Urban Devi Autumn Retreat 2020:Welcoming TransformationA ladies-only retreat**SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2020 AT 7:30 AM EDT – 5:30 PM EDT**http://bhakticenter.org/urban-devi-autumn-retreat/Autumn represents maturity, change, preservation, reconnection, and balance.Although this modern age enables us to be a bit removed from the seasonal changes, when we are in harmony with the world around us, we are most at peace.Maturity: The harvest gives us abundance, prosperity and wealthChange: Leaves drop and we prepare for the end of thingsPreservation and Reconnection: We preserve the harvest and begin to slow down, staying at home and connecting with what’s most important to usBalance: Autumnal equinox the days and the nights are the same lengthThis Autumn is unique as many of us have been sheltering in place for months - already leading a slower more internal life. Did Autumn come early this year?How do we continue to make these shifts, these transformations consciously and with deliberation? How do we welcome the season and all it brings to us?The Urban Devi Fall Retreat will explore perspectives on how to move forward through transitions with awareness and grace in a way that deepens our spiritual practice.Schedule:7:30 - 9:00am: Fall Into Autumn Yoga Workshop w/ Lila Devi Dasi9:00 - 10:30am: Rukmini Devi Dasi10:45 - 12:15pm: Rambhoru Devi Dasi12:15 - 1:15pm: Break for Lunch1:15 - 1:45pm: Sastra Siesta w/ Brajarani Devi Dasi1:45 - 3:15pm: Vrajalila Devi Dasi3:30 - 5:30pm: Dance with Champakalata Sakhi Devi DasiDescription of Events:“Finding Deeper Grounding in the Roots of Bhakti” (Rukmini Devi Dasi): Bhakti Yoga is the soul’s journey inward, seeking sacred love. As we move into Autumn, we seek a shifting of energy, feel a need to let go of what’s external and gather our power deeper within ourselves. What are the foundational roots of a personal Bhakti practice? How can we strengthen those roots to help us build an authentic life in our journey toward sacred love?Autumn is a time of letting go… In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore how to strengthen these pillars of Bhakti, letting go of the temporary in order to grow more deeply rooted in the eternal."Autumn. A time to Pause and Check-in With Ourselves." (Rambhoru Devi Dasi): Autumn is a time to pause, check-in, and do the hard work of letting go as we anticipate who we are becoming as spiritual beings having a human experience. In this workshop, Rambhoru Dasi will share insights on life-cycle stages, rallying our resources, and being generative at the end of life. You will walk away with practical tools to thrive in Fall."Nurturing Wisdom in Change" (Vraja Lila Dasi): The natural and spiritual cycles of life often transition us through phases of change that are difficult, inevitable, and yet manageable. Through the practice of introspection, we will explore a story of transformation and change from the wisdom of a mother and son relationship as narrated in sacred Vedic scriptures.“Soul Dance: Shedding the Leaves of our Tree to Realize Our True Selves” (Champakalata Sakhi Devi Dasi): In this dance experience, we will start with a joyful dance/ yoga warm-up to prepare the body and open the mind. Then Champakalata will lead you through a guided dance journey to experience the season of Autumn, and how it relates to shedding external layers of ourselves that we identify with to realize our true selves. When we connect with that highest aspect of ourselves through dance, the impression can transform the way we live our day to day life. We will end with meditation and kirtan. No prior dance experience necessary. All that is needed is a willingness to move and express your heart. Expect a lot of fun and sweat.“Transformation through Awareness: A Yoga Adventure” (Lila Devi Dasi): Similar to how our bodies digest food, assimilating what is beneficial and discarding what is not, our minds and bodies must also appropriately digest more subtle things like emotions and experiences. Through the practices of conscious awareness, gentle asana, and basic pranayama, we will tap into our ability to acknowledge our experiences, without judgment or avoidance, so that we can "digest" them in a healthy way, retaining the useful and releasing what is toxic, and gain the opportunity to experience growth without stagnation. (All-Levels Class)“Transformation in the Sri Isopanisad: An interactive discussion” (Brajarani Devi Dasi): The Sri Isopanisad can be a manual for transformation. We’ll read several mantras and discuss realizations.*For questions about the retreat, to inquire about partial scholarships or to sponsor tickets for other participants who may be lacking in funds, please contact Brajarani at spring.love55@icloud.com
