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Sunset meditation overlooking Ananda Meditation Retreat

“The trivial preoccupations of daily life are not enough for man; wisdom too is a native hunger.”
—  Paramhansa Yogananda

If you’re not satisfied with the “trivial preoccupations” in your daily life, or are hungering for wisdom, a sense of meaning or deeper purpose in life, or just a short break, we invite you to come for a short but relaxing weekend away from the noise and stress of city life.

This 28 hour program, from Saturday morning through Sunday lunch, will include:

  • Relaxation in a serene, beautiful and natural environment.
  • Guided yoga and meditation sessions to help you recharge your mind, body and spirit.
  • A deeply rejuvenating and invigourating walking meditation in the Sahyadri hills.

All mankind has an inner yearning for meaning, fulfillment, and above all happiness, yet many of us are unable to find these qualities in our daily lives. The various scriptures of the world tell us that true and lasting happiness can only be found in the Divine, yet many of us are so busy honouring our commitments that we have no time left to take steps in this direction. And when we finally manage make time to pursue these things, we find that we are not sure how to proceed, or we are not advanced enough to deeply connect with the Divine.

This short weekend is designed to help and guide you in taking these steps, with time for both inward and outward explorations. The inward steps are based on the guidance and techniques of the great Master of Yoga, Paramhansa Yogananda, author of the renowned book Autobiography of a Yogi. These teachings will help you connect to the Divine joy and peace within you. The outward steps will help you to deepen your awareness and enhance your enjoyment of the natural world, all around us.

This weekend will also include a class in how to meditate, to further help you relax and connect with the Divine. Meditation is one of the most natural yet profoundly rewarding of all human activities. Meditation not only reduces stress and improves physical and emotional well-being, it can help you be more focused, productive and calm regardless of outer conditions. Meditation can help you directly experience the divine realities within — the peace, joy and divine love that are your true nature. While its original and highest purpose is to help us awaken our spiritual nature, the benefits to body and mind are well established by medical research.

In this retreat you’ll learn:

  • The true yogic meaning of meditation

  • How to sit comfortably for long and deep meditations

  • Three effective methods for achieving the state of meditation

  • Why, how, when & how long to meditate

This retreat is open and welcoming to all regardless of age, beliefs or religious background.

About the Instructors

Acharya Dharana served in Ananda Palo Alto (USA), Ananda Assisi (Italy) and Ananda India, before becoming the primary Acharya (teacher) at the Ananda Meditation Retreat in 2015. He first began teaching in Italy, where Swami Kriyananda made him a minister. Dharana has been meditating regularly since 1990, and offering classes in meditation since 2000. He’s also been a life-long lover of nature!

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Parizad is a certified and experienced Ananda Yoga and Meditation Teacher. She is a Kriyaban, a long time spiritual seeker and meditator. She specialises in Holistic and Integrative Medicine and acts as a Psychologist, Spiritual Counsellor and Guide to those in need of healing and guidance, based on universal principles. She is also a practising Evolutionary Astrologer which charts the map of every soul’s evolutionary path and life intentions.  She is also a devout nature and animal lover and enjoys hiking and nature photography.

Accommodations & Rates for the weekend

A fully-furnished shared room with all meals included is Rs 2,200/person.

A fully-furnished private room with all meals included is Rs 3,000/person.

For more information on Accommodation and reservations contact:
retreat@anandaindia.org or call 9011069792, or 8007108691

Retreat Weekend Schedule:

Additional things to keep in mind:

  • Our primary goal is to serve everyone who comes for these retreats. Accordingly we may make changes to the above schedule to better serve your needs, requests, or interests.
  • Out of respect for all other retreat participants, we humbly request that you plan on arriving here no later than 9:30 am on Saturday morning (June 22nd) so that we’ll be able to get started with the classes promptly 10 am. As detailed above, the retreat will start with an optional breakfast or tea, followed quickly at 10 am with the first of several classes. The how-to-meditate instructions build on each other, so we’ll make our best efforts to insure that everyone has actually arrived before we begin.
  • We also request that you let us know by Friday evening about your plans for the Saturday morning’s breakfast, so that we’ll be able to insure there’s enough food / tea ready for you!
  • We recommend loose and comfortable clothing for the meditation and yoga sessions.
  • Our retreat centre is in a rural area where power sometimes comes and goes. We’ll do our best to provide a regular supply through our genset, but still we recommend you carry a flashlight to help you get around.
  • We’re now going into monsoon season, so we recommend you bring an umbrella and footwear that at least won’t be damaged by getting wet. You might also want to bring some anti-mosquito lotion, or thick clothing, as the mosquitos are more frequent in this season.
  • If you’d like to join us for the nature walk, we further recommend footwear that will be comfortable for trekking, a rain jacket and perhaps even rain pants if you have them. Note that an excessive level of rainfall at the wrong time could cause the walk in nature to be may be postponed or even cancelled. On the other hand, the rains may allow us to visit one or more of the many beautiful waterfalls nearby!
  • While we hope you’ll want to relax and enjoy your time here, there are occasions when you may need to communicate with your friends or loved ones. Phone & internet services are generally available here through Jio, Vodafone and Idea networks. We also have a Wi-Fi connection available at our reception area, which has been quite reliable for at least getting messages in & out.