Tao Garden Health Resort
Training Center & Holistic Health Spa Chiang Mai, Thailand
Good Air - Good Food - Good Water - Good Chi - Good Mind
Tao Yin /Yoga Program
Tao Garden Meditation Program
Tao Yoga,Vipassanā, Chanting and Visualization
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Tao Yoga & Vipassanā Retreat | ||
Register here for: Tao Yoga & Vipassana Retreat Sunday October 5 through Wednesday October 15 2008 10 days |  | An
unique opportunity to experience genuine Buddhist Meditation in the
Healing Environment of Tao Garden Spa & Resort, in the Himalayan foothills of Northern Thailand.
Includes visits to Buddhist temples and caves, to share food with the
monks (alms), join in meditation with them, and ask
questions.
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Every tradition has its specialty. In this retreat, the best from three traditions is combined: Taoist exercises -Tai Chi- & Chi Kung; Yoga-postures, breathing, Kammathāna (Stilling of the Mind),Vipassanā (Insight Meditation), Chanting and Visualization techniques.
The Taoist tradition excels in healing; it enables us to use
the energy generated in meditation for purposes of healing our
body, mind and soul. Unique in the Taoist approach, as practiced and taught
by Master Mantak Chia, is to circulate the energy in the Microcosmic
Orbit, which also helps to prevent energy from getting stuck in the
head.
The Indian tradition teaches deep ways of understanding the divine nature of things and how to cultivate love, compassion and surrender. Yoga, both in physical aspects and spiritual, is a great tool for meditation, as it prepares the body for being in the same (sitting) posture for longer periods of time, which is a prerequisite for the meditation. Through chanting and singing Buddhist Sutras and Prāṇāyāma (breathing) and Mantra-Yoga practice, our light-body is energized, which helps us in developing 'Vitakka', the ability to rise quickly into Samādhi.
Classical Buddhist Meditation or Vipassana is a very powerful way of developing concentration (Samādhi) and as Buddhist tradition is very rich, it goes well together with any genuine approach to spiritual development. Vipassana practice can help us to see things more clearly about ourselves, who and what we are and where we came from. Vipassana can bring us to the crossroads of past, present and future, and help us to finally overcome old trauma's in the most powerful way, for the simple reason that in Samādhi these exist no more. The Buddha said that 'only Samādhi can delete our Karma' and free us from delusion about the nature of things.
The Indian tradition teaches deep ways of understanding the divine nature of things and how to cultivate love, compassion and surrender. Yoga, both in physical aspects and spiritual, is a great tool for meditation, as it prepares the body for being in the same (sitting) posture for longer periods of time, which is a prerequisite for the meditation. Through chanting and singing Buddhist Sutras and Prāṇāyāma (breathing) and Mantra-Yoga practice, our light-body is energized, which helps us in developing 'Vitakka', the ability to rise quickly into Samādhi.
Classical Buddhist Meditation or Vipassana is a very powerful way of developing concentration (Samādhi) and as Buddhist tradition is very rich, it goes well together with any genuine approach to spiritual development. Vipassana practice can help us to see things more clearly about ourselves, who and what we are and where we came from. Vipassana can bring us to the crossroads of past, present and future, and help us to finally overcome old trauma's in the most powerful way, for the simple reason that in Samādhi these exist no more. The Buddha said that 'only Samādhi can delete our Karma' and free us from delusion about the nature of things.
Vipassana, then is the main focus of this retreat, but Yoga is there to support our meditation. Once concentration
(Samādhi) has been attained in a seated position, the source of Àsana
(posture) and Prāṇāyāma (breathing) has been reached. When Samādhi is
experienced in walking meditation, Tai Chi and Chi Kung reveal their
secrets. Once Samādhi is sustained and the inner senses awakened, we
enter on the Path of Dhyāna (in Thai: Jhāna): our inner vision and
hearing may guide us to the understanding of who and what we are and
where we come from. Concentration applied to Jhāna leads to a deep,
inner understanding and practical Wisdom, which in turn shows us the
path into the future. Thus Samādhi cultivates Wisdom and Wisdom
cultivates Balanced Action.
From Balanced Action then, comes a deeper Samādhi or Enlightenment.
From Balanced Action then, comes a deeper Samādhi or Enlightenment.
From reading Buddhist Sutras together, we sharpen our understanding of the phenomena that occur during deep meditation.
The intelligence of a Buddha is like a diamond which cuts through any obstruction, yielding full freedom of mind. As pure joy fills our hearts, and our voice opens, we practice Sanskrit Mantra's to vibrate with the Earth-frequency and chanting Pāli Sutras to the tune of heaven. During the retreat you will learn the basic chanting which Thai people perform when they go to a Wat, a Thai Buddhist temple. If you ever go to visit a Thai temple after this retreat, you will be able to chant with the Thai people and perform the Buddhist sermon with them. During the ten days Retreat there will be excursions to Buddhist temples around Chiang Mai, and a chance to meditate, chant and eat with the monks, some of which are living and practicing in caves.
This is not the kind of strict, heavily structured Vipassanā Retreat. It is a retreat in which you get the chance to find your way into Samādhi naturally, while nourishing your body, soul and spirit with good energy. Much of the Meditation practice will be done at night, so as to profit from the quiet hours before dawn. Buddha said that these hours are especially suitable for meditation, when spiritual energy is at its peak.
 | Tao-Vipassana Retreat Daily Schedule: Morning Session: 3.30 - 6:00 a.m. Morning Chi Kung & Tai Chi: 6:00-7:00 Breakfast: 8:00-9:00 Morning Chanting, Sutra Reading & Meditation: 9:30-11:00 Lunch: 12:00-13:00 Free Time for Resting, Sleeping, Treatments/Massage: 13:00-17:00 Afternoon Yoga & Meditation: 17:00-18:00 Evening tea /chocolate/ sugar-free-sweet-break: 18:00-18:30 Evening Chanting: 18:30-19:00 Meditation Walking: 19:00-19:30 Bed Time: 20:30! |
| For a more detailed view of this 10 day Retreat Program, please visit our page on Buddhist Meditation | |
This retreat is taught by Ajahn Al, who has
been a certified Healing Tao Teacher since 1992 and a certified Yoga
Teacher since 1984. He studied with Master Mantak Chia for many years
and studied different forms of Yoga and Meditation with a variety of
teachers, such as Saswitha Yoga (a dynamic form of (Kashmiri) Yoga), Iyengar Yoga (a very precise way of doing Yoga), Vāg-yoga
(the Esoteric Yoga of Sanskrit Language) and Mantra Yoga (which he
first learned from Shyam Bhatnagar & Harish Yohāri in 1982 and
later from the Brahmin Shri Tripāthi Vāgish Shāstri of Vārāṇasī). He then
studied Tantrayāna Buddhism with Tibetan monks. The culmination of his spiritual journey occurred in 2002,
when he was initiated by Thai monks into Vipassana Meditation. They
brought him to a cave, where he spent 4 months in Samādhi, after which
he was ordained as a monk. Follow the links below to read more. For more information about this retreat and other courses with Ajahn Al, or to organize a retreat elsewhere,
please contact: Alyatra@Gmail.com