Author: Sadhana Yoga

India Yoga Immersion – 2024

Short review:

Thankyou Ali and Milan for organising this trip of a lifetime. It is something that I have only dreamed of doing for many years.

A small group of 9 people shared an incredible adventure together over 2 weeks. 

It was not all easy. Some things were confronting such as the pollution, the dirt, the poverty and the constant noise. At the same time it was also beautiful and colourful and set in majestic scenery in the Himalayas and by the Ganges river.

We experienced an immersion into an ancient culture and religion. We visited temples and learnt about Darsan which is a fundamental element of Hinduism.

We enjoyed yoga sessions on the roof tops with the rising sun or rising moon or on the ghats by the Ganges. We shared delicious family style meals. We experienced overnight train rides and explored local Bazaars. We drank delicious Lassi and bathed in the Ganges.

A lifetime experience. Thank you so much. Sharon 

Yoga Immersion 2024

This experience BLEW my mind and expanded me beyond my expectations!

I expected this to be a special trip – and it was! The structure of the itinerary was fabulous, the way it intentionally weaved you through Northern India was considered and perfect!

The preparation and connection built in the pre-meetings was wonderful, the group chats with links to further information were really useful. The team cohesion which was strong from the get go I attribute to Ali and her considered planning.

I really appreciated Ali’s vast knowledge of India and its culture, it made connecting in and getting into India much more effortless than I expected.

Within hours of returning to NZ, I was dreaming of my next visit – a place filled with so so much that one pilgrimage simply just started an itch that may never be fully relieved!

I HIGHLY recommend travelling with Ali on this trip – and absolutely would pay my deposit today for the next one!

I echo Martin Luther King, Jr.’s words “To other countries, I may go as a tourist, but to India, I come as a pilgrim”

Thank you Ali and Milan for all you gave me, I just appreciate you both so so much!!

India Yoga Immersion 2024

Review

Sadhana Yoga’s yoga adventure is very much an adventure! The experience really pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me to learn more about myself and my capacity to be resilient. Ali’s knowledge about India and incredible planning skills made this trip something you can never experience as a regular tourist. And on top of all the wonder and grittiness of India, you get to do yoga and meditation with a master. It’s not a journey for the lighthearted. Take on this experience and be ready to do the inner work and exponentially grow! I am forever grateful to Ali and Milan for the life-changing opportunity

Barsana is the rural homeland of the Goddess Radha. The greeting Radhe! Radhe! is commonplace. Radha’s birthplace is brimming with temples, pilgrims and amazing wildlife. Migratory birds flock here from northern altitudes. This is also where Guruji’s final resting place is.

Sitting at Gurujis ashram and spending time with my friends in the village is always a privilege. The group took a barefoot walk around the local forest and got to relax with the locals

Barsana is off the beaten track and it provides a great contrast to the rest of the trip. Here we got to enjoy the simple life and relax with people who were happy to see us again after 5 years away.

Wow! Firstly our overnight train was delayed for four hours, which meant we had to sleep on the train platform for four hours. Two of our male yogis kept guard as we slept, some of us surprisingly comfortably. We arrived in Varanasi in the evening and the next day we spent time exploring this ancient city of many contrasts.

The 3500 year fire rituals of the burning ghats sat in sharp contrast to the new Modi-inspired mega mall of the Kashi Vishwanath Mandir. This is a place we’re people wear VCRs to see the temple, where high tech CCTV and police are everywhere, and ATMs and cashless QR codes are the norm. India has largely embraced this high tech leap but some things remain tgr same. Watch our NZ! The new world order is already here in India!

Rishikesh possesses unparalleled beauty. Milan organised the group to do partner yoga on a private beach. After yoga on the roof the second night, the super moon rose up out of the mountains providing the focus of our breathtaking meditation. We ate at delicious food at lovely Western style restaurants. Bathed in the Ganga for full moon blessings and went up to a powerful shakti peeth high up in the mountains. We also meditated at the powerful Makar Vahini Ganga Ji Temple. Big program, non stop but an wonderful 3 day visit!

Haridwar delivered an amazing jam packed programme. We had many Maya Devi darshans, bathed in the river, hung out with the sadhus, visited Mansa Devi, explored the markets, and did yoga on the roof! Rekindled old connections and made some new connections. A very transcendent surreal visit

Yoga Immersion in India 2024

Gritty, chaotic and endlessly vibrant, Delhi delivered lots of fun and adventure for each member of our group. We drank morning chai on Arakashan Road, explored the night market at the main bazaar, and held our team building session – a Circle of Trust – exploring our goals and fear for our forthcoming trip.

This is turning out to be a great trip

Spring brings our garden to life and fills the corner of High Street and Stewart Street in Marton with colour and birdsong.

Thanks to our garden guardians Leighann, Anna and Julie for looking after the garden and fish while I’m in India with my yoga group for November. You are wonderful yogis!

I’ll be back teaching Monday 2 December at 9.30am