RASA BHĀVA L.A.
AT LA MAIDA INSTITUTE, LOS ANGELES
JUNE 2/3, 2018
$250/$200 for members
Rasa is the reality of our purest emotions. Bhāva is to cultivate that state.
Nothing escapes the heart. What goes on in my belly and in my head is not exempt from the workings of the heart. My instinct and my rationality are indeed colored by the emotions generated within it. It is only by accepting the role of emotions in our lives that we can stop being manipulated by them. Once we realize that the reason you and I do not see eye-to-eye is because the fuel behind our beliefs and convictions is volatile, and that the state of our emotional body is one of conflict, discord and fragmentation, we can begin the process of freeing the hostage heart from these negative forces. Free of childhood fears, angers and grief’s that give rise to predictable behaviors manifesting a world of passion and war. Free to return to beauty, compassion, understanding, innocence, courage and love. These are the colors that we all secretly wish our hearts wore. And it is in embodying these that we increase the possibility of them being seated firmly in control once again in our lives and in our hearts, where they are now being held prisoner.
Rasa Bhāva is a workshop that shows how yoga and āyurveda give us the tools to change our lives for the better. It demands nothing less than a belief that you are indeed well. You have in fact never been diseased, just disabled and held prisoner by your own history. That in fact your history is but a traumatic injury that can be healed so as to reveal your own true wellness. It is fear that traps us in there, anger that inflames us and grief that congests us so we feel as though we must run away, strike out, or sink into depression. None of this is true once we realize these beliefs hold no place in conquering the purity of the heart itself. It is, as per āyurveda, the heart where the mind begins and it is through emotions that it first shows itself. Healing the emotions is healing the mind and healing the mind is healing the heart.
REGISTER HERE
EMOTIONS: LANGUAGE OF THE HEART
In the ancient vedic sciences, the heart is considered the root of the mind.
While we are quite aware of the power of instinct and its home in the enteric gut and brain stem; and equally aware of the power of rational intelligence and its home in the neocortex; by assigning the home of emotions to the limbic region we may be missing its root source and doing a great disservice to our most important organ.
It is from the heart that the “felt sense” arises and thus mediates between instinct and reason. The connection between wisdom and compassion that gives rise to ethics and sharing is the state of our emotional body.
In trauma, this state is under attack and our emotions of joy, creativity, and innocence curdle into grief, rage and fear. Learning to decouple from trauma is always possible and trauma is not always clinical. It is not necessarily chronic or even acute. It can be that which simply interferes with compassion and wisdom in our day-to-day life. It forces us to contract into survival, into seeking perverse pleasures and often sinking into bouts of rage and frustration, into irrational cravings for control and domination, into a coldness of heart and even into fear of speaking our truth.
Combining the wisdom of yoga and Ayurveda and linking it with the language of somatic psychotherapies, we find that keys to healing trauma are the same keys that unlock us from fears, irrational tempers and grieving. They deliver us safely into being grounded: allowing enjoyments, senses of purpose, openings of the heart and the ability to live our truths.
These teachings are clear and practical in the yoga path. Once combined with the basic teachings of Ayurveda, such as diet, lifestyle and the proper use of exercise, they become powerful therapeutic tools.
When we free the heart of its bondage to life trauma, we open to the salve of the higher emotional states and enter into our own lives as warriors of light and love.
When the heart is set free we find courage, fortitude, grace, selflessness and we find the emotions that are our birthright and our pathways to freedom from suffering.
In these ancient sciences, we call this “sattvavajaya cikitsa”: the victory of truth.
In what I have coined rasa bhāva, we learn to cultivate the essence of the heart.
REGISTER HERE
CURRICULUM:
SESSION THREE: Svatantra Nyāya: Finding that the logic inherent within wisdom and compassion equates with love and intelligence. This is the deeper healing, where we end up when we have learned the logic of the body as correct action, breath as correct speech and mind as superior contemplation.
SESSION FOUR*: The Preliminaries: Diet, Lifestyle & Relationships affect every aspect of our lives as key pillars to health. This includes a clear understanding of sleep, exercise, intimacy as part of daily living. *not included at all locations
SESSION FIVE: Practical Session that will utilize all the yogic tools we speak about on Saturday so we can actualize the experience of emotional stability. A short talk will close out any additional needed explanations at the end. All levels of healthy practitioners are welcome. If you have special injuries or needs you may also observe the practice. It can be just as powerful.
REGISTER HERE
TESTIMONIALS:
The first time I attended Arun Deva’s Emotional Intelligence workshop, I was literally blown away. I could not even take notes as it was so fascinating. I then decided I needed to hear it again – and this time I managed to take notes. We all know what note-taking ends up being – another pile of papers that are pushed aside somewhere, never again to be referred to. Not in this case. Arun’s material is so totally right on, so very timely – I have referred to it many, many times – not only for students and/or clients, but for me as well. Thank you Arun for sharing this meaningful knowledge – EI is a gorgeous workshop. I recommend it highly to one and all.
A. Abhaya Geyer, C-IAYT; AHE-300, C-IAYT Yoga Therapist/Educator, Yoga Instructor, Ayurvedic Health Educator, Las Vegas, NV
What a wonderful workshop! The energy in the room was strong yet calm. I was so impressed with Arun Devi’s intelligence, compassion and warmth. The pacing was perfect- just enough information and physical practice to feel complete, but not overwhelmed. I judge a workshop successful if I take away one lesson that I can I apply and use immediately in my life. I took away six!
Thank you, Wendy Williams, yoga practitioner, Encinitas, CA
Recently I was able to attend the Rasa Bhava Workshop offered by Arun Deva. Arun is a gifted teacher who has a storehouse of knowledge and experience that he offers generously and with humility and humor to his students. My experience of the two-day workshop was very powerful for me.The first day consisted of four blocks of lecture. I couldn’t take notes fast enough. The following day we put all that information into practice. This allowed the information imparted the previous day to be incorporated deeply into my mind and body. One workshop is not enough to absorb and master the gift that Rasa Bhava is to my life. I will attend again. As my awareness deepens I hope that my life shares the benefits with others who cross my path.
Meg Long-Eastman, MPS; Temecula, CA
The workshop was a holistic experience, beautifully designed in two day, and for me, it marked the beginning of a much longer journey. Its effect has been continuous as I’m still learning about myself and my emotions. I cannot put into words the depth of my experience when I am thinking of how it has deeply touched upon parts of me and awakened memories (that) remained dormant for years.
Leila Mesbahi, yoga practitioner, Los Angeles, CA
READINGS:
AN INTERVIEW ON LEVITATING MONKEY WITH ANJULA DUGGAL
PSYCHOLOGY OF A SAGE ON AYURVEDA NEXT DOOR
May we always be friends in the light,
Arun Deva
Arunachala Yoga & Ayurveda 