The science of life

Mark Whitwell has been immersed in yoga since 1973, when he studied in the home of Krishnamacharya and his son Desikachar. For those who are familiar with these names, no explanation is necessary. But for those who may be new to the practice, Krishnamacharya is often referred to as the father of modern yoga. Whitwell is the only direct student of Krishnamacharya who lives and teaches in the United States.

Whitwell will be the featured instructor at an upcoming yoga retreat in November at Calliote Canyon in Ojai. The event will feature three days and nights of yoga practice with specially prepared ayurvedic food, massage, consultations and, of course, yoga instruction at the posh retreat nestled in the mountains of Ojai.

Along with studying under the tutelage of Krishnamacharya, Whitwell says he also met the late philosopher Krishnamurti, a renowned resident of Ojai. “I represent the accord between these special teachers,” Whitwell says, “so it is with celebration of their wonderful lives that I return to Ojai.”

“People who come [to the retreat] will feel profoundly at peace and energized because they will learn an authentic yoga practice that is right for them,” Whitwell says. “I can promise this. It will bring them peace and wellness and intimacy with life in every aspect.”

Whitwell says anyone who is interested in yoga can attend the retreat because he adjusts his instruction to each individual. “This yoga optimizes wellness in every way. Anyone can do a powerful yoga that is right for them, taking into account individual difference, body type, age, health and lifestyle.”

Retreat organizer Jackie Sherman is a newly minted resident of Ojai, having recently sold her yoga studio in Tucson, Ariz. Sherman says Whitwell’s techniques are surprisingly adaptable to anyone. “In fact, my mother, who is 92, came to his class in Tucson just to say hello to me,” she says. “He asked her to come up to the front, sit on a chair and told her she was going to do yoga. She didn’t want to, but she eventually agreed.

“All he had her do was move her arms up and down with her breath. And she said that in about a minute, she felt so peaceful. And she is about the most neurotic woman I know.”

Sherman is sold on Whitwell’s approach to teaching yoga. “He is absolutely my favorite yoga teacher. You can be the most experienced yoga practitioner, or it can be your first time doing yoga,” Sherman says. “You get this incredible experience with him. He teaches all about the breath and moving with the breath.”

Sherman says yoga has been the instrument that helped her change her life. “It helped me get the courage to move here to Ojai. I’ve never moved anywhere just because I wanted to live there. So I think it has helped shed some of the outer covering of what you are supposed to be, what you are supposed to do.”

Before opening a yoga studio, Sherman had her Ph.D. in nursing and was a tenured professor of nursing at the University of Arizona. Shortly after receiving tenure, Sherman quit. “I thought, I cannot write research grants the rest of my life,” Sherman says.

Sherman and her husband became acquainted with Ojai after sending their daughter to camp there. “We drove her to camp, and the minute we got to Ojai, we said we were home. We have to live here. For five years, we have been talking about it.”

Sherman says she has not looked back since making the move. “We’ve only been in Ojai two months, but it feels like you can be who you are and no one is judging. There’s no regular way to be. I’ve always felt a little out of place. I can be like regular people, I’m good at that, but I’m tired of doing that. And here, you can be whoever you want to be.”

Sherman is expansive on the subject of the benefits of learning yoga with Whitwell. “I think once you work with him, even what you eat changes. Things that you craved in the past just kind of slip away. You just are more in tune with what your body needs.”

A sample menu of the type of meals that will be served during the retreat fall into the category of vegetarian comfort food. For example, dinner might be ginger squash soup, tofu and sautéed vegetable, brown rice, and stewed apricots. Breakfast could be fresh fruit, spiced oatmeal, hard boiled eggs, whole grain bread and tea. Organic coffee is available for those who cannot go without their daily brew.

“The chef is an ayurvedic chef,” Sherman says. “Everybody has a body type and they plan food to help everybody get in balance. It is really Indian food, like rice or warm fruit, calming and controls anxiety.”

Lisa Schrempp will be at the retreat as the ayurvedic practitioner.

“Ayurveda is the sister science to yoga,” Schrempp says. “It has the same goal as yoga, which is to be in union with the divine. I have a good knowledge or good understanding of the ayurvedic paradigm and how it relates to others. Ayruveda is a holistic healing system, and it actually means the science of life. It utilizes many areas of our life, like our routine, our exercise, our diet, our relationships, our work, our sexuality. It tries to understand how we’re individual or unique and how we

can balance ourselves, in our uniqueness, with nature.”

Schrempp will be giving consultations on an individual’s constitution. “I will explain how they can excel in their health and point out some things they may be doing which might be harming their balance,” Schrempp says.

“The other thing I will be offering is ayurvedic therapy, which is called abhyanga and what I call a full-body ceremony,” she continues. “It is an all-body massage where I use herbalized oils which are specific to that person’s constitution. I massage them in throughout the whole body and skin in a way which helps reduce the excess wind in the body which causes nervousness, anxiety, stress and, ultimately, aging. It’s a very relaxing treatment.”

Along with the yoga instruction and ayurvedic treaments and diet, the experience will be enhanced by live music. “The musicians, who work a lot with Mark, are flying in from India,” Sherman says. “They play music while Mark does the teaching.

They are unbelievable and come from many generations of Indian musicians.”

And there is still more. “Sequoia, she is an incredible singer,” Sherman says. “She will be doing kirtanya chanting.”

Sequoia, who goes mostly by her first name, explains the chanting. “The kirtan chanting is devotional singing in a call-and-response style, rooting from the ancient yoga of India called bhakti yoga,” she says.

Sequoia said the chanting will have benefits for those attending the yoga sessions. “It provides an opportunity to sing,” she says, “and be open to the vast moments of the heart through music.”

Early registration for the retreat begins Oct. 1. The retreat will be held at Calliote Canyon in Ojai comprising 5 private acres that back up to the Los Padres National Forest. Food and board are included with the yoga and other activities for three days. Space is limited.   

The retreat will run Nov. 13-16. Register at www.heartofyoga.com. For any questions, contact Jackie Sherman at jackielakshmi@aol.com or at 640-9642. The cost of the retreat is $1,200.