The Devatas with Nina Rao

Growing up, Nina was surrounded by the visual forms of the divine beings as well as hearing the names of these divine beings. These divine beings are devatas, and there are almost an infinite number in the Indian tradition. We first hear of the devatas in the vedas where every mantra invokes a specific devata by the sacred sound of the Name. The devatas are forms of cosmic forces that make up our environment, our body, our minds – our entire being – our true nature.

Chanting these mantras aligns us with the devatas, generating harmony all around. As time went on, the spiritual texts expanded into the puranas and itihasas, including the great sacred tales of Ramayana, Mahabharata, Devi Bhagavatam, Shiva Puranas and so many more. The visual images and legendary stories come from here and are the fabric of everyday life in India and many parts of south Asia. 

Nina will share her journey with some of these devatas alongside her time with her guru as a manifestation of these devatas on this plane.

An Introduction to the Hanuman Chalisa

Learning the Hanuman Chalisa with Nina Rao. Details coming soon.

Trauma informed teaching: How to create more inclusive and safer spaces.

With Masha Schmidt

‘Trauma informed yoga’ is a popular phrase, but what exactly does it mean for us as teachers and students? What types of training and support can we put in place for ourselves to become more informed? As individuals, how can we mitigate systemic cultures of harm?

In this workshop, Masha will offer her experience as a teacher and practitioner to define ‘trauma informed care’, and the ethics of that phrase. Our time together will include:

• Creating a ‘brave space’ vs a ‘safe space’

• Boundaries, Consent, and Scope of Practice in Yoga

• How to cultivate more inclusive spaces and how to repair unintentional harm

This workshop is for anyone that truly wants to create the safest spaces for the most people. Please come with the willingness to explore cultures of harm and the intention to find strength in vulnerability. We will create a brave space together.