kripalu – Time & Space Consulting

Published April 2, 2017 by ifc

Seva & Me

There are many ways to practice yoga. Seva, is one.

In 1997 I became a volunteer at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Lenox, MA. I was offered room & board in return for my service. Mostly, I worked as a Faculty Assistant. Other times I was on the production team for the larger weekend conferences. Eventually, I became attached to the Inner Quest Intensive (IQI), Kripalu’s signature self-discovery program. For 10+ years I led the Kripalu hatha yoga practice and served as a Facilitator with this life-changing program.

Then in 2008 Kripalu’s governing body decided that faculty volunteers like myself were no longer needed and they began to remove us from the program rooms. It was a significant change for those who remember, and my time at Kripalu was greatly reduced. The few of us who were attached to specific master teachers/programs were allowed to continue and I was grateful. The IQI was offered three times a year and that would have to be enough seva at Kripalu.

In 2015, Kripalu cancelled the IQI and soon thereafter cancelled all other remaining volunteer opportunities. This decision signaled a significant course correction for Kripalu Center.

Aside from the yoga experience, knowledge, practice and karma points I gained over 15 years of service at Kripalu, what was so unexpectedly rewarding was the experience of living together with others on the same path, to be a part of a spiritual community where like-mind and like-spirit came together.

So, last December, when the days were short and the nights were long I responded to a call for volunteers at the Amrit Yoga Institute in Florida. In early March a call came and I have been invited to practice Seva there during the first weeks of May!

For those in the know, AYI was established by Amrit Desai, the guru who introduced Kripalu Yoga to the USA. This means that the practices, philosophy, and methodologies will be consistent with everything I have learned thus far and for that I am grateful, and so excited, and terrified too. And, he will be on the campus during my stay.

Florida is not as easy as driving to the Berkshires, and this pitta person hates hot weather, but I am honored and grateful to be invited to this campus to experience Gurudev’s wisdom for myself.

Jai Bhagwan. Namaste. Om shanti.

to be continued.

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Back from Kripalu…….

Published May 20, 2013 by ifc

Back from Kripalu…….

….where I do volunteer work at least three times a year. This trip I worked as a facilitator and hatha yoga teacher. The program was called the Inner Quest Intensive and I have been a part of this amazing ‘production’ since ’99. Here’s a post I wrote after another such trip about 5 years ago.

The world really needs this program. Those of us who facilitate transformation and healing for others know this. I am completely filled with love, gratitude, and kindness once again as I continue to live and teach yoga.

This time I came home inspired to develop and deliver an experiential program with transformational possibilities of my own. My plan is to use the natal chart as a launchpad. We’ll address all the planets of our solar system with the intention of expanding our self-awareness and self-knowledge. Interested ? Contact me at idafae@gmail.com.

Buddhism consciousness journal entry Kripalu Meditation Yoga

kripalu

Published April 28, 2008 by ifc

Self-Inquiry, Astrology, & Yoga

What happens when you integrate astrology into the yogic practice of self-observation without judgement?

Self-inquiry is a spiritual practice that directs our energy and our attention inward. It’s a particular form of self-discovery that encourages one to first recognize and then drop the social mask (also known as the persona, personality, or ascendant) and practice authenticity in every moment. (rather than productivity or some other external goal). In, The Path with Heart by Jack Kornfield, he describes a Buddhist practice of sitting quietly and repeatedly asking yourself, “Who am I”, over and over until you reach a point where something in the body/mind relaxes (?) and a subtle shift in consciousness happens. It’s one of those things that you have to experience for yourself and hard to describe.

Svadhyaya is one of the niyamas (from Patanjali’s 8 Limbs of Yoga) that encourages us to look at ourselves, clearly, without prejudice. It’s a challenging task and requires constant practice. Kripalu Yoga is the methodology that i practice. It brings the physical and energetic bodies into the mix by developing a heightened sense of awareness to sensations, breath, thought patterns, and spontaneous emotional expression.

Astrology attempts to find meaning in the natural order of the cosmos. Everything has it’s own time, it’s own season, and every minute that passes is unique. Astrologers observe both long term & short term trends and relate that information to the present moment. In addition, astrology also adds mythological, archetypal, & psychological dimensions that are extremely personal and relevant.

Natal Astrology looks at an individual (or oneself) thru a lens that has no prejudice. The natal horoscope does not see: gender, race, religion, economic status, socio/cultural differences, sexual orientation, political affiliation or any of the ways in which we categorize ourselves. What the natal chart does describe is our ‘energetic’ makeup and the timing of unfoldment. The ‘how’ is up to us. There are many ways to manifest the potential of our horoscope. It’s the energy pattern and the timing that are pre-determined. All else is free will. When approached with equanimity and non-judgement the natal horoscope becomes an impartial map of possibility with a built-in clock to help one connect to the present moment more intimately.

Yoga & Astrology have co-existed harmoniously in various cultures for eons. Each discipline recognizes the value & contribution of the other. Across the centuries, astrologers have continued to relate the movement of what is above to the movement of what lies below. Whereas, at the same time the yogi’s were discovering what lies without, also exists within. They both agree that here & now is important.

Yoga provides us with the tools to help us be with that moment in peaceful co-existence. Astrology helps us to understand the characteristics of the our particular ego-state and the nature of the obstacles that impede our path towards a higher consciousness. Yoga helps us to smooth out the obstacles, minimize the ego drives and approach life’s challenges in peace. Astrology provides us with the nature of the ever-changing present moment. Yoga practices train us to respond to the ever-changing moment with acceptance. Astrology, when properly understood, can advance us towards spiritual awakening. Yoga does the same.

As a Professional Kripalu Yoga Teacher & Astrologer it’s taken me most of my life to bring these two paths together in a way that goes beyond the mental field or intellect. After 30+ years of study and practice I have now reached a point where I can no longer keep them separate. My personal practice and the programs I offer always include the cosmic point of view in an attempt to teach the hermetic principal, As Above, So Below. For those who are ready for the practice of self-inquiry and seek to approach life multi-dimensionally, astrology & yoga together can be quite enlightening.

Om shanti, shanti, shantihi.

Astrology Buddhism consciousness Dharma Karma Kripalu Meditation philosophy Teachers Yoga Yoga Therapy