Blog - Heart of the Village Yoga

Yoga Retreats

Autumn Goddess Yoga Retreat

with Jo Kirsch, Yoga Therapist and Teacher 8:30 to 2:30 P.M., Sunday, November 17, 2024 Fall is the perfect time to push the reset button. Just like the trees, you will let go of what no longer serves you and make room to nurture yourself. Join Jo Kirsch for a one day retreat for women only. Your day will be filled with a walk-in Equinox Preserve, meditation, yoga, a healing sound bath, Satsang (sacred gathering), Yoga Nidra and a delicious lunch. You will reconnect with yourself and ignite your deepest passions on this blissful getaway! Schedule (subject to change): 8:30 A.M. to 10:00 A.M.: Equinox Pond Walk & Meditation 10 A.M. to 11:30 A.M.: Yoga and Yin Sound Bath 11:30 A.M. to Noon: Lunch Noon to 1:30 P.M.: Storytelling, Mindfulness, Chanting & Intention 1:30 P.M to 2:15 P.M.: Yoga Nidra 2:15 to 2:30 P.M.: Closing Your investment: $120 including lunch 20%

August 4, 2024

Yoga Retreats

The Healing Power of Group Meditation – a small-group workshop for caregiving men

Join Bob Speck for a small-group workshop for caregiving men. This workshop will be an opportunity to explore the healing power of circle in the supportive company of other like-minded men, other men who are quietly enduring various challenges associated with friends, family, or other loved ones. The workshop will include: integrated practices of Humble Warrior Yoga (as developed by Bob) and the meditative practices of Yin Yoga; mindfulness-based outdoor hike; group healing-circle, intention-sharing, and reflective-listening practices. The group size will be limited to the first 8 registrants. Lunch will be provided. Fee: $120. Sunday, November 10, 2024: 8:00 am – 2:00 pm Schedule: 8:00 am: Introductions (Meet at HOTV Yoga Studio) followed by hike to Equinox Preserve 10:00 am: Humble Warrior Yoga practice at HOTV Yoga 11:30 am: Lunch in circle together 12:00 pm: Yin Yoga and Intention-Setting 1:00 pm: Healing Circle 2:00 pm: Reflections and Closure 2:30 pm:

July 9, 2024

Yoga Retreats

Yoga Retreat in Costa Rica

A Heart of the Village Yoga Retreat led by Bob Speck, E-RYT 500 and Jo Kirsch, E-RYT 500 It’s our fifth time returning to the Rip Jack Inn on Playa Grande! December 3-10, 2024 – Rip Jack Inn, Playa Grande, Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica Join us for a week of yoga and adventure in beautiful Costa Rica. Return to your natural state of balance, harmony and peace, while practicing yoga in this tranquil and rejuvenating setting. We’ll stay at the Rip Jack Inn, a Boutique Hotel located just 245 feet from the beach in Playa Grande, Costa Rica. Rip Jack Inn has a beautiful Yoga Shala, a world class restaurant with some of the best food in the country, swimming pools and more. Playa Grande is a National Park that protects the Leatherback Turtle with miles of pristine beaches along the Pacific Ocean. This is a wonderful opportunity to nurture

May 1, 2024

Meditation

Ganesh Mantra 108X

Listen here to recording of the Ganesha Mantra 108x: Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha “Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha” is a Sanskrit mantra that translates to “My salutations to Lord Ganesha”. It is a powerful prayer and mantra that is said to remove obstacles and evil, and provide mental clarity and success. Some say that chanting this mantra 108 times daily for 11 days can be beneficial. It is said to help people achieve peace, prosperity, spiritual enlightenment, material fulfillment, and strong social influence. Lord Ganesha is known as the remover of obstacles, and is said to take away pain and sorrow from people’s lives, and bless them with love and happiness. ©Jo Kirsch, 2024

October 6, 2024

Meditation

Gayatri Mantra

Here’s a recording of the Gayatri Mantra repeated 9x. The Gayatri Mantra is a sacred chant and prayer that has many meanings and interpretations: Unity in creation The Gayatri Mantra demonstrates the unity that exists behind the many forms of creation. Prayer for wisdom  The Gayatri Mantra is a prayer for enlightenment and wisdom that asks for divine light to illuminate the practitioner’s intellect. Meditation The Gayatri Mantra is a set of sounds used by meditators to achieve a higher state of consciousness. Spiritual awakening The Gayatri Mantra is believed to foster a sense of connection with the universe and higher self, and to lead to spiritual awakening. Removal of negativity  Chanting the Gayatri Mantra is believed to remove negativity, calm the mind, and reduce stress and anxiety. Purification Regular practice of the Gayatri Mantra is believed to purify the mind and spirit. Some translations of the Gayatri Mantra include: “We

October 6, 2024

Meditation

Yoga Nidra Sundays

with Jo Kirsch, Yoga Therapist and Teacher 15 years ago, I began teaching Yoga Nidra to Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan veterans struggling with PTSD. After one session, a veteran shared, “That’s the most pain-free I’ve been since the last time I had anesthesia.” Another said, “For the first time since I was in war, I fell asleep without medication.” Yoga Nidra, or “yogic sleep,” is a deeply restorative, guided meditation practice. It allows you to surf the space between wakefulness and sleep, bringing balance, healing, and awakening. As we rest in this state, we connect with our true, unified nature – expansive, deeply restful, and blissful. After a few minutes of gentle stretching, you’ll settle into stillness and be guided through a body scan, focused breathing, and visualization. In the words of Kamini Desai, PHD: “Yoga Nidra is the master key to initiating shifts in conscious sleep states where change

September 9, 2024

Yoga Workshop

Mandala Stone Painting Workshop

with Gabby Hayward 2 to 4 P.M., Sunday, September 22 and Sunday, November 10, 2024 $35 (Recurring $108 monthly members use code: Members20 for 20% off.) Click here to register. Come and enjoy a few hours of creativity and relaxation led by Gabby Hayward, an Artist, Art Therapist and World Traveler. Hosted at Heart of the Village Yoga, we will start with a meditation and snacks, and then you will be led into the creative process of mandala stone painting. We will listen to calming music, and end the workshop by admiring everyones work. By focusing on your creative flow, and leaning into the fun colorful process, you will be surprised by your end results. What’s included? Snacks, tea, calming music and atmosphere, a meditation, direction, time spent with amazing humans, and 2 finished mandala stones. All artistic levels are welcome to this class. We look forward to seeing you!

September 9, 2024

Heart of the Village Yoga

Yoga for Brain Longevity

with Barbara Lowes The mission of this class is to help prevent memory related diseases and help individuals live a high quality of life through yoga, reiki, and meditation. Each week we will study different parts of the Four Pillars of Brain Longevity and then practice slow flow yoga. This style of practice promotes peace and quiet in the mind and body, preparing you for meditation. Our practice will end each week with a mind body meditation called Kirtan Kriya, also known as brain aerobics. Space is limited. Bring a yoga mat. This class meets every Tuesday from 10:30 to 11:30 A.M. Visit our schedule and scroll to the class date and time to register. Barbara Lowes has been practicing yoga her entire adult life. She is a Yoga Alliance Certified Teacher E-RYT500, YACEP, specializing in Power Yoga, Slow Yoga, Restorative, Yin, and Chair. She is also a practicing Reiki Master

September 9, 2024

Yoga Blog