Itinerary, Details & Rates
Next Retreat will coincide with Chaitra (Spring) Navaratri. April 5-19, 2016.
Unless you are already in India, I will meet with you in Delhi on April 5. We will spend the night and get a quick rest before departing via airplane the next morning for Varanasi. There we will take a light day and night on the 6th and the following day/night to settle in. Our sadhana and vrat will begin on the 8th, the first day of Spring Navaratri.
Our lodging will be a modest and comfortable hotel or guest house right near Manikarnika Ghat. Sorry, there are no 5 star hotels here in the old part of Kashi and you won't really be spending any time in your room, except to rest up after the long night of sadhana in the Cremation Grounds. Each room will of course be clean, have its own bath, hot and cold water and be WIFI enabled. I will encourage you to keep the internet usage to the minimum necessary.
During this "settling in" period, we will prepare ourselves in all ways. We will visit the marketplace and pick up some sacred puja items, some rudraksha and malas if desired, and even some proper clothes, if necessary. Like countless Mahatmas before us, we will purify ourselves in the embrace our MAA Ganga via a purifying snan at a special location. After this purification, we will then seek out to procure the traditional Ashirvad Blessings of Dandapati Ganesh, Kaal Bhairav, Vishalakshi Manikarnika Devi MAA and Kashi Vishvanath & Annapurna Devi MAA, at Their respective temples, enjoying the rare chance to perform personal puja at each and get our malas/personal items Blessed and Shaktified. Normally Kashi Vishvanath temple is not open to foreigners, but we have special connections and have enjoyed Darshan there twice. Lastly, we will touch the footprints of Vishnu and Dattatreya and invoke Their Ashirvad Blessings.
Unless you are already in India, I will meet with you in Delhi on April 5. We will spend the night and get a quick rest before departing via airplane the next morning for Varanasi. There we will take a light day and night on the 6th and the following day/night to settle in. Our sadhana and vrat will begin on the 8th, the first day of Spring Navaratri.
Our lodging will be a modest and comfortable hotel or guest house right near Manikarnika Ghat. Sorry, there are no 5 star hotels here in the old part of Kashi and you won't really be spending any time in your room, except to rest up after the long night of sadhana in the Cremation Grounds. Each room will of course be clean, have its own bath, hot and cold water and be WIFI enabled. I will encourage you to keep the internet usage to the minimum necessary.
During this "settling in" period, we will prepare ourselves in all ways. We will visit the marketplace and pick up some sacred puja items, some rudraksha and malas if desired, and even some proper clothes, if necessary. Like countless Mahatmas before us, we will purify ourselves in the embrace our MAA Ganga via a purifying snan at a special location. After this purification, we will then seek out to procure the traditional Ashirvad Blessings of Dandapati Ganesh, Kaal Bhairav, Vishalakshi Manikarnika Devi MAA and Kashi Vishvanath & Annapurna Devi MAA, at Their respective temples, enjoying the rare chance to perform personal puja at each and get our malas/personal items Blessed and Shaktified. Normally Kashi Vishvanath temple is not open to foreigners, but we have special connections and have enjoyed Darshan there twice. Lastly, we will touch the footprints of Vishnu and Dattatreya and invoke Their Ashirvad Blessings.
Traveling as minimally as possible in India, will allow us to spend our time diving deep in one place with one purpose. We are focusing on waking up by sitting in the Maha Shmashan—all night, each night, merging deeply with our Divine Mother and Father, covered in the Sacred Shmashan Vibhuti, sitting very close performing Jnana, Bhakti, Dhyana, Raja, Hatha, Laya & Kriya Yogas, Pujas, Homa & True Tantra.
We will have some down time during the day of course...
Each day, we will discuss our experiences together.
There will be time for private discussion with me as well, if needed.
Each day, we will discuss our experiences together.
There will be time for private discussion with me as well, if needed.
You could spend years exploring all the different holy places, ashrams, temples, etc within Varanasi.
I will lead you to a few very special ones that will serve to enhance our Yatra. A few are pictured below.
I will lead you to a few very special ones that will serve to enhance our Yatra. A few are pictured below.
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Chai and Satsanga
with different types of sadhus is always likely. 
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Lal Baba potrait by Joey L
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Boat rides on the Ganga at sunrise and sunset, the famous Ganga Aratis,
watching the performance of the almost 500 year tradition of रामलीला Ramlila
and wandering exploration down the winding alleys are all musts to be experienced and enjoyed.
Simple, clean "fasting food" vegetarian meals will keep us healthy and clear for our purpose.
The fasting foods we will start on the 8th, the first day of Navratri, as is traditional.
Before and after we'll experience some other wonderful Indian veggie cuisine.
watching the performance of the almost 500 year tradition of रामलीला Ramlila
and wandering exploration down the winding alleys are all musts to be experienced and enjoyed.
Simple, clean "fasting food" vegetarian meals will keep us healthy and clear for our purpose.
The fasting foods we will start on the 8th, the first day of Navratri, as is traditional.
Before and after we'll experience some other wonderful Indian veggie cuisine.
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All this will open us
making us fully ready for our Journey Within, to experience and behold the Darshan of Satya, from which we will not return the same. 
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This is India, so naturally everything will not be planned, it would be foolish to even try.
Flowing where MAA leads us, we will stay open to spontaneous Jewels of Opportunity
and the Blessings that always rain down upon pilgrims on their Yatras.
Flowing where MAA leads us, we will stay open to spontaneous Jewels of Opportunity
and the Blessings that always rain down upon pilgrims on their Yatras.
This experience with me is NOT open to everyone. It is simply to intense for many. It also requires a certain amount of maturity and readiness. If you have read all this, have interest and feel you are ready, you are welcome to email me at [email protected] and request an application.
RATES:
There is no "price" for this. I am not selling this like some trinket in the market. There is a donation exchange for my time and energy for this retreat that will be $3333, payable via check, money order or PayPal "Personal Payment". There is an early bird discount of $333 if paid in full by Jan 1. This fee covers airfare within India (Delhi-Varanasi-Delhi), transfers from airport to hotel and back to airport, our chosen hotel accommodations in Delhi and Varanasi on a twin share basis (inquire if you desire a single room), boat rides on Ganga, , two meals a day, all the chai you need at night in the Shmashanand some other goodies. Hotel room upgrades are possible as well. I will add more details to this shortly.
This does not cover airfare to India, laundry, extra food and other incidentals.
I require 5 registrants to make the trip. The most people I will accept for this retreat is twenty. There is a $1111 deposit required with your submitted application, which will be refunded in full if you are denied. If accepted, this deposit is non-refundable.
Being Navaratri, it is a busy time in Varanasi and we need to book the hotels as soon as possible.
I am here to support you completely, to lead you and assist you in worship, to share some techniques, bring you water and chai to help you stay alert and focused, and make sure as much as possible to prevent the curious onlookers from distracting you. I will care for you in every way I can, so you can simply focus on diving deep in the same way I did—which I know will bring about the same result for you that I experienced. But I don't want one or a few who can't handle this to become a distraction in any way for the others. No drama in and around the Shmashan! HAHAHA! The questions and subsequent interview I have designed should give me a good idea where your mind is at and if you are ready for this and can handle the intensely transforming Shakti.
RATES:
There is no "price" for this. I am not selling this like some trinket in the market. There is a donation exchange for my time and energy for this retreat that will be $3333, payable via check, money order or PayPal "Personal Payment". There is an early bird discount of $333 if paid in full by Jan 1. This fee covers airfare within India (Delhi-Varanasi-Delhi), transfers from airport to hotel and back to airport, our chosen hotel accommodations in Delhi and Varanasi on a twin share basis (inquire if you desire a single room), boat rides on Ganga, , two meals a day, all the chai you need at night in the Shmashanand some other goodies. Hotel room upgrades are possible as well. I will add more details to this shortly.
This does not cover airfare to India, laundry, extra food and other incidentals.
I require 5 registrants to make the trip. The most people I will accept for this retreat is twenty. There is a $1111 deposit required with your submitted application, which will be refunded in full if you are denied. If accepted, this deposit is non-refundable.
Being Navaratri, it is a busy time in Varanasi and we need to book the hotels as soon as possible.
I am here to support you completely, to lead you and assist you in worship, to share some techniques, bring you water and chai to help you stay alert and focused, and make sure as much as possible to prevent the curious onlookers from distracting you. I will care for you in every way I can, so you can simply focus on diving deep in the same way I did—which I know will bring about the same result for you that I experienced. But I don't want one or a few who can't handle this to become a distraction in any way for the others. No drama in and around the Shmashan! HAHAHA! The questions and subsequent interview I have designed should give me a good idea where your mind is at and if you are ready for this and can handle the intensely transforming Shakti.
