projection in conjunction with great music and poolside dancing. Many, many people ended up in the pool (some with help...) and the sauna was also open 'til midnight. Hawaiian-style luau girls passed out tropical h'ors d'oeuvres with one condition: no feeding yourself allowed!

Claudiu will return to the island within two months' time. He will lead Revelation of the Self retreats in September and October at our Thailand headquarters, along with a weeklong version in Rishikesh, India, in November. See Calendar for more details. And please join Swami for the monthly supported meditations, as we aim to strengthen the egregor of Agama, our spiritual family, to bring ourselves into harmony, and to lend each other energetic support through unity at this level. Of course, we also hope that sooner than later we will meet again in Thailand to surrender ourselves further to evolution through Yoga.

Love and blessings,
Lori for Agama Yoga