The series of long-awaited and deeply inspiring retreats in Russia with the 3rd level yantra yoga teacher Oni McKinstry started on the 12th and finished on the 29th of June’ 25.
The Russian-speaking DC first met Oni at the online retreat in 2020, after which we fell in love with her for her clear instructions based on deep experience, dedication to Rinpoche’s teachings, punctuality and ability to notice the slightest mistakes of students and very gently correct them. Since then, Rinchenling has been organising regular online classes with Oni on rhythmic breathing, variations of yantras and 7 lotuses, and senior pranayamas, already for 5 years without interruption.
Oni began her Russian program with a one week retreat at Kunsangar North (Moscow region). In all, about 50 participants onsite and 12 online from different parts of the country and even from neighbouring Belarus joined this event, studying and training the 1st, the 3rd and the 4th pranayamas with yantras of each mentioned group including all variations 3 sessions per day. Those luckies who had the possibility to visit the last extra-day of the retreat also received a rare explanation of the 5th pranayama and had been training in it and in the basic yantras of the 5th group, and in the 7 lotuses as well.
Then we continued with the weekend retreat on rhythmic breathing, kumbhaka and parlung in Rinchenling, Moscow. The possibility to join online was provided as well. About 80 people registered for this event in total, the number of participants in the gompa was about 30-35 people.
The topic of the final weekend retreat in Saint Petersburg was quite intriguing: Working With Vajra Body for Recovering the Natural Balance of Prana. Onsite in Sangyeling there were about 20 people, from 20 to 70+ years old, and online from about 60 to 80 people, from all over the world.
Some of Russian yantra yoga instructors (both 1st and 2nd level) visited each of the events at the Gar and 2 Lings, thus they got a precious opportunity to correct their own practice in communication with such a high level practitioner as Oni is and to lead the preliminaries and the main practices to groups of the practitioners of different ages and capacities under the strict and at the same time soft and compassionate Oni’s guidance. Eventually each of the retreats was a kind of small teachers’ training at the same time, having many slices — like a delicious cake.
Oni is very welcome in Russia!
Most of us feel satisfaction, inspiration to further practice and gratitude to her beyond words for the teaching of our masters she continues and transmits perfectly through the precious methods of yantra.
Everybody was happy to be engaged in organising, collaborating and practicing processes during these wonderful events. Many sincere gratitudes for everyone who made this visit possible:
– to all organisers and sponsors including the Gakyils and the Gekös;
– to the participants, especially to our dear Russian yantra yoga teachers who gave us a perfect example of being open minded and ready to learn even after many years of leading groups as a teacher;
– to all diligent karma yogis;
– and to the translators, of course!
Actually we, Russian yantra devotees, are already missing Oni strongly and are waiting for her to come back soon.
Special to The Mirror,
Elena Shadrova, Alexander Cherkashin, Anna Olefir
