Now that a term has been coined, "Lohasian," we get on with what we've been doing all along: Living a healthy life as it relates to the environment, sustainability and the spiritual.
(Lohasian, by the way, is a new marketing acronym for those who adhere to Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability. We Lohasians apparently recycle, practice yoga, buy organic and see the Dalai Lama when he's in town).
Along with a myriad of events each week, there are other options for those of you seeking a healthy, spiritual life.
•
· Tulku Thubten Rinpoche
The renowned meditation teacher is in the valley for teachings and a retreat this weekend.
Born in Tibet, Tulku Thubten Rinpoche was recognized as the reincarnation of Anam Lama. He has been teaching in the West since the 1990s and currently serves as the spiritual advisor and dharma teacher for the Dharmata Foundation in California.
Today, June 9, he is teaching from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Light on the Mountain Spiritual Center. The retreat is Saturday, June 10, and Sunday, June 11, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., at the Hailey Yoga Center, Gateway Building, in Hailey. Register with Mary Ann Chubb at 726-7709 or m80@cox.net.
· Being Peace Center
The Art of Peace: Traditional Aikido practice at Being Peace Refuge in Hailey is now open to youths from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and to adults from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Traditional Soto Zen Practices are Mondays and Wednesdays, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Meditation for Peace and Serenity is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 11 a.m. to noon and noon to 1 p.m.
For more information, call Moyohei Genshin Sensei at 788-5879.
· Sri Murugan Temple and Cultural Center of Sun Valley
Young men between the ages of 12 and 20 are invited to participate in a very unusual summer activity.
Ananda Kriya, of Ketchum, a practicing Hindu Shaivite since 1972 and the proprietor of Ketchum-based Akasha Organics, will run it. The young men will take a vow of brahmachariya and vegetarianism. The goal of brahmachariya is to transform sexual energy into an alternate energy.
This vrata, or vow taking, begins in the full moon Sunday, June 11, at Akasha Organics.
During a ceremony, participants will receive a sacred thread to be worn as a symbol of chastity or purity. They will also receive staffs, called dandas, for the upcoming climbs on Bald Mountain and Jacqueline Peak in the Hyndman Basin. The danda symbolizes the ascent of the chakras within the ethereal spine.
Those taking the vow will meet for a Shiva Aarti at 4:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday to sit for a 30-minute meditation, after which they will climb to the top of Baldy arriving at sunrise.
On Sundays, the group will make a pilgrimage to the site of the Sri Murugan Temple being constructed near Jacqueline Peak, five miles beyond Triumph in the East Fork of the Big Wood River valley. The peak is 11,000 feet high.
"The purpose of this discipline will be to focus in the handling of the sexual energies, utilizing them for a spiritual enfoldment instead," Kriya said. "This is good for young boys. They don't have teachings like this."
The fee for the summer-long vrata is $108, which will be considered a donation to the construction of the Sri Murugan Temple. An additional $1,008 entitles the participant to one meal per day at Akasha Organics.
The Sri Murugan Temple will be built by hand on donated land. Mules will carry in supplies and stone, while a helicopter will fly in deities. Sri Muruga, the son of Shiva and Shakti, is renowned for inner harmony and perfection.
The deadline to register is June 9. Contact Kriya at 726-4777 or e-mail akashasv@yahoo.com.
Moyohei Genshin Sensei
