zen mind, yoga body retreats
With Samantha Ostergaard & Robert Thomas
Explore the integration of yoga practice and Zen meditation as complementary spiritual practices in these rejuvenating retreats.
The ancient traditions of yoga and Zen together form an effective path to achieving a deep sense of clarity, stability, and relaxation, allowing you to enjoy the natural radiance of your body and mind.
The retreats include sessions of yoga practice, sitting meditation, Buddhist teachings, & group discussion.
The yoga practice, based in the Iyengar style, is for all levels, and includes both active and restful postures that prepare our minds and bodies for meditation.
In 2011 we will offer these retreats at Tassajara and also an extended retreat/pilgrimage in Katmandu, Nepal.
Each retreat will have a different focus, for those who would like to attend more than one.
See below for dates, registration, and for what people are saying about these retreats!
If you have any questions or concerns about participating in a retreat, don't hesitate to contact Samantha at yoga@samanthaostergaard.com.
at tassajara zen mountain center in Carmel Valley, California
Weekends in summer 2011:
August 19-21
September 2-5 Labor Day weekend
In these weekend retreats at Tassajara, we will practice yoga and zazen in the beautiful, quiet, spacious brand-new retreat center!
The weekend format will give us the time to offer a session dedicated to helping you with your challenges with a seated meditation posture.
These popular workshops may fill up quickly. Register early to ensure your place!
To register, please visit the San Francisco Zen Center website for Tassajara reservations.
mindful yoga & zen retreat in nepal Katmandu Valley
October 10-21, 2011
Join us for a yoga retreat and life-changing pilgrimage in Nepal! We will share daily yoga and meditation, and a guided tour of the incomparable monasteries, temples, and villages of the Katmandu Valley.
This special valley, tucked away in a fold of Himalayan hills, has long been a 'power place' for pilgrims and seekers from India, the Himalayas and Tibet. Hinduism and Buddhism converge here, and the valley is loaded with awe-inspiring monuments to the sacred. Join us for a journey of the heart and mind as we explore the living holy places of Kathmandu and beyond.
Here's what you'll experience on this retreat:
* Enjoy daily yoga and meditation practices where you will explore the interconnection of mind, movement and breath.
* Learn the art of getting grounded in every pose, both physically and mentally.
* Experience stillness through asana, and deepen your meditation experience.
* Visit unforgettable holy sites, temples, and monasteries. Learn about the iconography, art, and architecture of the valley and discover what the Buddhist deities and the Hindu gods and goddesses represent for you.
* Explore the evolution of Buddhist thought, and learn how to extend the benefits of zazen (Zen Meditation) into every moment of your day.
For more information please visit: YogaNepal.com.
what people say about
zen mind, yoga body retreats
" I came to the Zen Mind, Yoga Body Retreat at Tassajara because I wanted to take my ideas about zen and to make them a practice in my life.
I think that Robert does an excellent job of giving zen philosophy and meditation and practical significance and the yoga sessions by Samantha strengthened and stretched every muscle that was necessary in order to sit for meditation.
Since the retreat, I have made mindfulness meditation a part of my everyday life. I feel more mindful and happy and the retreat feels like one of the best things I have done for myself."
- Neil
I very much enjoyed the weekend retreat “ Zen Mind/Yoga Body”. Of all the workshops we have taken, this was in my mind the best integration of bodywork and introduction to Zen.
Samantha’s instructions were easy to follow and considerate of all levels of ability. Her aides did a very good job assisting with alignments and helping participants with adapting a posture to their own level of comfort.
Robert’s talks were easy to follow yet provided thoughts for reflection. You physically, mentally and spiritually prepared us to sit Zazen."
- Karin
“I had a fantastic time doing the retreat. It really helped center my mind and body before embarking on my new journey, and it definitely helped allay my fears about meditation.
The times we spent at the end of yoga sessions just sitting were very rewarding. One of the things I liked best about the way you taught yoga is that, without exception, my body felt incredibly better afterwards.
And not only better and more limber, but also somehow more stable. My legs felt more connected to the earth, and more able to support the rest of me.”
-Rudi
“Samantha, you and Robert are the real deal.
I was honored to study with you both for the day…
you were both so open and loving and gentle and real and knowledgeable, that I came away completely satisfied.”
-TMF
"My experience of the weekend workshop Zen Mind, Yoga Body was very positive. Samantha and Robert provided the group with an inspiring blend of yoga practice and zen meditation that was warm, non-judgemental and fun.
They took great care to address everyone's needs, and encouraged each person to stretch their own comfort zone. At the end of the three days I returned home rejuvenated, muscles stretched and peaceful inside.
Overall the retreat was a wonderful experience, and I thank you both for your mindful presence, good humor, commitment and wisdom."
-BR
“The retreat was truly a "treat" to myself. I have had a busy year emotionally and physically and I've felt a strong need to connect with myself (and the rest of the world) with the help of a meditation practice.
This was a wonderful introduction to the process.... I came to the retreat thinking I wanted something but was grateful to be given what I needed. Both my mind and body got a good "wringing out" and I left with a sense of openness all around.”
–Brit
“I have enjoyed the two workshops with you and Robert tremendously and both times I have come away feeling very grounded and only wanting more…I will be eager to attend your future workshops and hope I will have the opportunity to learn from you both again soon.”
-Nina
robert thomas
Do-An Robert Thomas has spent the last 17-plus years intensively studying and practicing Soto Zen Buddhism with some of the foremost American Zen teachers in America. Robert is an ordained priest in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, author of the modern spiritual classic Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, and founder of the first Soto Zen Buddhist monastery outside of Asia, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center.
Robert spent over six years training as a Zen monk at Tassajara, meditating on average 6 to 10 hours each day. He was ordained as a priest in 2000, and received full certification as a Zen teacher (“Dharma Transmission”) from Zoketsu Norman Fischer in 2008.
As a Zen teacher, Robert’s Buddhist practice and teachings are focused on helping people from all walks of life to realize the practical benefits of “zazen” (Zen meditation), and extending the calm, centered, and open qualities of this uniquely powerful form of meditation practice into every moment of their day.
Robert is also a long-time spiritual and administrative leader of the San Francisco Zen Center, the largest Buddhist community outside of Asia. For over six years he has been serving as President and Executive Director, overseeing the running of all three centers (Tassajara, Green Gulch Farm, and City Center) and spearheading its long-term vision to bring Zen meditation practice and the wisdom and compassion of the Buddha to the world.
Since 1993, Robert has traveled extensively in Asia, studying Buddhism with well-known teachers in both the Theravadan and Tibetan Buddhist traditions and practicing at monasteries and practice centers in Thailand, India, Nepal, Burma, Laos and Cambodia.
"I came to realize that mind is no other than mountains and rivers and the great wide earth, the sun and the moon and the stars."
~Dogen
at green gulch farm zen center
Saturday and Sunday, February 11 - 12
Sausalito, California
In this day-long retreat the yoga practice will focus on postures to open the upper back and release the shoulders for a comfortable meditation posture.
We will practice together in the Yurt at Green Gulch Farm Zen Center, where you can enjoy the gardens and walk to the beach before or after the retreat. Lunch is provided. For more information please visit the Zen Center website here.
To register please call the Green Gulch Farm Zen Center office at 415.383.3134.
Click on the image above to watch a video of what you'll experience on this retreat!
