Spring 2011 Newsletter

Hey Everybody,

Here is an update about a few upcoming offerings and some reflections about my recent retreat.

I'm very excited about these two up-coming Series I'm offering, "Yoga and Dharma" starting next Friday at 7th Heaven and "Grace and Grit" starting in May at Yoga Kula SF.

I've really wanted to create an opportunity for folks who might be unable, financially or otherwise, to commit to a full-on immersion to be able to deepen their practices in a similar way. These are mini-immersions and are sure to deepen your practice on every level. If this appeals to you, I invite you to attend either one of these or both, especially because I will be gone so much this year and it will be a great opportunity to intensify and up your studies with me.

If you have any questions about them, contact me and I'll be happy to answer them. Also, please make sure to sign up in advance - in order make a commitment to the entire series. I made it financially viable to do so and if you are missing a weekend, I will give you the opportunity to make it up.

"Relaxing Get-Away" to Esalen this month! If you are in need of some inspiration and re-rejuvenation, consider joining John Robbins and me for a weekend of creative writing and yoga. This will be intimate and a lot of fun and you will come away with an open heart and new inspiration!

Yoga & Dharma Series Apr 15-Aug 12 7thheavenyoga.com Berkeley, CA
Apr 22 - 24 Creative Writing and Anusara Yoga Workshop w/ John Robbins esalen.org Big Sur, CA
May 14-Aug 27 Grace & Grit Series yogakula.com San Francisco, CA

Insights from my meditation retreat:

Dear Sangha,

I am back from a month-long silent retreat at Spirit Rock Mediation Center, under the guidance of my teacher Jack Kornfield. Just before I left, I spoke to my older brother, Bernie, in Switzerland. When I told him what I intended to do, he said that he couldn't be paid to do something like that, not even for a $100,000.

Well, I have had a month to contemplate just why anyone, indeed, would spend their time this way.

A silent retreat is intense -- no question about it. It consists of a very rigorous and strict schedule that begins at five o'clock a.m. and ends at nine-thirty p.m. An alternating regimen of sitting in mediation and mindful walking is interrupted only by meals; and nightly Dharma talks, which are instructional teachings on the practice of Theravada Buddhism. Aside from one's own thoughts, these evening sessions provide the only "entertainment" available. As, by participating in the retreat, one makes the commitment not to read, write, talk on the phone, or, yes, this too: not to check e-mails!

Every couple of days the participant meets with his or her teacher to ask questions, to make a progress report, and to receive tips on how to deal with stuff as it surfaces. This is the only talking that one does for the entire month.

It is a pressure cooker, no doubt, with no distractions or escape from oneself and one's habits. Jack tells the joke of a car on a desert highway, depicted in a cartoon he once saw. The illustration included a traffic sign with the following warning: "Your own tedious thoughts next 200 Miles!"

So why would I elect to undergo such an ordeal?

When I work on my computer, it occasionally gets stuck and freezes. Anyone working with computers is intimately familiar with this annoying glitch in modern technology. As my husband, Joshua, patiently explains to me, there is no need to panic. It is simply time to shut the computer down and then restart it. It almost always -- miraculously -- works!

The retreat serves in just the same way. It is like pushing the reset button, allowing us a pause during which time we take a look at our lives and see where we have gotten stuck or hung up.

To put it succinctly: It allows us to be fully present with both the blessings and the sorrows of our lives in a unique way. By making space within and around us in order to manage these aspects of ourselves, minus the powerful distractions of our daily lives, we can confront the issues we have been putting off, and revel in the marvel of trying to simply be.

There are so many blessings both in and around us. So much to celebrate and appreciate; especially what we normally take for granted or fail to notice when we are lost in thoughts or simply not paying attention. In retreat, we learn to receive the gift of every day blessings, fully, without hurry or worry of how long they might last.

And, instead of meeting our suffering with resistance and judgment, we learn to accept our difficulties with friendliness and compassion. The great Sufi poet, Rumi, said it well. In his poem, "The Guesthouse," he proclaimed the following: This being human is a guest house Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they are a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight. The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in. Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond. Of course, it takes awhile to train the mind to stay in the moment and to greet each guest at the door, welcome or otherwise, with equanimity and grace. Anyone who has ever sat down and attempted to meditate knows the overwhelming urge - while seated and still - to continue planning, worrying, reminiscing and fantasizing; making us aware of how little we are present in the here and now.

Nevertheless, it is even more amazing that, relatively, it doesn't take that long to quiet the mind and open the heart. Even more good news: everyone can do it!

After having spent these past four weeks doing just so, I know it is possible and I know that it works.

In the afterglow, I am left with an almost unbearable sweetness of being, a simple gratitude of aliveness, different than I have ever known. I feel like a newborn, and can be moved to tears by just about everything.

The life I have is a precious gift and I am excited to re-enter it with all the insights and new tools gained during retreat.

Turns out that, if I had it, I would gladly pay a $100,000 to attend a retreat like that again!

 - Katchie

Summer 2010 Newsletter

Dear Sangha,

Katchie and Joshua’s wedding

Saturday, July 10th, 2010, was a very auspicious day. Not only was it my late mother’s birthday, but this year Joshua, my partner of six years, and I got married.

To speak truthfully, I had my doubts about marriage. Julia Butterfly, who is known among her friends as the “B.S. detector”, recognized my hesitation and got me to focus on why I actually wanted to get married.

What came out of our discussion was a unique, unrehearsed and beautiful ceremony of two people who love each other and want to be in a committed relationship.

It was unexpectedly powerful, especially once Julia opened with a blessing that made us all aware of just how much Joshua had to sacrifice, since he would have rather eloped and gotten married on the sly. And there we were, in the midst of our community. To make it short – she got Joshua to cry. And as he himself remarked, this was perhaps one out of two or three times (the last time being when he was a child) that he cried in public. Needless to say, that got everyone else going too!

It was a short ceremony, with my dear friend angel Kyodo williams presiding as the wedding officiant. In addition, for me, the most powerful aspects were the blessings we received from my teacher Jack Kornfield, Julia’s opening and John Robbins’ wise words.

Milena Moser, my only Swiss family member present, since we are going to celebrate again in Switzerland, summed it up beautifully in her recent article in the Schweizer Familie. “Joshua embodies all of the virtues associated with Switzerland: he is loyal, dependable and real. He is Katchie’s piece of home away from home.”

Check out some wedding pictures here.

In other news, John Robbins has recently written one of the most viewed articles on the Huffington Post. It’s a worth-while read! Check it out: huffingtonpost.com/john-robbins

Geneva Yoga Conference
September 10 – 12 Soluna Paquis Geneve, CH

Yoga, Music & Inspired Action in Switzerland.
During this weekend you will sweat, meditate, dance, sing, inspire and be inspired with positive visions for our planet.
You will practice with unique and powerful teachers experienced in Jivamukti, Anusara, Iyengar, Hatha and AcroYoga.
Not just skilled teachers, but seasoned and constantly evolving practitioners who have cultivated the ability to transform their yoga practice into an effective tool for creating positive change.

Skill In Action
October 9 &10
Jivamukti Yoga Center
NY, NY
I am super excited to be teaching a workshop back at Jivamukti in NYC. This is where I really got my start so many years ago, Co-teaching with with Jules Febre. More details will be posted on my website as they become available.

Anusara yoga Immersion in the Fall
The Anusara Yoga Immersion program is a 100 hour training designed for the enthusiastic student who wishes to delve into the practice of Anusara Yoga in a playful and expansive way.
It also meets the pre-requisites of Anusara Yoga certification. In this comprehensive training, students will study every aspect of Anusara Yoga in detail. This includes: all asanas from the Level 1 and 2 syllabi, yoga philosophy, all components of the bio-mechanics and the opportunity to be with great company and in the circle of friendship.
Saturdays and Sundays 1 – 7pm
Dates:
Weekend 1: Oct 2 – 3
Weekend 2: Oct 30 – 31
Weekend 3: Dec 11 – 12
Weekend 4: Jan 8 – 9
Weekend 5: Feb 5 – 6
Weekend 6: Feb 26 – 27
Weekend 7: April 2 – 3
Weekend 8: May 7 – 8
The eight-weekend program will be held in Berkeley & San Francisco, CA at YogaKula

Upcoming workshops in Europe
Nov 8 – 13 Ansuara Immersion Level 1 w/ Michael Thurnherr Airyoga, Zurich CH
Montag, 8. November 2010: 9:15 biis 11:45 Uhr und 13:30 biis 17:30 Uhr
Diienstag, 9. November 2010: 9:15 biis 11:45 Uhr und 13:30 biis 17:30 Uhr
Miittwoch, 10. November 2010: 9:15 biis 11:45 Uhr und 13:30 biis 17:30 Uhr
Donnerstag, 11. November 2010: 9:15 biis 11:45 Uhr und 13:30 biis 17:30 Uhr
Freiitag, 12. November 2010: 9:15 biis 11:45 Uhr und 13:30 biis 17:30 Uhr
Samstag, 13. November 2010: 14:15 biis 17:45 Uhr
Nov 15 – 20 Ansuara Immersion Level 3 w/ Michael Thurnherr Airyoga, Zurich CH
Montag, 15. November 2010: 9:15 biis 11:45 Uhr und 13:30 biis 17:30 Uhr
Diienstag, 16. November 2010: 9:15 biis 11:45 Uhr und 13:30 biis 17:30 Uhr
Miittwoch, 17. November 2010: 9:15 biis 11:45 Uhr und 13:30 biis 17:30 Uhr
Donnerstag, 18. November 2010: 9:15 biis 11:45 Uhr und 13:30 biis 17:30 Uhr
Freiitag, 19. November 2010: 9:15 biis 11:45 Uhr und 13:30 biis 17:30 Uhr
Samstag, 20. November 2010: 14:15 biis 17:45 Uhr

Spring 2010 Newsletter

Dearest Sangha,

On Earth Day, I attended an event where my best friend John Robbins and his son Ocean gave an inspiring talk. Having so many activists as friends, I’m always clued into the newest state of bad things happening everywhere. It is a blessing to have these friends and to be involved in their work, but, at times, it is also very difficult to be aware. Often, I’d rather put my head in the sand and pretend that I don’t know – like many others.

Still, I have hope. There are so many people around the globe that are working on the different facets of the jewels resting on what is called, “Indra’s Net”. The Net represents our ecosystem and universal consciousness. At each junction there is a jewel, which stands for the individual. Some of these precious jewels work on justice, others raise a conscientious child, or clean up some garbage at the beach.

At this point I personally believe that we are close to mobilizing a critical mass. The consciousness and perception of Earth as a sacred place is growing. When this critical mass is reached, we will witness a shift of epic proportions! That truly gives me inspiration and makes me smile. In the meantime, we get to practice the healing we crave on a large scale, on ourselves. For example, we can do this through our asana practice. It makes a difference whether we come to our mats and to our lives in a competitive or dominating manner versus simply remembering to embody our inherent wisdom in all that we do.

What really excites me is that we get to do this together, in partnership! As we are all connected by the threads of Indra’s Net, the more we operate under a model of partnership, reflecting the world in which we wish to live upon each other, the quicker we will see this shift materialize.

In April I completed an Anusara teacher training at Yoga Kula. One young man said that I pulled him back from the brink of giving up during the training by following him down the hallway where he was retreating. Apparently I said to him just one phrase, but that made all the difference to him and helped him to continue in the program.

I said: “My dear, unless you are dying, you should not separate from the pack. When you are suffering you need the support of your community more than ever.”

Let us not separate from the pack and do what we can to help each other to create a better world!

Skill In Action
July 25th 2-5pm $35
Asha Yoga Sacramento, CA
The goal of Yoga is to be skillful in all our thoughts and deeds. Enjoy a unique Anusara workshop with internationally recognized Anusara Yoga teacher Katchie Ananda. Tapas, Svadhyaya and Ishvara Pranidhana – Learn to change what can be changed, accept what can’t be changed and the wisdom to know the difference.

Chili and Chocolate
July 31 DETAILS TBD
YOGA KULA SAN FRANCISCO, CA
A Yoga and Writing Workshop with International bestselling author and part time San Franciscan Milena Moser .

Anusara yoga Immersion in the Fall
The Anusara Yoga Immersion program is a 100 hour training designed for the enthusiastic student who wishes to delve into the practice of Anusara Yoga in a playful and expansive way.
It also meets the pre-requisites of Anusara Yoga certification. In this comprehensive training, students will study every aspect of Anusara Yoga in detail. This includes: all asanas from the Level 1 and 2 syllabi, yoga philosophy, all components of the bio-mechanics and the opportunity to be with great company and in the circle of friendship.

Saturdays and Sundays 1 – 7pm

Dates:
Weekend 1: Oct 2 – 3
Weekend 2: Oct 30 – 31
Weekend 3: Dec 11 – 12
Weekend 4: Jan 8 – 9
Weekend 5: Feb 5 – 6
Weekend 6: Feb 26 – 27
Weekend 7: April 2 – 3
Weekend 8: May 8 – 9

The eight-weekend program will be held in Berkeley, CA at YogaKula

The Sacred Thread of Yoga
Oct 15 – 17 Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA
A week-long yoga festival and a book release all at once. The two-part festival is composed of a 5 day Iyengar Intensive (Mon-Friday morning), and a 3-day Open Festival (Friday aft-Sunday), with all different styles of yoga: Anusara, Astanga, Flow, Iyengar, Jivamukti, and much more. Teachers will be arriving from around the country and from across the world – so this is a great opportunity to study with wonderful teachers including me.There will also be a crafts and food bazaar set up with all kinds of goodies. Check it out. This is shaping up to be a really cool event.

Here are my class times:
Friday, Oct, 15th: 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm
Saturday, Oct, 16th: 8:30 am to 10:00 am
Saturday, Oct, 16th: 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
Sunday, Oct, 17th: 11:00 am to 12:30 pm

Upcoming workshops in Europe
Nov 8 – 13 Ansuara Immersion Level 1 w/ Michael Thurnherr Airyoga, Zurich CH
Montag, 8. November 2010: 9:15 biis 11:45 Uhr und 13:30 biis 17:30 Uhr
Diienstag, 9. November 2010: 9:15 biis 11:45 Uhr und 13:30 biis 17:30 Uhr
Miittwoch, 10. November März 2010: 9:15 biis 11:45 Uhr und 13:30 biis 17:30 Uhr
Donnerstag, 11. November 2010: 9:15 biis 11:45 Uhr und 13:30 biis 17:30 Uhr
Freiitag, 12. November 2010: 9:15 biis 11:45 Uhr und 13:30 biis 17:30 Uhr
Samstag, 13. November 2010: 14:15 biis 17:45 Uhr
Nov 15 – 20 Ansuara Immersion Level 3 w/ Michael Thurnherr Airyoga, Zurich CH
Montag, 15. November 2010: 9:15 biis 11:45 Uhr und 13:30 biis 17:30 Uhr
Diienstag, 16. November 2010: 9:15 biis 11:45 Uhr und 13:30 biis 17:30 Uhr
Miittwoch, 17. November März 2010: 9:15 biis 11:45 Uhr und 13:30 biis 17:30 Uhr
Donnerstag, 18. November 2010: 9:15 biis 11:45 Uhr und 13:30 biis 17:30 Uhr
Freiitag, 19. November 2010: 9:15 biis 11:45 Uhr und 13:30 biis 17:30 Uhr
Samstag, 20. November 2010: 14:15 biis 17:45 Uhr