1

lanL SplrlL ?oga: Lnhanclng Peallng Lhrough an

lnLegraLlve Approach
8lvka Shaplro
Arava lnsLlLuLe for LnvlronmenLal SLudles
MacalesLer College
rofessors: ur. Llll Croner, ur. Clgl SLrom
1A: Shmuel Wlllner
Advlsor: ur. Clgl SLrom
6 !une 2013


A8S1kAC1

1hls reporL shares Lhe auLhor's [ourney ln developlng lanL SplrlL ?oga, an lnLegraLlon of yoga asana and
pranayama wlLh lanL SplrlL Peallng. 1he essay porLlon lnLroduces Lhe reader Lo lanL SplrlL Peallng and yoga, and
dlscusses Lhe beneflLs of comblnlng Lhls lnLo a hollsLlc heallng pracLlce. lL goes on Lo share Lhe auLhor's goals and
meLhods for Lhe semesLer and Lhe resulLs of an experlmenLal class cenLered on 8osemary. 1he appendlx lncludes
an lLlnerary for a weekend reLreaL lnLended Lo lnLroduce lnLeresLed lndlvlduals Lo Lhls lnLegraLed heallng, an
ouLllne and scrlpL of Lhe aforemenLloned 8osemary class, and Lhe quesLlons asked on Lhe parLlclpanL
quesLlonnalres compleLed before and afLer class.


lanL SplrlL ?oga lnLegraLes yoga asana and pranayama (posLures and breaLhwork) wlLh
Lhe naLural and splrlLual pracLlce of lanL SplrlL Peallng. l began Lo explore Lhls lnLegraLlon
because l personally found yoga asana as a way Lo connecL Lo planLs and begln heallng
parLnershlps wlLh Lhem. Cver Lhe course of Lhe semesLer l found LhaL Lhls comblnaLlon ls qulLe
loglcal and beneflclal. 1hrough developlng a lanL SplrlL ?oga class, l almed Lo conLrlbuLe Lo all
faceLs of human healLh ln a way LhaL also beneflLs Lhe LoLallLy of Lhe ecosysLems ln whlch we
llve. My work culmlnaLed ln Lhe deslgn of a weekend reLreaL whlch l hope Lo offer someday. l
LaughL one of Lhe classes l deslgned, cenLered around 8osemary, Lo a group of 6 volunLeer
sLudenLs. l wlll dlscuss Lhe resulLs of Lhls class Loward Lhe end of my reporL, and Lhe general
sLrucLure and scrlpL may be found ln Lhe Appendlx. llrsL, l wlll lnLroduce lanL SplrlL Peallng and
dlscuss Lhe healLh beneflLs of yoga and why Lhe Lwo should be comblned. l wlll descrlbe my
meLhods and goals, and offer a summary of my personal splrlLual experlence before dlscusslng
Lhe 8osemary class and provldlng concludlng remarks.
2
lanL SplrlL Peallng, Lhough lL Lhrlved for Lhousands of years before Lhe Lerm arose, ls a
pracLlce connecLed wlLhln Lhe sclenLlflc communlLy Lo SplrlLual Lcology, whlch explores Lhe
relaLlonshlp of an lndlvldual Lo lLs splrlL Lhrough lLs lnLernal and exLernal envlronmenL.
1

racLlLloners belleve LhaL an underlylng web of consclousness connecLs all organlsms, and LhaL
unllke mosL humans, Lhe planLs are always aware of Lhls connecLlon. Cn a Langlble level, Lhe
llves of anlmals and planLs are lnexLrlcably lnLerLwlned Lhrough Lhe processes of resplraLlon and
phoLosynLhesls. 1hough planLs could survlve wlLhouL human presence, we could noL survlve
wlLhouL planLs. lurLhermore, evldence ls currenLly mounLlng Lo supporL Lhe ldea of planL
lnLelllgence. ln Lhe fleld of lanL neuroblology, sclenLlsLs are dlscoverlng LhaL !"#$%& #() #&
&*+,-&%-.#%)/ -$ 0),#1-*( #& #$-2#"& [auLhor's emphasls], buL Lhelr poLenLlal has been masked
because lL operaLes on Llme scales many orders of magnlLude less Lhan LhaL operaLlng ln
anlmals."
2
1hese flndlngs shed new llghL on Lhe heallng pracLlces of lndlgenous populaLlons
around Lhe world, who have long relled upon planLs for Lhelr medlclne. 1hese healers dld noL
sLudy herballsm aL a school or from a book, raLher, Lhey clalm Lo have galned Lhelr knowledge
dlrecLly from Lhe planLs Lhemselves. 8y learnlng how Lo llsLen Lo Lhe messages planLs are Lrylng
Lo LransmlL, lanL SplrlL Pealers belleve we can enLer co-creaLlve parLnershlps wlLh Lhe planLs.
ln such a relaLlonshlp, LrusL and communlcaLlon are bullL Lo Lhe exLenL LhaL Lhe planL becomes
our ally ln dlscoverlng and llvlng our Lrue purpose.
3
1hls can lnvolve uslng Lhe physlcal medlclnal
properLles of Lhe planL as well as lncorporaLlng Lhelr splrlLs and lessons lnLo our llves and uslng
Lhem Lo help oLhers. ln reLurn, Lhe planLs are sLlmulaLed by our aLLenLlon and able Lo happlly
conLrlbuLe Lhelr own unlque purpose Lo Lhe bloLlc communlLy. 8y repalrlng Lhls severed
connecLlon ln Lhe web of llfe, we can achleve beLLer physlcal and splrlLual healLh on an
lndlvldual level as well as greaLer ecosysLem healLh as we learn Lo play a cooperaLlve role wlLhln
our envlronmenL.
1hls lnLerconnecLed reallLy ls cenLral Lo yoglc phllosophy. ?oga asana refers Lo Lhe
physlcal pracLlce of yoga Lhrough posLures, whlle yoga ln general may be vlewed as a way of llfe

1
MonLgomery, am. !"#$% 3+-(-% 4)#"-$56 7 89-/) %* :*(;-$5 <-%, !"#$% =*$&.-*9&$)&&. 8ochesLer, v1: 8ear &, 2008. L8ook
8eader 30.
2
Mlsslon sLaLemenL of !"#$% 3-5$#"-$5 #$/ >),#1-*( sclenLlflc [ournal, quoLed by am MonLgomery ln !"#$% 3+-(-% 4)#"-$5?
L8ook 8eader 48.
3
MonLgomery, e8ook 8eader page 84.
3
and even pracLlced wlLhouL any posLures.
43
Asana pracLlce has many physlcal, menLal and
emoLlonal healLh beneflLs. 8egular asana pracLlce has been llnked Lo healLhy cardlovascular,
muscular, and lmmune sysLems. SLudles even suggesL LhaL lL reduces sympLoms assoclaLed wlLh
dlabeLes, mulLlple sclerosls, menopause, kldney dlsease and schlzophrenla.
6
Asana pracLlce ls
galnlng popularlLy as a form of emoLlonal Lherapy, as lL can glve Lhe pracLlLloner lncreased self-
confldence and even reduce feellngs of depresslon.
7
As a form of movlng medlLaLlon, asana
pracLlce has a calmlng effecL on Lhe mlnd and can lncrease Lhe pracLlLloner's ablllLy Lo focus and
cope wlLh sLress.
8

My pro[ecL comblnes yoga posLures and planLs wlLh slmllar beneflLs and lessons Lo make
Lhls lnLulLlve heallng pracLlce more accesslble Lo sLudenLs. Many people use yoga as a gaLeway
Lo Lhe splrlLual realm as lL ls a form of medlLaLlon LhaL enLlces WesLerners wlLh lLs physlcal
beneflLs. ?oga lnherenLly opens Lhe pracLlLloner Lo experlenclng lnLerconnecLedness by brlnglng
Lhe awareness away from Lhe ego and lnLo Lhe body. Cur body connecLs us dlrecLly Lo planLs
Lhrough resplraLlon and phoLosynLhesls. 1he pracLlce of yoga can also help us Lo lnLeracL less
wlLh our llmlLlng analyLlcal bralns and more wlLh our emoLlve hearL. SLephen Parrod 8uhner
noLes ln @,) 3).()% @)#.,-$5& *A !"#$%& LhaL Lhe elecLromagneLlc fleld of our hearL ls flve
Lhousand Llmes more powerful Lhan LhaL of Lhe braln when measured ln magneLlc fleld meLers.

9
1hls LranslaLes Lo a powerful lnLeracLlon wlLh Lhe resL of Lhe world Lhrough our hearLs.
racLlclng yoga helps us Lo geL back ln Louch wlLh our energy and communlcaLe Lhrough Lhls
fleld. lL ls no colncldence LhaL ln Lhe yoglc chakra sysLem, a seL of seven energy cenLers, Lhe
hearL ls Lhe fourLh chakra.
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1hls places lL aL Lhe cenLer, medlaLlng beLween Lhe Lhree lower,
physlcal chakras and Lhe Lhree upper, splrlLual chakras. ?oga asanas work wlLhln one or more of

4
8urgln, 1lmoLhy. "Asanas: ?oga osLures." B*5# >#&-.&. n.p., 2012. Web. 18 Mar. 2013.
3
ur. Swaml Shankardev SaraswaLl. "ueflnlLlons of ?oga." >-5 3,#;%-. 8lg ShakLl, 14 !an. 2011. Web. 18 Mar. 2013.
6
8oss, Alyson, and Sue 1homas. "1he PealLh 8eneflLs of ?oga and Lxerclse: A 8evlew of Comparlson SLudles." @,) C*9($#" *A
7"%)($#%-1) #$/ =*2+")2)$%#(D E)/-.-$) 16.1 (2010): 3-12. AL?1: Asoclacln Lspanola ue ?oga 1erapeuLlco. Web. 18 Mar.
2013.
7
Woolery, Allson, PecLor Myers, 8eLh SLernlleb, and Lonnle ZelLzer. "A ?CCA ln1L8vLn1lCn lC8 ?CunC AuuL1S Wl1P
LLLvA1Lu S?M1CMS Cl uL8LSSlCn." 7"%)($#%-1) @,)(#+-)& -$ 4)#"%, #$/ E)/-.-$) 10.2 (2004): 60-63. E*/)($ 4)#"%,.#()
!(*A)&&-*$#". Clrque Medla. Web. 18 Mar. 2013.
8
8oss and 1homas, 1he PealLh 8eneflLs of ?oga and Lxerclse".
9
8uhner, SLephen Parrod. @,) 3).()% @)#.,-$5& *A !"#$%&6 @,) F$%)""-5)$.) *A %,) 4)#(% -$ %,) G-().% !)(.)+%-*$ *A H#%9().
8ochesLer, v1: 8ear &, 2004. 86-88.rlnL.
10
"Chakras and Asana racLlce." 3#.()/ =)$%)(&. Sacred CenLers, 2013. Web. 03 !une 2013. l use Lhls lnformaLlon alongslde LhaL
conLalned ln Lhe Chakra SysLem chapLer of MonLgomery's !"#$% 3+-(-% 4)#"-$5 (accessed vla e8ook) LhroughouL.
4
Lhese energy cenLers, wlLh Lhe hearL cenLer playlng Lhe role of medlaLor beLween Lhe body and
Lhe splrlLual realm. lanLs may also be lndlvldually maLched Lo one or more of Lhese seven
chakras, offerlng an opporLunlLy Lo boLh access and enhance Lhelr heallng. 8y pracLlclng
posLures LhaL work wlLh Lhe same chakra as Lhe planL, we can open Lhe energy cenLer LhaL lL
alms Lo balance. 1hls allows Lhe splrlL of Lhe planL Lo enLer us and also magnlfles lLs resulL.
Surprlslngly, Lhe lnLegraLlon of planL-based medlclne and yoga asana has gone largely
unexplored. 1hough herbal medlclne ls popular wlLhln Lhe yoga communlLy and some yoga
pracLlces are Lled Lo naLure, Lhe ldea of uslng planLs boLh physlcally and splrlLually wlLhln yoga
classes has yeL Lo galn popularlLy.
11
l have found one woman, Lydla 8ussell-Mcuade, who
already Leaches lanL SplrlL ?oga ln vermonL, uSA. 1he sLrucLures of her classes range from a
regular asana pracLlce cenLered around one planL Lo gulded medlLaLlon Lo auLhenLlc movemenL.
She has found LhaL many of her sLudenLs experlence a deep caLharsls.
12
Lydla and l have been ln
Louch LhroughouL Lhe semesLer, and whlle l have explored my own appllcaLlon of lanL SplrlL
?oga, she has been a supporLlve presence.
1hough l conslder Lhls a llfe-long personal pro[ecL, l seL shorL-Lerm goals for Lhe
semesLer. Cver Lhese four monLhs, l soughL a new undersLandlng of planLs as acLlve lnLelllgenL
organlsms and almed Lo relaLe Lo Lhem dlrecLly. l hoped Lo deepen my knowledge of herbal
medlclne and yoga and galn confldence and ablllLy ln Leachlng yoga. l asplred Lo brlng sLudenLs
of my class Lo a cursory awareness of our connecLlon wlLh planLs and Lo provlde Lhem wlLh a
heallng experlence. l hoped Lo moLlvaLe Lhem Loward a deeper exploraLlon of Lhe naLural world
around Lhem and Lhe wlsdom and heallng lL holds, conLrlbuLlng Loward a co-creaLlve role of
humans wlLhln Lhelr ecosysLems.
My meLhodology focused on deepenlng my ablllLy Lo Leach lnsplrlng yoga classes and
developlng relaLlonshlps wlLh planLs. l LaughL a haLha/vlnyasa yoga class an average of once per
week, and acqulred boLh confldence and consLrucLlve feedback. l researched Lhe beneflLs of
speclflc posLures Lo help sLudenLs wlLh acuLe paln and Lo flnd posLures LhaL may be llnked Lo
cerLaln planLs. l also meL wlLh uorla naveh, a local yoga lnsLrucLor Leachlng ln souLhern lsrael,
who gave me ldeas for breaLhlng exerclses and posLures Lo use ln class. l cared for an herb

11
Cook, Jennifer. "Not All Yoga Is Created Equal." Basics. Yoga Journal, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013.
12
Lydla 8ussell-Mcuade, personal lnLervlew conducLed vla emall, Appendlx lLem 1.
5
garden on Lhe klbbuLz, rouLlnely experlmenLlng wlLh maklng Leas and occaslonally wlLh oll
lnfuslons. l researched Lhe medlclnal properLles of Lhe herbs (Sheba, 8osemary, Sage, Za'aLar,
Cregano, 8ose Ceranlum, Corlander, Lemongrass, neem and Lavender) and pracLlced yoga nexL
Lo Lhem. 8eadlng !"#$% 3+-(-% 4)#"-$5 by am MonLgomery and @,) 3).()% @)#.,-$5& *A !"#$%&
by SLephen 8uhner provlded me wlLh a deepened undersLandlng of lanL SplrlL Peallng as well
as speclflc Lechnlques and exerclses for connecLlng wlLh Lhe planLs. l experlmenLed wlLh Lhese
Lechnlques boLh wlLh my garden and durlng a weekend of lmmerslon aL ShlraL Pamldbar, a
medlclnal planL farm ln 8e'er Mllka, lsrael. 1hese pracLlces lncluded noLlclng when planLs are
calllng Lo us, approachlng wlLh respecL and lnLenLlon, sensory observaLlon, learnlng Lhrough Lhe
chakra sysLem and Chlnese Medlclne, and Lonlng wlLh Lhe planL. ln addlLlon Lo Lhese commonly
suggesLed Lechnlques, l used yoga Lhrough breaLhlng exerclses, openlng posLures, asanas LhaL
work wlLh Lhe same chakra as Lhe planL, lnLulLlve movemenL and medlLaLlon. l synLheslzed my
flndlngs lnLo a weekend reLreaL l hope Lo offer one day (Appendlx lLem 1) and LaughL one of Lhe
deslgned classes, focused on 8osemary (CuLllne and scrlpL ln Appendlx lLem 2). 8efore l share
Lhe resulLs of Lhls class, l wlll expand upon my personal experlence beglnnlng an exploraLlon of
lanL SplrlL Peallng.
When l flrsL began Lhls pro[ecL, l faced a loL of doubL, boLh lnLernal and exLernal. l
sLruggled Lo flnd a supporLlve supervlsor and quesLloned wheLher l could pull Lhls off. Could l
really .*229$-.#%) wlLh planLs? Was Lhls someLhlng one can learn or a purely lnnaLe glfL?
Slowly as l gaLhered more knowledge from MonLgomery and 8uhner's books, l began Lo feel
LhaL Lhls was ln facL someLhlng l could pracLlce and learn. My real breakLhrough happened
durlng my weekend of lmmerslon aL Lhe ShlraL Pamldbar medlclnal planL farm. 8elng away
from my rouLlne and dally concerns and lnsLead llvlng closely connecLed Lo naLure faclllLaLed a
deep splrlLual experlence. l kepL my body clean and free of alcohol, anlmal producLs, excesslve
gluLen and processed sugar. l spenL my days pracLlclng yoga wlLh Lhe planLs, readlng abouL
lanL SplrlL Peallng, and experlmenLlng wlLh pracLlces such as Lonlng wlLh planLs, dreamLlme
[ourneys, and Lransferrlng heallng Lhrough Louch. l began Lo LrusL my lnsLlncLs and Lhe feellngs l
recelved, deepenlng Lhem unLll l reallzed LhaL l felL Lwo dlsLlncL splrlLs beLween Lwo planLs Lo
whlch l was aLLracLed: Lavender and 8osemary. l noLlced a dlfferenL feellng ln my body and
6
splrlL when l smelled one planL compared Lo Lhe oLher. l experlmenLed wlLh Lransferrlng Lhls
energy Lhrough Louch wlLh my parLner, who had [olned me for Lhe weekend. l placed my hands
on hls back and asked hlm Lo Lell me lf he sensed a shlfL ln my energy. Pe lmmedlaLely
percelved Lhe momenL l swlLched from lnvlLlng Lhe splrlL of Lavender Lo LhaL of 8osemary. 1he
exclLlng dlscoverles l made over Lhe weekend gave me renewed energy for my pro[ecL. l began
Lo feel confldenL abouL Lhe work l was dolng and felL a sLrong sense of parLnershlp wlLh
8osemary.
My confldence peaked as l gave my flrsL lanL SplrlL ?oga heallng sesslon Lo my parLner,
Lhe weekend before my group class. We fllled a room wlLh Lhe scenL of 8osemary Lhrough Lhe
anclenL pracLlce of burnlng Lhe drled herb and oll dlffuslon, and fllled our bodles wlLh 8osemary
Lea. Slnce my class focuses on 8osemary's lmpacL on Lhe hearL chakra, l played PearL Chakra
MedlLaLlon muslc. l encouraged my volunLeer cllenL Lo move lnLulLlvely, whlch was effecLlve as
a resulL of hls yoga background. l also lnsLrucLed hlm lnLo some of Lhe poses from my planned
class, and gulded hlm Lhrough Lhe same lnner chlld medlLaLlon. Pls experlence was profound
and lL alded a deep heallng process. Pe has slnce conLlnued Lo develop hls relaLlonshlp wlLh
8osemary, gaLherlng planLs Lo keep ln hls home. 1he sesslon was also exLremely encouraglng
for me, l found LhaL l Lhoroughly en[oy Lhls work and feel LhaL l could spend a llfeLlme
dlscoverlng new ways Lo use planLs for physlcal and splrlLual heallng. 8y Lhe Llme l LaughL my
8osemary class, l was lnvlgoraLed and felL LhaL l had much Lo offer and share.
1he class dld noL go compleLely as expecLed, buL lL was neverLheless a sLrong success
(see llgures 1-11, phoLographs Laken by AlLS sLudenL Muhanad kharraz). lor varlous reasons,
my orlglnal volunLeer sLudenLs were noL all able Lo aLLend, and Lhus my comparlson beLween
pre-class and posL-class quesLlonnalres ls llmlLed. Powever, l had slx sLudenLs who all
compleLed a feedback form. lrom my experlence Leachlng and Lhese forms l see LhaL many
Lhlngs wenL well, and Lhere ls also much room for lmprovemenL. 1wo lmpacLful aspecLs of Lhe
class LhaL sLood ouL ln Lhe feedback were Lhe pracLlce of smelllng Lhe fresh herb LhroughouL
and Lhe lnner chlld medlLaLlon. 1he quesLlonnalre lncluded a serles of sLaLemenLs whlch
parLlclpanLs were asked Lo raLe beLween 1-sLrongly dlsagree and 3-sLrongly agree. When l
7
averaged Lhe raLlngs for four sLaLemenLs of parLlcular lnLeresL Lo my goals, l found Lhe
followlng:

8osemary ls a powerful planL: 4.333
l wlll look Lo planLs for heallng ln Lhe fuLure: 4.167
l am loved and supporLed: 4.667
?oga has heallng effecLs: 4.667

1hese resulLs lndlcaLe LhaL all parLlclpanLs elLher agreed or sLrongly agreed wlLh Lhese
sLaLemenLs. Whlle l cannoL make a dlrecL comparlson Lo Lhelr bellefs prlor Lo class, l feel LhaL l
succeeded ln lnsLllllng some of Lhe feellngs and values mosL lmporLanL Lo my class. l was able Lo
compare some bellefs pre- and posL-class for 3 sLudenLs, and l found some exclLlng changes. All
parLlclpanLs lndlcaLed a much beLLer undersLandlng of lanL SplrlL Peallng as a resulL of Lhe
class. Many sLudenLs lndlcaLed a greaLer feellng of connecLlon wlLh all llfe, lncreased LrusL ln
Lhemselves and/or oLhers, and greaLer lnLeresL ln furLher explorlng Lhelr splrlLuallLy. llve of slx
parLlclpanLs responded LhaL Lhey dld have a heallng experlence, wlLh one noL sure" wlLh a
commenL LhaL she would llke Lo Lry agaln when well-resLed and ln a beLLer menLal sLaLe. 1wo
parLlclpanLs reporLed a decrease ln back paln as a resulL of Lhe class. l feel LhaL Lhese poslLlve
experlences were a resulL of many facLors lncludlng Lhe yoga posLures, use of 8osemary, and
splrlLual heallng of my Leachlng and Lhe lnner chlld medlLaLlon. lor me, Lhls summarlzes Lhe
lmpacL of lnLegraLlng Lhese heallng pracLlces. 1hey bulld upon one anoLher and Lhelr comblned
effecL ls more Lhan Lhe sum of Lhelr parLs. ln response Lo Lhe quesLlonnalre's lnqulry, Pow has
Lhls class lmpacLed your feellngs Loward uslng planL splrlLs for heallng", one parLlclpanL replled,
urlnklng herbs and uslng [Lhem] on [Lhe] body ls always heallng so why [noL] use lL durlng
yoga, when our hearL and mlnds, bodles and souls are open for heallng?" When asked how Lhe
class affecLed Lhelr feellngs Loward 8osemary, Lhe same parLlclpanL replled, lf lL ls sald LhaL
'people are llke anlmals', now l say LhaL 'we are llke planLs' (reslllenL, eLc.)".
8

llgure 1: Cpenlng Lhe class wlLh an lnLroducLlon over 8osemary Lea

llgure 2: Sukh urvak ranayama breaLhlng exerclse



9

llgure 3: arLlclpanLs smell 8osemary ln Chlld's ose

llgure 4: Cpenlng posLures

llgure 3: arLlclpanL ln uownward-laclng uog
10

llgure 6: uemonsLraLlng uancer's pose, a cenLral hearL-opener

llgure 7: AsslsLlng a parLlclpanL Loward greaLer heallng ln Palf lgeon pose

llgure 8: arLlclpanL smelllng 8osemary ln savasana (Corpse pose")
11

llgure 9: uslng 8osemary Almond oll Lo help parLlclpanLs relax ln savasana

llgure 10: Savasana

llgure 11: Closlng wlLh Lhumbs aL Lhlrd eye cenLer



12
1hrough my own experlence and Lhe resulLs of Lhe quesLlonnalres, l also galned
concreLe ldeas for lmprovemenL. 8ecause scenL seemed Lo be exLremely powerful, l would llke
Lo lncorporaLe lL more lnLo a large group class Lhe way l dld ln Lhe lndlvldual heallng sesslon
(e.g. burnlng Lhe drled herb LhroughouL). l also noLlced LhaL a more deLalled explanaLlon of Lhe
chakra sysLem could have made Lhe class more effecLlve. uue Lo unforeseen compllcaLlons
(such as my compuLer breaklng mlnuLes before class), l was noL able Lo seL Lhe Lone
lmmedlaLely upon Lhe parLlclpanLs' arrlval. ln Lhe fuLure l would llke Lo have Lhe whole
experlence ready when Lhey walk ln Lhe door, so Lhe class may begln ln a calm and brlghL
manner. l would also llke Lo work more on breaLh, as l belleve lL holds vasL power for boLh
heallng and fosLerlng connecLlon beLween humans and planLs. arLlclpanLs sLruggled a blL wlLh
Lhe exerclse l chose, and some suggesLed on Lhe quesLlonnalre LhaL l use an easler one. l would
now reserve Lhls exerclse for a more advanced class. arLlclpanLs dld noL see much relevance of
Lhe openlng posLures Lo Lhe pracLlce, so l would wanL Lo expand upon Lhe ldea of waklng up our
bodles and splrlLs and physlcally openlng ourselves and our energy channels Lo be recepLlve Lo
Lhe pracLlce. l noLlced LhaL camel pose could have been more effecLlve. l planned Lhls pose as a
powerful hearL opener, buL because none of Lhe parLlclpanLs seemed Lo have Lhe flexlblllLy, l
dld noL gulde Lhem lnLo Lhe full expresslon of Lhe pose buL raLher sLayed wlLhln Lhe modlfled
varlaLlon. l made Lhls cholce for Lhe goal of safeLy, buL perhaps lf Lhey saw whaL Lhe full
expresslon looked llke Lhey could have made modlflcaLlons LhaL would enable greaLer hearL-
openlng for Lhemselves. l look forward Lo accumulaLlng more knowledge and ldeas for
lmprovemenL as l conLlnue Lo pracLlce leadlng lanL SplrlL ?oga sesslons.
My semesLer's work on Lhls pro[ecL, Lhough merely Lhe beglnnlng of someLhlng much
more exLenslve, has been lncredlbly rewardlng. l absoluLely feel LhaL l have accompllshed my
goals. lL's hard Lo belleve LhaL flve monLhs ago l had never led yoga, and now l Lhrlve when
Leachlng. 1hus far l've focused malnly on my relaLlonshlp wlLh 8osemary, and Lhls parLnershlp
has Lruly blossomed. 1hls powerful herb has helped me lmmensely on my llfe [ourney, and l feel
LhaL l've beneflLed lL ln reLurn by lnsplrlng oLhers Lo explore lLs power furLher. l am graLeful for
Lhe opporLunlLy Lhe Arava lnsLlLuLe has glven me Lo begln Lhls exploraLlon, and l look forward Lo
deepenlng lL LhroughouL my llfe.
13


AcknowledgmenLs

1hough my pro[ecL was largely lndependenL and personal, l owe a greaL deal of my
success Lo advlsors, professors, frlends, and of course Lhe planLs! llrsLly, l wanL Lo Lhank my
parLner uanor Lshay for hls ongolng supporL, creaLlve ldeas, sharlng of hls LasLern medlclne
knowledge, and for belng my pracLlce sLudenL. l would llke Lo Lhank ur. Llll Croner and ur. Clgl
SLrom for accepLlng and supporLlng Lhls pro[ecL ln splLe of lLs exlsLence ouLslde Lhelr comforL
zones. l would also llke Lo Lhank ur. Llalne Solowey and Ms. uorla naveh for Lhelr counsel.
1hank you Lo !ess 8aker of ShlraL Pamldbar for lnLroduclng me Lo lanL SplrlL Peallng Lhrough
am MonLgomery's book and Lo Colan Cohen for welcomlng me back Lo hls farm for my
weekend of lmmerslon. Much graLlLude Lo Lydla 8ussell-Mcuade for her Llme, lnLervlew
responses, and klnd supporL. My pro[ecL would have been lmposslble wlLhouL Lhe generous
supporL of my peers, who encouraged me even ln my momenLs of doubL and volunLeered Lhelr
Llme, Lhelr bodles, and Lhelr souls Lo parLlclpaLe ln my classes. l am deeply graLeful for Lhe
opporLunlLy Lhey gave me Lo pracLlce Leachlng and Lo learn from Lhem Lhrough Lhelr feedback. l
would llke Lo Lhank Muhanad kharraz for phoLographlng my 8osemary class and laryn 8orella,
8ecca Abrams, ulma khoury, and Saml Laurence for helplng me Lhrough compllcaLlons on Lhe
mornlng of Lhe class. llnally l wanL Lo Lhank Lhe planLs for sharlng Lhelr heallng and wlsdom
wlLh me and my sLudenLs. 8osemary has been my ally LhroughouL Lhls pro[ecL, conslsLenLly
lnsplrlng and encouraglng me and helplng me Lo keep Lhlngs ln perspecLlve and play! lL ls a
profoundly powerful planL and lL's been my deep pleasure Lo wlLness oLhers flndlng Lhelr own
relaLlonshlps wlLh lL.





14


Append|x

Contents
lLem age
Item 1: Weekend ketreat It|nerary..................................................................1S
Item 2: kosemary C|ass Scr|pt.............................20
Item 3: re-C|ass uest|onna|re...........................26
Item 4: ost-C|ass uest|onna|re...........................29
























15
Item 1: Weekend ketreat It|nerary

|ant Sp|r|t oga
Weekend ketreat
Leader: k|vka Shap|ro
Locat|on: Sh|rat nam|dbar farm, 8e'er M||ka, Israe|


1arget Aud|ence: 8eglnnlng-moderaLe Lo Advanced experlence wlLh yoga, dance or oLher
body/movemenL pracLlce. noL ldeal for someone wlLhouL any yoga experlence, as Lhe purpose
of Lhe reLreaL ls more Lo use yoga as a gaLeway Lo lanL SplrlL Peallng Lhan Lo learn yoga asanas.
1hose who feel comforLable movlng Lhelr bodles organlcally wlLhouL lnsLrucLlon wlll be able Lo
glean Lhe mosL from Lhe reLreaL. LxlsLlng relaLlonshlp wlLh planLs ls noL necessary, buL lnLeresL
ln creaLlng Lhls relaLlonshlp ls key.

Ma|n Goa|s: lnLroduce parLlclpanLs Lo lanL SplrlL Peallng and provlde a gaLeway Lo Lhe pracLlce
Lhrough yoga asana. arLlclpanLs wlll leave wlLh a sLrengLhened connecLlon Lo naLure and
planLs, boLh physlcally and splrlLually. arLlclpanLs wlll feel llghL and clear ln Lhelr bodles and
mlnds, enabllng many Lo have hlghly splrlLual experlences. 1hey wlll become more aware of Lhe
klnd of ally or heallng Lhey need, and wlll begln Lo Lurn Lo planLs Lo gulde Lhem on Lhelr
personal paLh. 1he knowledge and experlence galned on Lhe reLreaL wlll lnsplre parLlclpanLs Lo
conLlnue Lo bulld relaLlonshlps wlLh planLs, and Lhey wlll have Lhe Lools Lo conLlnue Lo use yoga
asana Lo access Lhe connecLlon.

Accommodat|ons and food: 1he reLreaL wlll be vegan, caffelne-free, alcohol-free, and sugar-
free ln order Lo keep Lhe body (Lhe vessel LhaL houses Lhe splrlL we seek Lo awaken) clean and
on a hlgh vlbraLlon level. LveryLhlng we puL lnLo our bodles wlll come from Lhe earLh wlLhouL
excesslve processlng, relnforclng Lhe relaLlonshlp beLween us and Lhe planLs. AccommodaLlon
wlll be on maLs and maLLresses under zulas ln Lhe back area of Lhe farm. arLlclpanLs may brlng
LenLs lf Lhey so choose. Sleeplng bags noL provlded. ComposL LolleLs and a solar-heaLed shower
(whose waLer we wlll save for greywaLer use) allow parLlclpanLs Lo reLaln boLh Lhelr personal
comforL and Lhelr connecLlon Lo Lhe land.

ketreat Cost: $73 lncludes 6 vegan meals prepared fresh by reLreaL sLaff, 2 full days of lanL
SplrlL ?oga workshops and classes, 2 nlghLs on Lhe farm, maLerlals: [ournal, herb lnformaLlon
packeL, magnlfylng glass, crafL supplles for maklng offerlngs, bag of herbs Lo be plcked by Lhe
16
parLlclpanL and Laken home (and/or a cuLLlng of a poLenLlal planL ally when posslble). 1hls prlce
assumes my hypoLheLlcal ownershlp of Lhe farm and Lherefore free access Lo lLs faclllLles and
herbs.

1hursday
16:30 Arr|va|, CeL seLLled ln
Lach parLlclpanL recelves a welcomlng packeL lncludlng lnformaLlon abouL Lhe medlclnal
quallLles of Lhe herbs on Lhe farm and Lhelr use ln folklore/LradlLlonal medlclne as well as
correspondence Lo Lhe llve LlemenLs of Chlnese Medlclne and Lhe Chakra sysLem. 1he packeL
wlll also lnclude a [ournal wlLh guldlng quesLlons and a small magnlfylng glass for explorlng
planLs and flowers.
17:00 Greet|ngs, lnLroducLlons wlLh lemongrass Lea, Lour of farm
ln Lhe lnLroducLlon, parLlclpanLs each brlefly descrlbe Lhelr relaLlonshlp Lo Lhe naLural
world, whaL broughL Lhem Lo Lhe reLreaL, and a personal goal Lhey have for Lhe weekend.
uurlng Lhe Lour l polnL ouL varlous herbs LhaL may be gaLhered LhroughouL Lhe reLreaL for
personal and group use.
18:30 Sunset yoga
AL sunseL, l wlll lnvlLe sLudenLs Lo glve graLlLude for Lhe day and release anyLhlng Lhey
may be carrylng wlLh Lhem LhaL no longer serves Lhelr hlgher purpose. l wlll choose poses such
as half plgeon, a blg hlp opener and emoLlon releaser, prasarlLa for lLs calmlng effecL on Lhe
nervous sysLem as we relax lnLo Lhe evenlng
13
, and seaLed LwlsL Lo rlnse ouL Lhe splne and
deLoxlfy Lhe body ln preparaLlon for Lhe weekend. l wlll hold Lhls sesslon by Lhe lavender planLs
and durlng savasana (flnal 'corpse pose' ln whlch Lhe pracLlLloner lles sLlll on Lhelr back) l wlll
brlng a plece of Lhe planL Lo each sLudenLs' nose Lo smell and Lhen Lo Lhelr hand Lo hold.
Lavender ls wldely used ln aromaLherapy for lLs calmlng effecLs.
14

19:1S D|nner: WhlLe bean and vegeLable soup, varleLy of salads, freshly baked whole
wheaL/spelL bread
20:00 Lavender tea and f|rst |esson on |ant Sp|r|t nea||ng
ln my flrsL lesson on lanL SplrlL Peallng, l wlll lnLroduce sLudenLs Lo Lhe ldeas of
unlversal splrlL and Lhe lnLelllgence of planLs. l wlll explaln Lhe concepL of formlng co-creaLlve
parLnershlps wlLh planLs Lhrough a merglng of splrlL. l wlll dlscuss Lhe beneflLs of uslng yoga as
an enLry polnL lnLo Lhls connecLlon.
21:00 8edt|me

Ir|day

13
CarpenLer, Annle. "Wlde-Legged SLandlng lorward 8end." >#&-.&. ?oga !ournal, May 2012. Web. 03 !une 2013.
14
"Lavender." I$-1)(&-%D *A E#(D"#$/ E)/-.#" =)$%)(. unlverslLy of Maryland Medlcal SysLem, 2011. Web. 03 !une
2013.
17
S:4S Morn|ng pranayama and sun sa|utat|ons
6:4S 1ea, med|tat|on, [ourna||ng
Lemongrass and whlLe savory Lea avallable. arLlclpanLs have Llme for medlLaLlon
and/or [ournallng wlLh Lhe followlng guldlng quesLlons:
WhaL energy do l ask Lhe sun Lo brlng Lo me Loday?
WhaL am l seeklng?
Whlch planLs am l mosL aLLracLed Lo Lhls mornlng?
8:00 8reakfast: Salad, freshly baked whole wheaL/spelL bread, oaLmeal, assorLed seasonal
frulLs, granola
8:30 Second |ant Sp|r|t nea||ng |esson as students f|n|sh breakfast.
8eglnnlng Lo lorm 8elaLlonshlps wlLh lanLs:
Pow Lo noLlce when a planL ls Lrylng Lo geL your aLLenLlon
CbservaLlon Lechnlques uslng Lhe 3 senses
Colors/chakras
1asLe/properLles
LlsLenlng/Lonlng wlLh planLs
Smell and memory
1ouch, lnsLlncLs
Approachlng a planL wlLh respecL and lnLenLlon
1lme for quesLlons so far
9:1S Mak|ng offer|ngs]g|fts for p|ants
8rlnglng a small offerlng, preferably someLhlng hand-made, shows respecL and goodwlll.
LnLerlng a relaLlonshlp wlLh a planL ls much llke a courLshlp. l wlll provlde eco-frlendly maLerlals
such as blodegradable Lwlne or hemp, glass beads, wood and knlves for carvlng, drled leaves for
weavlng, and planL-based dyes and palnLs Lo be used on bark parchmenL.
10:1S Deta||ed |ntroduct|ons to p|ants
l wlll brlng sLudenLs around Lhe farm and lnLroduce Lhem Lo each planL, sharlng Lhe
planLs' characLerlsLlcs and medlclnal properLles as well as any splrlLual knowledge l've gleaned
from Lhe planL. As a group we wlll begln Lo employ Lhe sLraLegles sLudenLs learned ln Lhe
mornlng's lesson Lo approach and observe Lhe planL.
11:1S Ind|v|dua| exp|orat|on
SLudenLs who were aLLracLed Lo a parLlcular planL durlng Lhe Lour may now reLurn Lo
Lhem and choose Lo glve an offerlng, slL wlLh Lhe planL ln medlLaLlon, or pracLlce yoga movlng
Lo Lhe feellng Lhey recelve from Lhe planL. CLhers wlll pracLlce Lhe Lechnlques of approachlng
and observlng a few planLs.
12:30 Lunch: Culnoa, vegan chlll, avocado, salad wlLh splnach, kale, cucumber, LomaLo, carroLs,
pepper, eLc.
13:1S Group shar|ng abouL lndlvlduals' experlence ln Lhe mornlng
18
Sharlng wlLh Lhe group wlll help sLudenLs who may be sLruggllng Lo form a connecLlon
feel supporLed and enable sLudenLs Lo advlse each oLher ln addlLlon Lo my guldance. 1hose who
had a powerful experlence wlll be valldaLed and encouraged Lo conLlnue Lhelr exploraLlon,
whlle lnsplrlng Lhelr peers. 8ulldlng a bond wlLhln Lhe group wlll ald parLlclpanLs ln bondlng
wlLh Lhe planLs.
14:00 Lesson about us|ng p|ants to hea| onese|f and to hea| others
14:4S 8reak
1S:00 kosemary c|ass (scrlpL/ouLllne ln Appendlx lLem 3)
16:30 Iree t|me Lo shower, explore Lhe farm, go for a walk ln Lhe dunes, resL, [ournal, medlLaLe,
eLc.
Snack: lrulL and nuLs
18:30 Sunset yoga
19:1S D|nner: LenLll sLuffed peppers, roasLed caullflower and broccoll, splnach and kale salad
wlLh walnuLs and cranberrles. uesserL: asslonfrulL from Lhe farm.
20:00 Lemon verbena tea and nature poetry read|ng
20:30 N|ght wa|k Lo help parLlclpanLs come Lo LrusL naLure and flnd personal power
21:30 8edt|me


Saturday
S:4S Morn|ng pranayama and sun sa|utat|ons
6:4S 1ea, med|tat|on, [ourna||ng
1ea: Sage and 8osemary
13

Culdlng CuesLlons:
Whlch planLs am l aLLracLed Lo and whlch are paylng aLLenLlon Lo me?
Pow does lL feel Lo lnLerpreL a feellng Lhrough my body?
CpLlonal exerclse: WrlLe a dlalogue beLween you and a planL. WhaL Lype of heallng do
you wlsh Lo ask for? WhaL wlsdom mlghL Lhe planL hold?
WhaL am l carrylng LhaL no longer serves me?
WhaL do l wanL Lo Lake wlLh me from Lhls weekend?
8:00 8reakfast: 1ofu scramble, cucumber and LomaLo salad, passlonfrulL
8:4S Lesson on Chakras and Ch|nese I|ve L|ements
9:4S Ca|endu|a yoga asana c|ass
1hls class would focus on Lhe Solar lexus Chakra, cenLerlng on wlll and amblLlon. l
would lncorporaLe Lhe ldea of openlng and closlng ourselves, knowlng when Lo open up and

13
!ess 8aker, an employee of ShlraL Pamldbar farm, suggesLed Lhese as opLlmal mornlng Leas Lo promoLe
wakefulness.
19
glve our energy ouL (or recelve) and when we need Lo focus lL lnLernally. Calendula flowers
follow Lhe sun ln Lhls paLLern, openlng Lo Lhelr fullesL sLaLe around noon.
11:00 Group shar|ng, LroubleshooLlng and C & A
12:30 Lunch: lalafel and eggplanL salad, couscous
13:30 Gu|ded med|tat|on--ureamLlme !ourney
1hls ls a gulded medlLaLlon LhaL brlngs Lhe pracLlLloner Lo a sLaLe of lower bralnwave
acLlvlLy, slmllar Lo LhaL experlenced durlng sleep. ln Lhls suggesLlve sLaLe, Lhe pracLlLloner
vlsuallzes a [ourney on whlch Lhey meeL a splrlL gulde and ask for heallng. 1hls exerclse ls Laken
from am MonLgomery's !"#$% 3+-(-% 4)#"-$5 (accessed by e8ook).
14:30 Ind|v|dua| exp|orat|on w|th p|ants
16:30 Wrap-up, co||ect p|ants to take home



20


Item 2: kosemary C|ass Scr|pt

|ant Sp|r|t oga C|ass: kosemary
k|vka Shap|ro
6:00am, Monday May 20, 2013

8efore class l harvesLed a sprlg of 8osemary for each sLudenL Lo use LhroughouL class. l made a
Lea for each sLudenL from fresh 8osemary and offered Lhem homemade 8osemary-lnfused
Almond Cll Lo puL under Lhelr noses and on Lhelr chesLs.


1ea, |ntroduct|on to |ant Sp|r|t nea||ng, |nformat|on about kosemary
~1S m|nutes
llrsL we'll have Lea made from 8osemary Lo enhance our feellng of connecLlon Lo Lhe
planL. lL wlll llLerally be lnslde of us. 1hls wlll also glve us some of lLs medlclnal properLles. Whlle
you en[oy your Lea l'll glve you an lnLroducLlon Lo lanL SplrlL Peallng, whaL lL ls, how we can
use lL, and how yoga can help us access lL. 1hen we'll do some pranayama, breaLhlng exerclse,
Lo open our bodles and our senses and awaken our splrlLs. Cnce we're more open we'll Lake
some Llme Lo observe Lhe planL Lhrough Lhe senses before openlng our bodles even furLher
wlLh some asana. We'll Lhen reLurn Lo chlld's pose Lo smell Lhe planL agaln and lnvlLe lL furLher
lnLo our bodles and splrlLs. 1hen we'll move on Lo some hearL openers. l belleve Lhese posLures
have some of Lhe same heallng effecLs as 8osemary and are connecLed Lhrough Lhelr relaLlon Lo
Lhe hearL chakra. Agaln we'll Lake a few momenLs Lo smell and observe 8osemary, followed by
a small cool-down. We'll end ln savasana, corpse pose, durlng whlch l wlll gulde you ln a
medlLaLlon LhaL wlll help you connecL Lo your lnner chlld. uurlng Lhls medlLaLlon l wlll be
comlng around wlLh rosemary oll Lo rub on your Lemples (and/or burn as lncense). lf you have
any quesLlons, l'll be happy Lo answer Lhem afLer Lhe class ls flnlshed.
llrsL l wanL Lo share wlLh you how Lhls pro[ecL began and why l chose Lo focus on
8osemary ln Lhls class. 8efore l came Lo Arava, l volunLeered on an herb farm ln Lhe negev.
Whlle l was Lhere, one of Lhe workers gave me a book abouL lanL SplrlL Peallng and Lhe whole
concepL really resonaLed wlLh me. Cn Lhe mornlng l lefL Lhe farm, l was readlng abouL bulldlng
relaLlonshlps wlLh planLs and how Lo Lell when a planL ls Lrylng Lo geL your aLLenLlon. When a
planL crosses your paLh a Lhlrd Llme, Lhls ls wldely belleved Lo be a slgn Lo pay aLLenLlon. l
reallzed LhaL 8osemary ls a slgnlflcanL planL for me. 1hough vlrLually all of my famlly ls from Lhe
MldwesL, l was born ln 1ucson, Arlzona whlle my parenLs sLudled and worked Lhere for a few
years. ln our backyard we had a few large, beauLlful 8osemary bushes. l dldn'L even really know
21
whaL Lhey were or how Lhey mlghL be used, buL Lhey were my chlldhood and Lhe ouLdoors.
AfLer llvlng Lhe nexL 13 years of my llfe ln MlnnesoLa and away from 8osemary's preferred
cllmaLe, l came Lo lsrael. l was slLLlng aL a cafe wlLh a frlend when he polnLed ouL LhaL we were
surrounded by 8osemary. l was flooded wlLh memorles and [oy. When l came Lo Lhe herb farm
and saw Lhe abundance of 8osemary, l felL compelled Lo explore Lhls relaLlonshlp. WlLh a
couple hours lefL on Lhe farm, l declded Lo pracLlce yoga nexL Lo Lhe 8osemary. l followed some
of Lhe suggesLlons ln Lhe book, approachlng Lhe planL wlLh respecL and love and maklng my
lnLenLlons of esLabllshlng a co-creaLlve parLnershlp clear. l hung my prayer beads on lLs
branches and l plcked a couple pleces Lo smell as l pracLlced. l found myself dolng loLs of hlp
openers. We sLore memorles and emoLlons ln Lhe connecLlve Llssues and speclflcally Lhe hlps.
8osemary ls Lhe ofLen called Lhe lanL of 8emembrance. l felL unusually playful pracLlclng nexL
Lo 8osemary.. l played around wlLh headsLands whlch usually scared me, and l felL brave and
llghLhearLed, supporLed. As l lay ln half plgeon, a 8lC hlp opener, l had 8osemary under my
nose and breaLhed lL ln deeply. lL was ln LhaL momenL LhaL l had a powerful LhoughL or vlslon
LhaL l was dolng lanL SplrlL ?oga and l saw myself Leachlng lL laLer ln llfe. l had known l wanLed
Lo pracLlce herballsm and Leach yoga, and now l saw how l could comblne Lhe Lwo. l was
overwhelmed and l crled and Lhanked 8osemary for lLs guldance. My relaLlonshlp wlLh
8osemary ls very connecLed wlLh a sense of play and accesslng my lnner chlld who ls curlous,
fearless, lovlng and lmaglnaLlve. lL's also very much Lled Lo my dreams and asplraLlons and lL
always glves me encouragemenL and a feellng of supporL on my paLh.

1hls ls Lhe ulLlmaLe goal of lanL SplrlL Peallng. 8y Lapplng lnLo our connecLlon wlLh Lhe splrlLs
of Lhe planLs, we're able Lo form co-creaLlve parLnershlps wlLh Lhem. We sLlmulaLe Lhem wlLh
our aLLenLlon and help Lhem Lo fulflll Lhelr purpose, and Lhey become our allles ln dlscoverlng
and followlng our Lrue paLh ln Lhls llfeLlme. When we are more fully ourselves, Lhere ls less
room for dlsease Lo lnvade Lhe body. We are also happler and more aL ease, whlch we know
prevenLs lllness. So lL does have physlcal effecLs Loo, especlally lf we belleve LhaL physlcal lllness
can be caused by splrlLual or emoLlonal lmbalance. So whaL do l mean by Lapplng lnLo our
connecLlon? 1hose of us who have had an experlence of profound connecLlon Lo Lhe people or
Lhe world around us may know whaL lL feels llke Lo leL LhaL self-conLalnlng barrler fall. We open
up and expand and we feel LhaL we're parL of someLhlng blgger. 1hls dlssoluLlon of Lhe llmlLlng
self and Lhe feellng of unlversal connecLedness LhaL follows can be achleved Lhrough
medlLaLlon. ?oga asana was creaLed as a medlLaLlon ald, Lo achleve Lhls very purpose. Cnce
we're ouLslde of Lhe llluslon of separaLeness, we can connecL Lo a speclflc splrlL. All llvlng Lhlngs
have splrlL, and planLs are no excepLlon. ConnecLlng Lo a planL splrlL ls llke meeLlng a new besL
frlend LhaL you can Lake wlLh you almosL anywhere. 8osemary has remalned my mosL cenLral
planL ally, and l hope LhaL Lhrough Lhls class l can share wlLh you some of Lhe heallng l recelve
from lL and help you begln your own relaLlonshlp.
22

8osemary has counLless anclenL uses. lL was exchanged beLween frlends ln Creece as a slgn of
devoLlon and even laln aL graves. SLudenLs wore a plece Lucked ln Lhelr ear Lo lmprove cognlLlve
funcLlon and memory. lL was also burned Lo dlspel evll splrlLs and negaLlve energy, and LhoughL
Lo proLecL people llvlng ln Lhe house, especlally Lhe women.
16

8osemary has slgnlflcanL med|c|na| propert|es, lncludlng memory lmprovemenL, llver
sLlmulaLlon, dlgesLlon ald, paln rellef, cancer prevenLlon, mood lmprovemenL, and lncreased
blood clrculaLlon.
17


Medlclnal properLles can be a reflecLlon of Lhe planL's sp|r|tua| propert|es.
l flnd LhaL connecLlng herbs Lo Lhe chakra sysLem can help us declpher Lhelr offerlngs and how
we can use Lhem Lo balance our energy and our bodles. l place 8osemary ln Lhe hearL chakra
and Lhe Lhlrd eye chakra. lLs ablllLy Lo lmprove concenLraLlon and memory are relaLed Lo Lhe
Lhlrd eye chakra, Lhe percepLlon" or command" cenLer. lLs correspondlng color ls lndlgo, and
lLs elemenL ls llghL. When Lhe Lhlrd eye chakra ls ln balance, we are lmaglnaLlve, lnLulLlve,
percepLlve and clear ln Lhe mlnd. l connecL mosL Lo 8osemary's lmpacL on Lhe hearL chakra, so
our class wlll focus on Lhls energy cenLer. Lven 8osemary's cognlLlve funcLlons can be llnked Lo
Lhe hearL, neuron acLlvlLy ln Lhe braln ls dependenL upon Lhe sLaLe of Lhe hearL. Changes ln
hearL acLlvlLy such as blood pressure or Lhe Llmlng of your hearLbeaL acLually affecLs Lhe areas
of Lhe braln lnvolved ln memory and emoLlonal processlng.
18
1he hearL chakra ls Lhe 4Lh of Lhe
energy cenLers and connecLs Lhe lower chakras, whlch work wlLh Lhe physlcal, Lo Lhe upper
chakras, whlch conLaln splrlLual aspecLs llke creaLlvlLy, communlcaLlon, lnLulLlon, and wlsdom.
19


1he hearL chakra's elemenL ls alr, so lL's qulLe flLLlng LhaL we'll begln wlLh pranayama,
breaLhwork. Cpenlng Lhe hearL helps us Lo recelve, so lL's useful when worklng wlLh any planL
or [usL when we need fresh alr, energy, and love.

ranayama (Sukh urvak ranayama--CompleLe !oy 8reaLh)
~3-S m|nutes
lnhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4, swlLch sldes. WlLh lefL hand, hold 8osemary under nose.
vlsuallze Lhe breaLh flowlng from your hearL Lo your lungs. know LhaL whaL you lnhale ls
a glfL from planLs, and whaL you exhale Lhey graLefully recelve.
Sme|| and gulde sLudenLs Lo observe where Lhey feel lL ln Lhe body, noLlce any emoLlon
LhaL comes up, any memorles.

16
Panson, uave. "8osemary." 3#5) 8#(/)$ 4)(0&. Sage Carden Perbs, 2013. Web. 03 !une 2013.
17
"8osemary 8osmarlnus Cfflclnalls." F$A*(2#%-*$ *$ %,) 4)(0 J*&)2#(D? Ageless, n.d. Web. 03 !une 2013.
<hLLp://www.ageless.co.za/herb-rosemary.hLm>.
18
8uhner 83.
19
"Chakras and Asana racLlce." 3#.()/ =)$%)(&. Sacred CenLers, 2013. Web. 03 !une 2013.
23
1he color of Lhe hearL chakra ls brlghL green. uo you feel anyLhlng when you see Lhe
color of 8osemary?
Cpen the body
~10-1S m|nutes
Chlld's pose Lo lengLhen Lhe splne and open Lhe hlps
CaL and cow pose Lo open Lhe hearL chakra and sLreLch Lhe splne
uown dog--open your hearL unLo yourself
2 sun As
1 sun 8 wlLh Lrlangle
Sme|| and observe
~3 m|nutes
now LhaL blood, oxygen and energy are flowlng more freely Lhrough your body, come
back Lo your plece of 8osemary. lnhale lL deeply. 8un lL across your skln. Allow yourself Lo be
carrled by Lhe sllghLesL feellng LhaL surfaces. 1rusL your lnsLlncLs.

now we'll use some poses LhaL open Lhe hearL chakra Lo open up and recelve 8osemary. 1hese
posLures wlll help us access 8osemary's splrlL, and Lhey wlll also enhance lLs effecL on our
bodles and hearLs. Llke 8osemary, hearL openers lncrease clrculaLlon and llfL our mood, fllllng
us wlLh love and compasslon.

neart chakra poses
~10-1S m|nutes
lL's lmporLanL Lo open Lhrough boLh sldes of Lhe body, so we wlll mlx ln forward folds.
Cobra
Chlld's pose (come around and rub sLudenLs' backs beLween Lhe shoulder blades)
uancer's pose
Camel pose
lorward fold
Sme|| and observe ln chlld's pose
(In a more advanced c|ass, I wou|d use th|s t|me for p|ayt|me. lree-flowlng movemenL. 1hls ls
a Llme Lo drop one's LhoughLs and experlence solely Lhrough Lhe body. LlsLenlng wlLh Lhe body
can help one flnd one's own unlque relaLlonshlp wlLh 8osemary. 8ecause Lhe sLudenLs ln Lhls
class wlll be largely beglnners and Lhe class wlll be phoLographed or recorded, l feel LhaL Lhls
may cause more dlscomforL Lhan lL's worLh.)
Coo| down
~10 m|nutes
Palf plgeon
24
We sLore emoLlons and memorles ln our connecLlve Llssues, and hlp openers
help us Lo flnd release. 8osemary ls relaLed Lo hlp openers ln boLh Lhe aspecL of emoLlon and of
memory. lace your 8osemary underneaLh your nose as you fold forward over your body.
8rldge
Cur flnal blg hearL opener. See your hearL cenLer fllled wlLh a brlghL green glow
LhaL emanaLes ouL from your body ln every dlrecLlon. know LhaL Lhls ls your offerlng Lo Lhe
world. ?ou radlaLe love.
Pappy baby
Smlle! 8osemary Leaches us noL Lo Lake everyLhlng so personally, so serlously.
Llke a chlld, know LhaL lL ls enough Lo look up aL Lhe sky and smlle.
Cross-body LwlsL
keeplng Lhe hearL open as we rlnse ouL Lhe splne and rld Lhe body of Loxlns,
preparlng for savasana. 1ake your 8osemary ln hand, smell lL one more Llme wlLh a blg lnhale as
you curl your knees Lo your chesL, hugglng everyLhlng ln, and exhale relax lnLo savasana. LeL
everyLhlng go, keeplng your 8osemary ln your rlghL hand.
Savasana--Gu|ded Inner Ch||d Med|tat|on
20

~1S m|nutes
uurlng Lhe medlLaLlon, l came around Lo each sLudenL wlLh homemade rosemary-
lnfused almond oll Lo rub on Lhelr Lemples.

?our lnner chlld ls your core emoLlonal belng. Peallng our relaLlonshlp wlLh our lnner chlld can
help our self-esLeem, emoLlonal sLablllLy, and ulLlmaLely help us Lo feel safe and loved. l'm
golng Lo lead you on a shorL medlLaLlon Lo connecL Lo your lnner chlld. use your lmaglnaLlon
and accepL whaLever does or does noL come up for you ln Lhls experlence.

l'd llke you Lo leL go of any Lenslon ln Lhe body, leL go of whaL came up ln Lhe pasL hour, leL go
of Lhe day LhaL lles before you. lmaglne Lhe earLh underneaLh you as Lwo glanL cupped hands,
supporLlng you. LeL yourself relax lnLo Lhem. know LhaL you are held. keep breaLhlng deeply
and releaslng any Lenslon ln Lhe body. now see, sLandlng ln fronL of you, Lhe llLLle chlld you
once were. Pow does lL feel Lo see Lhls parL of yourself?
noLlce everyLhlng abouL your chlld. Pow are Lhey dressed? Pow does Lhelr face look? Pappy?
Sad? Are you happy Lo see Lhem? uo Lhey seem happy Lo you? Wlll Lhey look you ln Lhe eye?
uo you feel comforLable seelng Lhem?
noLlce everyLhlng abouL your chlld. now, [usL lnslde yourself, ask your chlld lf Lhere ls anyLhlng
Lhey wlsh Lo Lell you. LlsLen carefully Lo make sure you hear whaL Lhey say. Maybe Lhere's
someLhlng you wlsh Lo ask your chlld or someLhlng you wlsh Lo conflde ln Lhem. 1alk and llsLen

20
AdapLed from 8uhner 280-283 and PawkesworLh, Asha. "MeeLlng ?our lnner Chlld: A MedlLaLlon." >(-5,%,-"". n.p., n.d.
Web. 13 May 2013.
25
as much as you need unLll everyLhlng has been sald. ls Lhere anyLhlng your chlld needs from
you? ls Lhere anyLhlng you need from your chlld?

now, [usL lnslde yourself, ask your chlld lf Lhey wlll glve you a hug. lf Lhe answer ls yes, hold
your arms ln fronL of you, plck your chlld up and hold Lhem close Lo you. AcLually do Lhls, open
your arms, and leL Lhem wrap around yourself. Pold yourself LlghLly. LeL yourself feel Lhls hug.
8elax lnLo lL. leel whaL lL ls llke Lo hold Lhls parL of yourself so closely. Pas lL been Loo long slnce
you gave yourself Lhls klnd of carlng?

now, ls Lhere anyLhlng else you need Lo say Lo your chlld? AnyLhlng your chlld needs Lo say Lo
you? Allow yourself Lo sLay ln savasana and be wlLh Lhls experlence as long as you need or wanL
Lo. no one ls waLchlng or [udglng. lf you feel you are flnlshed, Lhank your chlld for comlng Lo see
you and for hugglng you, and say goodbye for now. noLlce Lhe feellng ln your body and ln your
hearL cenLer as you begln Lo brlng some subLle movemenL lnLo Lhe body. Wlggles your flngers
and Loes, leL your head fall Lo one slde, Lhen Lhe oLher. lnhale your arms over your head, and
come Lo lle on your rlghL slde ln Lhe feLal poslLlon, uslng your arm as a plllow. SLay here for a
few breaLhs, feellng your lnner chlld wlLh you. know LhaL you are held. uslng your lefL hand Lo
asslsL you, keep eyes closed and come Lo a seaLed poslLlon. lace your palms LogeLher aL hearL
cenLer and feel Lhe splrlL of 8osemary wlLh you. See a brlghL green llghL emanaLlng from your
hearL and radlaLlng ouL Lo everyone you love. know LhaL Lhls llghL ls always Lhere. ln your hearL,
Lhank 8osemary for belng wlLh you Loday. 8alse your Lhumbs Lo your Lhlrd eye, seaL of
lnLulLlon. We honor Lhe splrlL and Lhe Leacher ln all Lhlngs, knowlng LhaL we are each reflecLlons
of dlvlne LruLh and love. namasLe.

Add|t|ona| Sources for kosemary C|ass

"AnahaLa." K$) :*("/ 4)#"-$5. Cne World Peallng, 2012. Web. 6 !une 2013.
<hLLp://www.oneworldheallng.neL/chakra-heallng/anahaLa/>.

Perrlng, 8arbara k. "Asanas for Lhe Chakra SysLem." >#&-.&. ?oga !ournal, n.d. Web. 06 !une
2013.

"8osemary LssenLlal Cll." L-%#"MN. vlLal-L, n.d. Web. 06 !une 2013. <hLLp://vlLal-
e.com/rosemary-essenLlal-oll/wellness-producLs/>.





26
Item 4: re-C|ass uest|onna|re

lease enLer your answers ln bo|d followlng Lhe quesLlons. 1here ls no rlghL answer, please be
as honesL as posslble. lf shared, your answers wlll be anonymous (no one else wlll see your
quesLlonnalre buL me, 8lvka). 1hank you for your parLlclpaLlon!

name:
naLlve language:
Cender:
known skln allergy Lo almond oll?:

lease descrlbe your prlor experlence wlLh yoga, lf any:

lease brlefly summarlze your splrlLual/rellglous llfe (e.g. rellglous Musllm, rellglous !ew,
secular !ew, ChrlsLlan, 8uddhlsL, aLhelsL, agnosLlc, 'splrlLual buL noL rellglous', eLc.)

uo you ever seek ouL any acLlvlLles Lo connecL Lo your splrlLuallLy? (e.g. praylng, walklng, muslc,
eLc.)

uo you deslre heallng on a menLal, physlcal, emoLlonal or splrlLual level? lease explaln Lo your
comforL level.


lease raLe Lhe followlng on a scale of 1-3 (1-sLrongly dlsagree, 2-dlsagree, 3-neuLral, 4-agree,
3-sLrongly agree)

l feel connecLed Lo naLure ____
lanLs are lnLelllgenL belngs ___
All llvlng Lhlngs conLaln splrlL ___
l feel splrlLual when l'm ln naLure ____
l feel happler when l'm around greenery and flowers ____
l prefer Lo use naLural remedles for dlsease ____
Perbal medlclne can be effecLlve ln LreaLlng some medlcal condlLlons ____
l use naLural producLs regularly ___
l eaL many frulLs and vegeLables ___
l spend Llme ouLslde every day ___
l en[oy acLlve ouLdoor acLlvlLles ___
l feel LhaL l am ln harmony wlLh Lhe cycles of naLure ___
27
l prefer Lo be lndoors ____
WesLern medlclne ls superlor Lo LradlLlonal medlclne ___
l see myself as separaLe from naLure ___
l have an undersLandlng of lanL SplrlL Peallng ___
lL's posslble Lo connecL dlrecLly wlLh planLs ___
l am a splrlLual person ___
l have deep relaLlonshlps wlLh famlly and frlends ___
l feel LhaL l have allles on my llfe [ourney ___
l have a soul or splrlL ___
My [ourney ends when l dle ___
l LrusL myself ____
l LrusL oLhers ____
l belleve ln Cod or a hlgher power ___
l have Lrouble relaLlng Lo people who conslder Lhemselves splrlLual ___
l have purpose ln my llfe ___
l know my purpose ln llfe ___
l have only one llfe ____
1he physlcal world ls Lhe prlmary reallLy ___
l belleve ln relncarnaLlon (mulLlple llves) ____
?oga goes agalnsL my rellglon ___
l have a soul ___
l have no lnLeresL ln splrlLuallLy/Cod ___
l pray or medlLaLe regularly ___
l usually feel grounded and sLable ___
l feel connecLed Lo oLhers ___
l feel connecLed Lo all llfe ___
l have had a 'splrlLual experlence' ___
l feel uncomforLable wlLh Lhe ldea of rellglon ___
l wanL Lo connecL Lo Lhe splrlLual realm ___
l am noL lnLeresLed ln explorlng splrlLuallLy ouLslde of my own rellglon ___

l am ln good healLh ___
l am ofLen sLressed ___
l exerclse dally ___
l have chronlc physlcal or menLal healLh lssues ___
l feel LhaL l'm ln need of physlcal heallng ___
l feel LhaL l'm ln need of emoLlonal heallng ___
l have a sense of balance ln my llfe ___
28
l am ofLen lll ___
l geL headaches regularly ___
l have Lrouble relaxlng ___
erfecL healLh ls posslble for me ___
l conslder myself a happy person ___
l en[oy belng ln my body ___
l wlsh my body looked dlfferenLly ___
l'm unsure of how Lo care for my body ___
l know how Lo Lake beLLer care of my body, buL l sLruggle Lo do so ___





29

Item S: ost-C|ass uest|onna|re

1hank you for your parLlclpaLlon!!!!! 1hls quesLlonnalre ls perhaps your mosL lmporLanL
conLrlbuLlon Lo my pro[ecL, and l humbly requesL your compleLe honesLy. Concern for my
feellngs wlll noL ulLlmaLely help me wlLh my pro[ecL or my conLlnued exploraLlon of Lhls work.
?our honest feedback and construct|ve cr|t|c|sms wlll! l deeply appreclaLe your Llme and
supporL. Pave a greaL day!

name:

lease raLe Lhe effecLlveness of Lhe followlng aspecLs of class ln Lerms of your experlence of
connecLlng Lo 8osemary for heallng (1-very lneffecLlve, 2-lneffecLlve, 3-neuLral/noL sure, 4-
effecLlve, 3-very effecLlve)

use of 8osemary oll: _____ CommenLs:

1ea: _____ CommenLs:

lnLroducLlon Lo lanL SplrlL Peallng/my sLory: ______ CommenLs:


lnformaLlon abouL 8osemary's medlclnal properLles: ______ CommenLs:


lnformaLlon abouL Lhe chakras: _____ CommenLs:


ranayama (breaLhlng exerclses): _____ CommenLs:


Smelllng/experlenclng Lhe fresh herb LhroughouL: _____ CommenLs:


Cpenlng posLures (chlld's pose, caL/cow, sun saluLaLlons, eLc.): ______
CommenLs:


30
PearL chakra posLures: _____ CommenLs:


Cool-down (half plgeon, happy baby, eLc.): _____ CommenLs:


Savasana: _____ CommenLs:


lnner Chlld MedlLaLlon: ____ CommenLs



uo you feel LhaL you had a heallng experlence (on any level, perhaps by connecLlng more
deeply Lo yourself)? ?es no noL Sure
CommenLs:



Pow has Lhls class affecLed your feellngs Loward 8osemary?



Pow has Lhls class lmpacLed your feellngs Loward uslng planL splrlLs for heallng?



lease raLe Lhe followlng (1-hlghly dlsagree, 2-dlsagree, 3-neuLral/noL sure, 4-agree, 3-hlghly
agree):

1hls class helped me feel connecLed Lo my body ________
8osemary ls a powerful planL ________
l en[oyed Lhe yoga asana aspecL of class _______
Smelllng planLs can affecL our splrlL ______
l have a baslc undersLandlng of lanL SplrlL Peallng _______
SplrlLual heallng lmpacLs my physlcal healLh _______
l feel connecLed Lo naLure _______
All llvlng Lhlngs conLaln splrlL _______
31
lanLs are lnLelllgenL belngs _______
l am prlmarlly separaLe from oLher belngs _______
l LrusL myself ______
l wlll look Lo planLs for heallng ln Lhe fuLure ______
Pumans are Lhe mosL lmporLanL creaLures on LarLh ______
l have a purpose ln llfe ______
l'm lnLeresLed ln furLher explorlng my splrlLuallLy ______
lanL SplrlL Peallng ls noL for me ______
l prefer Lo explore splrlLuallLy Lhrough Lhe rellglon l grew up ln ______
?oga has heallng effecLs _______
l am loved and supporLed _____
l am connecLed Lo all llfe _____
hyslcal healLh ls Lhe mosL lmporLanL aspecL of healLh _____
l respecL planLs as my equals _____
1he answers Lo my problems are wlLhln me ______
l LrusL oLhers _____
l en[oy belng ln my body _____
l don'L know my purpose ln llfe _____
l wlll look aL planLs dlfferenLly from now on _____
1hls class has made me more lnLeresLed ln naLural remedles for dlsease ______
lL ls noL posslble Lo connecL wlLh planL splrlLs _____
l am a splrlLual person _____
l am alone on my [ourney Lhrough llfe _____
l have a soul or splrlL _____
erfecL healLh ls posslble for me ______
l wlll seek ouL 8osemary for fuLure heallng _____