Workshops for Devotees (8 to 20 hours)
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Japa workshops and retreats are powerful ways to make major improvement in chanting and increase one’s taste for the holy name. The programs are designed to take one’s chanting to a level that might otherwise take years to achieve. This results in a greater attachment for chanting along with the other benefits that result from good chanting. Our japa programs are based on the Japa Retreat taught by Sacinandana Swami.
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Although forgiveness is central to our philosophy, the culture of forgiveness is not deeply engrained in ISKCON. We talk about the need for tolerance and forgiveness, we know nothing comes to us that we don’t deserve, yet resentment still resides in the hearts of many of us.
This is a hands-on workshop in which devotees work through their personal resentment issues using a step-by- step forgiveness process based on Vaisnava teachings and Vedic psychology.
For more, click here.
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This centers on taming the needs of the false ego to dominate, attract attention, judge, assert itself and show off. It naturally includes methods and attitudes for improving intra-personal and inter-personal relationships.
It contains many powerful self-reflection exercises that deal with false ego, the need to be right, difficulty in hearing other\’s points of view, etc.
It is highly self-reflective, challenging, and transforming.
For more, click here.
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This is a self-development workshop designed specifically for devotees. It is an exploration into how we became conditioned (how and why the modes condition us), the power of choice, overcoming the mind\’s tendencies to work against us, creating more balance in our life, and discovering and connecting with our unique mission (dharma) and inspiration in Srila Prabhupada\’s movement.
For more, click here.
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As devotees engage in the process of Krishna consciousness and attempt to detach themselves from material life, they inevitably confront the difficulties involved in controlling sexual urges. This workshop serves as a support system to help male devotees better understand and deal with their sexual challenges.
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A weekend workshop or retreat designed to give those not living in a temple an experience of a full morning and evening program, two days of classes, a better understanding of the importance of sadhana, and exercises to help reflect on ways to improve their personal sadhana. The workshops is suitable for devotees on all levels.
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Devotees look at how their prayers may reflect impure motives in service and/or fears about surrender. By working through these misgivings, devotees realize how faith in Krishna affects their ability to more freely pray for pure bhakti. The process is aided by a deeper understanding of what pure devotional service is, both in philosophy and practice, and through the study of the mind and heart that goes into the prayers of great devotees.
We then learn to use prayer to reach goals, overcome obstacles, and to go deeper into japa.
For more, click here.
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Commitment to one’s vows is fundamental to the practice of bhakti. Yet many devotees find it difficult to maintain the vows they take, be they initiation vows, marriage vows, or simple commitments they make to themselves. We offer tools and attitudes that empower one to more deeply connect with their word of honor and to reflect on their relationship with commitment.
The workshop also serves as a support system for anyone who has taken initiation vows.
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For devotees interested in learning how to professionally facilitate workshops, Mahatma Das offers Train the Trainer, a workshop based on the professional facilitation training he received from one of the most successful seminar facilitation companies in North America. Students learn professional facilitation techniques that enable them to draw out learning and deep realizations from the students, engage then in self-reflection, and empower them to achieve more than they thought possible. Ideally suited for teaching devotees or non-devotees.
To know more about this course, click here.
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Sacred Union is a relationship building workshop that offers principles and strategies to make marriages successful. These principles can even turn around a deeply troubled marriage. Learning theseprinciples and understanding male/female dynamics will insure the greatest chance of a new marriagesucceeding and a current marriage enduring. This workshops can aptly be titled, \”Doing the hard work needed to live happily ever after\”.
For more, click here.
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Developing good relationships can be one of the most challenging areas of our lives but are essential to most effectively service Srila Srila Prabhupada, come closer as a community, and inspire and uplift one another.
This workshop delves deeply into the psychology of interpersonal relationships and their effect on group dynamics. It is as much a personal transformation workshop as it is a relationship building workshop.
I strongly feel it would be of immense benefit to our movement if a course of this nature were made mandatory for all new asrama devotees and congregational members.
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This course helps devotees, through a series of exercises and discussion, get in touch with their inner calling and determine how to best engage this inspiration and nature in the service of Srila Prabhupada.
Devotees leave with plans how they can best service Prabhupada and details of how to execute that service.
For more, click here.
Short Courses for Devotees (2/4 hours)
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Why we feel guilty, what guilt is telling us and how guilt, if understood and dealt with properly, can enable us to be more in Krsna consciousness. Also deals with self confidence, self- love (taking better care of one\’s physical, emotional and spiritual needs, self-esteem and self-forgiveness.
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Vedic principles of psychology on controlling the mind and emotions and positively responding to negative circumstances. Includes attitudes and practices to help us live without blame.
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The importance of maintaining purity and integrity as a personal success formula and how Prabhupada utilized this principle in his personal life to make ISKCON successful.
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Balancing opposite forces, desires and needs in our lives in a way that makes us more grounded, \”normal\”, and leads to a healthier relationships with ourselves and others.
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The causes, the consequences and the cures.
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How we too often fail to live what we teach and believe, why this happens, and how we can make our lives more aligned with our teachings.
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Who is more important: siksa guru, diksa guru or founder-acarya? What misconceptions of guru that have affected Iskcon since Prabhupada\’s departure. We answer these questions by looking at the history of how the understanding of the guru\’s role in Iskcon has evolved through past mistakes and what we have learned over the years.
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What was it like to be with Srila Prabhupada? What was his mood? What did he consistently emphasize? How did he personally deal with us (and me)? What was most important to him?
Includes many personal pastimes.