Message from Govind Das:Hi Beloved Friends! Thank you for your interest in coming with us to India. I feel so blessed and truly honored to be able to lead this retreat again. This willl be the 16th spiritual retreat to India that I have led and 23th time I have been to india since 1999. For a Bhakti Yogi, India is truly a holy land, a land of the Gods and Goddesses, devotion and dharma. It is the Mother where all of these great yoga practices and wisdom have traditionally been born from. We are spiritually evolving greatly here in the west, and on many levels, we have India to thank. I truly can’t explain how it feels to practice yoga, meditate, and chant in India. Some words that come to mind are authentic and deep… And yes, even many parts of India have been swept away by the western fast paced ways of modern living, yet at its core India is a mystical land. And its timeless spiritual tradition is one of the Self. The Self is represented through the familiar symbols and images of Gods and Goddesses seen everywhere, like Ganesha, Shiva, Durga, Krishna and the all pervading sound of OM.

The importance of retreat is to step outside of our daily routine and responsibilities with the intention of deep rejuvenation, spiritual reconnection and upliftment. When we add in the Bhakti practices, a wholesome vegetarian diet, and the sense of community and friendship, it can be truly a life altering and vibrationally raising experience. This has been my experience in the greatest of ways.

During my numerous trips to india I have visited the great holy lands of Rishikesh, Kainchi Dham and Vrindavan many times. You will see that the accommodations in the pictures and through the links are amazingly comfortable with all of the necessities. Clean and comfortable rooms, water filtration, Restaurant, Ayurvedic Spas, Doctor, etc. are a few of the amenities that are either on premises or very close by. We will follow a schedule each day to harness our energies. The culture of India is absolutely magical! Along with our daily sadhana and practices we will surely plan excursions to visit the local markets and Hindu Temples, and historical spiritual and cultural centers.

India is a far off land. But all I can say is it is well worth the travel! We will do whatever we can to make this excursion as safe and simple for you as possible. The price does NOT include airfare. It does include lodging, food and yoga. As well the price does not include spa treatments, personal excursions, etc. Payments can be made by cash, check, or credit card, Venmo, PayPal or Zelle.

As in any travel there is potential risk. Please be aware of all possible risks by doing as much research as possible. Many people take shots and vaccines before going to a foreign land. If you feel inspired to do this, please trust yourself. We are going to a clean yogic environment, yet is entirely up to you whether it is something that you want to do. Again, do the research! We surely recommend travel insurance that you can purchase from the travel agent that you buy your tickets from.

We will meet at the Dream Inn and Spa in Rishikesh after noon on October 17 to officially begin the retreat. To get to Rishikesh, fly into Dehradun Airport from most Indian International Airports (New Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, and Chennai) and then hire a taxi to retreat center (approximately a 30 minute ride).

The retreat will end after breakfast in Vrindavan on October 29