This summer I signed up for the Sacred Art & Yoga Teacher training with Hari Kirin at Soul Yoga in New Hampshire.
For years I have been following Hari Kirin and wished I could go to one of her trainings, and this year, with the generous help of Gwaii Trust Society, I was able to finally go and immerse myself in a sacred practice of art making, yoga, being in community with fellow teachers, artists and art therapists.
For years I have been following Hari Kirin and wished I could go to one of her trainings, and this year, with the generous help of Gwaii Trust Society, I was able to finally go and immerse myself in a sacred practice of art making, yoga, being in community with fellow teachers, artists and art therapists.
Hari Kirin has a beautiful, gentle way of delivering Kundalini Yoga, which after watching a video of her on Facebook, convinced me she was the right mentor for me at this time of my life. Throughout the year she has helped me find a new way to practice Kundalini Yoga. She has also helped me reconnect with my art in new ways, encouraging the development of a daily art practice:
Community and Alchemy
To come together as artists, teachers, like minded people in community is such a gift and propels our art making and spiritual practice into a whole new dimension.
As Hari Kirin writes, "The combination of yoga and the arts invites an experience of wholeness and healing that brings.... to be whole.... even for one breath is healing. It leads to being fully human, to heal and become a source of healing. Clearly more than ever before, today we need a sense of interconnectedness of our world. Whatever happens to any of us human, animal, plant or ecosystem is happening to all of us."
My experience within this community was indeed deeply healing, alchemy happened and transformations took place.
As Hari Kirin writes, "The combination of yoga and the arts invites an experience of wholeness and healing that brings.... to be whole.... even for one breath is healing. It leads to being fully human, to heal and become a source of healing. Clearly more than ever before, today we need a sense of interconnectedness of our world. Whatever happens to any of us human, animal, plant or ecosystem is happening to all of us."
My experience within this community was indeed deeply healing, alchemy happened and transformations took place.
Daily Practice
A little taste of our rich schedule in this training: we gathered from 6am to 5pm each day for a morning Kundalini Yoga sequence, followed by a 35 minute meditation, accompanied with live chanting and music by Siri Gopal. Each early morning session included Sacred practice of Kolam, a form of drawing with rice flour and rock powder, sometimes using naturally coloured powders.
After breakfast we would dive deeper into day long training sessions and presentations by the different teachers. We were introduced to Sacred Dance & Movement, the healing practice of Sat Nam Rasayan, Henna practice, Sacred Mandala practice, Brush & Ink work and Paper Bead Mala making.
Practicum
Each day one a group of 4 or 5 students were required to present a practicum. Each group was asked to put together a class with a different audience or art project in mind.
Our group turned out to be thrown in the deep end, as we had to present our practicum on the second day of the training! We were asked to come up with an art project incorporating Affirmation Dolls, brought from India by Krupa Devi. I had the honour to teach with Navneet Khalsa, yoga teacher and art therapy counsellor, Prema Dev Inderjeet, a trauma informed Art Therapist, and Sahaj Kaur, yoga teacher and established artist.
It was fun and challenging in a team of 4 experienced teachers and artists to come up with a theme for our class, division of who teaches what and giving each part enough time: yoga, meditation, art, relaxation/closure. Deep listening, being able to alter/adjust on the spot, limit of time, letting go of expectations and the need to be perfect, trusting each other, and recognizing when participants are in their own (sometimes difficult) process, were all part of the lessons I came away with from this practicum. I'm so grateful for this enriching opportunity!
Our group turned out to be thrown in the deep end, as we had to present our practicum on the second day of the training! We were asked to come up with an art project incorporating Affirmation Dolls, brought from India by Krupa Devi. I had the honour to teach with Navneet Khalsa, yoga teacher and art therapy counsellor, Prema Dev Inderjeet, a trauma informed Art Therapist, and Sahaj Kaur, yoga teacher and established artist.
It was fun and challenging in a team of 4 experienced teachers and artists to come up with a theme for our class, division of who teaches what and giving each part enough time: yoga, meditation, art, relaxation/closure. Deep listening, being able to alter/adjust on the spot, limit of time, letting go of expectations and the need to be perfect, trusting each other, and recognizing when participants are in their own (sometimes difficult) process, were all part of the lessons I came away with from this practicum. I'm so grateful for this enriching opportunity!
Teachers:
Sacred Art & Yoga Training is offered by Hari Kirin Kaur Khalsa, accomplished Artist, Kundalini Yoga Teacher and writer of the book 'Art and Yoga, Kundalini Awakening in Everyday Life'.
Krupa Devi, International Art Therapist and founder of Sankalpa Journeys in India, and Siri Gopal (Kristi Williamson), a a dynamic, embodied movement facilitator, assisted Hari Kirin during this training:
Krupa Devi, International Art Therapist and founder of Sankalpa Journeys in India, and Siri Gopal (Kristi Williamson), a a dynamic, embodied movement facilitator, assisted Hari Kirin during this training:
The Mountain that Stands Alone
As part of our training, we were invited to Hari Kirin's personal land for a sacred art journey and were honoured with a lecture about 'Soul' by author and psychotherapist Thomas Moore.
Thomas encouraging us to embrace the eccentricity of being an artist, an image maker, allowing our soul to speak from this place of solitude and eccentricity while bridging existence in the outer world.
On this day, the Great Monadnock Mountain, the 'Mountain that Stands Alone' cleared the clouds and showed itself to us in all its glory.
Thomas encouraging us to embrace the eccentricity of being an artist, an image maker, allowing our soul to speak from this place of solitude and eccentricity while bridging existence in the outer world.
On this day, the Great Monadnock Mountain, the 'Mountain that Stands Alone' cleared the clouds and showed itself to us in all its glory.
I'm ever grateful for this pilgrimage and this opportunity to immerse myself in this beautiful, rich and wise community for six days. It's been a sacred journey; leaving Sleeping Beauty Mountain crossing the ocean in a canoe and ferry; flying across the continent to Montreal; crossing rivers and border crossings in a car to finally arrive at the Mountain That Stands Alone, finding the treasure I was looking for. I highly recommend reading this edition of 'The Conference of Birds', as it describes the pilgrimage in a more eloquent way. What a blessing!
While diving deep into the waters of art, yoga and soul, I found a great treasure in the depths, patiently waiting for me for over 40 years. It's been a re-birth of a kind and now I'm in need of rest, solitude and quiet to process, to cocoon and to allow the creative process to unfold naturally. I can't wait to see what emerges next!
While diving deep into the waters of art, yoga and soul, I found a great treasure in the depths, patiently waiting for me for over 40 years. It's been a re-birth of a kind and now I'm in need of rest, solitude and quiet to process, to cocoon and to allow the creative process to unfold naturally. I can't wait to see what emerges next!
Thank you Hari Kirin Kaur Khalsa for guiding the way, for being a soothing, inspiring and nurturing light house. Thank you Krupa for helping me recognize the importance of ritual and reverence. Thank you Siri Gopal for your gift of performance, bringing Rumi, Hafiz, Moon Goddess and many others come to life in such a soul stirring way and helping me recognize and experience 'the other is you'. Thank you Thomas Moore for your gift of time, sacred space and soul language. Thank you Tejbhan, Stephanie Budd, for creating such a sacred and welcoming space for us at Soul Yoga each day.
Thank you to all the Sacred Soul Sisters and Brother who attended this training. It was a deep honour and pleasure to work with you, to share the sacred space with you, to learn, to grow, to transform.
Thank you to the generosity of Gwaii Trust Society, for their Workshop & Mentorship Grant Program, to make my attendance to this training and journey possible!
And last but not least, thank you to our family for supporting this time for training, for developing myself in order to be able to give back to our community. You know who you are. Love you all!
Blessings, love and light to all.
Kiki
Thank you to all the Sacred Soul Sisters and Brother who attended this training. It was a deep honour and pleasure to work with you, to share the sacred space with you, to learn, to grow, to transform.
Thank you to the generosity of Gwaii Trust Society, for their Workshop & Mentorship Grant Program, to make my attendance to this training and journey possible!
And last but not least, thank you to our family for supporting this time for training, for developing myself in order to be able to give back to our community. You know who you are. Love you all!
Blessings, love and light to all.
Kiki
 Kiki in training, a little tired yet so grateful for all the enriching experiences. |
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