My classes are holistic, non-dogmatic, and pragmatic. They are carefully designed to offer a safe and empowering space in which to engage in a twofold process of self-inquiry and collective exploration. My role is primarily to hold space and to provide clear and gentle guidance so that participants can act as each other’s teachers.
Classical Tantra refers to esoteric texts on spiritual practice dating back to 6th-century Asia. These practices consist primarily of subtle body exercises through breathwork and meditation, mantra recitation, and ritual worship. Tantra predates and includes the traditional yogic paths of service, insight, meditation, and devotion. Like various other Eastern traditions, the aim is to expand consciousness, to transcend the ego, and to move towards awakening or liberation.
Neo-Tantra is a new spiritual movement that emerged in early 20th-century north America. It focuses mostly on intimacy and authentic relating, including sexuality, and on deconditioning oneself from toxic social patterns. It may or may not include practices from classical tantra. Drawing upon contemporary psychosomatic modalities, it incorporates work on consent, gender, touch, and other issues related to intimacy. It is mainly about personal healing and growth as well as developing relational intelligence.
Tantra Slow Dating uses tools and techniques from tantra to allow people to meet in a deeper and more meaningful way.
Swan combines practices and insights from both classical and contemporary tantric paths to offer a unique embodied spiritual practice, which is both introspective and relational.
Biophany means manifestation of life.
Biophany is an exploration ordinary life in light of expanded states of consciousness.
The core of the practice is as simple as it is powerful. We seek to become empty vessels moved by the subtle energies that flow through us, thereby becoming both actors and spectators of life. Our goal is to reach a state of creative surrender.
In many ways this practice resembles forms of non-action found in Daoist Wu Wei or in Zazen Shikantaza. In our culture, we find it in Einotherapy, Systemic Family Constellations, or any artistic state of flow. We also draw upon devised and participatory theatre, using ritual to bring together the mystical and the artistic.
We come together to bear witness and take part in the play of creation.
Meditating simply means cultivating a heightened state of presence and awareness. It is an attitude of introspection, attention, and observation. Vital meditation involves embodied practices beyond sitting and mindfulness techniques (e.g. focusing on the breath). These include exercises such as interactive movement, breathwork, and stream of consciousness expression through which we can reach the same state of presence and awareness as with stillness and single-pointed concentration. It is best practiced with a group in the morning and usually lasts an hour. More than merely reducing stress or feeling good, vital meditation makes us come alive. It is not so much about relaxing as about thriving.
Voice & Breath brings together traditional and modern breathwork techniques with vocal exploration beyond the spoken or singing voice.
The breath is the most direct way to experience the continuum of mind, body, and spirit. It is therefore not surprising that, in many languages, the words for breath and spirit share the same etymology, and that breathing exercises lie at the root of many spiritual practices.
The voice is vibration and expression. As adults, we rarely use our voice beyond speaking and singing. Here is a chance to explore the sound between speech and silence so that we may be more attuned to the gentle melody of the cosmos.
Bhakti means loving devotion. It is the art of worship. Bhakti yoga is one of the main yogic paths – not the yoga of physical postures that has become popular, and which is actually just one aspect of Hatha yoga, but that of ways to unite with the Divine. Kirtan or musical recitations is perhaps the best-known instance of Bhakti in the West.
Swan reimagined this practice so that it be open to people of all faiths or lack thereof. We simply take the Divine to mean whatever we feel is beyond us, supports us, and manifests through us. Examples of practices include chanting, blessings, offerings, prostrations, and prayer.
Secular Westerners, who tend to struggle with or be put off by this discipline, perhaps need it most. Bhakti is a path of thanksgiving, reverence, and surrender. Some say it is the easiest way to awakening. Whether or not that is the case, Bhakti yoga is undoubtedly a humbling human experience.
