New Year's India Yoga + Yantra Retreat
*9 Planet Temple Tour*
Jan 19-Feb 2, 2009

with Sarah Tomlinson

Seema Johari and Lesley Desaulniers

Two Weeks of Y o g a, Pilgrimage to the Nine Planetary Temples, Y a n t r a s, Mantras and Personal Transformation

The Nine Planetary Temples are located in the area around Karaikal, close to Madras in South India.

Daily Yoga Classes from 7am-8:30 are a great way to start the day.

 

Sarah and Lesley's expert guidance will give you access to the wonders of enjoying your body, experiencing vitality and letting go of stress and tensions that might be stored there. Each day you will focus on the postures related to the planetary influence of the day.

The healing aspect of yoga will be emphasized and a personal yoga regime that works for you - one you can easily remember and continue when you return home will be given to you.

 

"Thanks for getting me into an asana routine that I have for so long knew I needed to get into but was too lazy and unmotivated to stay with. I've practiced my asanas both mornings I've been home and I feel good!"

Brunch 9:00am-10:00am

(pictured - Seema our host buying oranges)

 

Each Day You Will Visit One Of The Planetary Temples...Monday the MOON TEMPLE,
Tuesday the MARS TEMPLE etc...bringing balance to your life as you explore all NINE.
This is a LIFE-CHANGING empowering experience. (I haven't been the same since..!)
Here you receive direct transmission of the power of the Planet. Here the Planet is seen as a deity blessing and influencing your life.
Time will be given for personal meditation, journaling and exploration in each sacred site.

small shrine within one of the temples
South Indian Lunch  

4:00pm-7:00pm
Yantra Painting Classes

The late afternoons you are invited to create the Planetary Yantra to put the day's experience into a tangible form. Outlines of the Yantras will be available to color (bring coloring pencils and/or paints) or you may create the Yantras from scratch each day. These creative sessions spark immense personal creativity while quieting the mind and focusing on the beautiful project at hand.

See Sarah's new book "NINE DESIGNS FOR INNER PEACE" for more on the Planetary Yantras.

 


"The food was so healing for me, I have lost almost 10 lbs during this trip!"
4:00pm-7:00pm - Optional Yoga and Meditation Offerings in the afternoon.

Much time will be given for personal reflection through the power of self-awareness as you go through the pilgrimage. Each temple is dedicated to one of the nine planets representing a unique aspect of your personality. The NINE temples teach you about yourself, empowering you to strengthen all aspects of your nature. By spending time at the temple, absorbing yourself in the stories of the deities, the yoga postures that correlate with the planet, reciting the planetary mantra and creating the planetary yantra your experience of the planets within you will be brought to life. When possible we will visit the actual temple that relates to the day: Sun temple on a Sunday etc. Areas of your life that appear unfulfilling now, will be brought to the surface for you to ignite with passion and awareness.
What a great way to begin 2009!!!!

 


The last few days of the retreat will be spent at Arunachala, the sacred mountain where Sri Ramana Maharshi lived. Walking around mountain is a ritual we are including in this program as a special EXTRA! For more info on Ramana and Arunachala click on the image below.



7:30-10:00pm Light Dinner+activites.


Lesley and Shiva
Visiting Temples

Photo:Gaston Olsen
Photo:Gaston Olsen

Photo:Gaston Olsen

Photo:Gaston Olsen

Photo:Lori Berkowitz
"Thank-you for opening the way for me to experience the culture and spirituality of India!"
 
 

Sarah Tomlinson and Seema Johari are your guides for this experience. Sarah has been studying, practicing and teaching Yoga and Yantra Painting for many years, enriching her experience of these sciences through time in India with Seema traveling to sacred sites. Sarah met Seema through her father, the late, great Harish Johari who was Sarah's teacher. They regularly run retreats at the Johari family home and once in a while...venture to the South of India to propitiate the planets! Seema lives in Haridwar, and spends her time maintaining the beautiful Johari household while also leading retreats for students from Europe and the US to the Kumbe Mela (Indian festival), and other sacred pilgrimage sites. Her knowledge of the sacred traditions and gift for organizing tours and retreats makes each day a delight. Lesley Desaulniers is joining us, offering yoga classes to assist the yoga and mantra experience. Lesley has been studying yoga and meditation since 1996, taking her practice to New York, Russia and India, and back. In 2001, Lesley moved to Ananda Ashram where she intensely studied Sanskrit, yoga philosophy, asana and meditation. She was hired to teach at the Jivamukti Yoga Center in downtown Manhattan in 2003 and continues to study, practice and teach daily. Her classes and workshops are imbued with a rare blend of scholarly study, spiritual awareness and good humor.

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PLEASE NOTE: Prices are exlusive of airfare to Madras.
More information on arrival and departure times and dates coming soon. To arrive in Madras on the 19th - (or very early on the 20th) flights will leave the US on Sunday 18th. Return flights leave Feb 2nd (or early Feb 3rd) and arrive back in the US - later on Feb 3.
Email Sarah for flight options. sarahtomlinson3@gmail.com
Full itinerary and list of 'what to bring/expect' are given upon receipt of deposit.

Payment

Cost of retreat excluding airfare -
includes
all accommodation/food/yoga/yantra/pilgrimage/travel during the retreat...and more!
single occupancy $2,500
double occupancy $2,200

To pay in full for Your India Retreat SINGLE OCCUPANCY $2,500 Click Here
To pay in full for Your India Retreat DOUBLE OCCUPANCY $2,200 Click Here

You can also pay your deposit now and pay in full by November 30, 2008. Deposit and/or full payment are non-refundable after November 30, 2008.

Deposit India $500
Remaining Balance Due by November 17, 2008 India SINGLE OCCUPANCY $2,000
Remaining Balance Due by November 17, 2008 India DOUBLE OCCUPANCY $1,700

For other forms of payment (cash/check/money order) email sarahtomlinson3@gmail.com


Please contact Sarah directly if you are interested in the 9TOUR. sarahtomlinson3@gmail.com

Please note : This is a sacred pilgrimage!
All attendees are requested to come to the yoga classes AND the pilgrimage sites to benefit from this auspicious offering.

Quotes from Retreatants April 2007/8. Pictures unless otherwise noted are by Staci MacKenzie. Thank-you!