PRESENTS
Yoga, Sex + DeathTM
Samarasa's signature course is a profoundly transformative journey designed to bring you back to the truth of your heart, experiencing the depth + intimacy you seek within yourself + your relationships.
Choose the format that's right for you: YSD Basics Online, YSD 6-Week Course, or YSD Intensive Retreat. YSD Level 2 is for YSD grads wanting to go deeper.
Take a peek inside the YSD world.
YSD Overview:
Yoga, Sex + Death™ is a study on the relationship between yoga, sacred sexuality, and death through a deeper examination of the two main themes that connect them:
Intimacy + Letting Go
Yoga, Sex + DeathTM offers tantrik hatha yoga, meditation, self-inquiry, shadow work, and death practices to guide you deeper into your heart.
Lectures, embodiment practices, and group ritual are combined to allow you to discover the deepest parts of yourself as the authentic expression of intimacy, presence, and love that you already are.
PART 1
YOGA
We ground the basic foundation of the course in yogic philosophy as we move beyond the physical body towards a deeper understanding of the subtle body. We’ll dive deeply into the chakra system – by first studying a brief overview from the more classical traditions to the new age Jungian concept of the chakra system and its relationship to yoga postures (asana). We’ll apply this knowledge to practice for releasing blockages/tensions (granthis) and purifying subtle impressions (samskaras) in the energy body for more freedom, ease, peace, lightness, clarity, an intimacy with life and a total acceptance/openness to whatever arises.
PART 2
SEX
Continuing to build on the knowledge and practices of the subtle body we learn in part 1, we begin to focus more deeply on the vital energy of sexuality and it’s 3 forces – eros, sex and love. We will closely examine our own relationship to each to discover where we’re blocked and experience how these blockages of sexual energy directly relate to all other aspects of our lives. We’ll free up this vital energy so it can begin to flow freely and life can expand beyond measure as a deep sense of connectedness to others emerges.
PART 3
DEATH
When most of us think about death (or the groundlessness of life itself), we feel sadness or anxiety in the face of such profound insecurity. In this course, we begin to see that those very feelings are the fertile ground in which we can become more courageous, wise, and compassionate towards ourselves and others. We’ll continue to build on what we’ve learned in Part 1 and 2 to learn about what sacredness means and how to attune ourselves to experience it every day, so that when death comes, it can be a vehicle for fully merging with this limitless wisdom.
Yoga, Sex + Death TM
BASICS - A Self-Paced Online Course
YSD Basics is the perfect introduction to the foundational principles of the course. It's the place to start if you want to dip your toe in before taking the deep dive into the YSD Intensive Retreat -although it's a complete and powerful journey on its own. Completion of YSD Basics qualifies you for membership as well as for Level 2.
You’ll enjoy:
- 12 Pre-recorded, on-demand video lessons that break down course material including: How Yoga Works, Polarity of Energy, Sex + Spirituality, Spiritual Support For the Dying, and so many more
- 12 90-minute practice sessions that include Tantrik Hatha, Yoga Nidra, Pranayama, + Meditation
- Supplemental reading materials to support you in your journey
- Reflective homework assignments, journal prompts, and assessments to support your integration of the material
- A self-paced format that allows you to absorb the material on your own timing
- A private online community forum exclusively for course participants to connect and receive support
Yoga, Sex + DeathTM 6-Week Course
January 22 - February 26, 2023
in Los Angeles, CA
Investment: $895
Open to 10 women only; Scholarships Available; 10% discount for Samarasa members
This course meets for 6 consecutive Sundays, January 22 - February 26, from 10:00am - 6:30pm with a one-hour lunch break.
Location: Metta Movement Studio - 1242 20th St. Santa Monica
Click below to register! Pay in full or secure your place in the circle with only a $300 deposit.
Why Should You Do It?
Let our past participants tell you.
What You Will Receive
- 6 days of deep purification work on the physical, emotional, energetic, mental and spiritual bodies through movement, meditation, inquiry, and group ritual, over the course of 6 weeks
- Printed course manual to support you throughout the course and in your future practice
- Supplemental study guides and reflective homework assignments to guide integration of the material
- Access to a private online community with the other participants to connect and receive support between meetings
- Intimate connection with a circle of women in a safe, held container
- Course meets for 6 consecutive Sundays, January 22 - February 26, 10:00am - 6:30pm with a one-hour lunch break
- Location: Metta Movement Yoga & Meditation; 1242 20th St. Santa Monica
Meet Your Facilitator For The 6-Week Course
Lucy Wilson
Lucy discovered a love for movement and a sense of awe for the human body while taking a dance class in middle school and has been on a journey to dive more deeply ever since. Throughout high school and as a dance major in college, she studied a wide array of movement modalities and went on to pursue a career as a professional dancer.
Throughout her studies, Lucy was introduced to yoga as a way to stay healthy – physically and mentally – and her practice has carried through every difficult transition of her adult life. After completing her 200-hour yoga certification in 2015, she went on to continue her studies with internationally recognized teachers, including Judith Lasater, Leslie Kaminoff, Gary Kraftsow, and Donna Farhi. Upon moving to Los Angeles, she began teaching at Samarasa, where she also served as the General Manager.
She first took Yoga, Sex + Death™ in January of 2020 and has gone back again and again since. She has watched it improve all of the relationships in her life, especially the one she has with herself. Every time, she has come out the other side with a deeper understanding of who she is and what she has to offer in this world. She completed her YSD Facilitator certification in 2022, and specializes in helping her students come back home to themselves through restorative yoga, mindfulness, self-inquiry, and intuitive movement practices.
MEET
Lucy Wilson
YSD LEVEL 2
YSD L2 is for you if you have completed YSD Basics Online, YSD 6-wk Course or YSD Intensive Retreat and would like to deepen your studies. It is a mix between online and in-person sessions. Sessions not marked "In Person" will take place via Zoom
2023 Schedule
All modules meet 9a-12p + 2-5p PT on Saturdays + 8a-12p + 2-5p PT on Sundays, unless otherwise noted
- Module 1 - Creating the Container - March 25
- Module 2 - Self-inquiry + The Work of Byron Katie - April 29 + 30
- Module 3 - Silent Meditation Retreat - June 16, 17, 18, 19 (Friday afternoon through Monday morning) - IN PERSON
- Module 4 - Tantrik Hatha Yoga - June 24 + 25 - IN PERSON
- Module 5 - Sexual Shadow - July 29 + 30
- Module 6 - Feminine Embodiment Practices - August 26 + 27
- Module 7 - Yoga Nidra, Death + Dying - September 22, 23, 24 - THREE DAY MODULE (Friday afternoon only)
- Module 8 - Closing -October 14 + 15 (subject to change)
Investment: $1530
(10% discount for Samarasa Members)
*Modules + lengths subject to change
What people are saying...
"I am a yoga teacher and student and have attended many workshops over the years, but I have to say that this one was, by far, the most rewarding... It gave those of us who attended an opportunity to get to know each other while submerging ourselves in the teachings so that we gained a momentum that had us all glowing, inspired and more wholehearted. None of us wanted it to end… I learned so much without ever feeling overwhelmed and always left each session feeling happy, inspired, and deeply grateful. The whole experience was life changing!"
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Amy Foreman, USA
"Yoga, Sex + Death™ was a beautiful spiritual gift. I am a 67 year-old practicing Catholic and somewhat progressive. I have some experience with yoga but I am basically a novice. I signed up because I wanted to take a fresh look at my life… It opened my eyes to so many things about myself and the world around me. Susan is amazing. She has an exceptional ability to take a ton of information and make it digestible so that it became something that we could embrace and understand. I felt like we “hung” on every word waiting for the next tidbit. As a bonus, I got to know a group of beautiful women and now I have a new yoga family. Many thanks to Susan for making it possible. Overall, a fantastic experience!!"
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Athena Chavez, USA
"Words do not encapsulate how much I benefited from the Yoga, Sex + Death™ course I participated in with Susan. My perspective on life has changed in every aspect for the better. I am more aware of who I am as opposed to flying through life as a chain of reactions to my environment. I had some reservations on time commitment due to my job and family, but I am so thankful I overcame my excuses to participate in this course. I ended the course renewed, enlightened and rich with friendship. I feel as though this class should be a prerequisite to life."
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Roxanne Benatar, USA
