February was quite a full month. Agama yogis honored Valentine's Day with an Angel Walk, a heavenly event held at least once annually. Everyone dressed in white and gold, and, along a pathway through the Blue Hall lined with flowers and white veils and lit with the violet color of black lighting, participants embraced each other with love and showered divine whispers on one another.

Two days later, we celebrated Mahashivaratri. The shaktis began their secret preparations five days in advance of the ritual, and by that evening, the hall was full of magical splendor and charged with the accumulated shakti energy. Swami Vivekananda led three hours of very powerful meditations on the aspects of Shiva, from 11 pm until 2 am, and other meditations, bhajans, etc. continued until dawn. It was an absolutely beautiful way to begin the yogic new year.

Agama also recently had the pleasure to host Jasmuheen, an internationally well known spiritual presenter. She arrived two weeks ago, and immediately joined Swami for an afternoon conversation before settling in to prepare her events. Over the next two days, she gave two seminars to large groups, one on practices to maximize living on prana, and another, Creating Paradise Now, a spiritual approach to the art of manifesting. In person, this blond dynamo is charming, vivacious, and charismatic, very focused and strong. She was a real delight, and we hope to host her again on a future trip to Thailand!

In course news, the TTC is proving to be an amazing experience for all the students and for teachers as well. The group, now entering its last month of coursework and practicum, is very earnest, inquisitive, and enthusiastic, and is bringing a dynamic focus to its teachings. We see each day the beautiful teachers emerging from this class of students, each one with his or her own special gifts of presence and skill.

Bhajans, anahata meditations, and the anahata film series continue as weekly supplemental events to our seasonal emphasis on opening the heart and studying models of awakened anahata through readings from the fathers of the desert, bhakti poets, saints, and others. Swami's weekly lectures in this direction continue to be very inspiring, as do the ongoing commentaries on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

In a preview of April's events, Swami will kick off his spring workshops with Tantra 1, held from 2-6 April at our Thailand center. He has also been invited to teach in New Zealand, 23-29 April. He will plan to visit the south island, teaching a Tantra Weekend Workshop in Christchurch and a 2-day Art of Dying symposium in the Takaka area, a region once praised by the Dalai Lama as being especially great for meditation. Our teachers there, Beatrice and Alexis, who are now attempting to establish a teaching center, will host him during his tour. So if you are in this vicinity or wish for more details, write to newzealand@agamayoga.com.

A reminder about our spring workshop schedule: Swami will teach a brand-new workshop, Yogic Chiropractic, from 2-6 May, in which he will transmit the initiation and practical training of the special "surgery without knife" energetic work he learned 20 years ago and has practiced since. Following this, by request, he will again teach the Art of Dying, which was quite popular in its debut two seasons ago. After this, we will hold a very special retreat, Exploring the Spiritual Heart, 14-18 May, and the month will sum up with Tantra 2, 21-25 May. For more information or to reserve your place, email lori@agamayoga.com.

In news from India, the Rishikesh center recently reopened, and is now offering the First Month Course Intensive. Khushru, Justine, and Ingrid will add month two teachings on 26 March. Additionally, Monika and Manu will open a new Agama branch in Dharamsala (Bagsu) in April! Stay tuned to our website for further details. Email dharamsala@agamayoga.com for directions or other assistance. Teachings also continue with Ran in Tel Aviv; visit www.agamayoga.org for more information. And courses are ongoing in Thessaloniki, Greece, with Harry; contact greece@agamayoga.com for more details.

On Sunday's full moon, closing out the course cycle, we held our monthly Yang Spiral at Ananda Resort followed by a Pisces/Virgo birthday party (during the height of our season, we hold celebrations for two sun signs per month, so everyone is included at some point). Tuesday was the first day of this month's classes, and we welcome and look forward to hosting a new generation of yogis!

We hope to see you at one of our teaching centers this spring, and in the meantime, wish you blessings of love and happiness, and good luck on the spiritual path. :-)