TEACHER TRAINGING
PELGRIMS RETREAT
North India 23 November - 5 december 2026
small group . guided practice . cave and temple visits . comfortable rooms
Blossoming in Being
A transformative retreat-like pilgrimage in North India
23 November till 5 December 2026.
The embrace of mother India.
She caresses and pinches, comforts and surprises you.
She is beyond all imagination yet somehow she feel so familiar.
Her dust a reminder of impermanence, her holy river speaks of the miraculous unfolding of each moment.
You are welcome to join me on this unique and unforgettable journey in the company of a small group of like minded people.
This is for you if you love traveling slow and easy, with presence ánd in comfort, in stillness and in laughter.
This pilgrimage offers daily guided non-dual and devotional practices and visits to sacred sites.
Traveling with maximum four others creates the possibility to really connect intimately with local community and blend into India's culture. It allows for a more spontaneous flow, the magic of being at the right time at the right place.
Just imagine a tiny little Krishna temple at the banks of the Ganga.
Ceilings covered with ancient sparkling mosaic and stone carvings.
A dozen of village women sit on colourful carpets on the ground, chanting together as the sun sets over the holy river. The 4 of us arrive just in time, with a smile we are invited to join in chant and celebration.
A tambourine is given to you to join in the rhythm of the devotional songs that enter your heart.
It is the many moments like this that makes it worth the little extra investment of traveling with a small group and be guided by someone who feels at home in this land and deeply loves the people living here.
Below you will read about our itinerary and see photo's I took during previous pilgrimages.
The pilgrims retreat with Ganga was pure magic.
She guided us in a very soft, gentle and present way.
With her beautiful voice and deep teachings, she creates sacred spaces in sacred places.
Her deep knowledge of India culture and of ancient traditions made me feel sage and blessed.
There were also enough silent and free moments to integrate, which is important to me.
All the time I felt to be at the right place at the right time.
Thank you for this generous and beautiful introduction to spiritual India.
~ Carla Borges, an ayurvedic practitioner from Luxembourg, pilgrims retreat in February 2026:
Would you like to join us?
I have reserved rooms for us in three of my favourite places to stay. They are welcoming, well organized and most importantly, just a few steps away from holy sites ánd on the banks of the Ganga.
We will meet daily for sessions of guided silent meditation, mantra chanting or non-dual yoga.
In an atmosphere of peace, celebration, stillness, wonder, friendship and joy we will explore this holy land together.
Our meals will start with a mantra and we will enjoy most of them in silence.
November nights can be pleasantly cool, and you will feel so comfortable under thick warm blankets, listening to the birds welcoming the first sun rays with their mesmerising songs.
During the daytime the temperature rises quickly, it is the perfect time of the year to explore this part of India.
(In this photo I am sitting in my favourite cave, I will take you there)
The heart opening fragrance of a rose mala
the smoke of a holy fire burning in your eyes
Itinerary:
3 nights in Tapovan, Rishikesh
This part of Rishikesh is a perfect place to land and rest after your journey, just a 40 minutes drive from Dehradun airport.
Tapovan literally means forest of intense practice.
Once it was home to yogini's and yogi's who came here for sadhana and sharing wisdom at the banks of the Ganges.
The forest slowly made way for visitors drawn by its special energy and Tapovan became a bustling hub attracting many yoga lovers from all over India and the rest of the world.
The presence of the ones steeped in practice can still be felt here, if you know where to go.
East and west come together in Tapovan: paneer and pizza, chai and smoothy, saints and sinners, and this makes it a great and interesting place to softly acclimatise. We will stay in a very cosy hotel with a nice restaurant, run by a lovely family.
For 5 years I have lived in Tapovan and it is a joy to introduce you to my favourite people and places and I hope we can even attend a satsang in the ashram of my teacher (depending on his schedule). The evening Aarti (fire offering with prayers) in Rishikesh town will be one of the highlights of our stay before we continue our pilgrimage to Kankhal.
5 nights in Kankhal
Our second guesthouse is situated just a few steps from the holy river Ganga in one of India’s oldest pilgrim town Kankhal (Haridwar).
You will immediately feel at home in the beautiful clean and comfortable rooms.
There will be one moment of practice together every day.
It can be silent meditation in the ashram or by the river side or singing in the wonderful acoustics of our guesthouse.
We will be served delicious home cooked sattvic food and we will have meals at my favourite restaurants in Haridwar.
I chose this place because it is connected to Anandamayi Ma, the female saint who during her lifetime and till today inspires many around the world. The Anandamayi Ma ashram, her last resting place, is within walking distance.
This is a very special place that carries the most loving energy and it is very conducive for meditation and reflection.
There is a private ghat (steps to the water for offering) where we can sit peacefully for meditation.
Local people and visitors love to share about their childhood years spent in the company of Anandamayi Ma, a unique opportunity!
I will take you to small, beautifully decorated old temples in the neighbourhood and the very impressive tantric Kali Temple. We will visit the bustling pilgrims bazaar of Haridwar and have a wildlife tour in the national park that houses many birds, deers, and we even saw some elephant poop.
I will introduce you to an excellent Vedic astrologer, if he is in town.
Often we leave Kankhal with mixed feelings, we don't want to go ánd the time in nature that comes next is something we look forward to as well.
(Below you see photo's of Kankhal)
4 nights in a nature retreat
We will drive 2 hours along the Ganga in a very comfortable taxi, to reach a retreat center surrounded by forested hills and farm land.
The majestic river Ganga will flow right beneath us.
Every day we will make use of the bright yoga hall with great acoustics and forest views.
It is the perfect place for our daily non-dual yoga sessions, including chanting and meditation.
In the mornings we will go to the river to chant the Gayatri Mantra at sun rise.
My favourite cave to is just a short walk away, and this is also a wonderful spot to take a dip in the Ganga.
In this retreat center the cooks prepare delicious sattvic buffets for us, using organic vegetables from the garden.
Rooms are nicely decorated with block print linens and situated in gardens filled with flowers.
During our time here I will be available for private non-dual coaching sessions on request.
The venue also offers different kinds of ayurvedic massages and treatments, as well as a village walk through the hills.
Our time together will come to a close on the last day after breakfast.
Some participants may choose to stay here a little longer, travel 40 minutes downstream to Rishikesh to spend some more time there, or go back to Delhi to catch a flight home or travel to other places.
Together with a local travel agency I will help organise your transportation to your next destination
(Below your see photo's of where we will be staying)
Exchange:
The exchange consists of two parts: the first part is the fee for the retreat pilgrimage itself:
the organising work, the group practices, taxi's, my care and guidance.
The second part consists of the costs of rooms and meals.
For the first part the exchange is 2285 euro
Early bird price till July 15th: : 2200 euro
This includes:
Online group introductory meeting in the first week of November
Support in practical preparation of your travels and time in India
Special Spotify playlist to get in the mood
Pickup in comfortable taxi from Dehradun Airport in the afternoon of 23 November
Welcome to India surprise package
Audio meditation and yoga nidra
Opening ceremony
Daily guided non-dual meditation, chanting or meditative non-dual yoga practice
Daily guidance to my favourite (hidden) sacred places, caves and local inspiring people
Learning about Indian culture
Transportation to sacred sites and tempels in rickshaw or taxi
Wildlife National Park tour
Drawing your own yantra during these 13 days
Benefitting from your guides years of experience living and practicing in this part of India
Closing ceremony
Support in organising your onward journey on December 5th.
Some things are not included:
Travel from your home to Dehradun
Tourist Visa
Travel insurance (mandatory)
Vedic astrology reading, massages etc.
Travel from our last accommodation to your next destination
Rooms and meals (to be paid separately directly to our hosts, see below)
Indication of costs of stay and main meals at the venues (depending on exchange rates) :
Single room 755 euro
Double room 580 euro per person
(For organisational reasons each participant will pay for their own room and meals)
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Your registration is complete after a non-refundable deposit of 1200 euro
The remaining amount is be payed 6 weeks before departure.
There will be a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5 participants.
With a minimum of 3 participants I am happy to offer one discounted place for people with a small budget due to chronic illness etc.
We have met so many kind people during our pilgrimage, they were all so generous with their time and presence.
We visited unique places that you would not find as a regular tourist, like the tantric Kali temple. I felt such a loving energy in our place in Khankal and in the ashram of Anandamayi Ma. It was very inspiring to get to know about her remarkable life.
The energy in the group was very good, there was room for stillness and connection. Ganga's warm and inspiring guidance made me feel welcome and seen. She has a lot of knowledge about the culture and spiritual practice.
(Karin's experience of the pilgrimage in February 2026)
Registration:
Please send me a message via the contact form to register or if you would like to receive more information.
Before final registration I would love to connect with you and find out if this pilgrims retreat is what you long for. I am happy to tell you all about it during a 30 minute zoom meeting.
Are these dates not right for you, or would you like a custom private pilgrimage in India?
I am happy to create a tailored journey for you, just send me a message.
I will also travel to South India in December and Januari (Tiruvanamalai in Tamil Nadu) and it is also possible to organise a private retreat there.
In case of an unlikely emergency situation on my side, I will make sure one of my experienced colleagues will take my place and guide you with the same love, skills and enthusiasm as I do.
I am looking forward to exploring and practicing with you!
