Life
by Tilak on February 8, 2012
Life is a lot like this. No, life IS like this. Chaos. Order. Flow. Perspective.
Winter Solstice Celebration in Ivy, VA – Dec. 22nd
by Tilak on November 30, 2011
On December 22nd I will be teaching one of my favorite workshops at The Barn at Split Rock Farm in Ivy, VA. It is called Nourishing Spirit – Giving Birth to Light: A Winter Solstice Yoga Celebration. It is very unique and unlike any other workshop/event I offer. You can read the full description below. Registration is through Ashtanga Yoga Charlottesville. I hope you will join me!
Nourishing Spirit – Giving Birth to Light
A Winter Solstice Yoga Celebration
Thursday, December 22
6:00-8:00pm
At The Barn at Split Rock Farm
(1040 Owensville Rd. 22901)
The Winter Solstice is a transition time in nature ideal for reflecting on the past year, looking clearly and honestly at where you are on your path, and recommitting to a life of meaning and authenticity. In this unique and inspiring class, Tilak Pyle will incorporate powerful breathing practices, purifying Vinyasa sequences, visualizations, meditation, and personal and collective ritual to facilitate a meaningful journey into your body and heart. Take a break from the frantic pace of the holdiay season to spend time consciously nurturing your Spirit and cultivating your greatest gift to the world: the light that you are! Come ready to look clearly, feel deeply, play intensely, and love fearlessly!
COST: $35 ($25 if paid before Dec. 1st)
Register now (select the Workshops tab )
Or mail check, Payable to AYC: POB 263, Ivy, VA 22945
Yesterday’s Papers
by Tilak on October 16, 2011
I sometimes hear voices. When I told the following story in class, a student who works at a mental hospital said to see her afterwards, that she may be able to help me with that. :) In all honesty, it rarely happens, but occasionally when my mind gets really quiet I am aware of a distinct dialogue already in progress just below the surface that I can listen in on. It’s different from my own normal mental chatter in that these voices have different accents, rhythms, genders, and the really wild thing is that sometimes I even hear both sides of an ongoing conversation. I find myself asking, “How did this guy with a New Jersey accent get in my head!?” or “Just who is this lady?” . . . I know what you’re thinking; trust me, I’ve thought it myself, but just hang in there with me. I’ve learned that they sometimes have things to teach you.
Halfway through a meditation one morning with Asha, everything was silent and still when all of a sudden a woman pops into my head. This time I could even see her face. She was talking to herself in a steady, determined voice, making a commitment to extricate herself from the games that she repeatedly found herself playing in her life, conversations, and relationships. She was making this declaration in the form of a list of all the things that she was no longer going to do. ‘I am going to stop doing X. I am going to stop doing Y. I am going to stop selling yesterday’s papers. I am . . . ’ And then she got halfway into the next one and I went, “Woah! Woah! Woah! Hold on! ‘Stop selling yesterday’s papers.’ I don’t think I have ever heard that phrase before. That is fascinating!”
I kept mulling it around, playing it all of these different ways, exploring what it could possibly mean. I ended up getting so much mileage out of it. The main image I got was that of a kid on the streets of New York City finding a stack of discarded, day-old newspapers and then going out on the street and trying to sell them to the people walking by. And knowing that those who come up to him, once they see what they really are, aren’t going to buy them because they know they are worthless, pointless. So I think what this lady was saying was that she had realized that her normal way of being in the world and with other people was essentially a commodity exchange using worthless, irrelevant parts of her life drama; stuff she should have been done with, worked through and processed yesterday, not stuff that she should still be working on and bringing to the table today.
I spent the rest of the day thinking about how much of our time and conversations with people are spent rehashing old issues, dramas, and identities that we should be done with by now, things that don’t really have any real relevance to today and to where we’re at in the moment. So whoever that lady is, I have to thank her because it was really a sweet, sweet little gift – the kind of gift that those voices will sometimes give you if you listen.
The Merton Prayer
by Tilak on August 20, 2011
This prayer was written by the Trappist monk, Thomas Merton, in his book Thoughts in Solitude. It is a favorite of my wife, Michelle, who keeps a framed copy on our dresser. Thanks to our dear friend Calvin Mercer for gifting it to us years ago.
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
Sufi Sam Initiation Story
by Tilak on August 5, 2011
This is one of my favorite stories about Sufi Sam (Murshid Samuel A. Miller/ Sufi Ahmed Murad Chisti), from the book In the Garden. It’s an account of someone coming to him for initiation.
Initiation
“As I approached the Montorgarten (Murshid’s center) my stomach started to flip flop and I got cold shills, along with the shakes. As I entered the hall I felt something missing, for there were not any trumpets, nor even any music. Wali Ali, his secretary, came in and asked me what I wanted. To my own surprise I explained that I had come to receive bayat (initiation). He said to wait a minute, because Murshid was taking a nap, and he would have to wake him. I told myself that this surely couldn’t be true: Murshid napping before an initiation? He was probably meditating in order to contact the Hierarchy. Somewhat perplexed, I waited until Murshid walked into the room, or should I say sleep-walked into the room. He was attired in a v-neck t-shirt, a pair of stained khaki pants, one sock on and one sock half off. He asked my purpose in coming and I explained. Upon hearing this, he called Wali Ali and began immediately. I felt like saying, “But where is the incense, the music, the robes?,” but totally annihilated, I stood there. Murshid was about three-fourths through when he told me to drink from this cup. But there wasn’t a cup! He asked Wali Ali to get one while we waited. Wali Ali was right back with the cup, but there wasn’t anything in it. Murshid said it was all right, just fake it and act as if you’re drinking from it. When the initiation was over he asked me if I wanted to watch Perry Mason with him while he peeled potatoes. Stunned, I could only say yes. During Perry Mason all he did was peel potatoes and give me penetrating glances out of the corner of his eye. When this was over I got up and left, somewhat dismayed. After a time I realized that this was the most paramount of experiences in my life.”
-Fazul
Yoga & Meditation Retreat at Lake Atitlan, Guatemala – March 3-10, 2012
by Tilak on May 6, 2011
Yoga. Meditation. Legendary views and the sacred waters of Lake Atitlan. Mayan culture in the Guatemalan highlands. The renowned hospitality and beauty of Villa Sumaya. The perfect way to begin 2012!!!
Join Tilak Pyle and artist and mystic Asha Greer for a week combining transformative spiritual practices, nature adventures, fun, relaxation, and meaningful inner and outer explorations in this Central American paradise. Days will include morning meditations, body and heart opening yoga classes, powerful self-discovery and healing exercises, scrumptious vegetarian meals, and time to take full advantage of the unique opportunities that Villa Sumaya and the surrounding area provide.
Villa Sumaya hotel and retreat center is situated on the picturesque shores of Lake Atitlan (at 4500 ft above sea level), in the heart of Guatemala’s highlands, and offers opportunities to discover Lake Atitlan’s living and legendary landscape. With an uninterrupted vista punctuated only by a skyline of three perfect volcanoes, Villa Sumaya is the ultimate high for romantics and adventurers in search of rest, reflection and ageless natural beauty.
Villa Sumaya’s unpretentious, thatch roofed complex has fifteen comfortable and elegantly decorated rooms, modern accommodations, spacious gardens, café, juice bar, hot tub, sauna, pool and outdoor pergolas that are all hidden in the natural surroundings providing secret refuges for our guests. The on-site Harmony Spa offers a complete line of massage and body treatments to help make your retreat special and healing.
Additional opportunities include swimming, kayaking, hiking to waterfalls and hot springs, diving, water skiing, horse back riding, climbing the San Pedro volcano, shopping at local markets, tours of nearby Mayan villages, and many more!
Prices for the retreat are $1195/Triple, $1300/Double, and $1510/Single occupancy, and includes all yoga classes & workshops with Tilak and Asha, accommodations for 7 nights, 3 gourmet meals per day, unlimited tea and coffee service, a tour of Amigos de Santa Cruz Artisan Market, an Eco Sumaya tour, and Guatemalan taxes. Space is limited. Register today!
Download Registration Form
(right-click, choose ‘Save Target As’)
Workshop Information
Elements of Retreat
by Tilak on April 1, 2011
My First Retreat
Looking back, I have to say that my first retreat was the summer I spent working in Yellowstone National Park just after my freshman year of college. It turned out to be both a very pivotal time in my life and the beginning of my spiritual path.
I remember flying into Jackson Hole, Wyoming at the end of May with my parents’ old green, hard-shell suitcase, a couple bucks in my pocket (literally), and a Montana address where I was supposed to eventually make my way. I didn’t know anyone, had no clue how I was going to get up to West Yellowstone, and was horrified to discover that it was sleeting outside! To an 18 year old farm kid who had just flown across the country on his first airplane ride, it was both a scary and exciting adventure.
Not knowing what else to do, I gathered my things and started walking with my thumb out. Fortunately, I didn’t go far before a Chinese family of five took pity and picked me up. Only the son spoke English. They were going through the park, insisted I have the front seat, and drove me all the way.
I worked and lived just 150 yards from Old Faithful in the heart of the magical Geyser Basin. The next three months were dedicated to an intensive outer exploration of the Park and an inner exploration of who I was. As a jumping off (or “in”) point, both the time and place were perfect. I spent every day immersed in nature, hiking hundreds of miles of trails, and living and working alongside many who were asking the same questions, who were there for the same search.
When I flew back home in August I wasn’t the same person. I still had a lot of growing up to do, but I had changed in ways that I couldn’t have imagined, and in ways that I would not have had I spent that summer at home.
Elements of Retreat
Having participated in many retreats and personal journeys since then, I’ve learned the importance of several key components to retreats and how they facilitate openings in the body, mind, and personality.
Get Away
The first and most important component of retreats is removing yourself from your normal physical and social environment. By getting away from “home” and the roles and people that define you, you have the opportunity to create space around the fixed identity and unconscious patterns of who you think you are. Without stepping back, you don’t have the perspective shift necessary to see clearly. This seeing, this awareness, is the priceless gem. The greatest gift of retreats is what you learn about yourself.
Take the Time
The second essential component is time. There is a natural cycle to inner work that can’t be rushed. My Watsu teacher, Theri Thomas, says that during a Watsu session people subconsciously know exactly how much material they can safely bring out to work with in the allotted time, and only very rarely, if ever, will they bring out more. It is the same with retreats: there are deep places within our hearts and minds that will not allow themselves to be seen or shifted if there’s not enough time intentionally set aside to process what is discovered/uncovered. It’s a built in protective mechanism, and it’s there for a reason. I’ve personally found a week to be an ideal amount of time to dive deep and for all of the unique and necessary steps to take place: the excitement, the boredom, the doubt, the fear, the revolt, the surprise, the release, the receiving, the integration, the gratitude. I’ve seen that timing work for others as well.
Spiritual Practice
The third component is practices that keep turning you back inward towards yourself. Yoga, meditation, conscious walking, conscious eating, conscious speaking, conscious not speaking, are all mirrors. They show you where you’re stuck, where you’re holding, avoiding, defending. They’ve been around for thousands of years because they work. Use them.
Nature
The final component is the healing power of nature. We often forget that we are a part of nature. By immersing ourselves in nature’s rhythms, sounds, colors, and sensations, we re-tune and bring balance back to our bodies and minds. Lying in the sun, walking barefoot on the ground, soaking in water, eating fresh healthy food. So simple. So effective. So often overlooked.
This year give yourself the gift of retreat! To journey on the path of growth and discovery is why we’re here.
Eoin Finn Workshop in Charlottesville – January 23, 2011
by Tilak on January 6, 2011
I am happy to be hosting Vancouver based yoga teacher Eoin Finn for a workshop here in Charlottesville on Sunday, January 23 from 1-4pm. Eoin will be offering a workshop and flow practice called “Eastern Mysticism, Yoga, and Your Nervous System.”
The original venue filled very quickly, so we have changed it to a larger space to accommodate the additional people wanting to experience Eoin and his teaching during this rare East Coast visit. It will now be held at the Charlottesville Waldorf School’s beautiful new Music & Arts Building. Registration has now re-opened! Below you can read the Workshop Description and Eoin’s bio. If you would like to reserve your spot, click the “Register and Pay” button below.
Eastern Mysticism, Yoga, and Your Nervous System
a workshop and flow practice with Eoin Finn
The “mystic experience” is the heart of so many philosophical and religious movements throughout history. Much of the Eastern Wisdom we cherish including Yoga is founded in the mystical experience. What exactly happens during a mystical experience is a mystery and thus the name, mysticism. All we can say for sure is that, in the words of Bob Marley, “Who feels it, knows it.” One thing all mystics from all traditions of the East and West talk about is that there is a deep feeling of stillness, of peace and the feeling that all things are deeply connected. Interestingly, a lot of the techniques these yogis and mystics cultivate, can be explained through understanding the nervous system.
Join Yogi, Surfer, and Blissologist Eoin Finn as he explains some of his exciting discoveries after over 23 years of studying philosophy, yoga, meditation and human anatomy in this intriguing workshop. We start with a lecture and discussion, then flow into an amazing vinyasa yoga class to end with a first person experience of the “mystic experience.”
About Eoin: One of Canada’s most well-known and well-loved yoga instructors, Eoin Finn has been a long-time disciple of Yoga, Philosophy, Martial Arts and Meditation. He has been teaching his unique, authentic and transformative style of Yoga and Blissology for over a decade. Eoin teaches all over the world and shares his passion for living well through yoga. He is a strong advocate of the belief in Yoga, Environmentalism and Social Change and founded the world’s first Yogathon + Blissfest in 2001 in Vancouver, Canada where the practice of 108 sun salutations in community to raise funds for a worthwhile cause began. Eoin’s teaching offers a heart-opening, invigorating and experiential practice grounded with humor, dynamism and a focus on both physical and energetic alignment. Yoga, when practiced with this holistic awareness, becomes fluid therapy, movement guided by the innate knowledge of our anatomy and evolution.
What: Workshop and Flow Practice with Eoin Finn
When: Sunday, January 23, 1-4pm
Where: Charlottesville Waldorf School, Music & Arts Building, 120 Waldorf School Road, Charlottesville, VA 22901
Cost: $50 by January 15; $55 thereafter.
Feathered Pipe – June 2011
by Tilak on December 21, 2010
I am honored to have been invited by Feathered Pipe Foundation to lead a retreat at their beautiful ranch in Montana next summer. Asha Greer and I will be leading a workshop called Open Body, Loving Heart, Spacious Mind the week of June 25 – July 1, 2011. I will be teaching yoga classes and Asha will be leading meditation practice, Japanese Tea Ceremony, and being her amazing self.
Come let the power of these practices, the beauty of the land, and the catalyst of your intention deepen your connection to yourself and your life.
Workshop Information
A Beautiful Mess
by Tilak on December 7, 2010
(Meditating with Asha is an ongoing sharing of my experiences sitting with Asha Greer. For an introduction to Asha and previous stories with her, please see Part 1 and Part 2 of this series.)
Beautiful Mess
Whenever I come home from sitting with Asha I usually share with my wife, Michelle, the things that Asha said that struck me as meaningful or insightful, and the many lessons that I was learning. Michelle was intrigued by her and decided that she would like to sit with us one morning. Her only reservation was that she doesn’t practice seated meditation and, in her words, “An hour is a looooonnnggg time to sit still.” She wanted me to check with Asha to make sure that it wouldn’t be taken as rude or violating decorum if she got restless or anxious and needed to get up and leave. I emailed Asha, and this was her response:
sure. she can come and go as she likes and wiggle as much as she needs…..burp, cough, laugh or cry.
love.
The next morning Michelle and I met Asha down in her Tea House. They instantly connected with a natural organic ease. And Asha started teaching: “Michelle, if you feel like you have to move or get up, please feel free. You can try standing and swaying side to side. I find that often helps. You won’t be bothering us. You’re a part of nature just like the trees and birds.”
Michelle sat, very still, for an hour. It was amazing.
Forty-five minutes into the meditation something else amazing happened. All was quiet and still, with just the sound of soft breath and the gentle trickle of the stream outside, when all of a sudden SMACK!, a large bird crashes into the glass window just in front of our faces, and then flies away leaving a large splatter of what I assumed was brownish green bird poop smeared across the window. We all were startled and gasped with surprise. Then Asha said two sentences with the same breath: First, “What a mess!” . . . and then, “How beautiful!” She was fascinated by the design the splatter had left. She said it looked like two eagles soaring. I have to be honest – all I saw was a wild design of bird poop (which in reality ended up being mud from alongside the stream).
Asha is an artist and has an artist’ eyes. She is always pointing out remarkable subtleties of light and shadow and color. But it’s also much more than that, because I realized that those two sentences perfectly and succinctly express the quality in her that so many feel when we are around her: her ability to lovingly see, honor, and appreciate the totality of our human condition. What a mess! How beautiful!
(Art by Asha Greer, from her collection of Meditation Cards.)