Ethos
A return to the heart.earth.hearth / Retreats Collective is a community that creates unique immersive retreats with a purpose. In every corner of this world, large or small, you will find your kith and kin, a community that follows rituals for self-reflection, connection and healing day in, day out.
Our core philosophy is expressed through three principles, coloring all of our retreats.
Kula ―a Sanskrit word that can be translated as ‘community’ or ‘tribe’. The word implies a group of people coming together and the sense of belonging that we need to flourish and thrive. A soulful kinship we all require, where we can seek guidance and listen to the whole-hearted. It is also the physical place of rest and repose. The place of love and compassion where we hang our hearts, offer our anger, jealousy and fears. A community offers a stable ground, a home and hearth where we can return, again and again, to take refuge. It is a safe, non-judgmental and experimental place where we allow the most vulnerable expressions of body.mind.heart to blossom.
Sādhana ―‘conscious daily spiritual practice’ or rituals. This is a steady repeated practice involving discipline, a process said to occur over time. Sādhana can imply many different liberation practices but only filled with a pure intention. Sādhana prepares us physically, energetically, emotionally, intellectually and blissfully for moksha, liberation. When we engage ourselves fully and give our whole heart to any ritual, this will bring us closer to the state of Yoga.
Moksha ―‘liberation from all forms of suffering’. Moksha is the concept of ultimate liberation also known as ‘mukti’, relating to freedom of the Self. Yoga provides teachings for the body.mind.heart that can liberate and heal the individual soul, jivanmuktih. Moksha helps us clean the dirt of ignorance, avidya and desires of a worldly existence. We come to the fact that it is possible to have a beneficial and fulfilling life in the modern world and also grow spiritually, perhaps even attaining a little enlightenment while living.
Jivamukti Yoga
Jivamukti Yoga is a path to enlightenment through compassion for all beings. Created by Sharon Gannon and David Life, the Jivamukti method is grounded in the original meaning of the sanskrit word asana as “seat, connection” (relationship to the Earth) and expressed through five tenets: ahimsa (nonviolence), bhakti (devotion), dhyana (meditation), nāda (music) and shastra (ancient yogic teachings).
The ancient spiritual traditions of Yoga have been shared with our modern world in hopes of awakening our own heart, body and mind. All integrated practices allow for a contemplation and transformation of the relationship with both, our inner & outer worlds ―cultivating awareness and appreciation of Life (and all lives).
At Jivamukti, we use art, music, dance and poetry to create an environment that inspires people to break out of their small selves and feel the Divine Self flowing through them. Through the innovations of the method, Sharon and David have brought the ancient teachings alive, going to the root of their wisdom and making it relevant to the contemporary world. They are pioneers in teaching Yoga as spiritual activism/activation, demonstrating that yoga is a living tradition, a complete system for accessing the lasting happiness that is available to all beings. They incorporate their profound talents and experiences as artists, performers and musicians to offer a compelling, exciting and empowering teaching style.
The Jivamukti Yoga lineage has been inspired, shaped, and blessed by the teachers who Sharon Gannon and David Life studied with over many years, —among these are Shri Shyamdas, Shri Swami Nirmalanda, Shri K. Pattabhi Jois, Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati and Shri Milanbaba Goswami.
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