The Subtle Presence - a 15-hour study and practice on meditation with international teacher Andrea Boni

Andrea Boni

October 18th - 20th at Studio Eleven

The Subtle Presence - a 15-hour study and practice on meditation with international teacher Andrea Boni,

Friday Masterclass and Immersion full weekend

A Meditation masterclass for teachers

Friday 6.00 PM to 9.00 PM this class is for teachers

There can be numerous ways to guide a meditation session at the end of a yoga class or at a yoga retreat site. It can be theme-based, technique-oriented, breath-based, heart-oriented, and many more.

This masterclass is aimed at exercising your own personal voice as a meditation teacher and examining some of the main challenges your students might face in their practice.

The idea is to provide useful tools to teachers who are willing to enrich their yoga classes with meditation.

Weekend Sat - Sunday: from 10 am to 5 pm with a short lunch break 60 min open to all

Saturday - DAY 1

Morning session 10am-1pm – The body is your temple, and activating focus

Outer and Inner posture + basic Breath Work (active and receptive

breath).

Activate Focus –how to strengthen our capacity to hold a steady focus for an extended

period of time without losing sensitivity and gentleness.

Practical exercises + experience-based tools will be provided to students.

Afternoon session – 2pm – 5pm - The Natural Inward Flow of Consciousness and how to deal with the thought-stream

– main focus on allowing the state of our ordinary mind to merge into the natural state of clarity and pure awareness that the Indian tradition calls the Self, or the Inner Heart. In this session we will explore the different layers of our meditative experience that

traditionally are called koshas. How to deal with the thought-stream The practice of dealing with thoughts involves equal parts of rigor and subtlety, practice and

understanding.

This class will be devoted to spotting our mental and emotional tendencies, residues of habitual thoughts and feelings, and learn how to release them

into the inner field of consciousness.

Practical exercises + experience-based tools will be provided to students.

Evening of story and song with Jack Harrison 7pm – 9.30pm

An evening of song, Celtic mythology and stories with Jack Harrison

Delving into the story of the human condition. The need for conscious self-awareness

and the unlimited awareness of one’s infinite connection to the universal. Through the

ancient and contemporary mediums of story and song.

Sunday - Day 2

Morning session 10am-1pm –– Troubleshooting the main challenges in meditation

Meditation is a perfect laboratory for confronting our obstacles

and learning from them. How can we deal with the main challenges in meditation and

make a radical change in our practice?

This session is dedicated to examining questions about the meditation practice and

using the practices as launching platforms for your inner exploration.

Practical exercises + experience-based tools will be provided to students.

Afternoon session – 2pm – 5pm - – Exploring the Inner Heart Field

Relishing in the gentle presence of the Inner Heart teaches us to

see the preciousness of life and be grateful for its abundant gifts.

This class is intended to savour some of the most beautiful

meditation practices of the Heart, as instructed in the Yoga and

Tantra tradition.

Practical exercises + experience-based tools will be provided to

students.

Props: Journal + pen

Meditation cushion

Andrea

‘Meditation is one of the fundamental practices of yoga but is the least easy to study and perform. Yet in everyday life there are times when we are present in a simple and accessible way. Meditation teaches us to capture these brief moments and to expand them, increasing the level of inner body attention and revealing what is not needed. Personally, the practice has led me to clearly recognize the character inclinations and patterns that I tend to reproduce as defence mechanisms or when I want to reach an objective. But for me meditation has been much more. It has helped me find a quieter and simpler “me”, beyond identifications or aspirations. A silent presence that always welcomes me without any judgment.

This meditation course is designed to guide students into building a meditative practice that is regular and easy to perform at home, studying the different levels of the process and addressing difficulties as they arise during the practice.’

Andrea is an experienced Anusara Yoga teacher and as such this course is eligible for both Anusara teaching hours and YA CPD hours 

Jack Harrison

Jack Harrison is a founding member of The Celtic School of Yoga and is Ireland’s best-known Yoga musician. He has produced three widely acclaimed yoga albums as well as two other recordings of original music and sea songs. His yoga music is inspired by the great traditions of yoga, integrated with Irish music and inspired by the Celtic tradition and the natural world. He plays regularly at concerts, festivals, retreats, and other yoga events. 

Jack Harrison an evening of story and song - this evening must be booked separately below.

What to expect

A weekend of deep exploration and practice, exploring yoga, meditation and chanting. With five workshops of meditation or an option of less and an optional evening gathering of story and song.