| "Minding Our Habits"
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The Aghor Approach
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Baba Harihar Ramji established the Sonoma Ashram in 1990. Baba Hariji resides at the Ashram and spends the better part of the year there, continuing the teachings of Aghoreshwar of simple living and being a good human being. Hailing from the ancient lineage of Avadhut Siddhas of Kashi, Baba Harihar Ramji is the perfect bridge between the ancient and modern world. His teachings are deeply rooted in ancient wisdom yet practical for this day and age. He speaks a language that a person facing today’s challenges can comprehend and assimilate in his or her life. Baba says, “Spirituality is not a mystery.” It is the inherent nature of each individual to live a spiritual life. Avadhuta’s teachings are self exploratory through “shiksha,” principles of the right way to live, and “diksha,” Guru initiation. The teachings of this ancient lineage have never been so accessible to the common man before. While living in the company of his Guru, Aghoreshwar Bhagwan Ram, Baba Harihar Ramji experienced the emergence of the Divine within. After receiving the Guru’s grace, he was given the task of bringing the teachings of Aghoreshwar to the West.
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The Vipassana Approach
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Mr. Harry and Mrs. Vivian Snyder have been long time students and practitioners of vipassana meditation under the guidance of their teacher S.N. Goenka. They have been teaching 10 day Vipassana courses since 1988, and have taught several 10 day courses in prisons.
Mrs. Vivian Snyder is a learning disability specialist, and has a private practice in Mill Valley, California, where she does diagnostic assessments for children with learning disorders.
Mr. Harry Snyder has been a member of the State Bar of California since 1963. He has a long background and experience in cy pres relief, philanthropic best practices (including grant review and recommendations) and consumer protection. He also teaches a graduate seminar in Health Policy Advocacy at University of California Berkeley School of Public Health. He started his legal career practicing business law in Los Angeles. He then was a Peace Corps Administrator in India and the Peace Corp Director in Western Samoa and then Nepal before joining Consumers Union.
Together they have 3 grown children and 7 grandchildren.
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Personal Story
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Ms. Birgit Böttcher has a passion for film and filmmaking. She has been an editor for television in Germany for 18 years. She really enjoys editing television documentaries about social themes. She enjoys the creativity of editing; it's like composing with pictures and sounds, creating a rhythm and a flow. Seventeen years ago, she started practicing yoga. This has become another great passion in her life. It helps her get centered again when the various distractions of life and mind arise. She says, “It's like an anchor when the sea gets rough.”
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