community
Intro to Indian Music
and kirtan chanting with the harmonium
with Kedar Naphade
of The Harmonium Institute
7:30pm - 8:30pm
Tuesday, September 17th
Online via Zoom. By Donation. Pre-registration required.
Register Here
Learn the basics of Indian Music and kirtan chanting with the harmonium!
Learn the foundations of Indian Music through the practice of Sargam, or singing the notes: Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, Sa (like the Western scale of Do, Re, Me, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do) followed by accessible kirtan chants that are easy to repeat, remember, and enjoy!
Kirtan is the yoga practice of bhakti, devotion, by which singing the many names of the divine can open the heart to the direct experience of supreme love.
In this fun and relaxed music workshop with harmonium maestro Kedar Naphade, founder and director of The Harmonium Institute, you’ll receive expert guidance musical guidance to start or deepen your yoga practice of bhakti through kirtan chanting and harmonium, while becoming more familiar with traditional Indian melodies.
Open to all levels of experience.
Your own harmonium is not required for this workshop; however, if you already have a harmonium, Kedar ji will also help you to strengthen and refine your playing!
RSVP & Register here!
Kedar Naphade received preliminary training in Hindustani Classical Music from his grandfather, Shri Dadasaheb Naphade and from Shri Arvind Gajendragadkar. Since the age of 9, he has been a disciple of Late Pt. Tulsidas Borkar, arguably the greatest harmonium player of our times. Kedar has also had the privilege of training from Late Smt. Padmavati Shaligram-Gokhale, a veteran singer of the Atrauli-Jaipur gharana. Learn more: https://harmoniuminstitute.org/about-founder-faculty/
Sarasota Meditation Summit by the Sea
with Cathy Grippi, Monk San, Sandi Higgins, Valerie DiLorenzo, Paul Shuler
9am-3pm
Sunday, August 11th
Inside the Nokomis Beach Pavilion 100 Casey Key Rd. Nokomis, Florida 34275
Join us for a day filled with laughter, meditation, yoga, sound, and local community!
This free and inclusive meditation summit by the sea invites you to connect with your inner peace, learn about dharma, experience relaxing mind-body-breathing practice, and resonate with community in a spirit of shared appreciation for the wellbeing of our beautiful coastal environment.
Pre-registration is not required. Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP HERE
The pavilion is air-conditioned and chairs are available or bring your own yoga mat or cushion. Seating is first come, first served. All sessions are led by experienced teachers and suitable for both beginners and seasoned practitioners alike. Come for any or all of the sessions.
Schedule
9am
Cathy Grippi, Laughter Yoga Venice
Join Cathy Gripp from Recipes of Resilience and Laughter Yoga Venice for a healing dose of laughter! Learn how laughter helps to relax your mind and body, reduce physical and mental discomfort, and fortify your immune system by accessing the body's natural pharmacy: dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins. Laughing with others is a joyful experience resulting in a clear mind, openness to learning, and experiencing the here and now. Laughter Yoga can help relieve physical discomfort too!
10am
Monk San, Blue Lotus Buddhist Meditation Center
Join Monk San from the Blue Lotus Buddhist Meditation Center to learn about mindfulness practice and experience a short guided loving-kindness meditation and talk on the positive power of meditation. Session ends with a loving-kindness chant in Pali, ancient language of Buddhism!
11am
Sandi Higgins, Aquamarine Yoga
Join Sandi Higgins from Aquamarine Yoga for a refreshing meditative movement yoga practice, accessible to all ages and abilities. Learn how yoga practice can benefit mind-body-spirit and awaken a profound sense of purpose. Session includes breathing exercise (pranayama), subtle energy visualization, and call and response peace chants in Sanskrit, the ancient language of Yoga!
12pm
Lunch Meditation (BYO Veg Lunch)
We'll break around noon for a quiet and meditative lunch together. The lunch meditation is a practice of quiet and mindful eating to emphasize being fully present and aware while consuming food, focusing on the sensory experience, gratitude for the nourishment received, and the interconnectedness of all beings involved. Please bring your own veg lunch and water bottle. Let’s keep the event as zero-waste as possible!
1pm
Valerie DiLorenzo, Vocal Breathing Immersion
Join Valerie DiLorenzo, singer, actress, and holistic vocal teacher, for a Vocal Breathing Immersion, where we’ll explore the profound connection between breath and voice. By observing the movement of breath, we honor Prana, the Sanskrit term for life force, and bridge the gap between consciousness and unconsciousness. This workshop emphasizes the importance of bringing the body's natural breathing process into awareness, creating a “body-palace” where we can nurture and deepen the relationship with breath and voice. Gain valuable tools and exercises designed for lifelong exploration, strengthening both breath and vocal abilities!
1:30pm
Paul Shuler, Chakra Sound Meditation
Join Paul Shuler for an original Chakra Sound Meditation and introduction to the Insight Timer meditation application. This carefully crafted audio experience guides participants through each energy center, promoting balance and harmony within. Featured on Insight Timer, this music offers an opportunity to deepen one's meditation practice and reconnect with the inner self. Join this session to explore the power of sound in aligning the chakras, fostering overall well-being and spiritual growth!
2:30pm
All Participants
Q&A, closing thoughts and prayers.
Bring your own veg lunch and refillable water bottle!
For any questions, please contact Sandi at: connect@aquamarine.yoga | (941) 310-0220
That Thou Art via Mandala Art
with Usha Jansari
Sunday, July 21st
10:30am EST | 8pm IST
Join us for meditative drawing of divine design!
Mandala Art is a peaceful and rejuvenating drawing practice that uses geometric patterns to connect with cosmic energy or deities. Focusing on the pattern’s symmetry fosters balance, peace, and inner-joy. In this session, we'll learn how to create the Saraswati Mandala (also known as a yantra), dedicated to the Goddess of Knowledge, Education, Arts, Music… Saraswati Devi.
Materials to bring with you to class: paper, pencil, eraser, ruler, compass, protractor, and your choice of colored pencils, pens, or markers
Online via Zoom. By Donation. Pre-registration required. Register Here
Usha Jansari nurtures individuals to evolve and find their true selves through purposeful living. A yoga counselor specializing in transcendence through creative practices such as Mandala Art and Rasa Leela Dance, as well as teachings from scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita and Patanjali Yoga Sutra, she offers guidance in 64 forms of meditation alongside diet, Nature, and discovering one's purpose.
Donations are welcome directly to Usha ji to support her Manusha Foundation in Bangalore, which she founded in 2020 with the mission to sponsor education for underprivileged children in South India. Further information provided in class.
Watch the interview with Usha Jansari here!