Programs

Introduction to Meditation

April 17th – May 15th, Fridays 6:30pm – 7:45pm; $85

Meditation is an invaluable tool for emotional balance and peace of mind. This course will provide step to step guidance for starting a meditation practice. It is helpful for those who are just starting  as well as those who would like to renew their commitment to this practice.

Topics covered  include:

-What is meditation and what are the benefits?

-How to start a meditation practice: The three fundamentals.

-Meditation for beginners and tips for those who are returning practitioners

Pranic Perspective of Yoga Asanas with Mayavan

Sarutday, May 2nd, 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm; $55

This class explores the twelve classical Sivananda asanas through the lens of prana and the subtle body.  Rather than focusing only on physical alignment, students will learn how postures influence the five pranas (vayus), the subtle forces that govern movement, digestion, circulation, grounding, and mental clarity.  By understanding how energy moves through each pose, students begin to experience asana as an inner practice of regulating life force and a tool for reducing anxiety and restlessness, regulating mood, and improving concentration. Students will practice the full twelve-posture sequence while learning which asanas tend to activate, stabilize, or balance the vayus. The emphasis is not on advanced physical form but on noticing internal effects: changes in breathing, steadiness of the mind, sense of grounding, alertness, and overall energetic balance. By the end of the class, students will better understand how the classical sequence functions not only as a balanced physical practice but also as a method for regulating the nervous system. The class is suitable for beginners, regular practitioners, and yoga teachers. No advanced flexibility is required. Variations and modifications will be offered so students can focus on internal awareness rather than physical intensity.

Teacher: Mayavan has been a dedicated yoga practitioner since childhood. He holds a Master’s degree in yoga therapy and is the director of Yoga Salai, a community-based yoga centre in Scarborough.

Intensive Asana Class with Mayavan

May 3rd, Sunday, 8am-11am; $55

(Intensive asana classes are offered once a month. To register for a package of 3 and receive 20% discount please click HERE)

Deepen your practice with an engaging three-hour class that combines practice and theory, taught by special visiting teacher Mayavan. Suitable for intermediate students, this class is an opportunity to challenge yourself and go further in your practice. And don’t worry: the time flies by! You will leave feeling uplifted and full of energy.

This class will allow you to:

• Fine-tune your practice, through personalized corrections
• Strengthen the legs, open the hips and mobilize the spine
• Tap in to more energy through the practice of Sun Salutations and dynamic asanas
• Increase overall strength and stability through standing poses
• Achieve steadiness and comfort in classical asanas
• Gain practical knowledge about the yoga practice and yogic lifestyle

Teacher: Mayavan has devoted his life to learning and teaching the art and science behind yogic practices. He has spent the past three decades in dedicated practice and service to his community. He holds a Masters in Yoga Therapy from Annamalai University in India and has earned the prestigious designations of Yoga Siromani, Yoga Acharya and Yoga Baskara. Mayavan is the director of Yogasalai, a yoga centre in Scarborough.

Dissolve: Narada and Jont concert

May 5th,  Tuesday, 7 pm-8.30 pm; $35

Dissolve is a powerful new collaboration between UK-born singer-songwriter Jont and Bangladeshi-Canadian mantra singer Narada. Together, they create a living bridge between East and West, blending the loving invocation of traditional Sanskrit mantras with Jont’s original medicine music.

Narada’s music moves through ancient chanting, rhythm, and devotional energy that creates space for relaxation and connection. Jont brings more than 25 years of songwriting and performance, with 12 studio albums and a body of work described as healing, personal, and universally resonant. His songs have travelled far, carrying the quiet power of love, reflection, and transformation.

Rooted in meditation, nourished by travel, and shaped by lives devoted to song, Dissolve offers an evening of healing atmosphere and warmth.  Whether you are new to mantra music or familiar with kirtan, we welcome you.

Yoga for Fascia Health with Padmini

May 9th,  Saturday: 1pm – 3pm

Cost: $38

Fascia is the connective tissue that provides support and structure throughout the body. It directly
influences:
-flexibility
-mobility
-range of motion
-posture
-ease and depth of breathing
-circulation
-the flow of vital energy (prana)

This workshop will nourish and nurture the fascia. It consists of a brief discussion of fascia, and a yoga practice of breathing exercises, long-held meditative postures, and a short meditation. The workshop will also provide the extra benefits of improved body awareness, physical and mental relaxation, stress
reduction, improved mental clarity, and improved concentration.
Some yoga experience would be very helpful.

Teacher: Padmini has been practicing and teaching yoga for many years and holds teacher certifications in hatha yoga, yin yoga, meditation, chair yoga, and prenatal yoga. She is committed to inspiring and helping people attain and maintain health, well-being, and inner peace.

5Day Morning Pranayama practice

May 11th – 15th, 6am-7am, $55 (online)

Here are some of the benefits of pranayama:
-Optimal gas exchange (O2 and CO2)
-Oxygenation of tissues thanks to breath retention
-Harmonization of metabolic rates and chemical balance of the body
-Clearness of mind and stimulation of the parasympathetic system
-Improvement of digestion and fortification of the immune system

In order to benefit from this program, it is important to participate in all 5 sessions.

Teacher: Mayavan has been a dedicated yoga practitioner since childhood. He holds a Master’s degree in yoga therapy and is the director of Yoga Salai, a community-based yoga center in Scarborough.

Pratyahara –  conscious disengagement

Saturday, May 23rd, $35

Swami Sivananda says: “Pratyahara itself is termed as Yoga as it is the most important limb in Yoga Sadhana” – this is true today, more than ever. Our  senses are constantly bombarded by external stimuli.  We become so accustomed to sensory overload that we begin to seek it and may even become addicted to it.

In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, pratyahara is the fifth limb of yoga, standing at the threshold between the outer disciplines and the inner limbs of concentration and meditation. Although commented upon by many teachers, it often remains less clearly understood or insufficiently emphasized in practice. It is the withdrawal of the senses from their objects, so that the senses cease to follow their outward course. These objects may be external, arising through the senses, or internal, appearing as impressions and agitations within the mind – a deeper aspect sometimes referred to as mano-pratyahara, the withdrawal from the movements of the mind itself. Thus, we are no longer carried away by them, but remain quietly present and attentive within experience. Through pratyahara, the disturbance born of attraction and aversion (raga and dvesha) is quieted, and the mind becomes fit for concentration and meditation. We will consider some traditional means by which this can be cultivated in practice, so that it may become a support both in daily life and in meditation practice.

Teacher: Sarasvati

Ayurvedic Cooking Workshop

Saturday, May 30th; 1:30 – 4:30 pm, $75

Dr. Sonal Bhatt M.D.

Dr. Sonal Bhatt M.D. (Ayurveda) is a highly qualified Ayurvedic physician and Panchakarma specialist from one of the leading Ayurvedic universities in India, Jamnagar Ayurvedic University. She is also a Registered Holistic Nutritional Consultant from CSNN Toronto. She has been practicing as an Ayurvedic consultant, Panchkarma specialist, teacher and researcher in India, Canada and North America for over 30 years.  She is currently practicing and teaching Ayurveda and offering holistic health services in Toronto.Tel 1-647-283-9070 www.ayurvedafortotalhealth.com

Pratipaksha Bhavana – cultivating the opposite

Saturday, June 6th, 1pm-2.30pm, $35

Pratipaksha bhavana, taught in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, literally means “the cultivation (bhavana) of the opposite (pratipaksha).” It is the practice of introducing contrary tendencies in order to neutralize movements of the mind that lead in harmful or unhelpful directions. In this practice, thoughts rooted in harm, agitation, or imbalance are countered by reflecting upon their consequences and consciously turning the mind toward their opposites. This process is guided by discrimination (viveka), through which such tendencies are recognized as arising from ignorance and are gradually replaced by attitudes aligned with clarity, non-harm, and steadiness. In direct application, states such as anger or fear are met with their opposites -compassion, courage, and goodwill, so that inner harmony may be restored. Pratipaksha bhavana is therefore not suppression, but a conscious refinement of mental tendencies that steadies the mind and prepares it for meditation.

Teacher: Sarasvati