7-DAY HEALTH AND YOGA CAMP THE YOGA INSTITUTE MUMBAI The Oldest Yoga School In The World At Finca Elefante Atenas Costa Rica Academic program of The Yoga Institute Mumbai-India, the oldest yoga school in the world. The camp will be guided by senior Indian teachers from The Yoga Institute, at Finca Elefante Atenas Costa Rica. The 7 Day Health and Yoga Camp is an experiential introductory course to yoga theory and practice in which the participants make an immersion to an ancestral yogic routine. The program is ideal for those who want to live the authentic lifestyle of yoga experiencing inner peace during 7 intensive days of classes, ancient yoga, dynamics, meditations, talks, plus an endless number of experiences that incorporate yogic ideals into every space of modern life. The retreat-style camp covers asanas, pranayamas, kriyas, yogic concepts, diet, games, recreation, attitude training, relaxation, meditation, and is suitable for all levels (over 18 years old) I. THE YOGA INSTITUTE The Yoga Institute, Santacruz (East), Mumbai, India was founded in 1918 by Shri Yogendraji, and is the oldest centre of yoga in the world. Shri Yogendraji believed that yoga was not meant exclusively for bearded men living in the mountains, and he wanted to bring it to householders—the men and women who have to work, toil, commute, earn a living, raise children, and fight the battle of life everyday. He wanted to bring it to people living in the town and the city, because he believed that the householder could benefit immensely from this knowledge. Little surprise then that Shri Yogendra is known as the Father of Modern Yoga Renaissance. Although most people wished to learn yoga only to address their physical problems, Shri Yogendra wanted the Yoga Institute to be more than a place that would help them cope with physical ailments; he wanted it to be a ‘Life School’ where one learnt to live. The Yoga Institute, with its simplicity, sincerity, and non-commercial outlook, reaches out to householders and attempts to help them lead happy, healthy, and balanced lives in a world that is constantly throwing up challenges. Spearheading the “Yoga for the Householder” movement in the world, the Institute interacts with over two thousand people everyday for training, health benefits and consultations. It also offers Yoga teacher-training courses, and brings out books on yoga therapy, asanas, pranayam, couples counseling, traditional scriptures, ethics for everyday life, and a variety of other subjects on yoga education. Shri Yogendraji’s son, Dr. Jayadeva Yogendra, who passed away recently, was a sincere and committed torch-bearer of the founder’s legacy. His spirit continues to guide us through Guru Smt. Hansaji Jayadeva Yogendra, well-known all over the world, and today Director of The Yoga Institute, whom also serves as president of The International Board of Yoga. II. FINCA ELEFANTE Finca Elefante is a mountain reserved for the spiritual legacy of meditation, yoga and classical culture of ancient India. Meditating along with the archetypal nobility of the elephant, we send love and joy to all living beings that inhabit this planet. In our centre in Costa Rica we work with some of the ancient techniques and classical approach of yoga and meditation from The Yoga Institute. CLASSICAL MEDITATION The really deep moments in meditation are unpredictable, unique, unforgettable, always unrepeatable and, in general, indescribable. They are like a trip of self-discovery by unexplored internal lands, which is completed only when we have opened our eyes with perceptions “of the beyond” different from those who have never embarked on trips of this kind… They are like the episode of a ceremony that celebrates connecting to an inner source of inexhaustible energy. At Finca Elefante we learn meditating, being through silence that we nourish ourselves with wisdom. We work with one of the oldest meditation techniques in India: anitya bhavana, which consists of sitting down to observe the own natural breathing as a means to cross from the noise of the mind to the deep silence of consciousness. During our practical sessions, long periods of immobile meditation are combined with breathing exercises and simple postures of ancient yoga, just as they did in the yogic communities and classical universities of India thousands of years ago. ANCIENT YOGA The yoga that we practice is simple, humanized and based on a meditative tendency according to the principles that gave rise to it in ancient India. Among its various action goals, the most basic is to strengthen the following four faculties of the mind (called bhavas) through simple postures and breathing exercises: I. Purpose of life (dharma bhava) II. Detachment (vairagya bhava) III. Self-knowledge (jnana bhava) IV. Self-suffiency (aishvarya bhava) Similarly, in approaching life in a holistic way, ancient yoga defines the following four fundamental pillars and their respective daily practices for achieving integral health: I. Healthy diet (ahar) II. Healthy recreation (vihar) III. Healthy routines (achar) IV. Healthy thoughts (vichar) CONSCIOUS NOURISHMENT Food seems to inspire in us not only hunger or satisfaction, but much more: love, patriotism, forgiveness, devotion; probably up to depression, anger, loneliness, nostalgia. The relationship we have with food goes beyond simply satisfying hunger or nourishing the body. It creates connections, makes friends, favors romanticism, and makes the child trust his mother… It connects us to others, it connects us to Nature. When food strengthens the body and the Earth, it nourishes; when it pollutes, it depletes. What happens, then, when this principle also applies to our relationships through food? What happens when it separates us from the rest of the community? What when we lose the point and become extremists? Can the rigidity of thought lead us to true health? And to all this, what then is food? What is its meaning in our lives? What to eat, when to eat, how to eat? Where should food come from: from nature or from the factory? Why is food essential? What is its role in our connection with the Earth and our body? Who should we listen to when we are hungry: the body or the recommended nutrient table? – to calories or to official information? Are we made to have a relationship with food? Who should answer these questions: common sense, instinct, or the wisdom of the body? –or fear, information, or rumours? Let’s find the answers within us, each morning at sunrise, sitting next to the silent energy plunged into deep meditation. Let us learn, explore and understand our relationship with nature, silence and food, leading a healthy life that allows us to smile from the heart. Those of us who live here, as well as those who come to enjoy our meditation and yoga trainings and retreats, feed mostly with clean products grown at the farm, and prepared under totally vegan and gluten-free standards. This is how we make food a gift of love towards ourselves. III. RESERVATION DETAILS FOR THIS CAMP The camp will be conducted in English. To enrol, participants must fill an application form (available at Finca Elefante’s website), and will receive approval from us, by email or phone. Upcoming date: January 2021. Venue: Finca Elefante Atenas Costa Rica Timings: from 6:00AM to 7:00PM e/day. Course fees and payment options: – Residential: US$1,100 (from November 1–2020) – Early bird: US$970 (up to October 31–2020) – Non-Residential: US$850 – Two payments: US$600 each payment (first payment at anytime; second payment before December 10–2020) * All rates (except non-residential) include accommodation in a shared double room. * All rates include 4 daily meal times (gluten-free vegan menu) * Please note that payments are NOT refundable. Payment procedure: The spot is reserved via bank transfer when registration is opened. Doubts or additional information: FINCA ELEFANTE COSTA RICA (506) 8729 3102 +91 9999 189253 (WhatsApp) [email protected] IV. OUR BEAUTIFUL FARM IN ATENAS COSTA RICA MEDITATING WE SEND LOVE AND JOY TO ALL LIVING BEINGS THAT INHABIT THIS BEAUTIFUL PLANET .