Introduction Posts from JYP Participants
Lior, Sadvidya Association & Jivana Group Director
30 km away from Lisbon, between the Tagus River and the Atlantic Ocean, resting under a blanket of mist and clouds, is the Sintra mountain range.
With a solid granite body, cool and moist breath, the mountain of the moon is home to Sadvidya and the Portuguese Jivana Yoga group.
A home of lushness, beauty and tranquillity.
Paths, forests, cobblestone roads, streams, palaces and castles all come together to form a magical setting, continuously offering nourishment and support to the Yogic journey.
It is here, just over 3 years ago, in the picturesque town of Saõ Pedro (Sintra) that the first seeds were sown for the delivery of Ācārya’s teachings in the form of ‘Introduction to Meditation Weekends’. A fresh environment, unconditioned to some extent, offered fertile ground for the organic development of Sadvidya and for the Jivana program to take shape and form.
The addition of Ayurvedic cooking to the weekend workshops and a communal meal supported a growing sense of community. The core group had begun turning into what felt like a small Jivana family. This communal growth has always been accompanied by an ongoing kind, open-hearted, and welcoming approach from its senior and younger members. It is in the past few months that the local group has grown to be 19 in number.
With the latest turn of seasons came a shift for Sadvidya and the Jivana group into its current home, Quinta das flores – ‘House of Flowers’.
The spaciousness, abundance of fruit trees, hidden rest and contemplation corners, beautiful vegetation, all graciously support a growing sense of gratitude.
Jivana meetings take place on Saturday mornings, inviting the group’s curiosity, openness, kindness, tranquillity, humour, wit, compassion, love, happiness, gratitude and appreciation.
With deep gratitude and honor to our teachers, love, and well-wishers to all fellow co-passengers, the following musings are offered through the following blog entries for the month of July.
Namaste.
