WORKSHOP - Scrolling Through Vedic Lit: A Fun Overview of the Epics with Jamey Hood (USA)

Imagine the most provocative, wild, dramatic, thrilling, riveting, page turner of a book you've ever read. Do you have it in your mind? Maybe it's the Lord of the Rings trilogy, or the Harry Potter series. Perhaps you devoured Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Wheel of Time, or The Hunger Games. Whatever it is, whatever world you happily got lost in, The Ramayana and The Mahabharata are like that. 

Vedic literature is not boring. It's lit. (See what I did there?)

In this interactive workshop, you'll be guided through the epics in an entertaining way designed to remove any barriers you might have which prevent you from reading these stories on your own. Even if you've read them before, this will be a unique opportunity to revisit the characters with more depth in a playful environment in which everyone will be encouraged to tell a little tale. Why? Because the Universe loves stories and these particular stories have Universal themes. When we put them into our own words, we bring the subtle and abstract Laws of Nature, which provide the fabric of our experiences, into our present day awareness. 
In this workshop:

• You'll receive a concise summary of both The Ramayana and The Mahabharata shared verbally in an entertaining way. 
• We'll highlight a few of the key players in each story and discuss the ways in which we relate to them.
• We'll identify a few of the Laws of Nature at play in the stories and then share relevant short stories from our own lives that have similar themes.
• At the end, we'll finish with a jam session, retelling one of the most famous episodes from The Ramayana in our own words. If you're a musician, please bring whatever instrument you'd like. Drums, strings, winds, etc. Jam session is volunteer based, but all are encouraged to participate. We'll experience the uplifting and unifying nature of improvised group storytelling. 

Dress comfortably and bring something to take notes on if you wish. This is a casual learning experience but I might throw out some Sanskrit terms or make book recommendations that you'll want to remember later. Also, bring your instruments if you want to provide the soundscape for our storytelling jam.