Finding a creative point of entry to a spiritual text like the Yoga Sūtras is one way to develop and nurture this kind of personal relationship with the text and, thereby, with spiritual practice. Join Melissa Townsend, artist, writer, and Sanskrit teacher for an afternoon of creative exploration.
to Register, first purchase one of the pricing options and then reserve your spot in the Workshop via the Schedule page.
About the Event
$60 in advance, $65 at the door
1:30-4:00pm PST
Sunday, May 15th
Love Story Valencia
Developing a Personal Relationship with the Yoga Sūtras
It is said that you don’t work with the Yoga Sūtras. They work on you.
Through exploration of a creative point of entry to a spiritual text like the Yoga Sūtras of Patanjali, a personal relationship can be developed and nurtured. The goal of this workshop is to enrich life experience by allowing for the teaching to operate on an intuitive level. This "opening" can be accomplished by deeply engaging with just a few selected aphorisms.
Using traditional methods (chanting the Sanskrit and looking at translations) as well as working in non-predetermined ways (drawing and writing as it fits the inclination), the transformative potential can be found. A profound understanding dawns that we are so much more than we thought we were: Tadā draṣhṭuḥ sva-rūpe ‘vasthānam!
No particular knowledge of the Yoga Sutras or of Sanskrit (or of Art, for that matter!) is needed. The point is to build your own intuitive connection to the material.
In this workshop, you can expect to discuss some key sutras, chant, practice intuitive movement and be guided in artistic expression of the sutras using your own pen and paper (words, pictures, colors etc) Please bring paper, pen, colored pencils, crayons, markers etc- as we explore unique ways to work with the sutras- NO artistic skill required:)
Bio:
Melissa Townsend is an artist, writer, Sanskrit teacher, and internationally known psychic and astrologer. A Yoga practitioner since 1984, she teaches Yoga Philosophy and has translated, painted and authored The Yoga Sūtras of Patanjali: A Visual Meditation. Book One, Samādhi Pādaḥ and Book Two, Sādhana Pādaḥ. The books have been featured in Namarupa Magazine, Yoga Journal, and on Yogaland podcast. Melissa's artwork and poems have been shown in venues such as The Whitney Museum, The Drawing Center, and The Knitting Factory. She has been featured in the New York Times among other magazines and periodicals. Melissa graduated from Brown University, Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude. Visit her website for more information.