Yoga and Vedanta Retreat
Faralya, Turkey
 May 23 – 30  2011

Prices from £425

Here at the start of the Lycian Way - the famous coastal walk through unspoilt countryside - is a family run hotel with a fabulous yoga deck and wonderful organic food.  The hotel is situated in a small, peaceful village overlooking the Mediterranean. There is a spacious swimming pool with stunning views. 

Accommodation,  yoga classes, breakfast and dinner are included in the price.  Flights, insurance, transfers, treatments, meals and refreshments other than those specified are not included.  As a traditional Vedanta teacher James does not charge a fee but subsists on donations.    

Single rooms: All accommodation is on a shared basis unless you have arranged with us in advance.

Food:  The hotel is set in organic gardens with well established lemon, olive, apricot and peach trees which provide delicious fruit during the spring and summer months. The scent of roses, geraniums, jasmine and lavender flavor balmy evenings and the vine covered terrace and provides shady spaces to enjoy dinner. Organic aubergines, tomatoes, pumpkins and green peppers contribute seasonal produce for the kitchen.

Swimming:  Take a walk down the hill to the nearby cove for a refreshing swim in the sea. Further along the Turquoise Coast huge rocks jut into the sea, offering ideal sunbathing near exceptionally clear blue water.

The Lycian Way: Turkey's first long distance footpath passes directly behind the hotel and together with other local marked pathways this provides a wide range of walks to suit all abilities

Additional Services: Massages and therapies are also available including holistic massage, aromatherapy and reflexology

The Programme

A morning yoga session is followed by mid-morning talk and a discussion designed to address questions raised by the talk. We will then have lunch and free time. After dinner there will be a second talk and an informal satsang with James. He will also be available for private consultations.

Vedanta or jnana yoga, is often described as revealed knowledge, or the search for truth and is the foundation for spiritual inquiry. If you are interested in taking your existential questions further and are curious to know why are we really here, who we are and what truly makes us happy (and the ultimate question…what is reality?) this retreat will be of great interest to you.  It tailored for both those who are unfamiliar with Vedanta and those who have already been exposed to the teachings.  The retreat will include the study of a source text and is suitable for those who have studied with James Swartz before.  Vedanta, also known as Self Inquiry, is a dynamic traditional teaching that engages the participants in such a way that it produces insight into the nature of reality and self-realization.

In addition to the talks and satsangs with James Swartz, Fiona Agombar, teaching in the tradition of Krishnamacharya and Desikachar, will offer a morning yoga class. Fiona is the author of “Beat Fatigue with Yoga.”

The ancient spiritual teachings of Self-Inquiry show us how to remove suffering caused by  misunderstanding our true nature.  Self-Inquiry is the royal road to happiness and inner peace. It equates happiness with freedom from dependence on anything other than one’s own self.  During the retreat James Swartz, a disciple of Swami Chinmayananda, and a renowned Vedanta teacher, shows how to be attain peace and happiness through Action Yoga, Love Yoga, the Yoga of the Three Energies and Meditation. As these yogas are revealed, the obstacles standing in the way of self realization…insecurity, fear, desire, inadequacy, isolation, and attachment…dissolve.

Each session begins with a guided meditation, is followed by a thorough teaching on a particular topic and concludes with a question and answer session that handles specific questions raised by the teachings. Since the topic is one’s self and the self is the source of great love, this is a thoroughly enjoyable retreat that participants will find life-changing in a positive way.

Because Vedanta is an interactive communication between the teacher and the students, the structure of the course is flexible.  The following topics will be unfolded patiently according to the dynamics of the group using verses from Vedanta’s source texts including the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads and works by Shankarcharaya.

Motivations. Why do I seek? The limitations of worldly pursuits and the basic desire for inner freedom or enlightenment.  The Means of Self Knowledge. The limitations of perception in the quest for self- realization. This talk explains how spiritual knowledge works and how Vedanta evolved to fill the gap between how we perceive the world and true happiness, or self -realization. Who am I? The nature of the true self and the nature of the small self or ego. Knowledge and Experience. Explains the two basic theories of enlightenment and debunks enlightenment myths. Qualifications. How Vedanta works to bring about self-realization. Discusses the qualifications of the seeker, the qualifications of the teacher and Grace. Obstructions.  How experience produces tendencies contrary to self-realization. Karma Yoga. This powerful teaching unfolds the most important spiritual practice. It reveals how to approach daily life in such a way that negative conditioning is neutralized and the mind is prepared for Self Inquiry. Knowledge Yoga/Self Inquiry. The techniques necessary to develop the discrimination that culminates in enlightenment, the realization of the true nature of freedom and happiness. The discrimination between one’s self and the world, the analysis of the waking, dream and sleep states of consciousness, the location of objects and other sophisticated tools for self-realization. Meditation.  An excellent, effective, ancient yogic meditation practice.  The Yoga of the Three Gunas. This talk explains the science of energy work, how to shape the quality and texture of the mind to achieve a perfect vehicle for self inquiry.  This talk teaches the importance of a pure mind for the assimilation of experience and addresses lifestyle issues: food, money, associations, and sex. Love. The importance of devotion in the quest for freedom. Passionate love, spiritual relationships, marriage and devotional yoga.

Donations according to means for the Vedanta teachings is appreciated at the end of the course as James, as a traditional teacher, lives on donations.

 
James Swartz:  There are not many true Vedanta teachers in the world today and James is exceptional, so this is a great opportunity to study with him in a beautiful location and enjoy gentle yoga with Fiona Agombar. James is the author of “How to Attain Enlightenment”  which is available on Amazon.co.uk. You can see information about James on www.shiningworld.com or you may watch an interview with him on www.conscious.tv (click under programme directory then Traditions/Advaita.)    

Fiona Agombar is an experienced yoga teacher who had chronic fatigue for 15 years but made a full recovery thanks to following a yoga lifestyle. In 1997 Fiona wrote the definitive book on yoga, fatigue and M.E: “Beat Fatigue with Yoga” (Cherry Red Books).  Fiona originally studied with the Yoga for Health Foundation from 1993 and she now spends much time in India studying yoga in depth. She is a regular contributor to Yoga and Health magazine. She is currently studying yoga in the Krishnamacharya tradition (Khyf) under Sarah Ryan and Liz Mutha. Her mentor is Gill Lloyd, a student of Desikachar. She also studies Vedanta with James.   More on Fiona can be found on www.fionaagombar.co.uk

Flights and transfers: You will need a flight to Dalaman. We will team people up to share taxis to the venue. A bus service is also available. Feel free to contact Free Spirit Travel for help with finding your flight.
To reserve your place, or for more information, please contact Free Spirit: 0044-1273-564230  email: info@freespirituk.com.
Website: www.freespirituk.com

Note:   Faralya is just above YUVA