Founders’ Weekend

Shadow Yoga Workshop in Bend with Sundernāth (Shandor Remete) and Emma Balnaves

September 19 - 21, 2025

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Founders’ Weekend in Bend, Oregon

You are invited to join in a rare opportunity to study with the founders of Shadow Yoga, Sundernāth (Shandor Remete) and Emma Balnaves, two of the most experienced and esteemed teachers rooted in the lineage of yoga today. As the founders of Shadow Yoga, Sundernāth and Emma offer the tradition of Hatha Yoga based on principles handed down through generations of teachers. We invite you to deepen your practice through their vibrant, dynamic guidance that can be applied to all aspects of life.

What is Shadow Yoga?

Shadow Yoga is a modern term that encompasses the ancient practices originating with the Pashupata tantrika yogins. These practices preceded and gave rise to Hatha Yoga, and the Pashupata tantrika yogins are the oldest known ascetic yogins even pre-dating Patanjali.

The name Shadow Yoga is derived from the 6th chapter (entitled ‘Yoga of the Shadow Man’) of the ancient tantrika treatise or writings titled Shiva Svarodaya (the birth of the breath of life revealed by the god Shiva). The teachings of Shadow Yoga are based upon the ancient Hatha Yogic texts which state that ‘all fixed forms should be designed to develop the practice of freestyle’. Freestyle is a necessary step in the cultivation of longevity and enlightenment (from the Shadow Yoga website).

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Shadow Yoga Workshop in Bend

The Shadow Yoga workshop in Bend consists of five separate classes over the course of the weekend of September 19-21, 2025. Sundernāth will be leading Friday evening’s lecture and class, and Emma Balnaves will be teaching the full weekend course which takes place on Saturday and Sunday. Together, their teaching weaves together principles of motion and stillness to awaken the inner light within all of us.

Emma Balnaves’ Background

Emma is an initiate of Sundernāth and co-founder and teacher of Shadow Yoga. She was introduced to yoga in her early teens when she became intrigued by the mystery of the practices and the feelings they evoked inside her. After studying visual communication, majoring in photography at university, and working in the creative arts in Sydney, New York, and London, Emma committed herself to a life of teaching yoga. With decades of in-depth study and research in yoga, Ayurveda, and other internal arts, Emma began incorporating the full spectrum of the yogic process in her teaching.

Emma’s Film Projects

In 2019 Emma completed her first film, Agniyogana, which she was inspired to create as a way to share the essence of these teachings and bring a better understanding of all aspects of the practice. Her next film, Pure Dance, Looking for the Last of the Pashupatis, is currently in production.

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Sundernāth Background

Sundernāth (Shandor Remete) was fortunate to be born into a household at the southeastern tip of the great Hungarian plain where the art of yoga was a daily presence. From this seed, his destiny on the path of yoga unfolded. He is an initiate of the Kanpatha Hatha Yogins of Nepal, descendants of Sri Gorakhnath, and his Guru Sri Matsyendranath. These great Yogins were the forefathers of Tantrik Hatha Yoga, the heart of which is Hatha Yoga - the science bestowed upon humanity by Adinatha (Lord Shiva) (from the Shadow Yoga website).

Registration Information

We hope you can join us for this unique learning opportunity. Teachers like Sundernāth and Emma are vanishingly rare in the modern yoga marketplace, and we are fortunate to have them teaching right here in our backyard. If you’re participating in the full weekend, Sundernāth’s talk is included, but it can also be attended as a freestanding class. Payment plans are available on the registration page, and you can also contact Continuum Yoga for more information.

If you are interested in learning more about Shadow Yoga, or trying out an in-person class in Bend, Oregon, please have a look at the class options and website for more information.