A journey in generosity - support Mike to bring back the energy from the Himalayas

A Journey In Generosity - Support Mike To Bring Back The Energy From The Himalayas

Project 2018-04-10 10:27:43 +1200

 Mike has practiced astanga yoga since 1992, and has whole-heartedly shared this practice with hundreds of students since he started teaching yoga in 1994. He has now been given a remarkable opportunity to make a pilgrimage to the Himalayas to deepen his understanding of yoga, and to recharge. He needs some support from his community to get there.

A vital part of being a yoga teacher is being a student, and paying respects to the lineage of yoga practitioners who have handed this practice down to us through the generations. Mike has made seven previous trips to Mysore, South India, since 1994 to practice with his original teacher (guru) Sri K Pattabhi Jois and his grandson Sharath Jois. He would not be the person and teacher he is today without the experiences and insights he gained through these visits. 

This year, Mike turns 60 and will also have been teaching yoga full-time for 20 years. It is therefore very timely that he has been given an opportunity to join an astanga yoga pilgrimage (yatra) through northern India in October of this year, led by Sharath Jois. This will include studying yoga at Rishikesh on the banks of the Ganges River, and pony trekking in the Himalayas to pay respects to the yoga lineage at various sacred sites and temples. For more information about the yatra click here.
 
With the ongoing commitment of raising a young family and running his own yoga studio, visiting India has become more difficult for Mike. He’s not in a position to fund this journey himself. This journey relies on, and will be based upon, generosity.

There is no doubt that this is a "trip of a lifetime" and will help Mike to deepen his understanding of the yoga practice and to drink from the well that is the source of all yoga. The benefits of yoga spiral outwards into the world through all of us who practice it - so this journey will not just rejuvenate and benefit Mike. It will also benefit the rest of the Te Aro Astanga Yoga community, and the wider world that we’re all part of.

On Mike's return he will host a social evening at the yoga school where he will talk about his trip and share images of his experiences. He’ll continue to share the energy of this journey for many years - hopefully it will support his next 20 years of teaching!

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