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Anthem
1608 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 23 2011 : 09:10:48 AM
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We are hoping you will join Katrine and Carson for one of our Toronto AYP Yoga and Deep Meditation Retreats on either of the weekends of May 13 to 15 or August 12 to 14, 2011 in Ontario, Canada.
The AYP Yoga and Deep Meditation Retreats will be held at the beautiful and tranquil setting of the St. Francis Retreat Centre just north of Caledon, Ontario, approximately 35 minutes north of Toronto Pearson International Airport.
These AYP retreats will give people the opportunity to vastly deepen and expand their practice in the profound and powerful way that only a group retreat experience can provide.
Registration information can be found by visiting the Inspirational Works website or by clicking on any of the links above. You can also can phone in to register at 1-416-963-8315.
Please note, there are a maximum of only 50 spaces available for each of these two retreats. We hope to see you there! |
Edited by - Anthem on Feb 23 2011 10:14:06 AM |
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Anthem
1608 Posts |
Posted - Mar 05 2011 : 11:09:12 AM
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| Just a little update, with Carson, Katrine and myself, so far there will be 9 people at the Toronto retreat. So things are shaping up nicely. |
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Guy_51
USA
170 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2011 : 06:55:15 AM
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Hi Anthem,
It was great talking with you the other day and I am really looking forward to meeting you in May at the retreat. I did receive my confirmation for a single private room and retreat registration via email. I really would like to encourage others to sign up ASAP as I'm sure it will be a very special few days. If there is anything I can do to help out please let me know.
Guy |
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Anthem
1608 Posts |
Posted - Apr 09 2011 : 11:44:20 AM
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Glad you will be there with us too Guy and great talking to you as well!
So far including Carson, Katrine and myself, there will be 13 of us at the Toronto May 13 to 15 retreat which is shaping up nicely! |
Edited by - Anthem on Apr 09 2011 11:48:13 AM |
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Anthem
1608 Posts |
Posted - May 02 2011 : 9:58:14 PM
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Just a little update. Things are coming together nicely, we have 15 people who will be at the retreat including Katrine, Carson and myself.
If you are thinking of coming, we would love to see and meet you there! |
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Anthem
1608 Posts |
Posted - May 16 2011 : 10:56:42 AM
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So we were 17 people including Katrine and Carson this weekend and it was truly an amazing retreat, a very special experience to be part of.
Katrine and Carson are fantastic teachers who work beautifully together and really take themselves out of the equation. The participants were a mix of those new to AYP and those who had been practicing it already. The openings in the people there were great to witness, there were no issues with overload and the feedback from those attending could not have been more positive.
It was my first time doing Inner Dialogue and I really enjoyed it. It was very light and easy, everyone reported very positive experiences with it.
The final mediation was extraordinarily powerful and despite not meditating myself, due to self-pacing, I was pulled into deep absorption with my eyes open as the group went deep into silence. The waves of energy and love were palpable.
Thank you to Katrine and Carson for their selfless service and to all those participating who made the retreat such possible and such an uplifting experience.
Looking forward to August 12 to 14!
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yogani
USA
5195 Posts |
Posted - May 16 2011 : 11:42:43 AM
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Bravo!
The guru is in you.
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Bill R.
Canada
12 Posts |
Posted - May 16 2011 : 9:34:53 PM
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Hello everyone. The Toronto-area retreat was a powerful and positive experience. Katrine and Carson have good chemistry and did a great job of leading people through the weekend. They're also cool people to hang out with.
Katrine offered some advice on simply letting go of the mantra in Deep Meditation that was extremely helpful to me. The blend of yoga, breathing and meditation was perfect.
In a funny way, the retreat was light and easy but also profound. I've been practicing various kinds of meditation for many years and I've never experienced anything like our last meditation session. Very powerful stuff.
Thanks to everyone who helped to organize the retreat and to everyone who travelled across the continent or across the ocean to attend. And of course thanks to Yogani for this wonderful path.
If you are considering attending the Toronto-area retreat in August, I highly recommend it! |
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lateinthegame
USA
8 Posts |
Posted - May 16 2011 : 11:58:20 PM
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I thoroughly enjoyed every part of the weekend, from the warm and friendly greeting on arrival, until it was time to go - a truly first-class experience in every way. The staff at St. Francis was wonderful, and the retreat organizers were simply outstanding.
What was so noticable from Katerine and Carson was their ability to skillfully deliver a message that was deeply meaningful and potent to people whose experience varied - from some in the group who had never meditated before, to others that have had much more experience. The pace was perfect, and everything flowed for three days.
I was able to get a much better understanding of the use of the mantra, something that made a big difference during the weekend meditation practices and that will strengthen my practice from here on.
The Insight Dialogue presentation and the ID exercise was, to me, reason enough to have made the retreat. This came as a wholly unexpected gift. Thank you, Katerine.
I heartily second Bill R. in his recommendation, to anyone who is considering the August Retreat - this is something not to be missed if you can possibly make it.
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Katrine
Norway
1813 Posts |
Posted - May 17 2011 : 07:34:52 AM
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Hi all
Am safe home
Thanks for the great feedback!
It is such a gift to learn from silence together with all of you. Witnessing openings taking place within all hearts, bodies and minds......
The facilities were great, the staff wonderful and the walks in the very special nature offered great grounding.
Andrew: Thanks for the wonderful job of organizing the retreat, and for taking so good care of us before, during and after the event.
It was also great to see people of all ages in the group, everyone contributed with wisdom and inspiration.
Carson - it is such fun to work with you. Thanks for all your strength, honesty, humor, kindness and for your very generous heart.
Yes - learning to meditate, learning to sustain a long term daily practice, tasting the real depth of our very being - all of it is a goldmine that will continue to facilitate growth and transformation in ways we cannot fathom. Just let it happen!
May the resonance of this retreat linger a long time, and may we meet in the silence again next year - or anywhere else people feel inspired to launch an AYP retreat.
I am game for it if you are |
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Katrine
Norway
1813 Posts |
Posted - May 17 2011 : 07:36:57 AM
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PS
Welcome to the forum Bill |
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innercall
Canada
66 Posts |
Posted - May 17 2011 : 12:51:54 PM
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Hello everyone,
It was a great privilege to participate to this retreat with all of you. I am certainly changed by it. Now there is a mixed feeling of joy and sorrow in my heart. I have to let go of this wonderful experience and let life be lived until we meet again. Coming back to daily life was a little difficult yesterday and selfpacing was and still is needed because of strong emotions I felt. But now I feel at peace with a silence that sticks to me.
Thank you Andrew for bringing us all together.
Thank you Carson for your humour, I had a good time laughing. Thank you also for your lesson on trusting life. It deeply resonated with me. You told us we were now family to you and I can say it myself too; you now have a French speaking brother!
Thank you Katrina for all your precious advices and support. I was deeply touched by your poems. There was something in them so truthful that my own truth was shaken by it. Somehow even has I know it will be painful, I have a strong desire to know the truth of me.
Thanks to every participant that made the silence so present and the sharing so honest and true.
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nearoanoke
USA
525 Posts |
Posted - May 17 2011 : 2:14:53 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Bill R.
Katrine offered some advice on simply letting go of the mantra in Deep Meditation that was extremely helpful to me. The blend of yoga, breathing and meditation was perfect.
Hi Katrine,
Can you please explain how this needs to be done? It will help others on the forum I guess. I definitely have some trouble with the "letting go" as to how it needs to be done.
- Near |
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Katrine
Norway
1813 Posts |
Posted - May 17 2011 : 4:02:58 PM
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Hi Near
I posted the response to your question here:
http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic....OPIC_ID=9738
PS. Please make sure you read the whole topic, since my instructions in the first post (and the title of the topic) is not correct DM procedure |
Edited by - Katrine on May 19 2011 11:28:50 AM |
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Katrine
Norway
1813 Posts |
Posted - May 17 2011 : 4:19:50 PM
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Thank you Innercall for your sharing.
quote:
Somehow even has I know it will be painful, I have a strong desire to know the truth of me.
Yes....I know of the pain you speak of 
Waking up is not a piece of cake....I used to speak a lot about bliss, oneness, wholeness etc - but waking up is also suffering. It is the most challenging we can ever engage in, and to acknowledge that, allows for deeper compassion. It also stops the mind from landing on the safe perth of "having arrived".
Often - because of strong bhakti - I pushed myself. Again and again I pushed myself over the edge... That too was out of love....albeit a confused love :)
Below are two poems from 2009 that speaks of what we have shared:
http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic....OPIC_ID=6285
http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic....OPIC_ID=6355
All the best |
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JuZen
Canada
8 Posts |
Posted - May 17 2011 : 6:43:07 PM
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Hi everyone,
I would say to all persons at the retreat, especially Carson and Katrina, a big THANK YOU. It was a occasion to me to «practice my practice!!» (and my English too!!). Since the retreat, I take time for me at home and I meditate. It's really good for me.
Thank you!
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lateinthegame
USA
8 Posts |
Posted - May 17 2011 : 6:46:57 PM
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Dear Katrine,
Please excuse my earlier mis-spelling of your name. It was a privilege to have spent time with you and to have gained an beginning glimpse of the truths about 'presence' you shared with us. Your beautiful poems, music and singing on Saturday evening were something I don't believe I will ever forget.
BTW, Andrew, Carson and I were speculating if there might be a book somewhere down the line from you, with the possible title: "Presence and the Art of Ping-Pong"?  Seriously though, you dazzled us with how well you picked up the game in the space of five or ten minutes. That was really something to see, take my word for it.
All my best, Lou |
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orangeblossom
Canada
1 Posts |
Posted - May 17 2011 : 9:30:47 PM
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This is my first posting. I would like to thank everyone and especially Andrew, Katrine and Carson for your dedication, and introspective view of life and teachings about meditation.
It was a wonderful weekend and my theme this week in my classes as well as off the mat in my life is 'Less is More' and it is working. I was profoundly moved by the sincerity in the delivery of the teachings. I loved the friends that were made and I sure hope you e-mail me as I am new to this site. xox |
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Katrine
Norway
1813 Posts |
Posted - May 18 2011 : 05:29:41 AM
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Hi Juzen and Orangeblossom (Welcome to the forum orangeblossom!)
So happy to hear you found the retreat helpful!
Thank you for coming, it was great to have the French-Canadian warmth, present, twinkle-in-the-eye kind and truthful ambience with us.
Wow - your written English is good!
Always know you can speak French at the retreat if something comes up that is too difficult to share in English - and Innercall will translate, yes? 
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Katrine
Norway
1813 Posts |
Posted - May 18 2011 : 05:48:34 AM
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Hi Lou
quote:
Dear Katrine,
Please excuse my earlier mis-spelling of your name. It was a privilege to have spent time with you and to have gained an beginning glimpse of the truths about 'presence' you shared with us. Your beautiful poems, music and singing on Saturday evening were something I don't believe I will ever forget.
BTW, Andrew, Carson and I were speculating if there might be a book somewhere down the line from you, with the possible title: "Presence and the Art of Ping-Pong"? Seriously though, you dazzled us with how well you picked up the game in the space of five or ten minutes. That was really something to see, take my word for it.
All my best, Lou
Never mind my name .......
And thanks for the feedback on the poetry, music and vocals (thanks to you too Innercall) - I have been back and forth about whether to include it or not on retreats......it is all about assessing what is most beneficial for the participants, so I am grateful that you got something from it.
And as for the ping pong.......
No.....LOL .....(Laughing Out Loud).......no plans to write a book like that :)
Seriously - I had two outstanding teachers: Andrew at the table and yourself giving spot on advise.
Man.... I loved that game!
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Anthem
1608 Posts |
Posted - May 18 2011 : 11:53:32 AM
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Thank you everyone for your feedback, so happy to hear it was such a positive experience for everyone! Welcome Bill, juzen and Orangeblossom to the forum!
Katrine, your amazing ping pong talent needed no help from me that is for sure! lol, you should consider the world tour... |
Edited by - Anthem on May 18 2011 12:19:45 PM |
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JuZen
Canada
8 Posts |
Posted - May 18 2011 : 8:58:58 PM
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Did you talk about MY written English???!! I think I'm not good as you think... And OrangeBlossom is Donna, so, that's why she's better than me in English  !!!
And thank you for allowing me to share in French at the retreat. I hope I will improve my English for the next retreat.
quote:
Originally posted by Katrine
Wow - your written English is good!
Always know you can speak French at the retreat if something comes up that is too difficult to share in English - and Innercall will translate, yes?
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Magicisafoot
Canada
1 Posts |
Posted - May 18 2011 : 11:41:23 PM
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Three days later and the glow of the retreat still shines on ... I so appreciated the opportunity to relax into the silence and strengthen my meditation practice. I now understand why this practice is called deep meditation, especially after the last session on Sunday afternoon; magic was definitely afoot.
Thanks to everyone for bringing their own magic and highest intentions. Special thanks to Katrine for sharing the Irish side of her heart and our French Canadian friends for the music of their language. And to Carson and Andrew for their great energy and enthusiasm.
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Katrine
Norway
1813 Posts |
Posted - May 19 2011 : 11:22:26 AM
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Hi Juzen
quote:
Did you talk about MY written English???!! I think I'm not good as you think... And OrangeBlossom is Donna, so, that's why she's better than me in English !!!
Ooops!
Sorry about that
But yes - your English is just fine, and certainly much better than my French |
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Katrine
Norway
1813 Posts |
Posted - May 19 2011 : 11:25:03 AM
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Hi Magicisafoot
Welcome to the forum
Great that you got so much from the retreat - all the best with your practice! |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - May 19 2011 : 11:30:47 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Katrine
your English is just fine, and certainly much better than my French
I will second Katrine on this!!! |
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Toronto, Canada - AYP Yoga Retreats
