What is Raw Shakti?
Raw
refers to pure or unaltered and Shakti is the Sanskrit word for
life-force, power or energy. Sanskrit is an ancient language which many
of the yoga texts were originally written in. We translate this into
English as Raw or Pure Energy. We all have an abundance of pure energy
inside of us. Raw Shakti yoga works through the modality of yoga to
connect us with our inner purity and energy by taking off the layers
that often cover our essence. By revealing our pure energetic nature to
us we will realize our creative potential. The purifying practices of
yoga help to purify the body and mind by getting rid of the junk or
impurity. We are left with the energy and purity to live our life with.
To have energy is to have radiance and vitality. To live from this
place of Raw Shakti is to live from a place where we have an abundance
of energy to help ourselves live healthy and therefore to help the
world in whatever ways we are called to do so. Anything that manifests
does so through Shakti. What we create is from our own pure or Raw
Shakti.
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On the Path
We
have some fabulous journeys coming up in Samoa, China, and even India!
Each of our retreats serves the purpose of harmonizing with the planet
and with cultures.
Let us know if there is a place you have always dreamed of traveling as
the Raw
Shakti adventure team is always searching out exciting and indigenous
destinations.
In this newsletter, you
can read about a top TV producer's life changing retreat in Samoa
and about a man who keeps diabetes at bay with his yearly yoga maintenance
retreat. He describes how hard it has been to stay with the practice and any of
us who have a practice know that it is tough at times!
My
granddaddy who just
passed on before Easter always called his home, the North Carolina
mountains,
"A little bit of Peace on Earth." He was raised on a farm, lived his
career
life in Atlanta,
traveled the world in retirement and then came home to his beloved
mountains. In the "What's New" section you can read about a PhD chanter
named Kailash and his journey of following Sound into Silence. Kailash
resides on his own little bit of Peace on Earth in the NC mountains. I
think wherever we are choosing to live; we have to consider where our heart
really lies. When I think of my grandparents, I am reminded of service and
success. I feel blessed that they gave me such direction. If there is a sparkle
at all in our eyes, it is reflective of something bigger that is
trying to get out, and that something bigger has to do with our connection to
peace and to heaven, whatever we may define that to be. Perhaps we can tap into
this heavenly peace and feel it now even while we are still alive. May your
days be filled with an understanding of your connection to all humanity. Every
kindness we can give in our small worlds affect the big world. Notice the connections
with your family, or with your friends who might be your family, and to the
world. When our loved and respected ones pass on, perhaps that is when the
youth will grow wiser. Let us hope! I think the link that binds us
all is described well in the Lion King movie, the Grand Circle of Life.
In honor of our heritage,
whatever it may be, for perhaps it is up to every generation to get better and
better, and to our future with more peace,
Taialofa
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Free Yoga DVD We
are working hard to spread the news about Raw Shakti yoga trips. To increase
our number of subscribers to our newsletter we would like your help.
All
Raw Shakti E-newsletter subscribers as of March 2008 are eligible for a free
copy of Taialofa's Yoga in New England DVD. If five people that you know sign
up for the Raw Shakti e-newsletter and write "Free Yoga DVD promotion -
your name" in the notes box on the signup page, we will notify you by
email of your eligibility for a free DVD. Reply to us with a shipping address
and then we will send you a copy of Taialofa's Yoga in New England DVD for
free. This offer is good while supplies last. Please allow 6 weeks for the
shipment of your DVD. Thank you for spreading the news about our yoga
adventures.
For
the flow,
The Adventure Team at Raw
Shakti
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| Upcoming Retreats |
Namu'a Island Yoga Adventure: May 14-16 and May 17-19
 Enjoy the pristine beauty of your own private island. Namua is off the
coast of Upolu Island. A Samoan family takes care of you with meals and
your sleep in fales next to the water. Only feet away from where you
sleep is the white sandy beach... learn more
Move your Body, Empower Your Life in Samoa: June 3 - 17
 Find
the rest, reunion, and rejuvenation you long for on the beautiful
island of Samoa. Reflect, renew, and rediscover yourself. In order to
fully inhabit your life, and live with less stress and more joy you
need to take time to ....learn more.
Samoa Yoga Adventure: July 2 - 14
 Arrive early in the morning before sunrise and enjoy the smells,
sights, and island sounds of Samoa as the sun begins to rise over the
South Pacific Ocean. We greet you with flower leis, then whisk you away
to a boat where you travel across the turquoise water...learn more
Samoa Cultural Yoga Retreat: October 7 - 21
 Join Taialofa and Vedantin in the tropical islands of Samoa. Practice
living yoga with Vedantin, a Chinese born California yogi who lives the
yoga lifestyle. You can enjoy vinyasa yoga practice before breakfast
and dinner daily. You will have the opportunity to take daily
adventures to places of beauty ... learn more
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Nicola's journey into the heart of Samoa
How can I begin to describe the wonderful time I
had in Samoa? My yoga retreat with Raw Shakti
was so special, it wasn't just a holiday, it changed my life.
From the minute I arrived, I was hit by the lush
greenery and abundant flowers everywhere in Samoa,
it's a stunning country. A huge rainbow soared over the lagoon when a brightly
painted boat came and took us off to the tiny island of Apolima.
From the outside, this volcanic cone seemed impenetrable, but once inside the
perfect bay you quickly realise you've stumbled into a kind of Garden of Eden.
Unspoilt, and simply beautiful, the land here is bursting with vibrant
vitality. A handful of villagers live here and welcome you into their modest
homes. Living amongst them was an honour, and I was fascinated to learn first
hand about the Samoan way of life. It was incredibly life affirming to watch
how the families worked together to create peaceful, happy lives for themselves
and their children...read more
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| Coming Back from the Abhyasa Abyss
It has become our habit, when I visit Kevin and Taialofa over the
past two years, to pick a book to study to enhance my spiritual practice. This
year it was The Secret Power of Yoga by Nischala Joy Devi. This book is
unique in that it is the first translation of the Yoga Sutras by a woman. I
highly recommend it.
Three of the sutras, 1.12-1.14 (pp 40-44) struck a very
sympathetic chord with me. These sutras have to do with "abhyasa" or devoted
practice and how our devoted practice can slip away.
After last year's full month with Kevin and Taialofa, I had
reached the zenith of my yoga practice (at the time) and was feeling very self
satisfied with our daily, two-hour practice. It was easy, when I got home, to
let daily responsibilities and commitments slowly seep in ... read more
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What's New
Metropol Magazine Article from the South Island of New Zealand
We had a wonderful writeup about our retreats here in Samoa. The article was titled Samoa Safari! The text reads: These days
holistic health reigns and getting away is as much a break for the soul as it
is for the scenery. And dropping anchor on Upolu
Island in Samoa
and spending a few inspired days with a prolific Yoga guide and experiencing
the Raw Shakti retreat was something I had been looking forward to ... read more
Yoga Day USA 2008 in New Hampshire
 Bryan helped organize this day of free yoga. He is pictured here assisting a lady with salabasana. It
was a great time, with over 200 people practicing and sharing yoga
together. Money was raised to support the Hospice program at HCS. YogaDay USA Goals: Introduce new people to Yoga, Let seasoned yogis deepen their practice or try other styles, Raise money and awareness for the HCS Hospice Program, Bring a positive and peaceful energy to all who participate.
Yoga for Diabetes in Samoa
For
the months of January and February we held FREE yoga classes for people
with diabetes in Samoa. This was a great way to reach some of the
people and share ways of live healthy with diabetes. It was
a gentle yoga class great for the joints and organs. Thanks to Yoga Day
USA January 2007 to all those who donated to make these classes
possible.
Kailash's new Book and CD by Kailash (Kurt Bruder, Ph.D.)Here
is a great book for bhakti yoga students. Stay tuned as Kailash will lead a
retreat to India
with Raw Shakti soon! Following Sound into Silence
Chanting Your Way beyond Ego into Bliss
Kailash who holds a Ph.D. is committed to sharing tools of mind, heart, speech,
and song that equip the practitioner for success in the search for happiness.
For many years a scholar-teacher in human communication and psychology (as Kurt
A. Bruder, Ph.D., M.Ed.) and an earnest student of spirituality, Kailash
presents a unique blend of wisdom and inspiration useful to those on any path
to the Supreme. His first book with Hay House-Following Sound into Silence
was released in January 2008. Although chanting is an ancient spiritual tool,
it's well suited to our contemporary lifestyle. No generation before us has had
to contend with the onslaught of voices clamoring for our attention, the chaos
of distractions vying for our imagination and allegiance, or the flood of
information that is our daily lot. Kailash shows how chanting-both alone and
with others-can quiet and stabilize our mind, expand our heart, elevate our
emotion, and reduce our self-centeredness, and rather giving us a direct,
sustained experience of the Divine through sound. You'll understand why people
across the centuries and around the world have employed chanting as their
principal resource for cultivating well-being, personal transformation, and
spiritual evolution. This book can be ordered through hayhouse.com or
amazon.com; and is available at all major booksellers. www.omkailash.com
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Classes
Health Attack Gym in Motootua Samoa:
- Tuesdays from 6:15-7:15 pm, 10 tala (US$4), Taialofa
- Thursdays from 6:15-7:15 pm, 10 tala (US$4), Kevin
Coconut's Beach Resort in Siumu, Samoa:
- Thursday from 10:30-11:30am, 35 tala (US$14.00)
If you have a group (in Samoa) and would like to set up a weekly class, please call 7796400.
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Navasana
 When
I went to my first yoga class my teacher, a fifty-something year old,
petite women brought us into this posture. Effortlessly she entered
this pose and continued talking about it as if she was relaxing on a
couch. I slightly raised by feet off the floor and tried to straighten
my legs like her and quickly tumbled over. I thought this would be
impossible for me to do. I was impressed with her strength, but how
could this small lady have more strength than me? I knew in that momemt
there was more to yoga than meets the eye. Over the years, I have
worked with this pose and have come to enjoy this part of my practice
and feel the ease and joy that comes with anything you spend time on.
To
come into this posture, sit up and hug your knees into your torso.
Maintain the natural curvature of the spine which means lifting the
belly forward so the lower back does not round backwards. Let your
lower back be your guide. If at any of the following stages, it starts
sinking then come back a little and stay at that point in the pose. So
now with your spine raised, release your hands to each side of your
legs, parrallel with the floor and palms facing each other. Now try to
pick up your feet a few inches off the ground. Next, you can try to
raise your feet so that your shins are parrallel with your arms and
finally if that all works well then you can straighten your legs.
Remember keep the belly lifting which maintains the lower lumbar curve.
By
entering this pose mindfully and going to your own edge you will be
strenghting one of the deepest muscles in the body called the psoas.
This is one of the few poses that can really work this deep muscle.
This pose also strengthens the abdominals. Enjoy this boat pose and
remember that even if something looks impossible, with practice you
will be able to achieve it.
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Red Beans and Rice
Serves 2-3 as a main course, more as a side dish
Vegan
There are so many variations of this dish! This version is not only delicious, but easy
to make. Since it requires very simple
ingredients, I like to make it late in the winter when fresh veggies are harder
to come by. It has great depth of flavor
without too many ingredients. The heat
from the Cayenne
is a nice way to wake up the taste buds!
1 ½ cups long grain white rice- cooked
1 ½ cups kidney beans- cooked
1 green pepper diced
1 onion diced
1 clove garlic minced
2 large celery stalks diced
2 TBSP organic olive oil or coconut oil
2 whole tomatoes, diced
½ tsp ground cumin
Pinch of ground cayenne pepper- more if you like it hot!
Fresh ground salt and pepper to taste
Combine peppers, onion, garlic and celery with the olive oil and spices
in a pan and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until softened. Add tomatoes and kidney beans stirring until
heated through. Finally, add the rice to
the pan and stir until well combined.
Add more salt, black pepper and Cayenne pepper to suit your taste.
by Hana Massecar
Hana lives beside a picturesque lake in New Hampshire with her partner, Erik (Taialofa's
brother), and their 2 cats. She is an avid cyclist, food lover and overall
outdoor enthusiast. She has been
practicing Iyengar yoga since 2000. She is now taking an Iyengar yoga training course. Her
inspired cooking has been gracing tabletops and satisfying the hunger of many yogis.
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Nicola Pointer
Nicola Pointer
is a freelance Television Series Producer working in London, England.
She has made a wide range of popular television programs for all the leading
broadcasters in the UK.
Her work is creative but very demanding, so when she first discovered yoga six
years ago, it seemed a wonderful way to relieve stress. Since then, her
interest in yoga has continued to grow into a real passion. She has even
mentioned to colleagues that one day you might find her teaching yoga on a
tropical island! Because juggling work and yoga isn't always easy, she
enjoys nothing more than to fully immerse on yoga retreats whenever she can. Nicola
is a vibrant woman with dreams of an island spa life as part of her future. Long
term, she'd like to switch the balance from her dynamic TV producing life, and
spend more time deepening her knowledge and practice of yoga.
Peter Ketcham
Pete
continues to enjoy yearly yoga maintenence retreats with Raw Shakti.
His
evolution on the yoga mat is inspiring in that he has come so
far! On
his most recent journey a few people commented on how happy he looked.
Music to
his ears he would say. He lives in Keene, NH and enjoys scuba diving,
barbershop singing and yoga. He says he has learned a lot from his 5
years with yoga, and he is certain his health is all the better for
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Contact Info
Taialofa
Director of Raw Shakti
PO Box 684
Apia, Samoa
Samoa phone: (685) 7796400
USA phone: 1-888-YOGA-123
yoga@rawshakti.com
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