YOGA CHAKRA HEALING RETREAT
AMDO REGION, TIBETAN PLATEAU
YOGA, ART, MUSIC & HEALING
2018 DATES:
MAY 19-26
SEPTEMBER 15-22
10,500 feet up (3,200 meters) on the grasslands of the Tibetan Plateau...
Nomads, Buddhist monks, and thousands of years of culture...
Empowering our minds, bodies, and the local community...
A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE
Find balance and healing at Norden, surrounded by the breathtaking nature and immersed in the rich spiritual culture of the Tibetan Plateau. Join our Chakra healing retreat to explore the ancient tantric philosophy that is at the heart of yoga and Tibetan Buddhism. You will embark on an introspective journey, learning how energy centers influence mental, emotional, spiritual and physical well-being.
With this knowledge and the support of our instructors, you will develop the ability to balance and heal each Chakra. Our instructors Bone Lhamo Kyap and Laura Shirreff will guide you through daily activities such as exploring the plateau on horseback and touring Labrang Monastery, in addition to their transformative yoga, art, music, meditation and healing practices to assist you on your personal
journey. In addition, on-site amenities including sauna, hot tub and nightly bonfires will help to restore and revitalize your senses...
NORDEN CAMP
surrendering yourself to nature
Norden Camp offers urbanites from around the world the rare opportunity to experience authentic Tibetan culture in complete comfort. Managed by and for the benefit of grassland nomads, Norden Camp operates sustainably, without compromising the existing Tibetan Buddhist culture or our spectacular natural environment. Located at 3,200 meters (10,500 feet) above sea level, Norden Camp is situated 20 minutes outside of Labrang, the famous Tibetan monastic town in the Tibetan Autonomous Kanlho Prefecture, Gansu Province, China. The 11 hectare (27 acre) site borders a meandering river and is home to gazelles, hares, marmots and foxes, and visited by a vibrant array of migratory birds.
CUISINE
organic, seasonal and from rich Tibetan soil
Norden Cuisine is based on the local pastoral lifestyle and the food derived from it. Ours is an innovative, culturally conscious menu rooted in tradition, based on local seasonal products, and suitable for meat lovers and vegetarians alike. The area is untouched by development and the food that emanates from the pasture is organic by default. The milk from dris (female yaks) grazing in areas teeming with medicinal plants is known for its high nutritional value and reduced lactose content; it is the source of our healthy and delicious butter, yogurt and cream. The pasture in summer abounds in local herbs and mushrooms that can be collected daily and added to the menu. Bread is baked in traditional mud brick ovens and noodles are hand pulled and fresh at every meal.
NORLHA TEXTILES
New York, Beijing, and Zorge Ritoma
On Day 7 we make the scenic 2.5 hour journey to the remote village of Zorge Ritoma and the atelier of Norlha Textiles. Norlha, Norden's sister organization, is a groundbreaking social enterprise and one of the few luxury brands in the world merging cultural and environmental sustainability with a highly enduring and sophisticated style. Norlha is internationally known for its innovation with yak textiles and its inclusion of local nomads in the whole process of transforming the yak. Norlha Textiles supplies Paris fashion houses including Lavin, Balmain and Louis Vuitton as well as having their own brand. Feel and experience first hand the exquisite craftsmanship that utilizes the “khullu” yak fleece to create some of the most luxuriously soft fabrics that are distinctively “Norlha,” the Tibetan phrase meaning “the Wealth of the Gods".
YOUR IMPACT
supporting local communities
Norden Travel and Norlha Textiles' mission is to generate sustainable employment for former nomads while offering exceptional, uniquely Tibetan experiences and products. With nomadism on the decline and in a fragile state, Tibetans are often left with no choice but to move into the large cities to search for work. Norlha and Norden's employment and skills training allows these Tibetans and their families to stay in their home villages, keep their traditions, and give to the world a product and experience they are proud of. Your participation in the retreat directly supports these initiatives. Rooted also in environmental sustainability, Norden chooses eco-friendly practices. During the winter months, when the camp is closed, the yak hair tents are dismantled and the land returns to grazing pasture. In a world where fast fashion dominates, Norlha offers a product that will last a lifetime, to be shared with generations to come.
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTORS
Bone Lhamo Kyap
Bone grew up in the Gannan highland of Gansu not far from Norden. His music expresses the natural and pure life of this diverse region. It recalls the soul of his ancestors, the Sangemao tribe of his heritage (an ancient tribe of Tibetan nation in the south of Gansu). Bone began his professional music career in Shanghai in 2010. Since then he has performed in many popular live music venues as well as music festivals, the Shanghai Mercedes Benz Arena and the Jumeriah Himalaya hotel. He has also performed abroad in London, Spain as well as Brooklyn, San Francisco and Los Angeles. He has recorded and released 2 singles with Grammy award winning producer Michael Starita at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California. His film and soundtrack “When Mother Earth Cries” is due to be released in 2018.
Laura Shirreff
Laura was born in the US but was raised in the UK. Studying at an international School, her passion for weaving, yoga and Asian studies began at sixteen years of age. Since then, more than sixteen years later, her passions have remained intertwined. Laura continues to deepen her knowledge and expertise through her profession as well as her personal practice.* Laura spent six and a half years as a textile designer in Shanghai, China, where she and Bone met in 2013. Sharing their passion for art, music, spirituality and the vast beauty of Bone’s homeland, they were inspired to found Rigpa Arts. Since then, they have hosted yoga with live music events in Shanghai, New York and California. They are excited to be offering their art, yoga, music and healing retreats here with us at Norden.
*Laura is certified by the Yoga Alliance in yoga instruction (RYT-200), from the Kathmandu Center of Healing in Singing Bowl Therapy
and Sound Healing and from the Institute of Holistic Health Sciences in Siam Reiki Healing, Pendulum Diagnosis and Crystal Therapy.
ACCOMMODATION
Yak Khullu Tent
18 Square Meters, Two Twin Beds
Adjacent Detached Eco-Friendly Toilets
Stove Heating
Log Cabin
24 Square Meters, Two Double Beds or King Bed
Ensuite Eco-Friendly Bathrooms
Stove Heating
ITINERARY
Day 1: Travel, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Staggered airport pickups from Xiahe Airport (XHE), Lanzhou Airport (LHW), and Lanzhou hotels.
Settle in at Camp, relax, and acclimate to the altitude.
Evening Camp Tour, Orientation, and Welcome Dinner.
Day 2: Muladhara, The Root Chakra
Morning tour of Labrang Tashi Kyil Monastery.
Guided walking meditation to activate the Root Chakra, reflection and creative expression through body map project and journaling.
Evening chakra yoga flow with live music meditation.
Day 3: Svadhisthana, The Sacral Chakra
Morning visit to meet local nomads at the Lungta cooperative.
Tea meditation whilst savoring the pure home made yak delicacies to
awaken the senses and the Sacral Chakra.
Body map and journaling.
Evening chakra yoga flow with live music meditation.
Day 4: Maripura, The Solar Plexus Chakra
Morning drive to Norlha’s rug weaving workshop and weaving meditation instruction.
Engage in mindful creativity to build confidence and ignite the Solar Plexus Chakra.
Body map and journaling.
Evening chakra yoga flow with live music meditation.
Day 5: Anahata: The Heart Chakra
Morning therapeutic horseback riding excursion in the vast Tibetan grassland.
Connect with nature and animal spirit to instill compassion and open the Heart Chakra.
Body map and journaling.
Evening chakra yoga flow with live music meditation.
Day 6: Vishudda: The Throat Chakra
Morning music workshop and sound meditation therapy.
Heal through communication and sound vibrations, clearing the Throat Chakra and drawing out the inner voice.
Body map and journaling.
Evening chakra yoga flow with live music meditation.
Day 7: Ajna: The Third Eye Chakra
Morning drive to Zorge Ritoma to visit Norlha’s atelier.
Touring and encountering in this remarkable enterprise, to open the intuition and divine guidance of the Third Eye.
Body map and journaling.
Evening chakra yoga flow with live music meditation.
Day 8: Sahaswara: The Crown Chakra
Morning sunrise meditation, harmonizing all Chakras and connecting with the higher consciousness through the Crown Chakra.
Body map and journaling projects completion, group presentations and parting blessings.
Transfers to Airport.
OUR CHAKRA HEALING EXPERIENCE
The word Chakra (चक्र) derives from the Sanskrit word meaning "wheel," as well as "circle" and "cycle". Chakras are yogic energy centers in the subtle body. They are believed to be psychic-energy centers in the esoteric traditions of Indian religions. Traditionally, the chakra system comes from Tantric philosophy and therefore the concept is found particularly in the tantric traditions of Hinduism as well as Tibetan Buddhism. All prana (life-force energy also known as Reiki in Japanese or Qi in Chinese) is distributed throughout the body by nadis (subtle channels of energy that control our physical, emotional, and spiritual health and well being). The nadis are sometimes physically apparent (they include for example, nerves and veins) but mostly invisible to the naked eye; they are more electromagnetic fields of energy. When the nadis are blocked, prana is prevented from moving freely in your system; your life force becomes sluggish, which can lead to ill health and disease. Yoga is one practice that can help to purify and reenergize the nadis and enable prana to flow freely.
In our Chakra healing retreat we will guide you through other meditative activities and mindfulness practices that also help to balance and open each Chakra. Staying at Norden, away from the city and immersed in the beauty of the natural environment, allows our minds to become still and our hearts to open. Located in close proximity to Labrang Monastery (one of the most important and famous Tibetan monasteries) and surrounded by local nomadic communities, we can deeply and authentically experience the rich spiritual culture of the Tibetan plateau.
From the first day, after our orientation, you can begin to indulge your senses and let go of the tension from your journey by enjoying the Norden hot tub and sauna. On day two, circumambulating the monastery with the devout pilgrims, slowly turning prayer wheels, we will walk in silent mediation, each mindful step drawing us closer to the root of our existence. On day three we will experience local nomad culture and taste the local yak butter tea and other delicacies freshly made from the pasture by the Lungta cooperative. Sipping meditatively, we open ourselves to pleasure, bringing harmony to our sacral energy center. On day four we will visit the nearby Norlha rug-weaving studio to witness the labor-intensive process of rug weaving. This time consuming practice has an empowering quality, when we can learn to fully absorb ourselves in the process of creation. On day five we have the chance to connect intimately with one of the most beautiful and sensitive animals, as we explore the plateau on horseback. It is almost impossible not to open our hearts to feel deeply for these awe-inspiring creatures. On day six Bone will lead us in a music workshop sharing with us his gifted voice and sensitivity with the Native American flute, guiding us to discover our own inner voice and creative expression. Laura will also introduce the principals and theory of the Tibetan singing bowl healing practice and how one-on-one sessions can help to clear blocked energies and induce deep relaxation. On day seven we visit Norlha’s atelier, an incredible enterprise established by Kim Yeshi and Dechen Yeshi in Zorge Ritoma. Witnessing such a remarkable endeavor we discover the power and vision of the third eye. Finally, on the last day, we reflect on our week’s experience, opening and balancing of all the Chakras, to lead to a renewed sense of calm and interconnectedness.
