Living Yoga focuses on fostering resilience, insight, and compassion so you can better meet the challenges of everyday life through an embodied yoga practice.

World-renowned teachers Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor have over 80 years of collective yoga wisdom. Join them as they explore the ancient teachings of the Bhagavad Gita and the wisdom that can be used to live a healthier, more balanced life today.

Bridge yoga theory and a rich lived experience with lessons on philosophy, practical application, and embodiment practices. Richard and Mary will guide you to embody the teachings of the Gita to facilitate clarity, stability, and calm that will benefit you and the world around you.

What if our greatest fear is leaving our loved ones behind?

What if we fear the unknown or no longer existing?

What if we fear having not fulfilled our purpose in this life?

What if we’re scared of pain or isolation while dying?

AN  I N T E R A C T I V E  W O R K S H O P
M A D E  F O R  Y O U

This online writing workshop includes a bounty of exclusive resources, many of them available only for this one-time special offering.

This online retreat includes a bounty of exclusive resources, many available only for this one-time special offering, to support you in your retreat experience.

“Pema Chödrön delivers the material in an extremely warm, understandable, and accessible way for westerners. I also appreciate her gentle humor and find myself smiling and laughing at many points during her talks. I [feel I am] in a more prepared and eager state to continue my study/practice and to take the next step of attending a meditation retreat in order to go further. To all responsible for putting this together, thank you so very much.”

“Even though I am an online participant I feel as though I am there. Pema and the participants are very ‘real’ and I can relate to the responses of those present. We all struggle with similar experiences.”

“I truly appreciate [Pema’s] manner of kindness and humor. She presents the material in a way that I can integrate into my daily life. I am a novice to many of the teachings but never feel overwhelmed or confused after a lesson. Thank you.”

“The quality of the videos was fantastic. I felt like I was attending the Yarne at the Abbey. The talks by Pema were absolutely wonderful and I'll watch them many times.”

“Pema is a relatable, delightful, and excellent communicator. The video is high quality and the support materials (e.g., talk transcript, notes, reading list, etc.) are helpful resources. I also appreciate that this course is available to those unable to take time away from work or family (at least at this particular time in life), as well as its self-paced nature.”

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Icons made by Icongeek26 from www.flaticon.com

In this interactive online writing workshop, Natalie Goldberg will help you:

P R A I S E   F O R   N A T A L I E

W H A T   Y O U   W I L L   L E A R N

As she entered the ninth decade of her life, Pema Chödrön spent a year in solitary retreat working deeply with traditional Tibetan Buddhist teachings on death, including teachings on the bardos from The Tibetan Book of the Dead. This interactive online retreat, recorded at her home monastery, Gampo Abbey, in front of a small audience of her close students and friends, brings the fruits of Pema’s study and practice to you.

Whether you’re a longtime practitioner, an enthusiastic beginner, or somewhere in between, this retreat will offer you teachings and tools for embracing the entirety of your human experience—including your death—as a sacred journey. These are teachings that you can listen to again and again over the coming years, returning to them for guidance and grounding as you navigate the ongoing journey of your life.

What if our greatest fear is leaving our loved ones behind?

What if we fear the unknown or no longer existing?

What if we fear having not fulfilled our purpose in this life?

What if we’re scared of pain or isolation while dying?

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

In this six-week interactive online retreat, Pema Chodron will be your guide in living purposefully and dying fearlessly by teaching you how to . . .

A RETREAT MADE FOR YOU

This online retreat includes a bounty of exclusive resources, many available only for this one-time special offering, to support you in your retreat practice.

THIS RETREAT INCLUDES:

RETREAT SUMMARY

The Tibetan Book of the Dead (Audio)

Translated by Francesca Fremantle and Chögyam Trungpa
Read by Richard Gere
2 ¾ hours, unabridged

This translation of The Tibetan Book of the Dead emphasizes the practical advice that the book offers to the living.

BONUS #1

PRAISE FOR PEMA

Thousands of people have studied writing with Natalie over the last 40 years.

Here’s some of what they’ve had to say . . .

This online writing workshop includes a bounty of exclusive resources to support you, many available only for this one-time special offering.

THIS WORKSHOP INCLUDES

When does the course begin?

The course is available as soon as you register, and with the exception of the live elements, it does not have a specific start date. All lessons are available and you may go through the course materials at your own pace. The facilitated discussion boards will be available starting on October 16, 2021 and will remain open through November 13, 2021.

How long does it take to complete the course?
There are nine lessons in the course and each lesson is designed to last a week. However, the course is flexible and you can work at your own pace as well, so you can benefit just as much from the course even if it takes you longer to go through it. We encourage you to download videos as you go through the course for your own personal use in the future. You will continue to have unlimited access to the course materials online as well.

How long will I have access to the course?
Your access to the course is unlimited. It will not expire.

How long will the discussion boards be available?

The discussion boards will remain open through February 28, 2022. However, the facilitators will only be available to respond to questions about the teachings until November 13, 2021.

When are the live calls with Richard and Mary?

The live calls will take place on Saturday, October 16 from 2 to 3 p.m. (EDT), Saturday, October 30 from 2 to 3 p.m. (EDT), and Saturday, November 13 from 2 to 3 p.m. (EDT). Recordings of the calls will be made available in the course for those who are unable to attend the calls or who would like to listen to them again.

Can I still take this training without a desktop/laptop computer (for example, if I only have an iPad)?
Yes, you can access this course using the browser on your device. However, please note that if you’d like to save any of the course materials, you will need to download to a computer first and then transfer the files to your device.

What if I have technical difficulties with the course?
We have a dedicated course support person who can help you with any issues you may encounter in navigating or accessing the course. Please email course-support@shambhala.com if you have any questions.

alien;

AN  INTERACTIVE  WORKSHOP
MADE FOR YOU

THIS WORKSHOP 
INCLUDES

A D D I T I O N A L  B O N U S E S

* PLUS *

S P E C I A L  P R O G R A M  B O N U S E S

* PLUS *

S P E C I A L  P R O G R A M  B O N U S E S

RACHEL NEUMANN

Rachel Neumann is a writer, editor, and publisher with twenty years of journalism and book publishing experience, including the last five years as the Publisher and Editorial Director of Parallax Press. She has worked at The Village Voice, The New Press, and AlterNet and continues to write regularly for Lions Roar and other publications. She is the author of four books: Not Quite Nirvana, Long Weekend, and the children’s book Baby Present, as well as the editor for I Am Home: Portraits of Immigrant Teenagers. Rachel is currently the Associate Publisher of Shambhala Publications.

KJ Grow

KJ Grow, VP Sales & Marketing, joined Shambhala Publications in 2015, having worked for over a decade as a sales rep in New York City for “Big 5” publishers including Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster. She is a graduate of both the Columbia Publishing Course and the Yale Publishing Course for Executive Education, and has served on the steering committee for the Independent Publishers Caucus. She has also worked as a bookseller in both independent bookstores and national chains, and is always an active member of at least one book club. 

And if you’ve ever wanted to have a chance to ask your own question of a book publisher, please join us for a 

LIVE  Q & A CALL WITH SHAMBHALA

with Rachel Newman and KJ Grow as they take questions from workshop participants and share their knowledge of the publishing world from over thirty years of combined experience! 

A D D I T I O N A L  
B O N U S E S

C O U R S E 

C U R R I C U L U M

Each lesson contains multiple videos in which Natalie teaches on the theme for that lesson, along with readings and practices to inspire and deepen your writing practice.

W O R K S H O P  S U M M A R Y

This workshop was designed with your needs in mind and contains 
all of the following:

© Shambhala Publications. All Rights Reserved.

© Shambhala Publications. All Rights Reserved.

Watch Richard and Mary speak straight to you in over thirteen hours of video teachings recorded just for this course

100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE 

If for any reason you are not completely satisfied, please e-mail us within 30 days, and we will promptly refund your purchase price.

Training Video Excerpts

Give the gift of awareness to a loved one!

Give the gift of awareness to a loved one!

This first lesson sets a context for understanding how the ancient wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita is relevant for navigating life in the 21st Century. We introduce the ideas of waking up to what is right before us, including our often complicated relationships, and our fears and confusion about impermanence. We examine how important it is to stay embodied as we find our way through the complexities of daily life.

13 Hours of Video Teachings

Recommended Reading List

Practice Prompts

Unlimited Access

Home Practices & Contemplations

Printable Transcripts

Downloadable Audio Files

Richard Freeman has studied Ashtanga, Iyengar, bhakti, and traditional hatha yoga; Western and Eastern philosophy; and Sanskrit, all of which he incorporates into his Ashtanga yoga practice. Richard teaches at his studio, the Yoga Workshop, in Boulder, Colorado, as well as at studios and conferences throughout the world. He is also a frequent contributor to Yoga Journal and his video series, Yoga with Richard Freeman, inspires many people to take up yoga.

"Mary Taylor and Richard Freeman’s insights and explanations, which teach us from the inside out, are invaluable guides to us yogis." —Rodney Yee, author of Moving toward Balance

"This new take on the Bhagavad Gita makes the heartfelt teaching accessible in a whole new way. By adding depth and dimension to this sacred text, Richard and Mary share a true gift with the world. I strongly recommend this new translation and commentary on the Gita to all students of yoga." —Kino MacGregor, author of Get Your Yoga On

"[When Love Comes to Light] casts the time worn but contemporary teachings of the Gita in a brilliant new light. On the battlefield of today’s complex world, this is a timely guide to help all of us on the path of yoga embody discriminating wisdom, skillful action, and compassionate presence. I love the textual references, embodied practices, and insights into the ways in which we are undeniably interwoven." —Tias Little, author of Yoga of the Subtle Body

100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE 

If for any reason you are not completely satisfied, please e-mail us within 30 days, and we will promptly refund your purchase price.

Practice Prompts

Buy One, Gift One!

Page Art by Alexia Krispin @alexiakrispinart

Page Art by Alexia Krispin 

@alexiakrispinart

If for any reason you are not completely satisfied, please e-mail us within 30 days, and we will promptly refund your purchase price.

100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE 

Mary Taylor is the cofounder, with Richard Freeman, of the Yoga Workshop in Boulder, Colorado, which they started in 1988. Mary travels and teaches Ashtanga yoga throughout the world, both independently and in collaboration with Richard. In addition to teaching, Mary works closely with programs focused on bringing contemplative and yoga practices into the health care system for integrative therapies and self-care, and she is active in Donna Karan’s Urban Zen Foundation

100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE 

If for any reason you are not completely satisfied, please e-mail us within 30 days, and we will promptly refund your purchase price.

One’s natural resistance to change and to the fact that nothing, even our life, is going to last forever, can elicit feelings of fear and confusion in the face of uncertainty. Through the Indian philosophical system of Samkhya we explore how to embrace the truth of impermanence so that we can feel safe and comfortable—and then how to proceed, within life’s inevitably changing landscape.

To be happy and fulfilled we must come to understand and act in alignment with our unique purpose in life, our dharma. The Gita underscores the fact that dharma, like everything else, is dependent on context. Finding one’s overriding dharma (sva dharma), as well as the dharma of each moment, is a matter of staying awake and embodied. This is a paradoxical process of defining our dharmas and preconceptions we have about them, and then letting go of both so we may live openly and stay present with change.

Printable transcripts of all video lessons so you can review the teachings at your own pace and highlight quotes or concepts for future reference

Listen on the go and take in these profound teachings where and when it works best for you—in the car, on a walk, or over the kitchen sink

A list of readings and books recommended for deepening your study and practice, including When Love Comes to Light with Richard and Mary’s full, original translation of the Bhagavad Gita

Access the course on your device or computer again and again as new insights emerge on your own path

Join Richard and Mary in three live Q&A calls during which they will take questions from students in the online course (2 p.m. EST on Saturday, October 16, Saturday, October 30, and Saturday, November 13)

Receive guidance and the peer-to-peer support of fellow retreat participants

Bring the Gita alive in your daily life with practices, exercises, reflections, and opportunities for discussion

The modern notion of karma as destiny or a transactional foundation for living a life that will then serve you well is a distortion of the idea of karma as presented in the Gita. In this lesson we explore both karma as action and the karmic chain. We will touch on how the nature of truth, impermanence, and interconnectedness can become a foundation for meeting challenges with integrity.

If we can get out of our heads and drop into our bodies, we can find a sense of steadiness, stability, and equanimity that automatically brings us into the present moment. In this lesson we learn that the state of being grounded through yoga is the best place to be when facing uncertainty and difficulties. We introduce practices that unite mind, body, and breath in ways that will benefit you as an individual, as well the world as a whole.

In this lesson we begin to dive into a profound and often overlooked teaching of the Gita—the relevance and importance of seeing everything as sacred. We explore the ideas of ancient and modern rituals and sacrifices, both of which can liberate us or become entrapments. We examine how a practice that contextualizes the sacred with intelligence is an impetus to generosity and living life freely and in alignment with our dharmas.

If wisdom is generated through embodied awareness, one can learn to stay present through habitual patterns that are at the root of suffering. These are called the kleshas and when we do not see through them, they can keep us stuck on the wheel of samsara indefinitely. In this lesson we explore how suffering is triggered by an unsteady mind, and that with this simple insight we can begin to bring awareness and ease to our actions and relationships.

Bhakti, devotion or love, is the natural result of fully understanding how when we understand the merging of impermanence and interconnectedness we feel balanced, open, and clear. In this lesson we explore why that is so. Bhakti can become a means of support and of solving myriad problems or it can degenerate into an ego absorbed activity and spiritual bypassing. In this lesson we examine how to stay on track and deepen our practices within the context of pure, open-hearted bhakti.

In this lesson we explore one of the most important teachings of the Gita—interconnectedness. When we fully comprehend and embody an understanding of the interpenetrating nature of all things, compassion is a natural byproduct of that insight. Considering the world from a Metta perspective, not only do we see ourselves in others and others in ourselves, but we understand firsthand why practicing yoga is so vitally important to solving problems and living a happy, fulfilled life.

3 Live Calls with Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor

Optional 20 Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Credits (Non-Contact Hours)

+ 50% Off Select Books

Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor are true gems of the yoga world. Both immensely skilled teachers of yoga asana and philosophy, brimming with warmth, humor, and understanding. 

In this special in-depth and limited time offering, they unpack the deep meaning of the Bhagavad Gita guiding students to meet the challenges of everyday life through the insight and compassion of an embodied yoga practice.

Watch Richard and Mary speak straight to you in over thirteen hours of video teachings recorded just for this course

Join Richard and Mary in three live Q&A calls during which they will take questions from students in the online course (2 p.m. EST on Saturday, October 16, Saturday, October 30, and Saturday, November 13)

Receive guidance and the peer-to-peer support of fellow retreat participants

Bring the Gita alive in your daily life with practices, exercises, reflections, and opportunities for discussion

Printable transcripts of all video lessons so you can review the teachings at your own pace and highlight quotes or concepts for future reference

Listen on the go and take in this profound dharma where and when it works best for you—in the car, on a walk, or over the kitchen sink

A list of readings and books recommended for deepening your study and practice, including When Love Comes to Light with Richard and Mary’s full, original translation of the Bhagavad Gita

Access the course on your device or computer again and again as new insights emerge on your own path

13 Hours of Video Teachings

3 Live Calls with Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor

Home Practices & Contemplations

Printable Transcripts

Downloadable Audio Files

Recommended Reading List

+ 50% Off Select Books

Unlimited Access

Optional 20 Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Credits (Non-Contact Hours)

Richard Freeman has studied Ashtanga, Iyengar, bhakti, and traditional hatha yoga; Western and Eastern philosophy; and Sanskrit, all of which he incorporates into his Ashtanga yoga practice. Richard teaches at his studio, the Yoga Workshop, in Boulder, Colorado, as well as at studios and conferences throughout the world. He is also a frequent contributor to Yoga Journal and his video series, Yoga with Richard Freeman, inspires many people to take up yoga.

Mary Taylor is the cofounder, with Richard Freeman, of the Yoga Workshop in Boulder, Colorado, which they started in 1988. Mary travels and teaches Ashtanga yoga throughout the world, both independently and in collaboration with Richard. In addition to teaching, Mary works closely with programs focused on bringing contemplative and yoga practices into the health care system for integrative therapies and self-care, and she is active in Donna Karan’s Urban Zen Foundation

"Mary Taylor and Richard Freeman’s insights and explanations, which teach us from the inside out, are invaluable guides to us yogis." —Rodney Yee, author of Moving toward Balance

"This new take on the Bhagavad Gita makes the heartfelt teaching accessible in a whole new way. By adding depth and dimension to this sacred text, Richard and Mary share a true gift with the world. I strongly recommend this new translation and commentary on the Gita to all students of yoga." —Kino MacGregor, author of Get Your Yoga On

"[When Love Comes to Light] casts the time worn but contemporary teachings of the Gita in a brilliant new light. On the battlefield of today’s complex world, this is a timely guide to help all of us on the path of yoga embody discriminating wisdom, skillful action, and compassionate presence. I love the textual references, embodied practices, and insights into the ways in which we are undeniably interwoven." —Tias Little, author of Yoga of the Subtle Body

When does the course begin?

The course is available as soon as you register, and with the exception of the live elements, it does not have a specific start date. All lessons are available and you may go through the course materials at your own pace. The facilitated discussion boards will be available starting on October 16, 2021 and will remain open through November 13, 2021.

How long does it take to complete the course?
There are nine lessons in the course and each lesson is designed to last a week. However, the course is flexible and you can work at your own pace as well, so you can benefit just as much from the course even if it takes you longer to go through it. We encourage you to download videos as you go through the course for your own personal use in the future. You will continue to have unlimited access to the course materials online as well.

How long will I have access to the course?
Your access to the course is unlimited. It will not expire.

How long will the discussion boards be available?

The discussion boards will remain open through February 28, 2022. However, the facilitators will only be available to respond to questions about the teachings until November 13, 2021.

When are the live calls with Richard and Mary?

The live calls will take place on Saturday, October 16 from 2 to 3 p.m. (EDT), Saturday, October 30 from 2 to 3 p.m. (EDT), and Saturday, November 13 from 2 to 3 p.m. (EDT). Recordings of the calls will be made available in the course for those who are unable to attend the calls or who would like to listen to them again.

Can I still take this training without a desktop/laptop computer (for example, if I only have an iPad)?
Yes, you can access this course using the browser on your device. However, please note that if you’d like to save any of the course materials, you will need to download to a computer first and then transfer the files to your device.

What if I have technical difficulties with the course?
We have a dedicated course support person who can help you with any issues you may encounter in navigating or accessing the course. Please email course-support@shambhala.com if you have any questions.