Calling Your Pilgrim Heart to Awaken …

Dear Pilgrims and yogins – fellow travellers on the sacred journey of life. You are invited to to join our Mahā Shivarātri pilgrimage to give thanks to the sacred river Narmada in the heart of India. This is not a yoga holiday, but a pilgrimage, or yatra. These ten days are a sacred and holy commitment to journey together with awareness towards the portal of the most powerful new moon of the year. We invite you to listen to the call of your pilgrim heart, to dream into this journey, and if it calls to you, to step out with us, and travel to India on a journey of reconnections and thanks-giving. 

Our ten-night pilgrimage… takes place at the sacred time of Maha Shivātri, the great night of Shiva’s wedding to Parvati. Our pilgrimage brings us to the banks of the river Narmada, to offer worship, thanks and gladness into the holy waters as we prepare over nine nights for the ritual of Shivaratri, a time of purification, thanks-giving and re-dedication to the path of our spiritual practice: “You take away the weight of poison in this age of Kali; and you are the foremost among all tirthas (places of pilgrimage)” (Narmada Ashtakam, Adi Shankaracharya)

Mahā Shivarātri journey…

The days of our pilgrimage are spent cleansing and healing, to inspire creativity and community dreaming as we prepare for the ceremony of Maha -Shivarātri.  The afternoons are spent dreaming in the liminal restful space of Yoga Nidra.  We invite you to take a mythical, mystical Mahā Shivarātri journey to the sacred River Narmada, in Maheshwar.   The Narmada, meaning “Giver of pleasure” or “Giver of Hope”, is bequeathed by Shiva to be forever eternal and pure, created by the sweat of his tapas, to purify the Devas during their war with the demons. The sage Markandeya explains to Yudhishthira in the Narmada Purana how he had seen Narmada survive various kalpas” creations. One name of Narmada is ‘immortal’: Na-mruta tena Narmada). 

Daily rituals to reconnect…

Every day will begin and end with the glorious sunrises and sunsets by the River Narmada. During these times together as pilgrims we have opportunities to embody the ancient Vedic rites and animistic rituals which deliver us back to the call of Great Nature in her magnificent splendour. As pilgrims we shall worship the rising and setting sun and perform water and fire rituals. There will also be times when we commune with the earth in yoga nidrā, sing mantras and dance in the temples of Maheshwar and Mandu. We shall practice together these ancient forms of yoga which re-enchant, restore and harmonise us so we can reconnect to the wisdom of the earth and all the elements.

Each day on our pilgrimage, we cleanse and re-energise in the holy waters of the River Narmada. The vibrations of this water containing the energy of the crystals which are used to create the Shiva Lingams (stones said to contain the energy of ShivaShakti) to perform rituals which enact the creation of the universe and worship of the 5 elements.  These daily devotional meditations realign us with the cyclical wisdoms and rhythms of Mother Nature, of whom we are a part.  

Devotion and gratitude…

On this pilgrimage, the rhythms of our daily practices become a Body prayer, an act of devotion, gratitude and reverence to Nature, and to the ancestors who bequeathed to us the practices of yoga. We will also make a pilgrimage by boat to the island temple of Bhaneshwar, mythically said to be the centre of the universe, and Sahashra Dara (the thousand waterfalls). During the day in temples, and in our dharmashala (community centre) we explore the romance creation stories of Shiva Shakti.  We weave, through a Mythic lens, and through our dreams, the practices of Total Yoga Nidra, Yoni Shakti Yoga and Yoga Mantra Dance to experience the eternal wisdoms encoded in these stories.   

Delicious foods… 

The food will be a highlight too, fresh fruits, local seasonally grown vegetables cooked in a traditional Central Indian style, according to the Ayurvedic principles, of combining great taste and health.  During our pilgrimage we shall be welcomed and cared for by our Narmada Family who will guide us in the tradition of honouring pilgrims to care for our needs. 

Our thanks gives back…

Ten per cent of the profit made from this pilgrimage will be returned to the Rewananda Free Arts school - which we started running in 2014, and was formally given an NGO status in 2017.  Unfortunately during Covid the school was disbanded and has been running on an ad hoc basis.  Through apportioning a percentage of the profit, we can formally contract sessional teachers to regularly facilitate Dance and Music classes to the low caste girls and young women who live in the community by our Community Yoga Centre, known as the Dharamshala.