Bhagavad Gita Retreat

Date
August 15 - 18, 2024

Retreat Highlights

  • A musical evening with chants and songs that focus on the Gita and Krishna
  • Riveting stories from the Mahabharata, the Gita’s parent scripture, that illuminate the Gita’s teachings
  • How-to-live discussions inspired by the Gita
  • Free time to relax and soak up the soothing vibrations of nature at Ananda

About this Retreat

Details of this retreat

Tap into the Universal and Highly Practical Spiritual Teachings of the Bhagavad Gita
Special guest teacher Murali Venkatrao joins foremost teacher Nayaswami Sagar to present this dynamic retreat.
Take your spiritual life into an entirely new dimension as you unlock the secrets of this powerful scripture.

This weekend retreat will take you into the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita in ways that will help you understand them not only intellectually, but intuitively and practically.

Swami Kriyananda, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda and founder of Ananda, has called the Gita “the world’s greatest scripture” — not that it is “better” than other scriptures, but that its teachings are so uniquely direct, accessible, and doable.

You’ll explore how the Gita can help you:

Rise above the law of karma
Overcome obstacles that hold you back, spiritually
Develop valuable personal skills for spiritual growth
Fine-tune your own unique spiritual quest
Deepen your meditation practice — or begin one
Strengthen your relationship with God

You’ll also enjoy:

A musical evening with chants and songs that focus on the Gita and Krishna
Riveting stories from the Mahabharata, the Gita’s parent scripture, that illuminate the Gita’s teachings
How-to-live discussions inspired by the Gita
Free time to relax and soak up the soothing vibrations of nature at Ananda

All of this in the supportive and uplifting retreat environment of Ananda Village: Delicious food, yoga postures, meditation, nature, and joyful people around you.

The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita

This Weekend we will draw from the wisdom and teachings from the timeless book, The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita Explained by Paramhansa Yogananda.

You might like to “warm up” for your retreat by reading the Gita. It’s short, and you can get Swami Kriyananda’s translation from Crystal Clarity (Ananda’s publishing department) at a 30% discount with the code OWABGSLK30 for the ebook or paperback.

 

 

 

Program leaders Murali and Sagar will share with you their special affinity for the Gita. They combine clear, centered energy and insights with a great sense of inspiration and fun. They’ll also illuminate the spiritual wisdom of the Gita by sharing some riveting stories from the Mahabharata, the Gita’s parent scripture.
This is a one-of-a-kind program that you won’t want to miss!
What Participants have said:
I want to share about my first visit to Ananda Village for the Bhagavad Gita retreat held at The Expanding Light. I'd been told how fulfilling this would be for me, but I did not anticipate just how incredibly profound that fulfillment would be. —A.M, PA

The connections I made with all the beautiful souls I met (including mySelf) while there, along with the sacred embodiment of the grounds all factored into my experience. I found Ananda to be a place saturated in Love & Joy and Peace & Harmony that one cannot help but absorb. Consequently, I can now share those qualities more generously with everyone. —A.M, PA

I recommend attending Sunday Service at the Temple of Light to join in the force of this community's dedication to spiritual expansion. It was so very uplifting for me! My gratitude to ALL who helped this experience come to fruition for me. —Annette McLeod, Pittsburgh, PA

This is an excellent course for anyone looking to get off the roller coaster of life's ups and downs. The discussion points were very accessible and equally engaging to those who had read the Bhagavad Gita and to those who had not. Would highly recommend. —K.A., CA

The teachers are exceptionally knowledgeable on the topic. They are also very entertaining. The class flew by too quickly! — Kerstin A., Fullerton, CA

 

Schedule

Morning
6:30 – 8:00 am Community Meditation (Join us for all or part of this silent meditation)
6:30 – 8:15 am Sadhana (spiritual practices) which consists of: Energization Exercises (20 – 25 min), Ananda Yoga Postures * (45 – 50 min), Chanting (5 min), Meditation (15 min – 30 min)
8:15 – 9:00 am Breakfast (in silence Monday-Saturday)
9:00 – 9:30 am Host check-in
10:00 – 11:30 am Scheduled program, class, group activity, or free time
Afternoon
Noon – 12:30 pm Meditation (5 min chanting, 25 min meditation)
12:30 – 1:30 pm Lunch
2:00 – 4:00 pm Scheduled program, class, group activity, or free time
4:45 – 6:30 pm Sadhana (spiritual practices)
Evening
6:30 – 7:30 pm Dinner
7:30 – 9:00 pm Scheduled program, class, group activity, or free time
Note: Schedule is approximate and may change

Getting Here

Location icon Expanding Light Retreat

Directions

https://www.ananda.org/expanding-light/getting-here/

Accommodation

PRIVATE ENSUITE - King

Accommodation
Equally appropriate for a single person or for a couple, a king private room can provide the peace and solitude you crave. This airy room has a king-sized bed with a private, ensuite bathroom. An inviting outdoor space awaits you outside your front door, surrounded by a serene, forest setting.

PRIVATE ENSUITE - Twin

Accommodation
Equally appropriate for a single person or for a couple, an ensuite private room can provide the peace and solitude you crave. These charming rooms have two twin beds with a private, ensuite bathroom. An inviting outdoor space awaits you outside your front door, surrounded by a serene, forest setting.

PRIVATE STANDARD - Queen

Accommodation
Equally appropriate for a single person or for a couple, enjoy your own peaceful room with a queen bed and a shared bathroom down the hall. Your room is simply and tastefully decorated, with windows opening toward the surrounding forest. A bright and airy communal lounge and kitchenette is available 24 hours a day, perfect for relaxing with a book or sharing a cup of tea with friends.

PRIVATE STANDARD - Twin

Accommodation
Equally appropriate for a single person or for a couple, enjoy your own peaceful room with two twin beds and a shared bathroom down the hall. Each room is simply and tastefully decorated, with windows opening toward the surrounding forest. A bright and airy communal lounge and kitchenette is available 24 hours a day, perfect for relaxing with a book or sharing a cup of tea with friends.

PRIVATE CABIN - Twin

Accommodation
Equally appropriate for a single person or for a couple, your private cabin is tucked into a gentle hillside, bright and airy inside, with expansive windows that connect your room to the surrounding forest. Each cabin has two twin beds, with a communal shower house that is centrally located and shared by other cabin guests, campers, and our karma yogis.

SHARED ENSUITE - Twin

Accommodation
Share this charming room with someone else. Each room has two twin beds with a private, ensuite bathroom. An inviting outdoor space awaits you outside your front door, surrounded by a serene, forest setting.

SHARED STANDARD - Twin

Accommodation
Share this charming room with someone else. Each room has two twin beds and a shared bathroom down the hall, and is simply and tastefully decorated, with windows opening toward the surrounding forest. A bright and airy communal lounge and kitchenette is available 24 hours a day, perfect for relaxing with a book or sharing a cup of tea with friends.

SHARED CABIN - Twin

Accommodation
Share this charming cabin with someone else. The cabins are tucked into a gentle hillside, bright and airy inside, with expansive windows that connect your room to the surrounding forest. Each cabin has two twin beds, with a communal shower house that is centrally located and shared by other cabin guests, campers, and our karma yogis.

CAMPING

Accommodation
Fourteen campsites scatter across a gentle, forested hillside, with level areas for pitching your tent. A centrally located shower house is close by, shared by other campers, cabin guests, and our karma yogis. Please bring your own camping gear and towels. We do live amidst bears and other wildlife, so avoid storing any food or scented toiletries in your tent.

RV

Venue & Amenities

Venue & Amenities
A/C in Rooms icon A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi icon Free Wifi
Spa icon Spa
Sauna icon Sauna
Pool icon Pool
Towels icon Towels
Free Parking icon Free Parking
Kitchen icon Kitchen
Tour Assistance icon Tour Assistance
Hot Tub icon Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea icon Coffee/Tea
Cafe icon Cafe
Restaurant icon Restaurant
Fitness Center icon Fitness Center
Yoga Studio icon Yoga Studio
Housekeeping icon Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent icon Bicycles For Rent

Meals

Menu Types

What's Included

  • 3 Organic Vegetarian Meals per day
  • 2 Yoga and Meditation sessions per day

Customer Reviews

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