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Retreats and Tours Developed by the American Institute of Vedic Studies Experience the mystical Shakti of the ancient Himalayan Yoga along with its great powers of rejuvenation and transformation through mantra, pranayama, devotion and meditation in a beautiful secluded setting on the banks of Ma Ganga. Learn important keys to Raja Yoga, Ayurvedic medicine, Hindu Tantra and Vedic astrology with special sadhanas, rituals, fire ceremonies, Yogini Bhava chants, Ganga Snana and sacred dance forms. Learn to connect with the Devi and with the presence of Shiva throughout all aspects of your life and being, with an experience to take with you for a life time. Spend six days deepening your Yoga Shakti guided through sacred practices designed to awaken the higher Self and empower the flow of divine grace within. The Fourth Ma Ganga Shakti Retreat is a special yearly event hosted by the American Institute of Vedic Studies for sadhaks, seekers, Yoga, Ayurveda and Jyotish students worldwide. It is located at a beautiful retreat center on the Ganga River twenty five kilometers above the holy city of Rishikesh, India, in a serene location surrounded by the Himalayan foothills in a private narrow valley. It occurs in the beautiful month of March when the region is in its spring bloom of warm days and pleasant nights. Pt. Vamadeva Shastri (Dr. David Frawley) and Yogini Shambhavi guide the participants in a yogic celebration of Shiva and Shakti as living realities woven into the entire fabric of life, offering daily classes, workshops, satsangs and discussions. The teachings are rendered in the traditional gurukul manner, outdoors sitting under Lychee trees laden with flowers with the roaring Ganga as background music. The theme of this year's retreat will be Soma, Rejuvenation and Immortality, exploring physical revitalization, psychological transformation in order to connect with our eternal essence beyond all death and sorrow. We will examine how to work with the various Somas of body, senses, prana, mind and consciousness through the five koshas and five elements. There will be special daily themes devoted to Tantra, Shiva, Shakti, Ayurveda, Vedic astrology and Vedanta. Venue The program is located at the famous Neemrana resort above Rishikesh, which inspires one with its pristine settings of orchards and gardens by the River Ganga where individual cottages give privacy and gourmet vegetarian meals are a delight, set outside on the verandah. We rent out the entire facility, so there are no outside disturbances. The resort is close by the famous Vasishta Guha (meditation cave) that we will also visit one of the days, and is part of an old royal property frequented by Anandamayi Ma and many other great gurus and yogis over the past century. You will come into contact with a broad range of spiritual aspirants from North and South America, Europe and India, and every walk of life who will gather together to share their experiences and come into contact with the great Yoga Shakti of the Himalayas. Nearby Rishikesh offers a variety of ashrams and their various programs, notably the International Yoga Festival at Paramarth Niketan in Rishikesh (March 1-7), where both Vamadeva and Shambhavi will be speaking. This important conference occurs the week before the retreat and features Yoga teachers from all over the world. Swami Dayananda, Swami Veda Bharati, and Swami Ramdev also have ashrams in the area that feature important teachings and programs as do many great gurus and teachers in this, the spiritual homeland of Yoga. For more information note our full flier and registration form. New Yogini Yatra***** The retreat will be followed by our second Yogini Yatra from March 16-24, 2011 featuring special tours and classes at important temples in Ranikhet, Dunagiri, Jageshwar and Mahavatar Babaji's cave. Registration for the Yatra is limited to thirty people, so please make sure to sign up early. We will mainly stay at the Windsor Lodge in Ranikhet and tour from there. The 2010 Yogini Yatra met with such a good response that people requested another for 2011. The yatra can be added to the Ma Ganga Retreat for those who want to spend more time in India with Vamadeva and Shambhavi. Note also information on 2010 Yogni Yatra below. The Yatra features a smaller group and greater interaction with the teachers, as well as more private practices. It takes students to places and temples in the Himalayas where westerners seldom go. It will mainly be in the 6000 - 9000 feet high region of the Himalayan foothills, where March brings the wildflowers, particularly the blooming red Rhodendron trees. Our third annual Inner Tantric Yoga Experience: Ma Ganga Retreat, March 9-14, 2010 was a great success with more than fifty participants, including a large group from Brazil.
The 2010 Ma Ganga retreat was followed by a ten day Yogini Yatra tour to Himalayan Shakti temples, March 14-25, which had over thirty partipants. The tour focused on important Devi and Shiva temples in the Kumaon region above Almora, in the Ranikhet, Binsar, Jageshwar and Dunageri areas, including several days at the famous Binsar Nature Preserve at 7000 feet in forests of red flowering Himalayan rhodendron trees. The tour included special rituals and meditation at various temples with Vamadeva and Shambhavi, as well as sight seeing and exploring the beauty of the Himalayas, with breathtaking views of Nanda Devi, Trishul and other high Himalayan summits. Participants will be taken to special sacred sites that westerners seldom visit. The tour will coincide with the spring Navaratri or nine nights of worshipping the Goddess, which is celebrated with great color and festivity in the Himalayas. It ends with Ram Navami or the birthday of Lord Rama. Please email us if you wish to join our retreat email list or have any questions: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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Yogini Yatra Himalayan Tour, March 14-25, 2010