– Boonath
Naaga Panchami is the Snakes Festival and the 4th ritual in our Panchabhoot series of the 5 elements & animal practices. Naag Panchami falls this year on the 13th of August, that is the 5th lunar day following a full or new moon (Panchami).
All the Panchami days of the Tantric calendar year are the days connected to the reception of etheric vitality as there is a lunar suspension of force upon these days. All panchami days are connected to the Naagas. The main panchami of the year is upon Naag Panchami when the Moon is in the lunar house of Ashlesha. Naag Panchami takes place when the sun transits through the Nakshatra of Ashlesha, between the 2nd and the 17th of August.
Ash-Ley-Sha is the lunar house of the snake and translates as the constrictor or the embracer. It is pronounced with Snake-like sounds. All panchami days are connected to the Naagas, but the main panchami of the year is upon Naag Panchami, when the Moon is suspended to its utmost, it is a day of receptivity to the world of the Naagas.
This ritual of Naag Panchami is connected very much to invoking the Nakshatra (lunar house) of Ashlesha. Ashlesha is the lunar house that is also known as the Naag snake star. Its equivalent in Western terms is the constellation of Hydra – this constellation has 5 stars in the head of the snake that link it to the Panchami days. The 5 stars together are active on Panchami days, they are instrumental to the feeding-in astral forces to assist the lunar suspension upon this 5th lunar day
Ashlesha is the most mystical of all lunar houses and rules the etheric or Akashic element of the Naagas. Upon Panchami rituals, the 5 stars of the Ashlesha constellation are connected with, upon the astral plane by way of invocation. We will work on this ritual night with inner Star work, known as Antar Tara Mudra, which literally translates as inner-star-focus.
Akash is the element of ether and space. Akash is the most subtle element of the 5 Panchbhoot elements and is linked to the junction from the Heart Chakra to the throat, the element Akash is connected to sound and rules the throat Chakra.
The Naaga are the underworld snakes of the ether in astral plane. When we look at the representation of Shiva, we see that he has always a snake wrapped around his throat and standing erect. The symbol of Kundalini is explicit here.
The throat chakra is an expression of the sexual chakra where Kundalini Shakti resides. We shall investigate the link between these two chakras in the context of snake practices. This ritual is concerned with release and creating space for Kundalini to spread out unrestricted. In fact we see that this ritual is a Panchami ritual (5th Moon day). The fifth moon day is a junction of release and releasing into etheric space.
On this annual festival day of Naag Panchami, that is dedicated to the Snake energy, we shall be practicing the various Snake Mantram and various of the physical snake Asanam and Mudras. The snake is a primary feature in Tantric practice. The snake represents the Kundalini spinal energy and the great Tantric undertaking of shedding the skin that unfolds the secrets of being – hidden beneath the skins of the self. This will be a ritual of stripping away so as to reveal the most subtle layers of ourselves.
Part 1 | 15 February | GANESH JAYANTI – Elephant Power & Earth Element
Part 2 | 20 February | KHODIYAR MAA JAYANTI – Crocodile Power & Water Element
Part 3 | 27 April | HANUMAN JAYANTI – Monkey Power & Air Element
Part 5 | 22 August | HAYAGRIVA JAYANTI – Horse Power & Fire Element
The rituals takes place ONLINE, from 8pm until ±11pm Central European Time (CET).
*A recording will be made available, if you cannot make the exact date/time. Just specify that you will require a recording when registering.
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Legend has it that when we attempt Tantra, we are taking the dance of Shiva. Through the astral levels of dreams Shiva lives in us as the lord of dreams, awake in the dreams and illusions of variegated astral realities. The path of Shiva reveals to us where we are yet unconscious.
On these healing circles you will practice a form of Yoga that is rarely available and accessible even in India today. You will take part in a sacred Yogic tradition that roots itself in India’s native shamanic wisdom & Tantric lineage handed down orally between generations of Yogis, Babas, Sadhus and Fakirs.
You will be exposed to the old tantric ways of seeking profound healing and spiritual awakening, including practicing in darkly-lit spaces to quieten the mind and awaken the senses to the body’s subtle energy currents, holding simple postures for long periods of time, and engaging in powerful breath-work to open-up the body and take the mind into altered states of consciousness.
The practice draws on postures seldom used in modern styles of yoga, ancient sequences that honour the mother and the divine feminine, gently opening-up the body to its highest levels of flexibility through minimal effort.
Integral to this experience will be the exploration of sound-currents present in the body (Nada Yoga) – perhaps one of Yoga’s greatest secrets and one of the most powerful vehicles through which the karmic patterns stored in the chakras can be accessed and released in pursuit of profound healing.
Unique to this tradition is its simultaneous employment of Asanas (postures), aerobic & anaerobic Pranayam (breathwork), Mudras (gestures), and Mantras (sacred sounds).
The synergy created by the employment of these various yogic tools will lead you into altered states of consciousness and dream-like experiences aimed at facilitating a greater openness to inward journeying and an easier access to your subconscious.
Because we are going to play with shamanic yogic traditions, the practice will take place outside of clearly time constraints. Generally, the practice will last about 6 hours, but if the group is ready to practice longer we might carry well into the night.
The Circle is open to those interested in the healing path.
Tantra and Yoga practitioners, and those seeking healing, practitioners of the mystic arts. Both advanced and beginners will find a place in this circle.
If you have had or are having psychosis please get in touch directly with us as this is important to know about in this work. The same goes for those with strong mobility issues. Drug and alcohol users also need to inform us of their condition. Thank you.
The practie usually takes place in the dark or darkly-lit spaces.
The pictures below were taken in daylight to capture the flow of a practice.
BOONATH was born into a life of yoga. He grew up between Europe and India and was introduced as a child to yoga through his grandparents who were on both sides yoga practitioners.
His grandparents took him on his first Himalayan pilgrimage when he was just seven years old and he has been exposed to the world of yogis ever since.
Boonath has taken initiation into the left hand path (that’s the path of the heart) and specialises in the branch of Chandra Parampara, that is a secret style of Moon practice that works with the night forces. It is a style of tantra that goes very deep into the subconscious roots It is first and foremostly a Healing System. Most of his family still lives in India and he has been travelling there regularly throughout his life in pursuit of yoga. He has worked closely in apprenticeship with elders in the line of Siddha systems of healing and holds much knowledge in the use of rituals, mantras and body/spirit healing methods among other things.
Boonath has been working in this line and helping people with the implementation of these techniques for over 25 years to successfully overcome mental and physical problems, from chronic pain to addiction.
Boonath’s healing and yoga work sees him travelling across the whole of Europe to give workshops and healing sessions. His travels and yoga workshops continue to benefit people in deprived circumstances.
In recent years Boonath has been living and teaching yoga in Germany where he has a network of students. It was in Berlin that Boonath met Kim, with whom Boonath co-founded Working with the Shadow in 2014.
Formal studies and encounters have all left their impression on Boonath, but his teachings are deeply rooted in the Shamanic traditions of the mystical Babas and Fakirs of India, with whom Boonath has been studying closely since childhood to the present day.
KIM is an Eco-Activist turned Yogi and the founder of Healing in the Willows, the retreat company hosting Working with the Shadow, which he developed in 2014 in collaboration with Boonath, who he assists with the teaching. Kim discovered Yoga in 2005, following a burn-out at work that brought him onto the path of ‘Yog’. Kim had spent over 10 years coordinating international environmental campaigns in Brussels, Amsterdam and Berlin for major environmental NGOs, including Greenpeace, WWF, Friends of the Earth, ActionAid, and many others.
Kim practiced Yoga with many teachers from several modern styles of Yoga (including Iyengar, Astanga, Vinasa, Bikram, Sivananda, Scaravelli, Kundalini) all over Europe, India and further afield. In 2011 Kim set up a first yoga collective in Berlin, which he then expanded to a new location in 2013, in one of the economically deprived areas of town that was undergoing gentrification. The collective brought together a variety of local teachers to promote yoga on a donation basis within the surrounding community unable to afford the increasing cost of living. It was there that Kim met Boonath and, through Boonath, that his understanding of what Yoga is and what Yoga can do shifted entirely. Boonath’s rare and ancient Tantric lineage revolutionised Kim’s understanding of Yoga and initiated him into a mystical healing journey that impacted strongly also on Kim’s activist work.
Since then Kim has been collaborating with Boonath on developing Working with the Shadow through the retreats, workshops and online classes.
A recording will be made available,
if you cannot make the exact date/time.
Just specify that you will require a recording
when registering by email .
STEP 1 | Make the payment
either via Paypal or bank transfer (see below).
STEP 2 | Send a proof of payment
(a screenshot will do) to info@healinginthewillows.com
We will then:
STEP 3 | Send you a confirmation email confirming your registration.
STEP 4 | The day of the event, we will send you an email containing:
– all the technical details to connect to the class online,
– suggestions on how best to prepare for the practice (foods and drinks to avoid),
– how to set-up your room for the practice,
– props you might need during the practice (blankets, cushions, etc).
FEES VARY ACCORDING TO INCOME
Please choose the amount matching your current economic situation,
whether you are unemployed, low income or high income.
Please remember that we depend entirely on peoples’ fees for the carrying out of this work:
1 ritual / all 5 rituals
1 ritual / all 5 rituals
1 ritual / all 5 rituals
kim.bizzarri@gmail.com
Account holder: Kim Bizzarri
Iban: IT91A0200870691000003926096
Bic/Swift: UNCRITM1CEC
Bank: Unicredit
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THE SESSION WILL HAPPEN ON ZOOM
We will send you the links and passwords necessary for joining the practice.
All your need your end is a computer / tablet with a camera (preferably, but not essential – it’s important that you can see us), a microphone (so that we can hear you, but it’s not essential) and good speakers / audio,
as it will be fundamental that you hear the instructions.
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We promise not to share your details with third parties & to write only a couple of times a year!