Ponderosa has activites through the summer, dance workshops, parties, children running around, people relaxing, people building. There is enough country to have a solitary walk. There Is enough space to meditate. We integrate spiritual practices within an artful and colorful context.
Vegetarian meals will be prepared, using as many ingredients as possible from the Ponderosa gardens. Each person will get a private yogic coaching session during the week, so you’ll go away with a recommended home meditation practice designed personally for your needs.
The retreat weeks offered at Ponderosa will surely give you the opportunity to delve into the teachings of Kundalini yoga and meditation which are designed to give you an experience of your deepest nature.
There are daily/weekly classes
What’s up with the Kundalini Yoga?
There is something completely supportive about the Kundalini yoga practice with pOnderosa’s / P.O.R.C.H. improvisational practices and training program. There are many yoga techniques as we all know. What we like at pOnderosa is that a Kundalini yoga class or meditation can be so many different things. The music can be awful and ridiculous, the kriyas can be filled with bouncing, shaking, fake smiles, technical mudras, heavy duty leg lifts and sometimes the good old sun salutation. Chanting mantras to escape fear, poverty or imbalances can challenge the belief system and ego like no tomorrow. Is there a sense to holding up one’s arms in a so-called static position for 11 minutes? And what sense is a strange 2 minute pose here, a 5 minute repetitive movement there? Who knows, only the individual can make this choice. The durational mind IS tested and we understand stillness and holding the space. What we really like is that these classes seem improvisation-ally structured but they are not! The kriyas are hundreds of years old and are taught as they were preserved to be.
The imaginative forces it provokes can get you through a very strenuous class. Improvisation is a spiritual practice for many. Prayer can be many things. To be present in time and space, to be aware of the energetic forces in the body and how we can inhabit the surroundings can also be a sense of prayer.
Having a spiritual name Is possible for every one and it is like having a second stage name. The teachings of Yogi Bhajan also encourage new teachers to get right out there and start teaching as opposed to the ancient idea of following a master for 100 years before becoming guru like and teaching class.
This taps into P.O.R.C.H.’s similar focus to breaking some of the pedagogic teachings around dance teaching and the hierarchies around master / teacher / student dynamics. We encourage young artists to share their work, their practices and teach sooner than later in their careers!
And last but not least, reality can be boring. We are all in it and we all do it. Do not be afraid of the esoteric, bizarre or totally out-there journey. At pOnderosa / P.O.R.C.H. we will surely bring your feet back to the earth before you head home.