Aurolab Yoga Project Ireland |
For further information about Aurolab, email: gabigillessen@eircom.net
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History
Of Aurolab Yoga Project In
November 1999 a compelling force arose in my consciousness to take six months
off for a vision quest. The journey started in California and on to Arizona,
Mexico and Cuba. The experience was to show me territories of expression that I
hadn’t yet explored and as a consequence I found myself jotting down a few
ideas for a course, initially a study group that would offer both in terms of
content and methodology what I had myself missed in my years of study with
different teachers and at different schools. Essentially the integration of Sri
Aurobindo’s vision into the courses philosophical background, individual
support to help students through the difficulties that inevitably arise when one
undertakes this extraordinary practice and the freedom to chose a practice that
corresponded to ones personal needs. On my return I was very moved to see that my students were ready to take on my proposition and so off we embarked on a four-year journey together, investigating the aspects of the practice that seemed relevant to the groups' capacity, level of commitment and aspiration. The experience proved extremely rewarding and despite the occasional difficulty we all learned a great deal. We individually found new depths and I personally experienced a profound transformation both in my practice and in my teaching. In the fourth year I joined forces with my partner and fellow yogin Tanya M.Syed who introduced the group to voice work in Overtone Chanting and Bija Mantra. In 2002 I started a new group and a new adventure with my friend and fellow teacher Angelika Grohmann. That winter I organised my second teaching visit to Auroville, India. In the summer 2003 I returned to Auroville to put together a short course for local Yoga teachers to investigate the connections between the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and the practicalities of contemporary Yoga practices as taught in the West. The response was so positive that I proceeded to set up Aurolab India, a collaborative project with Indian teachers: Dr Kanchana Natarajan, professor of philosophy at Delhi university, Sraddhalu Ranade scientist and philosopher extraordinaire and Joy Chaudhury teacher of mantra and Vedic chanting. This course takes place in December 2004. More recently my student and fellow
teacher trainer, Gabi Gillessen has just set up her own studio and is taking the
project into it's third Teacher Training Program. We start Aurolab Ireland in
January 2005. This project is the result of long meditations in the company of
Mother and Sri Aurobindo, devoted prayers to the universal forces that move us,
influential perspectives from Yoga teacher extraordinaire Dona Holleman, deep
into the night poetic talks with my long time friend and accomplice Tapas DR,
director of Auroville Language Laboratory.
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Directors:
Sama Fabian, Gabi Gillessen. |