ABOUT

Vistara Circle is a spiritual community that helps its members learn personal development skills, experience greater emotional maturity, work on social justice issues, and have a deeper personal relationship with Supreme Consciousness. Members are asked to be a part of the community for at least two years and in so doing, strengthen their practices, gain spiritual knowledge, and develop spiritual community. All members are encouraged to practice Tantric meditation and advance in their meditation lessons over time. Members also master the yoga ethics of Yama and Niyama for harmony with self, community, and society.

The community works to make members feel valued and strives to make Vistara Circle a place where everyone’s spiritual goals can be nurtured. Members have opportunities to grow within the organization and take on leadership positions. Vistara Circle also ensures that members gain important knowledge for physical, mental, and spiritual development that not only enriches their lives, but also improves society. Members are encouraged to take on service projects and learn to practice selfless service as supporting the interconnectedness of all life forms.

There are TWO levels of Vistara Circle:

Level I - Personal Development

In level one, participants are considered visitors until they advance to the next level. Visitors sing kirtan, learn meditation techniques, and have discussions on personal development topics that are supported by scientific data. Upon joining, visitors receive Vistara Circle’s Ebook: “Yama and Niyama: Ten Moral Principles of Yoga.”

Visitors are invited to read the book and begin practicing the ten principles one week at a time and post about their experience in the Facebook group. After a visitor attends at least four sessions in level one and makes their first post, then they become eligible for all of the following:

After getting a private meditation lesson, participants have the option to get five subsequent meditation lessons from their teacher and go deeper into Tantric meditation, all free of charge. Being on track with these meditation techniques is one of the most important milestones in Vistara Circle.

Level II - Spiritual Philosophy

Level two is similar to level one meetings except that the meditation taught may be more exploratory. Members sing kirtan and have discussions on yoga philosophy. Level two sessions are taught by Dada Vishvarupananda (Peter Sage) and meet on Wednesday mornings at 8 AM EST. Sessions that are missed can be watched later at this Facebook group. Ideally by this point, members have received their personal meditation lesson and are practicing that lesson on a regular basis.

In level two, members are asked to make a monthly contribution or a yearly contribution to help sustain the community. Donations can range from $5 to $100 a month. These donations can also be paid upfront for the whole year. Click here to donate. A member can attend both Level I and Level II sessions at any time throughout our two year program and be maintaining regular attendance.

Level two members can take on the following leadership roles whether they meet in person or online:

In-person community

Seva (Service) Coordinator – coordinates Vistara Seva Circle
Recruitment Coordinator – coordinates different ways of attracting new members
Accounts Coordinator – helps manage accounts, takes attendance and communicates with members
Events Coordinator – helps the Vistara Circle organize retreats, seminars, and other events
Musical Coordinator – helps with music, sound and kiirtan. This person must be able to lead kiirtan
Sister Circle Coordinator – to be filled by a female member who will create programs for sisters
Yogis of Color Association Coordinator - to be filled a member of color, who will create programs for people of color

Online community

Meetings

Participation in weekly Vistara Circles should be considered mandatory for members. An attendance rate of 75% is required in order to successfully complete the two-year program and members have the option of going back and forth between Levels I and II.

Vistara Circle Level One In-Person Meetings Offer:

Vistara Circle Level One Online Meetings offer:

Retreats

Retreats will be organized 3 times a year, in the fall, spring, and summer. In-person and online members are required to attend at least two retreats in two years.

Advancement Interview

Members will have an advancement interview upon completion of their two-year program. This is a special meeting with the director that celebraes two years of Vistara Circle training and outlines the next steps. It is another one of the most important milestones in Vistara Circle.

Ready to join Vistara Circle?

Life after Vistara Circle

The Vistara Circle is primarily designed for newcomers to meditation and yoga. After maintaining good community standing for two years and moving through all two levels, a member becomes a sadhaka, a yogi established in their practice. They are no longer newcomers. In order to maintain their growth, they need to be with yogis who are on their level or higher.

They will then be invited to join another organization with more advanced yogis in order to continue their spiritual journey toward becoming a sadvipra, a spiritual warrior that is influential to society. The spiritual journey is about growth. It cannot end after a two-year program. A sadhaka will maintain their growth by getting higher meditation lessons and attending gatherings with advanced yogis. As sadhakas of Vistara Circle, they will still have access to the Vistara Circle community and events, and are encouraged to mentor those who are beginning the process.