Harmonium & Kirtan Retreat at Spetses with Seth Lieberman & friends
Neda Yoga Shala has the pleasure and honor to organize a special 5-day retreat on Kirtan and Indian harmonium, with Seth Lieberman and 3 other teachers from America and Italy in Spetses on July 6-11!
Join us this summer on the charming island of Spetses, Greece for an incredible opportunity to study harmonium and kirtan in a stunning environment. Don’t miss this chance to dance, sing, study, and gather in spiritual community with us for 6 days and 5 nights in this stunning private location on a small, car-free Greek Island in the Aegean Sea. This educational and experiential retreat will provide you an immersion into a study of music, the practice of kirtan, and Bhakti Yoga along with a community of fellow harmonium and kirtan lovers.
This is open to all levels, but we recommend you have some basic experience. If you are new to the harmonium, we recommend you take our Intro to Harmonium course first. Otherwise, you should:
1) Have a very basic understanding of how to play the harmonium,
2) can recognize western note names on the keyboard,
3) Can already play 2-3 basic chants,
4) want to go deeper into learning and experiencing group kirtan. This is also intended for those who wish to develop their personal chanting practice and for those who wish to lead kirtan. Students will learn about the technical aspects of playing the harmonium and kartals, add new chant music and melodies to their repertoire, and practice leading kirtan in a supportive group environment. Chant sheets and audio recordings will be provided to support learning.
This retreat is very limited in space. Early registration is recommended.
Seth Lieberman is a fantastic musician, teacher and dedicated Bhakti Yogi. He has been accompanying some of the world's most famous guitarists for many years now. Joining us will be:
- Ferdie Lopez (for morning yoga) from America
More Guest Teachers To be Announced soon!
It is recommended for anyone who already has a basic understanding of how to play the keyboard, knows the names of the notes and wants to deepen their learning and experience of sankirtan. It is also aimed at those who wish to develop their personal chanting practice and those who wish to lead kirtan. Students will learn about the technical aspects of playing the harmonium and the cartal, add new kirtan and melodies to their repertoire, and practice leading the kirtan in a supportive group environment. Simple sheet music and recordings will be provided to support learning.
What’s included
- Healthy vegetarian meals
- Stay at an incredible, private villa for 6 days & 5 nights
- Daily Harmonium, Kartal and Kirtan classes
- Meditative morning and ecstatic evening kirtans
- Full moon over-the-sea kirtan evening!
- Daily Yoga asana classes and philosophy
- Delicious Greek vegetarian meals
What’s not included
- Transportation (airfare, ferries, etc.) to and from the Villa
- Instruments - harmoniums and kartals - you must provide your own
- Any extra purchases you wish to make while on the island
Sample Schedule
*subject to change*
Sunday, July 6 - Suggested arrival after 12pm
Welcome
Satsang & Kirtan
Dinner
Monday, July 7 - Thursday, July 10
6:30am Meditation and Asana
7:45am Satsang & Kirtan
8:00am Breakfast
9:00am Harmonium Class
12:00pm Lunch / Free time
5:00pm Kartals Class/Practice Time
6:30pm Satsang & Kirtan
8:00pm Dinner
Friday, July 11 - Suggested departure between 11am-6pm
Meditation and Asana
Satsang & Kirtan
Breakfast
Closing Circle
*Please note that the first retreat day starts at 6:00pm while the last retreat day concludes at 11am
Retreat life
Our goal is to create an environment where everyone feels safe, welcome and can cultivate sattva, a sanskrit term referring to the mode of goodness.
Therefore, the consumption of alcohol and other intoxicants are not permitted on this retreat.
We will be getting high on kirtan, natural beauty, and good company!
Instruments
Students must provide their own harmoniums. We have a very limited harmoniums to loan during the retreat, and will be provided on a first come first serve basis. If you wish to purchase an instrument, please contact Ferdie for a list of recommended harmonium vendors or if you have any other questions.
You must also bring your own kartals. Please contact Ferdie if you are interested in purchasing a set for the training.
Please note: You should not check your harmonium on your airplane unless you have a sturdy case,. We strongly recommend overhead storage instead, to protect your instrument.
About Spetses island
Spetses is a small, quiet, picturesque island nestled in the sparkling waters of the Saronic Gulf, only 2 1/2 hours from Athens, Greece. Its distinctive architecture and maritime legacy, surrounding the pristine beaches bathed in azure waters, and it’s car-free cobblestone streets, (bikes, scooters and horse carriages are the main form of transportation!) offer a traditional, calm and elegant atmosphere.
Where you’ll stay (the villa)
Our Villa is situated on the Spetses mountain offering a panoramic view of Spetses Island and the Saronic Sea. It is located in a quiet and serene location, but at the same time only a 15’ walk from the city center and the closest beach. It offers many large outdoor spaces and patios, ideal for lazy afternoon siestas and reading. It also has a large infinity pool overlooking Spetses Island and the Saronic Gulf, as well as a small olive grove, botanical gardens and one of the largest and well preserved threshing floors in Greece.
Bio
Seth Lieberman is a musician and yoga teacher residing in the Hudson Valley of New York. A lifelong music maker, he studied music composition, theory, clarinet, and piano at the University of Maryland, where he received BA in Music. During his 10 years of time living in New York City, he completed 3 different yoga teacher trainings. Seth has joined his two passions of music and yoga through playing and teaching the harmonium, leading kirtan, and creating original music related to mantra and yoga. He has been actively teaching harmonium both online and in-person for the past 8 years and has helped bring the joy of mantra and music to many students throughout the United States, Europe, India, Australia, Japan, and all over the world. He is excited to host his first Harmonium and Kirtan retreat in Greece this July!
Ferdie discovered yoga 25 years ago during a time when a new job, a new relationship, and a move to a new city simultaneously occurred. Over time, he learned that the “whole” of yoga is more than just the physical practice and began to cultivate a greater sense of self which allowed him to find a better balance between his spiritual and corporate life. Gradually, Ferdie’s connection to bhakti yoga grew, strengthening his devotional and spiritual practice which has guided him to where he is today. He completed his 200 hour YTT with the Samarya Center in January 2015 and has been studying with Seth since November 2019.
More Guest Teachers To be Announced soon!