Summer retreats with Vishwaguruji in Europe 2022
The European school year has started and Vishwaguruji's series of Summer Yoga Retreats has slowly come to an end.
Vishwaguruji led several yoga retreats in Europe during the summer of 2022. After returning to Europe from Gurupurnima in India, Vishwaguruji gave satsangs in several locations in Slovenia and Croatia before resuming the summer seminars in Střílky Ashram, Czechia and Vép, Hungary. He then led the final summer retreat in Rijeka, on the Croatian Adriatic Coast, and then continued his World Peace Tour with a few days of events in India en route to the southern hemisphere.
After 3 years, yoga participants were able to meet together in Vép, at the Agricultural Technical School, which became a full-fledged ashram again, welcomed Vishwaguruji and participants for a two-week yoga retreat in this rural part of western Hungary. It was an uplifting experience to be sitting again under the large trees of the ancient park, which had been "listening" to the words of Vishwaguruji's satsangs and watching a reenactment of the Upanishads – the disciples sitting near their yoga master – every summer, for almost 30 years. Read more: vishwaguruji.org
Participants travelled to the retreat from many countries and all directions: Austria, Netherlands, Germany, Czechia, Slovakia and Poland, Romania, Ukraine and Georgia, Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia, as well as the UK, Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand, China and India. In the corridors of the technical schools of Vép, one could hear a mixture of all sorts of languages. But when one entered the satsang hall, all languages were united as one, by the verses and the melody of the bhajans, spiritual songs expressing the teachings and devotion of a self-realised yogi.
In addition to the usual programmes in the yoga seminars, Vishwaguruji shared some simple but powerful techniques. He taught some easy-to-practise yoga techniques, that harmonise the heart and the digestive functions and improve general well-being. For example, Vishwaguruji gave his students the experience of how much it helps to regenerate our digestion and calm the heart, by simply placing our hands on our navel or on our heart. The nabhi kamal (the lotus of the navel) and the hridaya kamal (the lotus of the heart) start "blossoming" as soon as they feel the warmth of our own hands.
One of the main topics of these retreats was Nada Yoga, the science of resonance and sound. Participants learned and practised brahmari pranayama ('humming like a bee' technique) under the guidance of Vishwaguruji. He introduced the technique with the story of a bee who was humming around three worms/larvae. From time-to-time, she stung them, giving them a "special injection" and continued humming. The first one tried to escape, the second one listened but without much interest, while the third one was listening with full concentration. They represent different kinds of nature, and the different intensity of motivation of students/seekers. The last one bears the nature of the best disciple, the uttam sishya, who eventually, being permeated by the fine resonance of the humming sound, miraculously turns into a bee herself.
Along with bhramari pranayama, Vishwaguruji continued teaching systematically simple self-healing techniques to regenerate our health. These sessions were open to the public and webcast live on the internet. Vishwaguruji also gave an interview to a local newspaper and advised, "You should take the honey without letting yourself get stung by the bee." By this he means that a technique may bless you with the sweetest nectar of good health and well-being, but you should be careful, and approach the technique slowly, with respect, following the instructions given by the master precisely.
Departing Vép, Vishwaguruji continued his journey towards Rijeka in Croatia, where he spent the last week of August. Yoga aspirants spent a wonderful week at the Dharma Hostel of Yoga in Daily Life, with yoga practice, satsangs and lectures, while enjoying the breathtaking beauty of the Adriatic Sea. Read more: vishwaguruji.org
Following the summer retreats in Europe, Vishawguruji is continuing his World Peace Tour, via a brief stop in India, to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. He spent a few days in Jadan, where the construction of the Om Ashram is gradually coming to completion. Read more: vishwaguruji.org
