Of course, we also had challenges to our new life as a result of some people’s fears about ...prepare yourself, two non-Yoga teachers running Lendrick Lodge. We were trusted with the baton and responsibility of Lendrick by the previous heart of the operation, Hatha teacher of some thirty years’ experience, Sarah Mulvanny. My main area of teaching is Shamanism and Meditation. My wife Victoria is a traditional Reiki Master/teacher with a medical background in physiotherapy. However, we share one main thing in common with the readers of this article, we love Yoga!
Shamanism, Meditation, Reiki and Yoga also have something in common, they flow from the same source of awakening. They all offer a path to healing, they all require a degree of intellectual understanding, physical follow-through and life-long study with commitment to continual integration and new growth. The most important and exciting connection for Victoria and me is that they all bring the love of Spirit to our consciousness.
People who come to Lendrick experience a wide spectrum of classes offered by diverse teachers amidst the outstanding beauty of Lendrick’s natural environment. Lendrick Lodge has always encouraged both homegrown talent and a remarkable collection of world-renowned Yoga teachers. Be warned though, you may see some strange goings on out of our windows that are not spoken of in Yoga books! You may witness folk-dancing around a fire, celebrating the Celtic Beltaine festival at the foot of Ben Ledi (on our doorstep). You may also see people entering a Native American Sweat Lodge in our grounds to purify and cleanse themselves. Visitors are also caught occasionally swinging over our river on a tree swing meant for children, disgraceful I know. Not to mention ceremonial firewalks and drumming circles. I have even witnessed Yoga teachers, Alan Oakman mainly, swimming across Loch Venechar on sunny afternoons (yes we do get blessed with sunshine in this part of the world!) and many other things that make me smile and laugh. Its hard not to when you watch the many paths toward Connection with Creation being explored, doors opened and souls healed.
Both Victoria and I and all our family (‘family’ is the best word we can find to describe the supportive loving circle of people who live and work at Lendrick lodge) have a mission and purpose to share empowering and transformational rituals, ceremonies and practices with visitors to our centre. And we are gently confident that we are achieving our purpose; our confirmation comes from the words we hear from the students who come to our home and the expanded smile they leave with! The teachers and students who have fallen in love with Lendrick’s way give our centre the support, feedback and encouragement we have needed over these last years to expand and grow.
Teachers like Sandra Sabatini (one of the core teachers who trained in-depth with Vanda Scaravelli) have a deep connection with the Spirit of Lendrick. Sandra who is returning for her third year to teach one of our summer Yoga weeks has the following to say about Lendrick Lodge,
‘I think of Lendrick as a place that protects your inner journey. You are touched by its peacefulness and inspired by the beauty around. Yoga comes easily to you in such a place.’
Sandra Sabatini, author of Breath the Essence of Yoga
As an owner of Lendrick and student of Yoga I believe in mastery and excellence through devotion, understanding, life integration and a lifelong quest of deeper discovery.
Not everyone who lives at Lendrick can touch their toes in a perfect posture, actually I don’t think any of us can, but we can hope to touch your heart. To do so we bring a collection of Masters who hold love of Spirit at their core. Our intention at Lendrick Lodge is that every practitioner has the opportunity to experience the true potential and beauty of being alive in physical form. That is the gift of Yoga. It is the gift of sensitising one’s self to the expression of life and FALLING IN LOVE WITH IT.
‘Love has no barriers, it is like a pool spring, pouring water endlessly. And perhaps this absence of limitation that gives wings to fly.’ Taken from Vanda Scaravelli’s Awakening The Spine.
I hope you have enjoyed this little glimpse of our Highland Fling with Yoga that has turned into a life long path of devotion. It is my sincere desire at Lendrick to allow people to rediscover the basic nature of Mastery and love of the Essence. Ravi Shankar was once overheard saying that to learn to play the sitar is not a one lifetime undertaking, that it takes LIFETIMES to master the intricacies of that instrument. We believe the same to be true of the study of consciousness through Yoga, whether practised with or without one’s kilt.
