Hello and Welcome...first post

Namaste from beautiful Hendersonville/Flat Rock, NC.!

I'm starting this blog and inviting all interested students of Andrey Lappa to join.

The initial purpose is to permit those students who will be attending Andrey's Universal Yoga Teacher Training Part One. (Let's call it TT-1) to introduce themselves and collaborate to make the TT-1 scheduled for Sept. 19-30 a success.

I'll start the introduction round:
I'm Fred Brown, and I'll be hosting the TT-1 at the Studio I have operated for 8 years at Highland Lake Inn in Hendersonville, NC. http://www.highlandlakeyoga.com

I've been practicing with varying levels of intensity for almost 40 years, with a "pure" Iyengar orientation for the first 25 or so. Then, I started exploring other methods...Ashtanga vinyassa, Bikram, and others. In 2003, I heard of Andrey Lappa, someone pointed me to the "cave experience"

http://www.universal-yoga.com/?id=15501

I thought: "This is the biggest news in yoga I've ever heard. This person is either delusional/fraudulent/or hugely important!"

I immediately arranged to attend a TT-1 in Iowa City. My wife and 2 students from my studio also attended. I was quickly convinced that Andrey was a hugely important yoga figure of our time.

Since that introduction, I've read his book, attended TT-1,2, and 3 and hosted Andrey at Highland Lake for 3 weekend workshops.

Andrey's teacher trainings in the past have consisted of 3 sessions, with the first 2 being 10 days in length and the 3rd being 5 days. Andrey has redesigned the traning so that there are now two 12-day sessions. All the material will now be covered but with only two trainings.

The trainings I attended were all at yoga studios located in cities, we would go to class and then go our separate ways to gather again at the next class. It was great, but involved lots of driving, with students staying at various homes and hotels. The training at Highland Lake will be in an ashram-like setting with TT students and Andrey living in the Retreat House.
Pictures of Retreat House rooms and surroundings follow:



The Retreat House
14 Student Rooms
1 Teacher Room









Looking from front of Retreat House toward
lower level (dining/kitchen) of Sanctuary.
Classes are held upstairs in Sanctuary.




Bath room suite in R.H.

2 private shower rooms and 2 private toilet rooms on either side.










Typical student room in R.H.