Last Chance

Thanksgiving Retreat: Walking True Love’s Path to Freedom

Name: Thanksgiving Retreat: Walking True Love’s Path to Freedom
Start: 2024-11-27
End: 2024-12-01
Location: Sivananda Yoga Farm
Rating: 4.68

4.6841 reviews

14651 Ballantree Lane Grass Valley, CA 95949 USA

November 27 - December 1, 2024

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Swami

Anandamayi

Swamini

Acharya

Prabhu

Swami Dharmananda

Swami Dharmananda is assistant director of the Yoga Farm and is in charge of the Karma Yoga program. He is a faculty of the Sivananda Institute of Health (SIHY) and is one of the main teachers of Yoga Philosophy and Meditation at the Ashram. He took sannyas vows in 2013 and is keenly interested in yoga psychology and philosophy, presenting the classical teaching in a practical and accessible way to people of all faiths and backgrounds.

Swami Adi Parashaktiananda

Swami Adi Parashaktiananda is a dedicated Sadhak and an experienced international Sivananda Hatha Yoga teacher and trainer in international TTC in USA, Vietnam , Japan and China for more than twelve years. He mainly serves as assistant to Acharya Swami Sitaramananda at the Sivananda Ashram yoga Farm in Grass Valley California and at the Sivananda Ashram in Vietnam. He took the first monastic vow from Sivananda lineage in 2011 and became a sannyasin in 2017. He teaches a 7-day Hatha Yoga Sadhana course and the 14-day Sivananda Sadhana Intensive course, whose emphasis is on individual sadhana. His teaching is classical and brought peace and clarity to many.

Swami Sivasankariananda

Swami Sivasankariananda is director of the Los Angeles Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center. She completed her TTC at the Yoga Farm in 1997 and ATTC there in 2008. Swamiji has been on yatra in north and south India and Mount Kailas. She loves to teach and is particularly fond of the Bhakti Yoga practices. She took sannyas in 2017 and is a certified yoga therapist, specializing in chronic pain care. She is on the faculty of the Sivananda Institute of Health & Yoga (SIHY). She served as director of the San Francisco Center from 2015 to 2019.

Anandamayi Chaitanya

Anandamayi Chaitanya hails from Japan and completed the TTC at the Yoga Farm in 2014 and ATTC in 2015. She graduated the Sivananda Yoga Health Educator Training (SYHET) program in 2019 and is a certified yoga therapist, specializing in Stress Relief techniques and Adapted Yoga practices to meet the needs of her students. She is a skilled Hatha Yoga teacher to beginners up to advanced level practitioners. She has a love for Bhakti Yoga and leads regular kirtan sessions at the Ashram.

Swamini Svatmavidyananda

Sri Swamini Svatmavidyananda Saraswati, a longtime disciple of Paramapujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati of India, is an accomplished scholar of Vedanta. For several years, she has led an active satsang community in the United States, serving as the Spiritual Director of Swami Dayananda’s USA center: Arsha Vijnana Gurukulam based in Washington, D.C., and Oregon. More information can be found on http://www.arshavm.org/ and her classes can be accessed on her youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/user/Svatmavidyananda

Acharya Mangalananda

Magalananda began his spiritual life in 1972 under the guidance of Swami Satchidananda, a direct disciple of Swami Sivananda. After an inner experience with Anandamayi Ma, the great woman Saint mentioned in Yogananda’s “Autobiography of a Yogi”, with Sw. Satchidananda’s permission, he went to India to find her. He travelled with her in India during 1973 and ’74, receiving mantra Initiation from her. He has been since living within her Lineage with some of her great disciples in ashrams in the US and India. In 2001, he was sent back to India by Ma’s main Swami, Sw. Bhaskarananda to help start a school in one of her ashrams. He lived in Central India for twelve years, teaching in this school and also traveling within India extensively.

From 2007 to 2013, the Ashram sent him yearly to Europe and the US to present kirtan concerts and classes. In 2013, he returned to the US and lives in the San Francisco area, where he presents programs and hosts an online worldwide Matri Satsang group. He is an appointed Acharya (Lineage Teacher) of Ma Sharanam Ashram in India. He is the author of the book “A Goddess Among Us” which has been translated and published into five different languages. He is on the Board of Directors of the Shri Anandamayi Ma Ashram and Temple in Massachusetts and is a guest speaker and musician at Satchidananda Ashram/Yogaville, as well as at Sivananda Yoga Farm and Sivananda Bahama

Prabhu Nam Kaur

Prabhu Nam Kaur is the respected Matriarch of the American Sikh community in the Bay Area and for years has run the Hargobind Ashram and Gurdwara in San Leandro. She’s a devoted practitioner and teacher since the 1970’s. She is the mother of the famous Sikh touring musician, Snatam Kaur, with whom she has recorded several albums. She’s a gentle, humble woman, who meditates on the Sikh Shabads from the Guru Granth Sahib.

Details of this retreat

Description
“That which elevates one is Dharma. Dharma is that which leads you to the path of perfection and glory. Dharma is that which helps you to have direct communion with the Lord. Dharma is that which makes you Divine. Dharma is the ascending stairway unto God.” -- Swami Sivananda

You are invited to this special Thanksgiving program featuring special guest teachers who have dedicated their lives to the spiritual path, ready to share their spiritual knowledge gleaned from years of practice to help us understand these turbulent times where conflict seems ever-present and peace out of reach.

We look to the wisdom of the classical Yoga teachings to remove any question about what is the nature of Truth in these often confusing times. Practical teachings will address what is true leadership on the spiritual path; What is the meaning of personal choice? What is dharma?; What is true freedom? What is the nature of Optimism, hope, and faith?
Daily Schedule
Wednesday, November 27
2pm Arrival
4-6pm Open Yoga Class
6pm Dinner
7-8pm Free Time
8-9:30pm Satsang: Welcome Message: Optimism, Hope and Faith

Thursday, November 28
6-7:30am Satsang: Freedom and Self-Discipline
8-10am Open Yoga Class
10am Brunch
11am Karma Yoga
1-3pm Workshop: Prabhu Nam Kaur: Living Truth and Peace
3-5pm Open Yoga Class
5pm Vegetarian Thanksgiving Feast
8-9:30pm Satsang: Acharya Mangalananda Kirtan Concert

Friday, November 29
6-7:30am Satsang: Leadership with Swami Sitaramananda
8-10am Open Yoga Class
10am Brunch
11am Karma Yoga
12-1:30pm Workshop: Dharma & Duty with Sw Svatmavidyananda
2-3:30pm Workshop: Mantra & Devotion with Acharya Mangalananda
4-6pm Open Yoga Class
6pm Dinner
8-9:30pm Satsang: Prabhu Nam Kaur Kirtan Concert

Saturday, November 30
6-7:30am Satsang: Community, Self and Others
8-10am Open Yoga Class
10am Brunch
11am Karma Yoga
12-1:30pm Workshop: Yogic Ethics and Guidelines
2-3:30pm Workshop: Character According to Sri Krishna
4-6pm Open Yoga Class
6pm Dinner
8-9:30pm Moksha & Duality According to the Upanishads with Sw Svatmavidyananda

Sunday, December 1
6-7:30am Satsang: Emotional Maturity & Relationships with Sw Svatmavidyananda
8-10am Open Yoga Class
10am Brunch
4-6pm Open Yoga Class
6pm Dinner
Pre-requisite
There are no prerequisites other than a sincere desire to learn classical yoga.
COURSE MATERIAL

Getting Here

Sivananda Yoga Farm, 14651 Ballantree Lane Grass Valley, CA 95949 USA

Accommodation

Tent - Bring Your Own

Guests may bring their own tent and gear and camp on the land. Sleep closer to nature in the fresh, open air. There are deck platforms designated for tenting. If you want more than one tent, book with us multiple times!

Om Cabin - Double

The double is a shared room, and the cost is per person. If you are not booking with a friend or family member, a roommate will be assigned. Pleasant and simple lodging, our Om Cabins are the original tent cabins that were built about 20 years ago. They are placed in a peaceful and tranquil setting, on a gentle hillside overlooking the pond and surrounded by the natural beauty of the Ashram. Each cabin is named for a different virtue, such as happiness or contentment. Each cabin is furnished with a dresser, desk, night stand, ceiling fan and propane heater. Om Cabin guests share a nearby bathhouse. Wifi internet is available.

Om Cabin - Private

Book your own private Om cabin. Pleasant and simple lodging, our Om Cabins are the original tent cabins that were built about 20 years ago. They are placed in a peaceful and tranquil setting, on a gentle hillside overlooking the pond and surrounded by the natural beauty of the Ashram. Each cabin is named for a different virtue, such as happiness or contentment. Each cabin is furnished with a dresser, desk, night stand, ceiling fan and propane heater. Om Cabin guests share a nearby bathhouse. Wifi internet is available.

Siva Cabin - Double

The double is a shared room, and the cost is per person. If you are not booking with a friend or family member, a roommate will be assigned. Our Siva & Krishna Cabins are newly built and are placed in a peaceful, tranquil setting, at the base of Siva hill on a gentle hillside overlooking the pond and surrounded by the natural beauty of the Ashram. They feature an outdoor porch, bamboo wood flooring, ceiling fan, and are built with high grade materials and furnished with a side table, dresser and propane heater. Includes a private bathroom and shower. Wifi is available.

Krishna Cabin, Double

The double is a shared room, and the cost is per person. If you are not booking with a friend or family member, a roommate will be assigned. Our Krishna Cabins are newly built and are placed in a peaceful, tranquil setting, at the base of Siva hill on a gentle hillside overlooking the pond and surrounded by the natural beauty of the Ashram. They feature an outdoor porch, bamboo wood flooring, ceiling fan, and are built with high grade materials and furnished with a side table, dresser and propane heater. Includes a private bathroom and shower. Wifi is available.

Siva Cabin - Private

Our Siva Cabins are newly built and are placed in a peaceful, tranquil setting, at the base of Siva hill on a gentle hillside overlooking the pond and surrounded by the natural beauty of the Ashram. They feature an outdoor porch, bamboo wood flooring, ceiling fan, and are built with high grade materials and furnished with a side table, dresser and propane heater. Includes a private bathroom and shower. Wifi is available.

Deluxe Shanti Cabin - Shared

The double is a shared room, and the cost is per person. If you are not booking with a friend or family member, a roommate will be assigned. Pleasant, deluxe, lodging, our Shanti Cabins are placed in a peaceful, tranquil setting, on a gentle hillside overlooking the pond and are surrounded by the natural beauty of the Ashram. Includes private bathroom with shower, air conditioner, propane heater, ceiling fan, and attic space. Furnishings include a desk, table, chairs, dresser, wardrobe and a sitting area. A small refrigerator, dishes and cutlery are provided. Wifi is available.

Deluxe Shanti Cabin - Private

Pleasant, deluxe, lodging, our Shanti Cabins are placed in a peaceful, tranquil setting, on a gentle hillside overlooking the pond and are surrounded by the natural beauty of the Ashram. Includes private bathroom with shower, air conditioner, propane heater, ceiling fan, and attic space. Furnishings include a desk, table, chairs, dresser, wardrobe and a sitting area. A small refrigerator, dishes and cutlery are provided. Wifi is available.

Customer Reviews

4.68 out of 5.0 average rating

Sivapathasunderam • Dec 25, 2023

5.0

Verified

Will return

Was apprehensive of going because of my health conditions and reserved only for two nights. Regret that very much as I wished I stayed longer. The staff are very understanding, attentive to your needs and kind. I feel much better even with only two days. Thank you for the gita lessons, the satsang and even Karma yoga. I feel blessed.

Anonymous • May 30, 2023

5.0

Verified

Memorial day weekend workshop

Swami Adi, was really helpful to give a broad overview of the center and also cover interesting topics.

Anonymous • May 30, 2023

3.0

Verified

Memroiall day weekend.

Disorganized. No schedule ahead of time. Everything is decided a day bofore or on the spot.

Athea • Mar 15, 2021

5.0

Verified

Swami Sivasankariananda

Swami Sivasankariananda has a glint of light in her eyes and and is a bungle of enthusiasm and joy.
Deeply appreciate the Sivananda LA morning Satsang. It is a wonderful online offering as is the Sivananda LA Pranayama Challenge via Instagram. Am very impressed with the program calendar at the LA center to help those of us in need of emotional processing and/or in need of work with our physical limitations before getting onto our deepest yoga practice and spiritual development.
Thank you!

Athea • Mar 15, 2021

5.0

Verified

Sivananda Yoga Farm

It's 2021 now, but 2007 was my first introduction to the Sivananda Yoga Farm where my heart and soul were touched immediately. Thereafter attended many workshops, conferences and graduated from TTC in 2009. These experiences changed my philosophy and attitude to one of service especially for the disabled, elderly, and my mother, over a profession.

My mother passed a few years ago but am so thankful we spent quality years together prior. I thank Sivananda Yoga Farm and Swami Sita for this. Her influence and the Sivananda teachings made a tremendous difference in my life and in my mother's end. My Mom said to me "the biggest change in you is your belief in God, and I never thought about the time before Jesus".

We shared such Peace. OmOmOm!

Thanksgiving Retreat: Walking True Love’s Path to Freedom

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Swami Dharmananda

Swami Adi Parashaktiananda

Swami Sivasankariananda

Anandamayi Chaitanya

Swamini Svatmavidyananda

Acharya Mangalananda

Prabhu Nam Kaur

Details of this retreat

Getting Here