IKYTA Mexico 3rd Teacher’s Congress



By Har Har Singh, Mexico
IKYTA Mexico celebrated its 3rd Teacher’s Congress (Autumn Sadhana) from October 31 to November 2 in Tonalli, a Holistic Retreat Center located two hours southwest of Mexico City. We were very fortunate to have the presence of well-known IKYTA teacher trainers: Guru Raj Kaur Khalsa (Canada), Sat Kartar Kaur (USA), Panch Nishan Kaur (USA), Sat Nam Kaur Khalsa (Mexico), Guru Jodha Singh (USA), and Pritam Pal Singh Khalsa (Mexico). The trainers shared wonderful and powerful kriyas, meditations, shabds, insights, thoughts, experiences, stories, and quotes from Yogi Bhajan around the 2009 Congress theme: Service. There were about 30 participants.

We increased our awareness of different service projects happening in the Global Community, found new avenues of participation for service projects in Mexico, and reinforced the established service programs of Yoga for Youth and Langar Mexico. We were very inspired by the celebration of Guru Nanak’s birthday during the last day of the Congress. All the attendees enjoyed delicious meals in a cozy and friendly environment (that’s our 3HO family seal!)

We invite all the 3HO community to join us in the 4th Teacher’s Congress to be held in Autumn 2010. We look forward to seeing you!


Already Registered? Here is what you need to know to have a
Healthy, Happy, Holy Solstice


wsolHospitality and “Heart to Heart”

Most people find Solstice to be a deeply transformative experience and well worth the effort. However, while you're going through this intense physical, mental, and spiritual experience you might undergo mood swings and have unexpected emotional reactions. So if things feel a little 'off,' there are people with insight into the issues available at the Hospitality area. Also head to the Hospitality area if you'd like to sign up for a Heart to Heart meeting, which is a confidential one-to-one meeting held in a private location. Hospitality hours will be listed in the Keeping Up Guide at Solstice.

Health and Well Being

Concerned about what to do if you encounter health issues – from boo boos to a trip to the emergency room? Click here and feel the relief.

What to Bring or Not to Bring

Are you wondering what you need to bring to Solstice? Click here and save yourself the hassle of trying to figure it out.

Tantric Days

Click here to download the Mantra Sheets that will be used at Winter Solstice.

Click here for more info about White Tantric Yoga®.

Registration

Registration hours have been extended to accommodate the high traffic hours.

Registration Hours:

Friday, December 18

  • 1 pm – 10 pm

Saturday, December 19

  • 10 am – 2 pm
  • 5 pm – 10 pm

Sunday, December 20

  • 10 am – 2 pm
  • 5 pm – 10 pm

Monday, December 21

  • White Tantric Yoga® Day #1) 7 am – 8:45 am

Tuesday, December 22

  • (White Tantric Yoga® Day #2) 7 am – 8:45 am

Wednesday, December 23

  • (White Tantric Yoga Day® #3) 7 am – 8:45 am

* For OFF HOURS support please contact Security. The Security Office is next to the Tantric Shelter.

Children

What about the kids? Big and little, there are forms that need to be completed. Parents please download, complete, and bring the forms listed below with you. Having these on hand will make your child’s registration a snap.


Click here to find out more about Children, Youth, and Teen camp.

Late-Night Arrivlas

If you arrive late in the evening and registration is closed, please avoid waking your fellow participants. Check in with Security at the gate and then after parking, head to the Tantric Shelter (yes, even if you have a cabin) with your sleeping bag and any other evening comforts that you feel you need. If this is your first time at Winter Solstice, don’t hesitate to ask Security about bathroom locations, when breakfast is, and, of course, where registration is located so you can head there in the morning.

Meals

Last but not least for many of us, food! Yes, meals are provided—a special Solstice Diet prescribed by Yogi Bhajan. Click here for details.

We can’t provide support for special dietary needs nor can we offer refrigeration, but you are welcome to bring whatever nonperishable foods you feel you will need that aren’t available to you on site. We suggest an airtight (animal proof) container. (Mice have a right to live, too, but we’d rather they settle someplace else while we’re there).



Horse Trail Rides & Riding Lessons at Winter Solstice



IKYTA Horse Trail Rides & Group Riding Lessons for kids & adults are being offered this year at Winter Solstice, both Beginning & Intermediate levels.

1½ hour Trail Ride, or a 1 hour Riding Lesson

Cost: $20 per person

To reserve your spot, email Hari Bhajan Kaur at gentleyoga@bellsouth.net as space is limited. Pre-register & pay (no credit cards) for your ride or lesson at the Children's Registration table as soon as you arrive at Solstice. Wear closed toe shoes and long pants for the Intermediate Rides and the Riding Lessons. No riding helmets are available at Circle F, but you may bring your own.

Rides & Lessons schedule:

Saturday, Dec 19

  • Beginning Trail Ride at 8:45am (ends at 10:15 in time for solstice classes)
  • Beginning & Intermediate Horseback Riding Lessons: 10:30 - 11:45 am (space is limited, levels will be separated into 2 rings)
  • Intermediate Ride at 1:15pm (ends at 2:45 in time for afternoon solstice classes, limited to 10 experienced riders, must be comfortable with trotting & cantering, and well in control of a horse, riding test in ring before trail ride with Circle F staff)

Sunday, Dec 20

  • Beginning & Intermediate Horseback Riding Lessons: 9 - 10:15am.
  • Beginning Trail Ride at 11am (ends at 12:30 pm in time for lunch)
  • Intermediate Ride at 1:15pm (ends at 2:45 pm)

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (Tantric Days), 21 - 23

  • Children & Teen Horse Care & Education and Beginning Trail Rides each morning at 10 am. Ages 6 and up can go on the trail ride, ages 1-5 ride in the ring with a leader and line. Riding spots for the parents serving each day and staff is limited. Rides and educational programs during tantric days are included as part of the solstice registration fee for children. They will be learning tacking, grooming, and horse care in smaller groups, in addition to their ride. An alternate activity will be available for any child unable to participate in the horse program, with advance notice from their parents.
  • Teen Beginning/Intermediate Ride at 12:30 pm on Tuesday &/or Wednesday (some adults can be included to make 10 people total for the intermediate group).
  • Group Horseback Riding Lessons for children, teens, and adults are available each tantric day at 3-4:30 p.m. for $20/hour lesson, all levels of experience welcome, individual attention given. Pre-registration required.

If your family or small group is interested in scheduling a horse activity other than what we have offered, please contact Hari Bhajan Kaur, Winter Solstice Children/Teen Program Administrator & Horse Program Coordinator gentleyoga@bellsouth.net , (865) 640.6702 cell



Eco Gifts



More Eco Gift Ideas:


Resources: For more ideas, read 25 Great, Consumer-Less Gift Ideas.

Find Gifts: Green Pages Online and the List of Alternative Gift Fairs in the U.S. can help you locate great gifts.

Light Up with LEDs: If you are installing Christmas lights, consider purchasing more energy efficient Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs). They have an average life span of 100,000 hours (vs. 1,500) and reduce energy consumption by up to 80-90%.

Gift Giving Policy: If you have a big family/lots of friends, come up with a plan to reduce the overall number of gifts given. One way is to randomly assign to each person only one other family member/friend to buy an eco gift for. Another (fun) example is for each person to buy and wrap one nice eco gift and then hold a party where everyone takes turns selecting their gift from the unselected (and already selected) gifts.

Gift Exemption Voucher: For someone you no longer want to exchange gifts with, print out and send them the Gift Exemption Voucher.

Alternative Gift Registry: If you have a wedding, baby shower, or office holiday party coming up, register for gifts through the Alternative Gift Registry for an eco-friendly celebration.

Holiday Cards: If you are sending out holiday cards, you can find eco-friendly ones at Conservatree or New American Dream. Thrift stores also carry donated Holiday cards during the holiday season. As an alternative to standard greeting cards, look into sending electronic greeting cards (check out tree e-greetings to plant a tree with each e-card) or making your own from waste paper.

Wrapping Paper: To reduce resource consumption from using new wrapping paper, you can find donated wrapping paper at thrift stores during the holiday season. Alternatively reusable gift bags, usable cloth (e.g., nice dish rags), old maps, decorated paper bags, any colorful pieces of material, home-made gift bags, or the sunday comics can substitute for store-bought wrapping paper.

Decorating Your Table: Consider decorating with soy candles and items from nature or seasonal fruit and vegetables in a bowl.

Less Waste: The following sites provide great ideas for creating less waste during the holiday season:



SEVAlicious



IKYTAThe Song of Seva
By Nadh Singh, Ontario, Canada

When was the last time you felt a connection to other people? Have you been searching for a way to do this?

The irony of this day and age, known to some as the age of communication, is that it has never been easier to communicate with people from all over the globe in record time, yet many of us feel even more disconnected from fellow human beings than ever. The rapidity and bulk of information erodes its quality and human color, and can often lead to people feeling overloaded, as the song above suggests. If this rings true to you, then perhaps seva is the answer you have been looking for. The word seva comes from Sanskrit and literally means “string.” It implies the inherent interconnectedness between human beings. It is through service that this connection is re-established. As a guide to help you remember what seva is, here are four handy reminders:

S: Selflessly devote yourself completely to your task, and do so with love. If you are asked or offer to do dishes or wash the floors, do so completely. With every brush of the mop or the scouring pad, recognize that there is no unimportant task, and that all acts are acts of love. Selflessly devoting yourself is honouring the divine light within you and recognizing the same divine light within others.

E: Expect nothing in return. Too often we give our time or energy and expect something in return. Some wait for the favor to be returned, while others anticipate the recognition from a colleague, friend, relative, or supervisor. Like a fisherman who waits patiently in his boat, we too may be waiting for an expected outcome to all our effort and patience, but may be sadly disappointed when the outcome is not quite what we expected. When expectations are attached to the gift of seva, then it is bound by conditions, and as such, it is not truly a gift of love, but rather a fish hook of sorts.

V: Value the string that is inherently present when doing seva. Honor seva for what it is—a connection to your inner self and to others.

A: Accept others just as they are, with loving eyes. While you’re at it, accept yourself as you are too! Don’t try to change anyone, including yourself, in the process. Simply let your acts of seva reconnect you to the You in you.

Reprinted from Aquarian Times, November 2007
“Seen a lot of rain
Seen a lot of road
I've seen a lot of the road
We're on overload
I see it in myself
It's everywhere I go
Every one of us
Looking for a connection
Connection”

~ Miten, “Connection” from Songs for the Inner Lover



Join Team 3HO



3HO Summer Solstice Events Office Assistant

We are looking for an Events Assistant to support the Events Manager with the 2010 Summer Solstice Sadhana Celebration. You will contribute to all aspects of running Solstice Sadhana Celebrations and related events as needed.

Job responsibilities include:


  • Service Area Staffing – Timely initial contact with Area Managers and recruiting of new managers as needed. Determine Karma Yoga and Service Scholar staffing needs in each area. Create and update scholarship application forms. Recruit staff in areas where we do not have a manager commitment.
  • Financial Aid Awards – Collect and review Financial Aid applications, submit to awards team for review and approval. Send out acceptance emails.
  • Registration – Support registration team as needed.
  • Vendor Relationships and Ordering – Contact vendors in a timely manner to communicate our needs and place orders, including but not limited to: food, vehicles, radios, tents, toilets & showers, heaters, and utilities.
  • On-Site – Run Set-Up Crew including post-event under the supervision of the Event Manager. Assist Event Manager with other event responsibilities as needed.
  • Manage the development of programming curriculum for Solstice Sadhana Celebration – Invite Course Proposals. Review applications with Event Manager for acceptance. Send acceptance email to teachers including venue and time. Create programming schedule including course description for Solstice Keeping Up Guide. Work with marketing team to create final program content. Submit print order.


This is a paid temporary employee position beginning February 1, 2010 through June 30, 2010. If you do not live in Espanola and you would like to become a part of the Solstice team, local housing options are available. We will accept applications for the Events Assistant position until January 15, 2010. Please click here to submit an application and resume.