Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Easter Retreat
'Many of life's problems have to do with fear and attachment, the most basic obstacles to realizing one's essential nature. The ancient practice of chod is a creative and skillful method for dissolving these obstacles.Chod literally means 'to cut.' Traditionally, chod practitioners (chodpas) would practice most often in external natural environments believed to harbor harmful energy from the spirits of nature, whose provocations were incited by disharmony between the human and spirit worlds. The chodpa would travel into the mountains, chanting with drum and bell, in order to conquer the spirits with a ‘sword of wisdom' and reharmonize the energy between the two worlds.'
Namgyalgar South, near Tilba in southern NSW, was brimming with green for our Easter Chod Retreat.
Forest accommodation was in cosy vans, tents or dorms ( recently renovated and available for rentals for other groups).
The Chod practice we do comes to us from our teacher Chogyal Namkai Norbu who began teaching it after receiving a significant dream.
Machig Labdron, a Tibetan yogini practicing in the eleventh century is the originator of several Tibetan lineages of the Chod
Our retreat was led by our very own chodma, SMS instructor Angie Gilbert who learned the Chod from Rinpoche twenty-six years ago.
Learning the drum moves is not so easy.
Meanwhile each afternoon the Namgalgar Dance Team worked on their routine
which they will take to the Dancing Under The Stars competition in Massachusetts in July
dancing off against the team from Tsegyalgar.
All that dancing and drumming builds an appetite.
Cooking on small retreats at Namg South - always a community effort.
Carlos and Luca get in on the carrot grating action.
Madeleine's salad dressed with dukka.
Peter's spicy lentil and chorizo dish.
Conversations with dharma friends, always a highlight - Georgia and Gary.
Antonia declares the pumpkin soup a worthy entry into the Namgyalgar Cook Book.
Another pic for the cookbook, don't forget to send your recipes to Glenda.
An evening performance.
A farewell puja feast on our last day.
We leave with renewed energy, taking a little bit of Namg South home with us.
The next event at Namgylagar South is the Karma Yoga Long Weekend June 7, 8, 9.
See you there!
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Dancing under the Stars
In July 2014 Tsegyal Gar, one of the centres of the International Dzogchen Community, situated in Massachusetts, USA, will hold a special event — the Inauguration of the Universal Dance Mandala.
This mandala is the largest of its kind in the world and will be used for the contemplative practice of Vajra Dance, which is transmitted to members of the Dzogchen Community by their master Chogyal Namkhai Norbu and taught by qualified teachers. Read more about Vajra Dance here.
The Univeral Mandala is now housed in a magnificent building, completed in 2013.
Vajra dance teachers and dancers from around the world will gather on July 11, 12,13 for the inauguration at Tsegyal Gar with Chogyal Namkhai Norbu.
As well as the Vajra Dance event there will be a light hearted, extra curricular activity taking place, called Dancing Under The Stars, where different international Dzogchen communities present an original choreographed modern dance piece in competition with another gar. ( Gar in Tibetan means encampment of practitioners. There are Dzogchen Community gars on each of the continents of the globe, as well as a number of lings — ling means place).
In July a team from Tsegyal Gar (USA) will dance off against a team from Namgyal Gar (Australia & Pacific). Each will present an original modern dance piece 12 - 15 mins duration, which captures the nature of their community in an inclusive and creative manner.
In Australia preparations are under way with troupe of people already working on their dance moves under the expert facilitation and direction of choreographer Suze Smith. The next rehearsal period will be at Namgyal Gar South at Easter (April 18-21). It is not too late to join!
Click here for one of the music tracks we will be dancing to.
The dance team members will pay their own air fares to the USA and accomodation at Marie Stella Beaver Lodge just a walk away from Khandroling, where the inauguration and dance competition will be held.
Namgyal Gar Gakyil has announced a generous contribution towards production costs and part accommodation of the dance team at Beaver Lodge which sleeps twelve people. There is still room for others to stay with us for $30 - $50 US per night. By sharing our accommodation you will also be contributing to the dance team effort. The Lodge is booked from July 7 - 22, so you can catch the inauguration and dance comp and stay on for the retreat wih Rinpoche, July 16-20.
If you would like to make a donation towards our production costs or have any questions about the Dance Comp please contact us here.
This blog post is written on behalf on the Namgyal Gar Dance Team Committee: Catherine Horner, Suze Smith and Jan Cornall.
This mandala is the largest of its kind in the world and will be used for the contemplative practice of Vajra Dance, which is transmitted to members of the Dzogchen Community by their master Chogyal Namkhai Norbu and taught by qualified teachers. Read more about Vajra Dance here.
The Univeral Mandala is now housed in a magnificent building, completed in 2013.
Vajra dance teachers and dancers from around the world will gather on July 11, 12,13 for the inauguration at Tsegyal Gar with Chogyal Namkhai Norbu.
As well as the Vajra Dance event there will be a light hearted, extra curricular activity taking place, called Dancing Under The Stars, where different international Dzogchen communities present an original choreographed modern dance piece in competition with another gar. ( Gar in Tibetan means encampment of practitioners. There are Dzogchen Community gars on each of the continents of the globe, as well as a number of lings — ling means place).
In July a team from Tsegyal Gar (USA) will dance off against a team from Namgyal Gar (Australia & Pacific). Each will present an original modern dance piece 12 - 15 mins duration, which captures the nature of their community in an inclusive and creative manner.
In Australia preparations are under way with troupe of people already working on their dance moves under the expert facilitation and direction of choreographer Suze Smith. The next rehearsal period will be at Namgyal Gar South at Easter (April 18-21). It is not too late to join!
Click here for one of the music tracks we will be dancing to.
The dance team members will pay their own air fares to the USA and accomodation at Marie Stella Beaver Lodge just a walk away from Khandroling, where the inauguration and dance competition will be held.
Namgyal Gar Gakyil has announced a generous contribution towards production costs and part accommodation of the dance team at Beaver Lodge which sleeps twelve people. There is still room for others to stay with us for $30 - $50 US per night. By sharing our accommodation you will also be contributing to the dance team effort. The Lodge is booked from July 7 - 22, so you can catch the inauguration and dance comp and stay on for the retreat wih Rinpoche, July 16-20.
If you would like to make a donation towards our production costs or have any questions about the Dance Comp please contact us here.
This blog post is written on behalf on the Namgyal Gar Dance Team Committee: Catherine Horner, Suze Smith and Jan Cornall.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Dream Yoga Pics
Some pics from our Dream Yoga weekend with Michael Katz, Redfern Townhall, Sydney, January 2014.
This informative, uplifting and enlightening weekend was a combination of lecture, discussion, meditation and practical workshopping, designed to give us a tangible taste for realising our potential through the dreaming process and dream state.
Michael skillfully guided us in many different ways:
workshopping
pairs work on transformation
more psycho drama of dreams
celebrating a birthday
working with attachment
quoting wisdom from Tibetan masters
reminding us how to prepare for the yoga of dreams throughout the day
teaching us how to regard the past moment as a dream
a guided nap, a lucid dream ...
reporting back
sharing our dreaming stories
writing our dreams
describing our dreams: 'when I was in this dream I....."
and of course camping it up for the camera
.We will be holding monthly meet ups in Sydney to continue to explore the yoga of dreams. If you are interested please join our Tibetan Dream Yoga and Meditation Meet Up Group.
Michael Katz Australian Dream Yoga Tour was hosted by the Dzogchen Community of Namgyalgar. He is the editor of Dream Yoga and The Practice of Natural Light by noted Tibetan scholar and master, Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, and the author of Tibetan Dream Yoga, The Royal Road to Enlightenment.
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