A Weekend in Community | Fall
Making Space for the Creative Spirit
Join us for all or part of a Weekend in Community November 20 – 22, with opportunities to explore your creativity through stories, songs, art, and writing. Alongside yoga classes, shared meals, and time on the mountain, these gatherings invite you to slow down, find inspiration, and enjoy the company of others. No prior artistic or writing experience is needed — just curiosity and a willingness to explore.
Arrive on Friday afternoon for yoga asana (postures), dinner, arati (ritual of light), and a relaxed evening of stories, songs, and s’mores around a fire. On Saturday, enjoy two yoga classes, a guided campus tour to Sunset Ridge, and a mandala (a geometric representation of creation and the sacred path to peace) workshop, offering time to experiment with color, pattern, and design. Stay through Sunday midday for yoga practice, breakfast, and a creative writing workshop inspired by stillness and the natural world, followed by lunch.
CAMPFIRE STORIES & SONGS
Gather around the fire with Mount Madonna residents for a casual, family-friendly evening of stories, songs, and connection. Hosted by Bob Caplan and Jen Rand, this gathering invites us to share matters of the heart, honor the elements, and enjoy the warmth of community.
Listen to prepared offerings, share a story or song of your own as time allows, and enjoy s’mores during the break. The evening will close with gratitude and a song together. Bring cozy layers and settle in for an evening under the November sky.
A GUIDED CAMPUS TOUR TO SUNSET RIDGE
Step away from the pace of daily life and walk the land with us. This guided tour winds through the campus and out to Sunset Ridge, where the views open across the Monterey Bay. Move slowly, breathe deeply, and get to know the 380 acres that hold this community.
SACRED GEOMETRY: A MANDALA WORKSHOP
Explore the art of mandala creation with local artist Renana in this two-hour workshop, open to anyone interested in creating — no previous experience required. Guided step by step, you will be invited to use acrylic pens to design and paint a personal mandala while experimenting with color, shapes, and creative expression.
The workshop offers a calm and inspiring atmosphere that encourages relaxation, focus, and mindfulness through art. At the end of the session, you will leave with a completed mandala artwork to bring home and display.
CREATIVE FLOW: AN EXPLORATION IN YOGA
Join Pushpa Danielle Barr for a yoga practice of movement, breath, curiosity, listening, and allowing ourselves to be surprised by what emerges. Rather than approaching creativity as something we need to produce, we will explore what can emerge when we become quiet enough to listen, curious enough to move beyond our habitual patterns, and spacious enough to allow something new to arise.
The class will begin with a centering meditation and pranayama, inviting students into presence and receptivity. From there, we will move into a playful, creative yoga flow that combines familiar postures in less familiar pathways, exploring circular movement, transitions, choice, and moments of intuitive movement within the structure of the practice. We will then gradually soften toward grounding postures, savasana (corpse pose), and a closing meditation invoking creativity and inner listening.
WRITING FROM STILLNESS
Let the mountain vista inspire what lies ahead in possibility.
David Whyte tells us, “Poetry is language against which you have no defenses.” Join us as we allow our accumulated armor to slip away.
Return to your love of language and the simple joy of putting pen to paper with Sarojani Rohan. Immersed in the beauty of a mountaintop redwood forest overlooking the Monterey Bay, take time to reflect on your connection to the natural world and make room for your own creative process.
Beginning with a brief listening meditation, Sarojani will offer several writing prompts to help you settle into writing and explore what arises. There will be time for optional sharing after the writing session.
Bring a notebook and pens or pencils. If you prefer to write on an electronic device, please make sure it is fully charged.
Arrive as you are, and stay for the unfolding.
To participate:
- Book a Flexible Stay for Friday, November 20 through Sunday, November 22, with the option to come for part of the weekend or extend your stay before or after the weekend program. Enjoy special offerings including campfire stories and songs, a mandala workshop, creative writing, a guided campus tour, and scheduled yoga classes. Your stay also includes shared meals, morning and evening arati, and access to the facilities and miles of hiking and walking trails.
Cost: Based on lodging selection and number of nights
- Register for a Mountain Experience on Saturday, November 21. Check in at 10:00 a.m., depart at 7:00 p.m.; includes brunch and dinner, a guided campus tour to Sunset Ridge, Sacred Geometry: A Mandala Workshop, an all-levels yoga class, evening arati, and personal time to enjoy the facilities and miles of hiking and walking trails.
Cost: $105 for adults and children 13+; $50 for children 5 – 12 years old; free for children 4 years & under
WEEKEND YOGA CLASSES
Please note that all yoga classes are appropriate for young adults ages 13+.
Babaji’s Asana Series | Friday, November 20, 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Join Shantam Galuten for a yoga asana class inspired by the teachings of Baba Hari Dass. This class reflects the way Babaji led asana in the early days, based on a sequence he once described as “a good daily routine.” Movements are slow and controlled, with concentration on mind, body, and breath, and a brief resting pose after every few postures. Beginners will appreciate the clear, simple methods, while experienced students are invited to extend the breath and experiment with retention.
Classical Ashtanga Yoga | Saturday, November 21, 7:30 – 9:45 a.m.
An all-levels class offering breathing practices, meditation, and movement methods to quiet the mind and develop concentration. The practice includes one hour of pranayama (breathing techniques) and meditation, followed by a brief break and then 70 minutes of asana. Taught by rotating teachers trained in Classical Ashtanga Yoga (eight-limbed path) in the lineage of Baba Hari Dass.
Creative Flow: An Exploration in Yoga | Saturday, November 21, 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Join Pushpa Danielle Barr for a special yoga offering, including an opening and closing meditation, pranayama, a creative yoga flow, grounding postures, and savasana. See above for details.
All-Levels Yoga | Sunday, November 22, 7:00 – 8:30 a.m.
Begin your day with an integrated practice designed to cultivate clarity, steadiness, and ease. This 90-minute class, led by SunRay Bates, opens with 45 minutes of pranayama and meditation; the second half transitions into an asana practice. Class concludes with a restful savasana (corpse pose) accompanied by soothing sounds and mantra (sacred chanting), offering a gentle opportunity to absorb the practice and carry a sense of peace into the day.
Additional offerings on the mountain include:
- Personal time to relax in community spaces, including Anjaneya’s World Cafe and Oceanview Books & Gifts, and explore the 380 acres of hiking trails, walking paths, and indoor amenities
- Option to visit the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple
- Option to book a wellness treatment at Kaya Kalpa Wellness Center (additional fees apply, advance reservations recommended)
Schedule for Weekend in Community
| Friday, November 20 | |
| 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. | Flexible Stay Arrival & Check-in |
| 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. | Babaji’s Asana Series |
| 5:15 - 6:15 p.m. | Dinner |
| 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. | Evening arati |
| 7:15 - 8:30 p.m. | Campfire Stories & Songs |
| Saturday, November 21 | |
| 6:30 - 7:30 a.m. | Arati |
| 7:30 - 9:45 a.m. | Classical Ashtanga Yoga |
| 10:00 a.m. | Mountain Experience arrival & check-in |
| 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. | Brunch |
| 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Guided campus tour (weather permitting) |
| 12:30 - 1:00 p.m. | Personal time |
| 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. | Sacred Geometry: A Mandala Workshop |
| 3:00 - 3:30 p.m. | Personal time |
| 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. | Creative Flow: An Exploration in Yoga |
| 5:15 - 6:15 p.m. | Dinner |
| 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. | Arati |
| 7:00 p.m. | Mountain Experience program concludes |
| Sunday, November 22 | |
| 6:30 - 7:30 a.m. | Arati |
| 7:00 - 8:30 a.m. | All-Levels Yoga |
| 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. | Breakfast |
| 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. | Personal time |
| 10:00 a.m. | Check out of accommodations |
| 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | Writing from Stillness |
| 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. | Lunch |
| 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. | Personal time |
| 3:00 p.m. | Flexible Stay Program concludes |
Please note: Saturday overnight guests are welcome to stay for lunch on Sunday; however, dinner is not included.
Schedule subject to change. Registrants will be notified.
Presenters
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Bob CaplanBS, BABob joined the Mount Madonna community in 2006 as a resident and member of the Mount Madonna School faculty. He later served the school as Dean of Students. After retiring from that position in 2022, he turned his energy and passion toward the resident and staff community as a member of the Community Well-being team.
Bob holds a BS in Product Design, BA in Liberal Arts, and has his K – 12 Teaching Certification.
Bob’s lifelong commitment to service and his love of making and sharing music have found a home sweet home at Mount Madonna!
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Jen RandMA, AYT, RYT 500Jen has been involved in many facets of Mount Madonna since 2009, when she joined the community as a middle and elementary school teacher. A lifelong learner, she completed her 200-, 300-, and 500-hour trainings in Classical Ashtanga Yoga (eight-limbed path) at Mount Madonna, earned her MA in Ayurveda in 2021, and completed her Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy certification while serving as assistant to the president at Mount Madonna Institute.
She is experienced in teaching students of all ages both in-person and online and works with students in Ayurveda and Yoga trainings. Her yoga practice is deeply influenced by her studies of Ayurveda, which allow her to offer options and modifications to help students tailor their practice to what they need.
Jen’s background in teaching, administration, and individual consultation also informs her role as Mount Madonna’s Community Well-Being Director. She aims to maintain a balanced view as she oversees and cultivates group events for staff and residents, while attuning to the individual supports essential to community well-being.
In addition to practicing yoga, she enjoys gardening, cooking, hiking, and hanging out with her pets.
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Pushpa Danielle BarrE-RYT 500, RPYTWith over 30 years of dedicated practice and continuous evolution, Pushpa is a seasoned E-RYT 500 and RPYT (prenatal) yoga and meditation teacher who blends ancient wisdom with joyful spontaneity. Her classes are grounded in breath and presence, offering a sanctuary where students reconnect with their bodies and hearts. Pushpa’s approach is playful yet purposeful, guided by the power of observation, meeting each student where they are and guiding practitioners to slow down and embrace the present moment. Her classes are all-level and she welcomes all who are curious about the effects of yoga.
Beyond the mat, Pushpa is an AMI-certified Montessori educator who taught for 11 years with children ages 3 to 15. She has offered many children’s yoga, family yoga, prenatal yoga, and Mama & Me classes, along with adult, partner, and chair yoga classes that nurture connection, nervous system regulation, and joyful embodiment. Her work with pregnant people is especially heart-centered, supporting students through the profound physical and spiritual threshold of pregnancy with steadiness, breath, and community.
Pushpa is also a devoted mother and an herbalist deeply attuned to nature’s rhythms. She leads transformative workshops, retreats, kirtans, and women’s circles designed to awaken the soul’s purpose and cultivate a life of gratitude and presence.
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RenanaRenana is a mandala artist, graphic designer, and installation artist creating immersive visual experiences that blend art, nature, and inner exploration. She studied animation at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, where she developed a strong foundation in painting, design, and animation techniques while building a visual language of her own.
Her work includes large-scale painted mandalas, intricate sand mandalas, and psychedelic UV-reactive installations made with natural materials. She is drawn to pattern, symbolism, and creating art that transforms spaces while inspiring wonder, reflection, and connection.
Teaching mandala painting workshops has become one of her greatest passions. She loves showing people that anyone can learn the technique and create beautiful mandalas, regardless of experience. For Renana, mandala creation is a meditative practice that helps quiet the mind, connect with the subconscious, deepen self-awareness, and create a sense of peace through art.
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Sarojani RohanPoet, musician, and artist Sarojani Rohan delights in creatively engaging with the muse.
An active member of the Mount Madonna community, she has led interfaith, multiculturally focused choirs and writing groups. Currently, she works in Mount Madonna’s Oceanview Books & Gifts store, facilitates writing groups, and contributes art and poetry for publication both within and outside the community.
Her work has been published in the Porter Gulch Review, Monterey Bay Poetry Review, phren-Z literary magazine, Workers Write literary magazines, and the poetry anthologies Landscape of Soul and Story, Sisters Singing, Sacred Stone, Sacred Water, and Second Wind: Poems of Resilience and Hope, published in 2020.
A vegan and student of Surat Shabd Yoga, Sarojani lives with her husband among the redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
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Shantam GalutenShantam has been teaching yoga for more than 25 years, offering instruction in asana (postures), pranayama (breathing techniques), and meditation. A lifelong member of the Mount Madonna community, he received the name “Shantam” from Babaji at age seven. His father first met Babaji at the Homestead retreat in 1974, and Shantam grew up visiting Mount Madonna many times—camping, playing, and even spending an extended period here with his family while his father taught music to the children.
Today, Shantam serves as a pujari (officiant) at the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple. A multi-instrumentalist, he supports and leads kirtan (devotional singing) and occasionally performs piano in jazz ensembles around the world. Having completed Yoga Teacher Training at Mount Madonna and elsewhere, he now teaches in Mount Madonna’s YTT programs, continuing the tradition that shaped his own practice from an early age.
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SunRay BatesWith over a decade of dedicated yoga practice, SunRay offers a grounded and heart-centered approach that weaves together breath, meditation, mindful movement, and devotion. She is honored to teach at Mount Madonna after completing her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training here in June 2025.
Drawing on a background in dance and psychology, SunRay creates classes that honor both the intelligence of the body and the inner landscape of the mind. Her greatest inspiration comes from the devotional traditions of yoga, like kirtan, and she strives to cultivate a space where students can reconnect with themselves through presence, breath, and sincere practice.
