“A retreat should always be in our lives, in our hearts.
Even if you go for on retreat with your body, the mind should always be in retreat, so that you’re able to practice each moment in your life.”
~ Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche
Chanting with Lakshmisha Bhat
9:00 am Rome, Italy Time zone
2:00 pm Mysore, India Time zone
ONLINE
Born into a humble Brahmin family in a village called Madageri near Gokarna, Lakshmisha Bhat has been associated with Guruji Sharath Jois for two decades. Keen on learning astānga yoga, Lakshmisha undertook yoga asāna practice under Guruji Sharath Jois. In the meantime, he also received the Vidwan title from the Sanskrit College in Advaita Vedanta philosophy and completed his Master’s Degree in Sanskrit from Mysore University in 2006. Upon Guruji Sharath Jois’s request that Lakshmisha start teaching Sanskrit and yoga-related theory to the increasing number of yoga students who come to KPJAYI for yogic knowledge, Lakshmisha joined the Shala as a teacher of Sanskrit, chanting, and yoga-related theory in the year 2003. Lakshmisha has so far taught hundreds of yoga aspirants. He believes yoga is incomplete without the right understanding of the theory and strives to impart that knowledge to everyone who comes seeking it.
ASTĀNGA RETREAT 15th to 22nd – JUNE
A week of asana and talk about the eight limbs/paths of Astanga yoga and how to apply them in our daily Lives.
During the week of Astānga Yoga at Shala Mandala Simona will guide us every morning with the Mysore practice starting from 7:00am for 5 days and a guided class of the first series on the 6th day. We meet with Simona every afternoon a week for a Satsang with philosophical and practical ideas: Astāngayogah and the eight limbs.
Sādhanā – Yogaḥ Philosophy
Sādhanā (Sanskrit साधना), is a discipline undertaken in pursuit of a goal. It is a generic term coming from ancient tradition. It refers to any spiritual practice aimed at making the sādhaka (seeker, practitioner) progress towards the maximum expression of his life in this reality: the state of Yogaḥ.
Whether you already have an existing “Sādhanā” or wish to deepen yours with a deep perspective, through ancient practices, we will experience the fundamentals of Yogaḥ the 8 branches of Yogaḥ and how to apply them to your life, a better understanding of life and how to live peacefully in society.
COURSE OBJECTIVE: Bring your true Self closer to your life goals by acquiring tools and skills to help you continue improving your practice in the long term.
Gain more peace of mind as you develop trust in yourself and your intuition.
For more information, please email info@shalamandala.com
ASTĀNGA SUMMER RETREAT 2023
SUSANNA FINOCCHI 17/24 JUNE
Welcome to Susanna’s Retreat 2023.
Classes start on Saturday and end on Friday; On Saturday 17th there are only check-in arrivals after 16:00 and on the 24th the check-out is before 11:00 am (you can arrive early and leave as late as you wish); During the week of Astānga Yoga at Shala Mandala:
SUSANNA FINOCCHI 18/25 JUNE
January 2021 – Mysore’s days
Sunday 23rd of January we meet again online for a guided class with subsequent dialogue on the Mysore method. Susanna Finocchi will guide us at 7:30 am with the guided class and a discussion with Simona Nucera will follow at 9:00 am on the history and development of the MYSORE method in India and in the world.
Wednesday 8 December at 7:30 am CET online on Zoom
7:30 am astānga Led primary series
9:00 am chat and chai:
“As long as we continue to see ourselves as those we love and the other as the one who is loved, as long as we consider ourselves more than others or see ourselves as different from others, we will not have true serenity. We have to put ourselves “in the other person’s skin”
and become with each other if we want to understand and truly love. When this happens there will be no difference between “I” and “other”
With Susanna Finocchi and Simona Nucera
we will give a lesson on the topic of Upeksa – the perfect virtue of equanimity.
May 2021 – Astānga Yoga and Buddhism
“Of the thousands of Buddhas of this age, it is said that Buddha Shakyamuni was the one who had the greatest aspirations. For when the others conceived the wish to be enlightened for the sake of beings, they aspired to Buddhafields, longevity, etc. But the Buddha Shakyamuni prayed to be reborn in degenerate times when it would be difficult to teach beings afflicted by disease, famine, and war.
Saga Dawa (the
month of Vaishakh, according to the Indian calendar) is the fourth month of the Tibetan lunar calendar. It is considered to be the most important month of the year for practice since Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana all fall within this period (according to Tibetan tradition).
April 2021 – Ramayana
25th of April at 7:30 am Primary Led class, chanting and satsāng about the Ramayana , one of the Great Epic Poems of India; attributed to the sage Valmiki, the Ramayana recounts the life and exploits of lord Rama.
This story, so rich with spiritual meaning, has been told and retold through the ages by Saints, poets, scholars, and common folk.
Rama is seen as the embodiment of dharma and is the object of great devotion. He is the central character with his wife, Sita. Hanuman is a warrior, a semi-divine mythological race of monkeys devoted to God in the form of Rama. Son of the Wind, he performs many acts of courage and daring in defense of his Master, Lord Rama. He is a symbol of perfection devotion, surrender, and courage.
Susanna Finocchi, Astanga class; Lakshmisha Bhat, Philosophy and chanting; Host: Simona Nucera
March 2021 – MahaShivratri
14th of March at 7:30 am Primary Led class, chanting and satsāng about Siva the Supreme Being. He is the Adi-Guru, the primordial Guru. He is the universal Consciousness that pervades all creation, dwelling within everyone and everything. Through his grace, we can recognize him—Paramashiva, Supreme Shiva—as our innermost Self.
Susanna Finocchi, Astanga class; Lakshmisha Bhat, Philosophy and chanting; Host: Simona Nucera
6th of February at 2:00 am Primary Led class, chanting and satsāng with
Lakshmisha Bhat, Susanna Finocchi, Dylan Bernstein, Ethan Ward, Max Pascal, Robin Ward, Anna Yang, Simona Nucera; Class fee: Any donations, starting from 15 €, are welcome. Access code: To receive the code to join the event, please message the screenshot of the payment to info@shalamandala.com Host: Simona Nucera
January 2021 – Sūrya Namaskāra
3th of January at 7:30 am Primary Led class, chanting ādityahṛdayaṃ and satsāng about Sūrya Namaskāra with
Susanna Finocchi, Astanga class; Lakshmisha Bhat, Philosophy and chanting; Host: Simona Nucera
December 2020 – The Season of Giving
20th of December at 7:30 am Primary Led class, chanting and satsāng about Karūna (compassion) with
Susanna Finocchi, Astanga class; Lakshmisha Bhat, Philosophy and chanting; Host: Simona Nucera
November 2020 – Shubha Deepāvali
Diipāvali celebrates the inner light – the light of the Self, the light that illuminates the whole creation. From New Zealand passing through India arriving in Rome continuing in your homes, we will share the practice of astānga yoga and chanting with our global community.
Susanna Finocchi, Astanga class; Lakshmisha Bhat, Philosophy and chanting; Host: Simona Nucera
August 2020 – Astānga Yoga Week
Welcome to the first Astānga Yoga Week in Italy with Gabriele Severini, Susanna Finocchi and Elena De Martin. We are offering a week of asāna practice, philosophy and chanting from the 23rd till the 30th of August.
July 2020
GURU PURNIMA – Honoring the Gurus
Full moon day during Ashadha month is known as Guru Purnima day. Traditionally this day is reserved for Guru Puja or Guru Worship.
On this day disciples offer Puja or pay respect to their Gurus.
Guru refers to spiritual guide who enlighten disciples by his/her knowledge and teachings. Sharathji will give a Led-class on the 4th of July (please check Miami Life Center) and here the program for the 5th of July:
Chanting, philosophy, traditions and talk about the Gurus.
June 2020
International Yoga Day
We are very happy to announce that Gabriele, Susanna and Elena,
will alternate in the primary-led class with the count of the vinyasa in Sanskrit.
They will continue with a speech on yoga in which the three teachers will address different topics on astānga.
September 2019 – Astānga Retreat with Susanna Finocchi
Susanna will guide us every morning with the Mysore practice starting at 7:00 for 5 days and a guided class of the first series on Saturday.
MONDAY / WEDNESDAY / FRIDAY from 5:00 till 7:00 pm
Yoga Philosophy: The 8 limbs of Ashtanga Yoga;
Introduction to the pronunciation and meaning of the Sanskrit mantras, opening invocation and closing Mantra, Shanti Mantra, Ganesh Japa;
October 2018 – Retreat with Prof. Hareesh Wallis
and Leila Sadeghee
Hareesh is the author of Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition and The Recognition Sutras: Illuminating a 1,000-year-old Spiritual Masterpiece.
July and August 2018 – Elena De Martin
Astānga Summer Course
Daily Mysore classes from Monday till Friday at 8:00 am.
Led Class Primary every Saturday.
July and June 2017 – Ken The Rolfer – Mysore classes
Daily Mysore classes from Monday till Friday at 8:00 am.
Led Class Primary every Saturday.
Nov- Dec 2017 Vipassana Meditation by the Italian Vipassana Association
Vipassana, which means to see things as they really are, is one of India’s most ancient techniques of meditation. It was rediscovered by Gotama Buddha more than 2500 years ago and was taught by him as a universal remedy for universal ills, i.e., an Art Of Living. This non-sectarian technique aims for the total eradication of mental impurities and the resultant highest happiness of full liberation. Vipassana is a way of self-transformation through self-observation. It focuses on the deep interconnection between mind and body, which can be experienced directly by disciplined attention to the physical sensations that form the life of the body, and that continuously interconnect and condition the life of the mind. It is this observation-based, self-exploratory journey to the common root of mind and body that dissolves mental impurity, resulting in a balanced mind full of love and compassion.The scientific laws that operate one’s thoughts, feelings, judgements and sensations become clear. Through direct experience, the nature of how one grows or regresses, how one produces suffering or frees oneself from suffering is understood. Life becomes characterized by increased awareness, non-delusion, self-control and peace.
The Tradition
Since the time of Buddha, Vipassana has been handed down, to the present day, by an unbroken chain of teachers. Although Indian by descent, the current teacher in this chain, Mr. S.N. Goenka, was born and raised in Burma (Myanmar). While living there he had the good fortune to learn Vipassana from his teacher, Sayagyi U Ba Khin who was at the time a high Government official. After receiving training from his teacher for fourteen years, Mr. Goenka settled in India and began teaching Vipassana in 1969. Since then he has taught tens of thousands of people of all races and all religions in both the East and West. In 1982 he began to appoint assistant teachers to help him meet the growing demand for Vipassana courses.