Amrita Yoga Foundation (3 day retreat)

‘Bala Namaskarah’

“It was the most spiritual yoga class I’ve ever taken. I felt a greater sense of connectedness to the earth and Nature, and more present in my body.”
– Grace G.

Who Can Attend?

  • Ideal for new students to Amrita Yoga. Beginners will gain confidence and agility.
  • Experienced students also enjoy the holistic, in-depth foundation of Amrita Yoga.

Retreat Features

This retreat introduces Amrita Yoga as a holistic sadhana or spiritual practice. Emphasis is on traditional asana (postures) and breathing practice.

Asanas are taught step by step to provide a solid foundation to Amrita Yoga and serve as stepping stones to journey to subtle practices. Without mastering these essential fundamentals, asanas can become a practice of imitation rather than integration.

Focus

The focus is on creating a safe, nurturing and empowering experience of yoga sadhana. Amrita Yoga holistic practices are introduced: infusing asana and breathing practices with mantra, developing heart-centered awareness, and learning how to take the benefits of asana practice off the yoga mat and into your day.

Retreat Elements

  • 4 asana sessions
  • 2 meditation sessions
  • 1 talk
  • 1 question & answer session.

Handout Sequence

On completion of the retreat, participants will be familiar with ‘Bala Namaskarah’, a heart-centered foundation practice sequence.

Whoever has a heart can love, and everyone has a heart. To love is an innate tendency in human beings.
– Amma, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi

 

What Students Say

Yoga Sadhana Beginners Foundation

“I was very happy to participate in this retreat. I have tried many yoga classes in Europe and they were only a gymnastic style. Amrita Yoga has opened me to experience the real feeling of the deeper journey into my purpose. I feel a new connection with myself, with my heart and my body. Thank you to all and Amma.” – Anthony Irles

Yoga Sadhana Beginners Foundation

“Amrita Yoga has enabled me to spiritually understand myself. I believe that, without Amrita Yoga, I would not be able to understand myself better. The course was well-structured, and the approach was so kind. Thank you for providing me peace of mind and for getting to know myself better.”– Silvia

Yoga Sadhana Beginners Foundation

“Thank you so much for the whole retreat. I came to Amma’s ashram in Amritapuri because I was looking for a ‘serious’ place to do yoga in India. It was an old dream. I found it, plus much more. I found deep, profound love and caring. I felt Amma’s presence and love the whole time, during asanas and meditation. I also learned that yoga is not about ego. I knew it, but here, I learned it. Ego will be part of my practice still, but now I understand that it should not be the guide. Love of myself and of the universe gives me the privilege to do yoga within Amma’s light and shall be my only guide.” – Peter

Yoga Sadhana Beginners Foundation

“The compassionate way of teaching touches my soul. I felt as if Amma was speaking and teaching. This is on another level! It opens my heart and makes me cry. I feel humility, love and stillness.” – Niranjana Annie Marie Denil

Yoga Sadhana Beginners Foundation

“I have done yoga before but those classes I had attended were not with a spiritual emphasis. The focus here at Amrita Yoga helped me to stay connected to the heart, and this is very important for me, as I am too much in my head.” – Adele Preece

Yoga Sadhana Beginners Foundation

“I felt Amma’s presence very strongly. I loved the way her presence was evoked through the instructions during all the classes. A very gentle approach and pure atmosphere – it made my body melt and open effortlessly. My body was just flexible and so it became easy to learn the movements in just four days. The quality of the teacher’s journey was communicated and that really enhanced my practice. I am so happy that there is a style of yoga ‘Amrita Yoga’ here for us, which is taught with compassion. This would so help the west.” – Sarala

Yoga Sadhana Beginners Foundation

“I feel yoga students all over the world should RUN, not walk, to Amritapuri and enroll in a yoga class here. The yoga is taught with love and so everything flows seamlessly. I came out of a 4-Day beginner yoga class with a mostly healed ‘frozen’ shoulder and the feeling that I was embodying more love and truth and certainly a more flexible and relaxed body. This way of teaching is a terrific antidote to the mechanistic approach of many yoga classes in the West. May it spread like wildfire! Many, many blessings and many, many thanks.” – Premasudha Janet Hobbs

Yoga Sadhana Beginners Foundation

“The Amrita Yoga classes provide much more than Hatha Yoga classes typically found in western yoga studios. A whole new definition of yoga opened up for me with the very first class. I began to understand what the yoga sutras were teaching and that the postures are only one limb of the yoga experience. I am also beginning to get the connection between the scriptures such as the Bhagavad Gita and yoga as well. These classes started and have continued to crack open my heart, almost like magic, without my mind having to do anything. Many thanks to all the people, and especially Amma, who have made Amrita Yoga a reality here in Amritapuri, India.”– Dinesh Lent, U.S.

Yoga Sadhana Beginners Foundation

“I am very grateful for this wonderful opportunity. I didn’t know there was so much to it! So much depth! So much detail! It is an experience that cannot be expressed in words.” – Erik Klein

Yoga Sadhana Beginners Foundation

“Having attended Kundalini Yoga classes 20 years ago for some time, I practiced some Hatha yoga asanas for myself during the last years. Before traveling to India, I thought it would be a good idea to join a yoga classes at Amma’s ashram and learn yoga in an authentic way. I expected to learn some new asanas and combine them with mantras because that is what I knew about Amrita Yoga. But instead of just learning new asanas, I got a completely different experience. Starting from very subtle perception in asanas, I found myself diving into a deep spiritual experience for the whole 4 days. I felt my heart expanding from day-to-day, being deeply rooted and centered. Through Amrita Yoga, I got a little glimpse how far Hatha Yoga is able to lead you: every movement of the body as a prayer, as an expression of devotion to the divine, a subtle way to perform Bhakti. I am very grateful to the instructor, the assistants and, of course, to Amma for this initiation into a deeper understanding of what Yoga can be.” – Bert, Germany

Yoga Sadhana Beginners Foundation

“I highly recommend this introductory retreat, not only for beginners, but for yoga students of all levels. A firm foundation for anyone interested in further instructions or continued practice. Without getting too explicit or esoteric, the instructor explained the importance of certain things to keep in mind for the postures for safety reasons–things I had not necessarily learned in previous yoga classes taken in the USA. And I observed such kindness and compassion showed to the students in making the exercises manageable for beginners. The assistants also were very loving and helpful. I definitely want to continue learning and practicing Amrita Yoga and would love to do that here at Amritapuri, India, in such an environment infused with the divine presence of Amma.” – Kirsten Wood, U.S.

Yoga Sadhana Beginners Foundation

“Thank you so much for such an inspiring and awakening course. For me, the most important lesson was how to really bring love and devotion to Yoga and to every move and posture. The original goal was to find some new tools for my singing and especially for situations where I have some difficulty with singing. From the very first yoga class, I started to feel major improvements with my voice through breathing correctly, finding a whole new posture with my spine and feeling my inner body softening, class by class. It was amazing and an eye-opening retreat for me to see how Amrita Yoga effects not only my body, but indeed my voice as well. So, thank you once again for your love, peace and compassion during the whole retreat. I truly recommend this retreat to everyone.” – Deepti, Finland
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