AGAMA YOGA'S NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER

Namaste!

We send you these greetings on the tail end of our low season, as we are busily preparing for 2009 and all it brings! However, before a preview, I hoped to share a minute of reflection from the shores of the great Ganges River....

I'm writing this letter from Rishikesh, India, where Agama Yoga began so long ago, a place and a land many of us hold dear as the birthplace of Yoga. Even a place as ancient as this is changing, slowly but visibly, as is the world around us, but the average Indian still finds time for Shiva every day, as prayers, pujas, worship are part of everyday life. India is still largely poor, although more Indians are reaching a "middle-class" status. But still the population grows, and the sheer number of poverty-stricken people assaults you on a daily basis here.

The beggars will thrust you into a humble contemplation on gratitude quite a lot, while the Motherland is at work presenting other lessons in the moment. India is the best place to remind you that "you are not the doer", as Advaita Vedanta says. Even if you wanted to write some emails or surf the Internet, the power cuts out once or twice per day, the cafes close mysteriously, or the server is down... and it feels like even where there's a will, there's no way! Sometimes we may not feel so charmed by this, but it's a good opportunity to surrender to the Divine Will...

It's Thanksgiving time in the United States, yet with an economic slump worldwide, not many people feel very thankful these days. A recent email posed the question,"If you think your life is hard, walk a mile in this guy's shoe...", underneath a photo of a man with one leg pushing something like a cart. India shows you each day your privileges and forces you to look into this moment, the Grace bestowed upon you, to look to the bright side, to give great thanks for this life, this breath now, all of our opportunities. Especially the rare opportunity we have found to seek the Source of our lives, to seek our purpose, with our attention and energy in daily life, and through our Yoga practice. Let's try to remember this, even in our busy lives. Do we want to reach the end of our lives having only accomplished a lot of work?

On that note, we invite you to Thailand this winter! Come study and play with us, indulge your practice, your well-being, your evolving soul, some time by the tropical seaside on our island of Koh Phangan.

And now for news...

swami vivekananda wrapped up his two-month teaching tour of Canada and Mexico in early November. The tour was again a great success, and this year, mihaiela pentiuc joined him in ontario to present Complete Femininity opposite his vira training workshop. plans are already underway for swami's 2009 tour, and other 2009 events will include retreats with Claudiu Trandafir in Canada and Israel.

moses is now teaching Tantra 1 workshops in switzerland and Germany, and Agama - UK is preparing to host Claudiu for a retreat in january. he will hold a retreat over the new year period in Romania as well.

Monthly retreats continue on Koh Phangan, with our annual new year's meditation retreat beginning 23 december, and Awakening the Crown Chakra Retreats scheduled for both January and February.

A new season of workshops opens with the exclusive nondualistic teachings of kashmir shavism (17-21 december), and include the Art of Dying (May, 2009) as well as mystical bellydance 1 and 2 (february and march, 2009) with Monika. See the new workshops and retreats calendar!

in news from centers around the world, the Rishikesh center in the beautiful lower Himalayas will remain open until the end of April nonstop this year. geoff has opened a new center in oaxaca, mexico, slated to officially kick off after new year's. teachings are ongoing in Bristol, amsterdam, Vancouver, and israel, and Dharamsala will reopen in April.

Agama recently signed a long-term lease on koh phangan and is beginning the development of this land now. we welcome all who would like to put muscle into this wonderful effort or to support the cause with donations! Our first task is the building of a retreat center.

We invite you to join us in the upcoming season on Koh Phangan or elsewhere around the world. We are always delighted to see you, or even to hear from you. We include you in our dreams and hopes for spiritual harmony and progress on the Path...

Wishing you much love wherever you are,
Lori for Agama Yoga