As a teacher, Carlos is known for his love of the Indian yoga traditions, his insight, his humour, his profound empathy with his audiences and his ability to transmit the deepest scriptural teachings in a way that is clear, meaningful and applicable. Studying with Carlos is an enjoyable and enlightening experience.

* Early bird price valid until Jun 1st 2013.

ADVANCED SEMINAR

Program will include:

Kularnava Tantra, The Shiva Sutras: The Supreme Awakening or The Yoga of Supreme Identity, Upanishads, The World in the Mind: The Tantric Yoga of the Tripura Rahasy

These seminars combine a dynamic and insightful presentation of the material with the opportunity to experience directly some fo the most powerful practices of the yoga tradition, in a pleasant interactive format.

They are ideal for hatha yoga teachers, yoga students, meditation and spiritual seekers and anyone willing to:

- Dive into the secrets of the ancient yogic texts and let them inspire their life, practice and teaching

- Learn how to make the mind an instrument of insight and fulfillment at all levels of life

- Explore the Tripura Rahasya – an insightful scripture of the yoga tradition – which offers perhaps the deepest and most transformative method of meditation found anywhere

- Directly experience some of the ancient meditative practices contained the Shiva Sutras and the Upanishads to comprehend the wisdom laid out by the ancient sages

- Learn more about the Tantric meditative practices

- Experience the power of Mantra and Words.

- Gain understanding and experience of the Supreme Reality

The program analytically:

Kularnava Tantra

The best way to study and practice Tantra, to benefit from its positive outlook on life and its powerful practices is – without a doubt – to do it from the original sources themselves. This practical exploration of Tantra will be based on one of its most respected texts, called “Kulnarava Tantra”

It covers topics of supreme interest, such as the purpose of existence, the place of human life in the big scheme of the universe, the models of spiritual awakening and the most effective practices for liberation. With its sublime understanding and inspiring practices, Tantra integrates all aspects of human life in the pursuit of higher awareness, connectedness and love, infusing our existence with meaning and purpose

The Shiva Sutras: The Supreme Awakening or The Yoga of Supreme Identity
The purpose of this workshop is to explore a set of very profound practices that probe beyond the surface of reality to uncover the awareness of the divine in every aspect of life. Drawing from The Shiva Sutras, a foundational text of the Tantric Shaivism of Kashmir, we will uncover profound joy and sense of wonder.

The workshop consists of 3 sessions:

Session 1: The Secrets of the Body and the World
Exploring the background and context of the tradition, we will begin to investigate the foundational practices of Tantric Shaivism.
Session 2: The Power of Mantra and Words
Once the foundations are mastered, one of the most powerful – and multifaceted – dimensions of practice has to do with mantra and with the ways language shapes our experience. This session will explore how to harness the power of sound in the practice of yoga and in everyday life.
Session 3: The Radiance of the Divine Shines All Around Us
We will explore the deeper dimensions of Tantric meditation, based on two revolutionary approaches the Shiva Sutras offer. These practices seek to find the divine in every situation and to integrate the highest experience of meditation with the rest of our lives

Upanishads

Dive into the secret wisdom of the ancient yoga texts. Explore the Upanishads, which are perhaps the oldest mystical and philosophical texts available to mankind, containing the teaching and wisdom of ancient sages. These sublime texts unfold for us a profound view of who we are and of the deepest dimensions of the world we live in and the purpose of existence. For this reason, they were traditionally meant to be received not from a book, but directly from a teacher. This session will combine a lively and insightful presentation of some of the most important teachings of the Upanishads, as well the opportunity to directly experience some of the ancient meditative practices they contain.

The World in the Mind: The Tantric Yoga of the Tripura Rahasya

The whole world is manifested Consciousness. Like a city in a mirror. That Consciousness is absolute…But, as long as the mind is not turned inward, so long the Self cannot be realized”.
The essential teaching of all yoga is that a great treasure lies within every human being, but the key to finding it is the mind. Our mind contains not only the key to ultimate experience of meditation, but indeed to our whole life – it is the very place where we experience every moment of our lives.

Therefore, it is particularly important not only to understand it and how it shapes our experience of being alive, but specially, how to make it into an instrument of insight and fulfillment at all levels of our life.

This session will be based on a profound and insightful scripture of the yoga tradition, the Tripura Rahasya. This text forms a beautiful bridge between Advaita Vedanta and Tantra, which makes it tremendously relevant in contemporary life.

Most importantly, the Tripura Rahasya offers what is perhaps the deepest and most transformative method of meditation found anywhere. It is this method that will become the underpinning of the entire session, which will be taught in an interactive and approachable style.

WORKSHOPS
 

July 6th, 10:30-13:00 Yoga: An Extraordinary Life

Is there anything in yoga tradition that can help me deal with life's issues? Move closer to my goals? Eliminate obstacles? Become a happier person?

There certainly is! In fact, from its very beginnings the various yoga traditions have developed a wealth of practices, attitudes and understandings of immense value not only to optimize all aspects of our life, but to deal with the big issues we all face. What to do about desires, money, power, food, etc?

In this interactive and practical workshop we will explore the various approaches that yoga systems developed to deal with such questions, with particular emphasis on Tantra. Because the workshop offers a variety of traditional approaches that we can apply immediately to our lives, it is highly recommended to anyone interested in enriching their life through some of the deeper dimensions of yoga.

July 6th, 14:30-17:30 Spanda: The Pulsation of Life (Spanda Karikas)

What is behind all natural phenomena? What is the dynamism of life? What is that power which enlivens our senses and our mind? What is the vitality behind our consciousness? How can we be in contact with the source of energy and happiness?

Drawing from one of the fundamental texts of Tantric Shaivism in Kashmir, this course explores the very foundation of life and the universe, unveiling powerful insights and a variety of transformative practices that have the potential to radically ransform and enrich our lives.

July 7th 10:30-13:00 & 14:30-17:30 The Mystery of Karma and the Journey of the Soul

Drawing from the wisdom of ancient texts such as the Katha Upanishad and others, this meaningful and practical workshop will provide not only knowledge, but also practices and strategies
- to understand the underlying forces that create our destiny,
- to shape our destiny,
- to deal with the inevitable process of life and death,
- to help ourselves and others to put our life in perspective, make the transition smoothly and address unsolved issues in our lives
How does karma work? How does it shape my destiny and how can I change my destiny? What lies beyond this life? What happens during death? How can I best prepare for it? How can I overcome my fear? How can I help others make the transition?

Formerly known as Swami Gitananda, Carlos (www.pomeda.com) received traditional training in all aspects of yoga during his 35 years of practice, 18 of which he spent as a monk (swami) of the Saraswati order, including 9 years in India at the Siddha Yoga ashram, studying and practising under Swami Muktananda and Gurumayi Chidvilasananda.

During this time he learned the various systems of Indian Philosophy, immersed himself in the practice of yoga and became one of the senior monks of the tradition — teaching meditation and philosophy to tens of thousands of students around the world. He combines this experience and traditional training with his academic background, which includes two master's degrees: one in Sanskrit from U.C. Berkeley (where he has taught) and the other in Religious Studies, from U.C. Santa Barbara.

As a teacher, Carlos is known for his love of the Indian yoga traditions, his insight, his humour, his profound empathy with his audiences and his ability to transmit the deepest scriptural teachings in a way that is clear, meaningful and applicable. Studying with Carlos is an enjoyable and enlightening experience.

Testimonials

"here’s a man who can be trusted to cut through the usual window-dressing of yoga and give me the real goods… a heavyweight… without being heavy, he has a jaw-dropping range of knowledge."
Richard Rosen, Senior Reviewer, Yoga Journal
Author of Pranayama, Beyond the Fundamentals (Shambala, 2006)

“Carlos Pomeda is the real deal. His teaching on yoga philosophy is authentic, deep, passionate, and informed by decades of personal practice. I highly recommend The Wisdom of Yoga to all yoga teachers and committed practitioners.”
Timothy McCall, MD, Medical Editor, Yoga Journal
Author of Yoga as Medicine (Bantam Dell, 2007)

“Carlos Pomeda is a world-class teacher of Eastern Philosophy who has a tremendous ability to convey the essence of the depth of the yoga tradition in a way that is deeply meaningful and transformative.”
John Friend, Founder of Anusara Yoga

CONTACT ATHENS YOGA FOR REGISTRATIONS AND MORE DETAILS
Athens Yoga Studio
Louise Riankour 65-67
+30 213 038 36 11
Email: info@athensyoga.gr