Spiritual Study: Communion Beyond Words: Dharana, Samyama, and Animals part 3 of 3
ONLINE with Kealoha DeLuz Ph.D.
3 Mondays, September 14, 21, & 28 • Sessions are offered individually
$5-20 sliding scale | Please register in advance: a Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the session, or join Zoom directly via your Momence dashboard.
The Scripture Study series is an online offering where we learn, discuss, and discover how Yoga’s timeless teachings apply directly to our daily lives.
In this special three-part series, Kealoha invites us to explore dharana (focused concentration) and samyama (deep meditative absorption) as direct paths to communion with the animal kingdom. Drawing on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali alongside his own lived experience, Kealoha shares his journey of living and working closely with six cats, each of whom, he has come to believe, arrived in his life for reasons that go far beyond coincidence.
Among them is Sarala, who shares the exact birthday with a dear friend of Kealoha’s who passed away seventeen years earlier. There is a profound connection that raises questions about whether some arrivals are actually returns. Then there is Boo, who came from the hardships of the streets. Eight years later, Boo carries himself with the unhurried steadiness Patanjali describes as abhyasa (sustained practice) and vairagya (non-attachment). When Boo went missing for three weeks, it was the search for him that ultimately led Kealoha to Stevie and Thomas, two cats who had found each other while both struggling with health problems, and who, in turn, found their way to a shared home. In a beautiful twist of grace, Boo’s absence was the exact doorway through which two more souls found refuge.
Through these intimate stories, we will read key passages from the Yoga Sutras, take time for personal reflection, and share how these teachings and the animals in our lives can deeply support us on the spiritual path.
The Yoga Spiritual Study series is an offering in which participants learn and discuss how the teachings of Yoga apply to our daily lives. We read passages from scriptures of Yoga and other ancient and contemporary spiritual texts, take time to reflect upon them, and share with each other how these words and practices support us on the spiritual path. All are welcome to join any one or all of the sessions. These sessions will not be recorded.
Kealoha Deluz has been a holistic health practitioner for 30 years, holds a Master of Divinity, Ph.D. in Holistic Studies, and is currently working towards a degree in transpersonal counseling. He has been an Integral Yoga Teacher since 2006 and is a Raja Yoga trainer, advanced level Hatha Yoga, meditation and stress management instructor. Kealoha is a licensed massage therapist, skin care practitioner, and holistic life coach. Kealoha Born and raised on the Big Island of Hawaii, and currently lives and works in San Francisco, California.
