bhagavad gita discussion group
thursdays at 6:15 pm—resumes on feb. 25
led by kaustubha das
free of charge




transformative joy: finding joy on the path
meditation and talk with sharon salzberg
wednesday, april 28
6:30 to 8:30 pm
$20

behind longing, addiction, rage and confusion lies a joy accessible to all. uncovered by the Buddha during a period of self-investigation preceding his awakening, this joy became the wellspring of his psychology and the foundation of his middle path. the buddha called it 'the way to enlightenment'. this workshop, celebrating buddhist practice but also drawing on universal wisdom, will create opportunities to experience this joy for ourselves and to use it to deepen our understanding.

sharon salzberg is cofounder of the insight meditation society (ims) in barre, ma. she has been a student of buddhism since 1971, guiding meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. sharon's latest book is the kindness handbook, published by sounds true. she is also the author of the force of kindness, published by sounds true; faith: trusting your own deepest experience, published by riverhead books; and lovingkindness: the revolutionary art of happiness, published by shambhala publications. for more information about sharon, please visit: www.sharonsalzberg.com. the program is suitable for both beginners and experienced meditators. no one will be turned away due to lack of funds.




yoga for a world out of balance: teachings on ethics, art and social action
public talk with michael stone, author, teacher, psychotherapist and activist
friday, may 7
6 to 8 pm
$15 suggested donation

drawing on his latest book, michael will offer practical suggestions for bringing yoga into our personal, social and ecological lives and how we can share the core teachings of yoga with our friends and students without imposing a belief system. drawing on patanjali's teachings on ethics michael will talk about how to integrate ethics into our lives internally (like working with self-judgement patterns), in relationships (flexibility and withdrawing projections) and in community (taking action) so that our spiritual practice is fully engaged with the world. this is the heart of yoga: non-separation and action. michael will use examples from his own community, centre of gravity sangha, toronto, to show ways that yoga can come alive in our lives.

michael stone is a psychotherapist in private practice, teacher and author. he co-leads centre of gravity sangha, a diverse community of yoga and buddhist practitioners in toronto, and travels internationally, teaching in academic, yoga studio and clinical settings. michael offers courses and retreats that focus on integrating yoga postures, breathing practices, meditation and textual study. his research and teaching explore the intersection of committed spiritual practice and social action.

michael's academic background includes studies in psychology, psychoanalysis, philosophy and comparative religion. he teaches yoga in the tradition of krishnamacharya and his principal teacher is richard freeman. he has studied ashtanga, iyengar and other forms of hatha yoga in depth as well as sanskrit and indian philosophy, vipassana and zen. for more information: www.centreofgravity.org.




asana is pranayama: maturing yoga postures in depth with michael stone
saturday, may 8
9:15 to 11:45 am and 2 to 4 pm
$35 per class or $55 for both (class cards accepted)

yoga postures don't mature by adding more spectacular "moves," but rather through tuning into the subtle movements of the breath, attention and bandhas. in this detailed class we will slow down some familiar sequences to learn how asana can become a practice of pranayama leading to deep meditative insight and ease and teaching us how to approach yoga practice psychologically. if you do not have a pranayama practice or if you are learning how to teach pranayama in an asana class, or if you're interested in applied yoga psychology, this should be an excellent class.

based on the morning class, we will go further in our exploration of bandhas, breathing and the movements of mind so we can understand and practice yoga postures internally and elegantly.