Lectures, Seminars & Workshops
.
The Wild Queen - Enjoying Womanhood in Dance
Dance workshop for women
Cornelia Freise (Germany)
June 25 – July 01, 2010
In a woman there is the form of all things
Of everything that lives and moves on earth.
There is no precious stone rarer than a woman
No way of being superior to that of a woman.
Saktisangama Tantra
The wild queen is dancing. What could that mean for me as a woman?
Being wild means being connected to our instinctive power which lives in the guts. This power helps us to be grounded in dance and everyday life. Being my own queen stands for being totally myself and owning my own power, for standing tall and taking responsibility for the moment.
Everything is possible in dance if we stay open and courageously welcome new situations, be it stomping or jumping, standing upright or rolling on the floor. Our body is a wonderful instrument. It responds to music and enjoys turning and spinning with the others and connecting to the Great Whole.
Cornelia Freise works with elements of biodanza-dance therapy, sacred circle dances, dreams and meditations for the heart. No prior dance training is necessary.
Every participant is herself responsible for what happens during the dance sessions.
Cornelia Freise, born in 1957, lives in Bremen, Germany. As a lawyer she worked on several scientific projects. Then the direction of her life changed. For 22 years now she has worked with groups in the field of circle dances and dance therapy. She trained in Biodanza - Dance of Life, a technique developed by Rolando Toro from Chile. Since 1992 she has worked exclusively with dance. In 1996 she founded „The Dancing Wild Sow – “Institute for Transformation through Dance, Meditative Dancing and Dance Therapy” in Bremen which offers “Dancing from the Space of the Heart“ a 2-year dance education for people from different professional backgrounds. Since 2002 she conducts workshops in Singapore, California and Estonia. Since 1985 she is following the mystical path of the golden Sufis which inspires and carries her work.
Housing is provided in rooms of 1, 2, 4, and 5 beds. You may also bring your own tent.
Meals will be prepared from organic vegetables from Polli Talu’s kitchen garden and local produce including eggs and dairy.
Participants will be met at Tallinn airport or harbor and brought to the center by car or minibus.
Cost: Euro 650 includes the workshop fee, meals, housing and transfer from the airport to
Polli Talu Arts Center (international travel is not included)
Please register by e-mailing office@pollitalu.org
.
International Kundalini Yoga Retreat
Marika Blossfeldt (Estonia/USA)
July 7 – 13, 2010
Treat yourself to a week of dynamic and blissful Kundalini Yoga, meditations and massages, delicious vegetarian food and yogi tea. Relax and rejuvenate in the serenity of Western Estonia. Experience white nights, juniper groves and wooded meadows filled with wildflowers and herbs. Explore beautiful sites as we set out on two day trips to visit local museums, medieval castles, bird sanctuaries, bogs and islands.
Kundalini Yoga is based on Yogi Bhajan's teachings. A dynamic form of yoga, combining postures, stretching, movement, meditation, breathing, and chanting, it stimulates the glands, strengthens the nervous system, opens meridians, and balances chakras. The practice of Kundalini yoga brings with it a sense of wellbeing that is immediately tangible. After a yoga session one feels grounded, energized and uplifted. It helps to relax the body and calm the mind, increasing our capacity for concentration, creativity and intuition. Ultimately, it brings us to a deeper understanding of our potentials and ourselves and allows for a harmonious merging of body, mind and soul with the universal energy surrounding us.
Polli Talu Arts Center Artistic Director and Kundalini Yoga instructor Marika Blossfeldt was certified in New York City by 3HO Kundalini Yoga East. She has 13 years of international teaching experience and will teach in English.
A licensed Massage Therapist from Estonia will administer massages.
No previous experience in yoga is required. Beginners are very welcome!
The retreat is open to a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 15 persons. No previous experience in yoga is required. Beginners are very welcome!
Housing is provided in rooms of 1, 2, 4, and 5 beds. Two couples can be accommodated in double-occupancy rooms. You may also bring your own tent.
Meals will be prepared from organic vegetables from Polli Talu's kitchen garden and local produce, including eggs and dairy.
Cost for retreat: Euro 700 (includes transfer from Tallinn airport to Polli Talu, meals and accommodations, classes, 2 massages, and 2 outings per person; international travel is not included)
Please register by e-mailing office@pollitalu.org
.
Delicious Nutrition Wellness Retreat
Marika Blossfeldt (Estonia/USA)
August 04 – 10, 2010
A week of awareness, relaxation, learning and awakening your taste buds
You are what you eat.
Your life will be very different when you eat well and understand about food.
The food you eat, once digested, gets absorbed into your blood stream and affects the creation of your cells, tissues and organs. It provides you with energy and brain power. It even affects your moods and thoughts.
Food has the power to relieve many ailments, rejuvenate your body, create a focused mind and uplift your spirits. Everybody is unique and there is no one way that fits all. When you pay attention to your bio-individuality and choose your food consciously it will greatly enhance your health and well-being.
The Delicious Nutrition Wellness Retreat will get you started on a path of increasing awareness regarding your eating habits and lifestyle while deeply nurturing your body, mind and spirit.
Whether you are looking to
manage weight
restore energy and vitality
strengthen immunity
alleviate allergies and chronic conditions
balance your moods, or
learn to cook simple delicious wholesome meals
this retreat will offer information and inspiration to address your concerns.
Join us for a life changing week in the serene landscape of rural Estonia and engage in
Kundalini Yoga Morning
Practice
Combining postures,
stretching, movement, meditation, breathing, and chanting, it stimulates the
glands, strengthens the nervous system, opens meridians and balances chakras
Cooking Classes
A hands-on
and fun experience, you will learn how to make delicious and balanced
meals using fresh whole foods
Nutritional Talks
Covering the energetics
of food, the Yin and Yang of food, complex carbohydrates versus simple sugars,
natural versus processed foods, good oils and fats, conscious eating and much
more
Breath Walks
A safe and easy
work-out that keeps your body and heart fit while increasing oxygen levels
in your blood
Massages and/or Reiki
Treatments
Enjoy the therapeutic
and relaxing effects of deep tissue massage or gentle Reiki energy work
Evening Meditations
At the end of the day center yourself and calm your mind in preparation for
restful and deep sleep
Day Trip
Explore beautiful sites in Western Estonia as we set out to visit local
museums, medieval castles, bird sanctuaries and bogs
The retreat is open to a maximum of 15 persons to ensure high quality personal attention.
Marika Blossfeldt, Holistic Health Counselor, Whole Foods Chef and Kundalini Yoga Instructor will lead the retreat in English with Estonian translations.
Housing is provided in rooms of 1, 2, 4, and 5 beds. Two couples can be accommodated in double-occupancy rooms. You may also bring your own tent.
Meals will be prepared from organic vegetables from Polli Talu's kitchen garden and local produce, including eggs and dairy.
Participants will be met at Tallinn airport or harbor and brought to the farm by car or minibus.
Cost for retreat: EURO 780 (includes transfer from Tallinn airport to Polli Talu, meals and accommodations, classes, talks, 2 massages, and 1 outing per person; international travel is not included)
Please register by e-mailing office@pollitalu.org
.
Tai Chi Aesthetics Workshop
Awaken your Perception of Natural Beauty.
Leon M. Miller jun.(USA/Estonia)
August 13 – 15, 2010
"One is all there is"
Ancient Eastern disciplines awaken awareness that Chi (life force) is the essence of one’s inner most being. When practicing Eastern disciplines in a natural setting the practitioner realizes that this life force connects him or her with nature. Thus you can experience a deep feeling of being in harmony with the natural surroundings.
Awakening the deeper consciousness also heightens one’s creativity and aesthetic perception. Like an artist the practitioner is empowered to see and express the inherent beauty in things most people regard as ordinary. The practitioner opens up to the beauty within and perceives more of the beauty all around (actually feeling a connection with nature’s essence or life force).By using the breath as a basic tool to relax the body and calm the mind, the practitioner is able to experience unity of body, mind and heart. This sense of unity is expanded to include harmony with existence. Expanding the sense of oneness to include a feeling of harmony with the surrounding environment becomes as natural as a bird’s song or the sound of the wind blowing through the pines.
Workshop activities include:
Friday evening
Arrival, getting settled and becoming acquainted with the surroundings We begin the workshop at 21.00 with a session of Deep Relaxation and an Introduction to inner harmony.
- Experience the flow of life force or Chi within
- Observe how Chi calms nerves, relaxes muscles and stimulates organs
- Learn how to direct Chi to particular points in your body to deepen relaxation and improve health
- Feel a sense of inner peace and harmony with your surroundings
Saturday morning
Deepening the feeling of Harmony using Far Eastern Relaxation Techniques
- Expand the sense of identification with nature by reducing the ego’s innate sense of separation
- Sensing that one’s inner life force is the vital force that animates all life
Saturday afternoon
Comparing the Practice of Tai Chi with Far Eastern perspectives on the Aesthetic Awakening
- Learn about the connection between Tai Chi, the Far Eastern aesthetic perspectives and the ancient Chinese experience of harmony with nature
- Enjoy an excursion into the natural surroundings and discover the stark beauty of Northern land- and seascapes (excursion is weather permitting).
- Practice oneness with nature by emanating elements of nature, such as trees, water, clouds, birds …
Saturday evening
Communing with the Elements of Nature
- Create a ritual to celebrate the elements earth, water, fire and air
- Pay respect to the four directions
- Rejoice in the harmonious connection between humans and natural elements
Sunday morning
Fostering Wellness and Harmony
- Learn to quiet the mind (empty the mind so that awareness and experience is more intuitive)
- Tai Chi as a moving (active) Meditation
- Moving with body, mind and heart in unity
Sunday afternoon
Practical Applications of Green Aesthetics
- Learn acupressure for deep relaxation and well-being
- Receive guidelines on how to incorporate the weekend’s essence into your daily life
The workshop ends with tea and cake around 16.00.
No previous experience in Tai Chi is necessary to participate in the workshop. Beginners are most welcome. The focus of the activity is not on physical exertion. The focus (throughout the practice) remains on a pleasant feeling. Learning to generate and sustain this feeling is what the practice of inner arts is all about.
Leon M. Miller (USA/Estonia) is the workshop facilitator and will teach in English. Leon is originally from Philadelphia, has a BA and MA degree in Religion and Behavior Science. He has studied Religion and Holistic Human Development at the University of Chicago Cluster of Theological Schools. He has studied Religious Leadership and the Philosophy of Religion at the Doctoral level. He began his studies of Tai Chi with the infamous Psychologist Carl Rogers. Leon is living and working in Estonia and regularly teaches Tai Chi in Tallinn in addition to his academic career teaching Comparative Religions.
Housing is provided in rooms of 1, 2, 4, and 5 beds. You may also bring your own tent.
Meals will be prepared from organic vegetables from Polli Talu’s kitchen garden and local produce including eggs and dairy.
Participants will be met at Tallinn airport or harbor and brought to the center by car or minibus.
Schedule:The workshop starts on August 13 at 21:00 and ends with tea at 16:00 on August 15.
Cost: 300 Euro includes the workshop fee, meals, housing and transfer from the airport to
Polli Talu Arts Center (international travel is not included)
Please register by e-mailing office@pollitalu.org
