Join us on a Spiritual Journey to India

Are you ready for a transformational experience that will take your yoga practice – and your life – to the next level?

Our India Yoga Retreat is the ideal opportunity to immerse yourself in authentic yoga culture. An opportunity to truly unwind and take time to nurture yourself and experience the delights of the rich Indian culture. Experienced yogis can explore and enhance their practice, while new students can deepen their understanding of yoga asana (poses) and philosophy in a supportive and nurturing environment.
Immerse yourself in the Indian culture and this ancient Indian practice at the heart of yoga itself! Held in a tranquil and supportive environment with 5 star accommodation. Our facilitators will nurture you throughout your journey, supporting your own personal transformation, as well as guiding you to develop a deeper, holistic understanding of yoga.

INCLUSIONS

  • 11 nights in 5 star accommodation at the foothill of the sacred Hill of Arunachala.
  • Airport transfers in India.
  • Daily itinerary including yoga, meditation and spiritual enrichment.
  • Traditional and nutritious Indian meals – 2 meals each day onsite included in price. The third meal you will be given the opportunity to eat out and taste the local cuisine.
  • Guided day trips to French-inspired Pondicherry.
  • You will have the opportunity to deepen your understanding of yoga asana (poses), philosophy, meditation, pranayama (breathing exercises) and relaxation techniques.
  • Our flexible schedule is designed for you to explore your yoga practice but also immerse yourself in the local Indian culture with plenty of free time to explore. Create your own yoga retreat, and participate in as many or few activities as you wish.

PRICE

The price including all above is $2700 per person shared room (single room available at an extra cost upon enquiry).

Places are limited – click here to secure your reservation now.

Dates RG TEST - Programs Register
October 4 - 15, 2023 Spiritual Journey to India – Oct 4 -15, 2023 Register Now

YOUR HOSTS

Our facilitators have a combined teaching experience of over 100 years offering a wealth of knowledge and expertise to share with participants. John Ogilvie, the founder and director of Byron Yoga Centre, has been teaching yoga for over thirty-five years. He encourages a light heartedness in our approach to yoga and to ourselves.
Swami Pujan will be leading Meditation sessions and joining with John to deliver the yoga philosophy.
Bettina Kah joins John in teaching asana classes, breathing sessions and daily Yoga Nidra relaxation sessions.

Places are limited – click here to secure your reservation now.

Host John Ogilvie

John Ogilvie is one of Australia’s most respected and experienced teachers and founder of Byron Yoga Centre. John has been practicing yoga for more than 30 years and teaching for over 28. John developed his signature style of yoga, Purna Yoga after 20 years of disciplined yoga training including practicing both the Iyengar method and Ashtanga. His yoga journey has seen him learn from various yoga masters over the years in Australia and internationally.

The Purna method John teaches focuses on correct alignment. His teaching covers the basics with additional emphasis on refining alignment, corrections and adjustments. John’s teaching style is entertaining and completely accessible. His instructions are clear and simple, always with a focus on keeping his students safe and encouraging them to listen to their own body’s needs and only work at a level appropriate to the individual, at any given time.

John encourages students at all levels to build flexibility, strength and stamina of body, mind and spirit. Many students discover, as a consequence, that yoga becomes a way of life.

Swami Pujan reached self-realization through the studying of the Upanishads and Vedanta with the help of his teacher, James Swartz, after many, many years being involved in Theavana and Mahayana Buddhism. He was a trained psychologist so his teachings bring in the western psychological angle. His wish is to bring the complex teachings of the Upanishads and the Yoga Sutras to a western audience that is relevant to their lives.

“Spirituality is a difficult subject to teach. It is often taught either by Indians that have difficulty connecting to their western audience through their constant use of Sanskrit names and stories that are often pulled out of an Indian contents. And with western teachers the difficulty is often that of too much intellectualising the subject. If it were not for my teacher James Schwartz, I would have maybe never found Advaita.

My wish is to bring the complex teachings of the Upanishads  and the Yoga Sutras to a western audience that is relevant to their lives. Spirituality has to be practical and not only philosophical!

There is a danger of course to oversimply the teaching, but i hope i can avoid this. You don’t need to know Sanskrit, you don’t need to believe in a God , you just have to have an open mind and use your intellect to understand the teachings. I love the logic in Vedanta and I want to bring that across in a non dogmatic fun and engaging way”

The Sacred Location

The Holy Hill of Arunachala, in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu has been a focal point of worship, meditation and retreat for centuries.  The scriptures, sages and saints  tell us that this mysterious Hill is, in fact, the form of Shiva himself.  The great saint Ramana Maharshi was ‘irresistibly’ attracted here after his Awakening, coming to Arunachala in search of his Father and remained here for his life

There are many ashrams, temples and tombs of great saints in the ambit of Arunachala and seekers, practitioners and devotees from many traditions come to partake in the rarefied vibrational atmosphere that is especially tangible at the Samadhi of Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi.  It seems the whole hill emanates a strong sense of deep stillness and Silence that cannot be talked about but experienced.  It has been a perfect place for ardent seekers to come and retreat into deep meditation and contemplation. Many great beings have attained liberation here.

Interesting reading: 

The Ramana Maharshi Ashram
Arunachala
davidgodman.org

A couple of easily accessible books are:

  • ‘Ramana Maharshi and the Path of Self-Knowledge’ by Arthur Osborne
  • ‘Be As You Are: The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi’ by David Godman

Places are limited – click here to secure your reservation now.

Accommodation

Sangam House

This unique home was crafted with love and has a western aesthetic quality with larger rooms, windows and attention to detail in the finishings and overall feel. The architect for Sangam was Suhasini Ayer, from Auroville, where she designed the well known Visitors Center.   What makes this place exceptional is its extraordinary view of Holy Arunachala from the roof and its proximity to the Ramana Maharshi Ashram, which is just a 10 minute walk from the front door.

Sangam Retreat House has a variety of exquisite shared spaces for group gatherings and for places to escape to, to be alone in contemplation and meditation.

Sangam House has an elevator, filtered water in the taps throughout the house, yoga mats, hair dryers, electrical sockets that will accept UK, US and IN plugs (Voltage is 220 and 110 devices cannot be used without a converter) and 2 washing machines that can be used by participants (clothes can to be sent out for ironing at a low cost).

Sangam Retreat House is an alcohol, smoking and drug-free zone.

Rooms

The rooms have been aesthetically finished with comfort and beauty in mind. The hotel boasts luxuriously appointed twin share rooms with en-suite bathrooms.

Places are limited – click here to secure your reservation now.

A Typical Day

07:00    Yoga Class

08:00   Breakfast

09:00    Alternate spiritual talks / meditation session / both by Pujan or John

12:30    Lunch (either on site or out)

14:00    Spend the afternoon exploring the town (supervised or independently) or relaxing by the pool

18:00    Dinner (either on site or out)

19:00    Yoga nidra / meditation / spiritual talk

Places are limited – click here to secure your reservation now.

Frequently Asked Questions

We will be flying on the following flights. It is up to you as to whether you choose to fly with us. Alternatively you can meet us at the airport at 17:00 and we will ride the bus to our accommodation together (approx. 4-5hr drive from airport).

Sydney to Bengaluru
Date October 4 Flight QF67
Depart Sydney 09:05
Arrive Bengaluru (Bangalore) 15:20

Bengaluru to Sydney
Date October 15 Flight QF68
Depart Bengaluru (Bangalore) 17:10
Arrive Sydney 10:05AM (mon)

You’ll need very little money once you’re there – except for shopping and eating out one meal per day.

The Indian rupee is the official currency in the Republic of India.

You are welcome to exchange a small amount of money at the Bengaluru Airport, however you will get a better exchange rate in the town of Tiruvannamalai.

Check with your bank about fees and rates.

Vaccinations as recommended by Travel Doctor:

  • Measles-Mumps-Rubella
  • Tetanus-Diphtheria-Pertussis
  • Polio

The ideal time to visit Arunachal Pradesh is during winter between the months of October and February each year.

The temperature stays pleasant and comfortable (around 15°C) all through the day and slightly cooler at night.

To visit India you will need to apply for a visa.

You can do so via indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html 

Bring very little clothing- the shopping in India is amazing.
Other than that bring your usual toiletries and creature comforts.
Comfortable footwear for walking.
Please dress respectably.

We recommend taking out travel insurance before travelling to India.

There is good healthcare (both western and eastern) in the area if needed.

Internet is easily accessible from the accommodation.

We can also assist if you need to get a local sim card. Otherwise you can make calls via WhatsApp (or similar providers) once connected to the internet.