A Yoga Class Focused on Ahimsa
in Honor of Martin Luther King Jr.
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr., please join Mount Madonna faculty members Anand Darsie and Bhavani Siegel for a special class focused on one of the most important principles of Yoga: ahimsa (nonviolence). Accompanied by live music and chanting, you will be invited to go deeper into skillful placement of breath and concentration as you move through classical yoga postures. Experience a moving meditation based on inspirational words about peace from Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, Baba Hari Dass, and ancient scriptures. Practice embodying the spirit of nonviolence on the yoga mat with the aim of bettering our community and world.
The day’s program will also include:
- A guided tour of the Mount Madonna campus (weather permitting)
- Lunch & dinner in the shared community dining hall
- Personal time
- Option to stay for arati (ritual of light) after dinner at the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple
- Option to book a wellness treatment at Kaya Kalpa Wellness Center (fees additional, advance reservations recommended)
Fifty percent of all proceeds from this Mountain Experience day will be donated to the Resource Center for Nonviolence whose mission is to “join together to develop the powerful combination of nonviolence and antiracism as a means for personal and social change, to create a more just, equitable, joyful, and sustainable world.”
Please note: yoga classes are appropriate for ages 13 years and older. Please plan for a separate activity for children under age 13.
Sample Schedule
| Monday, January 20 | |
| 10:00 am | Arrival & Check-in | 10:00 - 11:30 am | Personal Time | 11:30 am - 12:30 pm | Guided walk/tour | 12:30 - 1:30 pm | Lunch | 1:30 - 3:30 pm | Personal Time | 3:30 - 5:00 pm | Yoga class | 5:15 - 6:15 pm | Dinner | 6:00 pm | Arati | 7:00 pm | Program Concludes |
Presenters
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Anand Brian DarsieBA (Music), E-RYT 500, RCYTUniting his passions for music, yoga, spirituality, community, and worship, Anand brings a unique perspective to his practice and teaching. He is a resident at Mount Madonna and a lead organizer of Mount Madonna’s yoga retreats and Yoga Teacher Trainings. Anand seeks to promote body intelligence through asana, pranayama, and meditation. Enthusiastic, encouraging, creative, and compassionate, Anand inspires students of all ages through ancient methods delivered with contemporary scientific understanding and a playful, dynamic spirit.
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Bhavani SiegelECEBhavani was introduced to yoga in childhood, practicing asana and yogic breathing with her family. She met Baba Hari Dass in 1974; after becoming his disciple, she began formal study and sadhana practice. She then went on to begin teaching yoga in 1975.
A senior Yoga faculty member and a founding member of Mount Madonna, where she lives, Bhavani teaches many aspects of Yoga, including meditation, pranayama and yoga philosophy.
Among these, her specialties are:
– Foundational values in Yoga philosophy: Yama & Niyama
– Mantra Yoga: Sanskrit as Sacred Sound
– Ritual and Symbolism in the Path of YogaBhavani also leads Yogic rituals (Puja & Yajna) at Mount Madonna’s Sankaṭ Mochan Hanuman Temple. She also incorporated yoga for children as a school teacher for 20 years.
Considering the teachings of conscious communication an important aspect of the Yogic principle of non-harming, Bhavani integrated this study as facilitator/coordinator of Mount Madonna’s Yoga, Service and Community residential programs for over 20 years.
In Yoga teacher trainings, Yoga retreats, community programs, and seminars, Bhavani has continued her journey, guided by her revered teacher’s injunction to “teach to learn,” at Mount Madonna and at our sister community, Salt Spring Centre of Yoga.
Bhavani loves chanting and ritual, mystic poetry, and the solace of nature.
