After three years away, I am heading back to India! It is my home away from home, and I could not be more excited to be leading a 13-day Spiritual Pilgrimage in the Himalayas! It will be a group of 10 people. Sign Up HERE.
We will begin in the city of Rishikesh (known as the birth place of Yoga). After a night here, we will head up into the Himalayas for 10 days. We will spend time hiking, meditating, practicing Yoga, visiting temples and holy pilgrimage sites. Our final two nights together will be in Rishikesh, we will be able to rest from our 10 days up in the mountains. We will spend our final evening together at the ashram Parmarth Niketan, where we will partake in a sacred ceremony.
Daily Itinerary:
Day 1 : Arrive in Rishikesh. We will begin with an opening ceremony at 5pm. Our first dinner together will follow the ceremony.
Day 2 : Morning Yoga + Meditation. We begin our journey with a 3-hour drive from Rishikesh to Devprayag. We will stop at Vashista Gufa cave, where we will meditate and take a dip in Ma Ganga. We end our day at Banyan by the Ganges.
Day 3 : Morning Yoga + Meditation. We have a 5-hour drive to Guptkashi. Our stops will include a visit to the confluence of River Bhagirathi & Alaknanda (these rivers form the holy Ganga River), and a stop in Kalliyasaur to visit the Goddess temple of Dhari Devi. This shrine is one of 108 Shakti Pithas in India. We end our day at Hotel Villa Aadhya.
Day 4 : Morning Meditation. We will begin our day with a 3-mile hike to Kalimath Temple, another Shakti Pitha. We will have a Kali Puja (honoring the Goddess Kali). During this beautiful trek through a dense forest, we will pass remote mountain villages and see spectacular views of the Himalayas. We will come back to Hotel Villa Aadhya and end our day with a yoga practice.
Day 5 : Morning Meditation. We drive to Gourikund, where we start our 11-mile trek to Kedarnath. It’s a gradual uphill trek with magnificent views of the High Himalayan Peaks. We stay at the GMVN Guest House. In the evening, we visit a temple a Puja.
Day 6 : Morning Meditation + Yoga. We will have the day to explore Kedarnath and will stay a second night at the GMVN Guest House
Day 7 : Morning Meditation. We trek back down to Gourikund, and then head to Chopta where we will camp for two nights.
Day 8 : We begin with an early morning trek to Tungnath, the highest temple of Lord Shiva in the region. It’s a gradual uphill trek with beautiful views of of snow capped peaks. We will spend time meditating using mantra at this temple. We hike back and have a free afternoon to relax.
Day 9 : Morning Meditation + Yoga. We take a 6-hour drive to Badrinath (one of the 4 most Holy pilgrimage sites in India). Badrinath is a Holy shrine of Lord Vishnu. We stay the night at a guest house here.
Day 10 : Morning Puja in the Badrinath Temple. We will visit Mana (the last village on the Indo-Tibetan border), the Ved Vyas cave and Bheempul. We will then drive to The Tattva Resort in Joshimath.
Day 11 : Early Morning Meditation + Yoga. A 9-hour drive back to Rishikesh, where we will be staying at the Divine Resort again.
Day 12 : Morning Yoga + Meditation. A day to explore Rishikesh on your own. We will meet for our final night together at 4pm and do a short meditation by Ma Ganga. This will be followed by being a part of the well-known sunset Aarti at Parmarth Niketan Ashram.
Day 13 : Morning Meditation + Closing Circle. One final breakfast together.
*This pilgrimage is open to everyone! No Yoga experience is necessary. The Yoga practice will be an integrated Yoga practice and appropriate for all levels. It will include Pranayama, Meditation, Kriya and Asana.
PLEASE NOTE :: We will be traveling in India, where anything can change at anytime. This is a tentative schedule and we will stick to it as much as possible, but things may change.
What is included:
3 meals for each full day we are together. All vegetarian meals.
Transportation and hotel stays during our time together.
Tips for the guides, priests, drivers, and hotels that support us on our journey.
The above itinerary guided by myself and a wonderful group of Indians.
When you sign up for the pilgrimage, you will get a list of what to bring and what to wear.
What is not included:
Flight to and from India.
Taxi to and from airport to Divine Resort in Rishikesh.
Any extra charges that are not included in our group experience. (Spa services, room service, activities done on your own, laundry, food bought on your own, etc.)
This pilgrimage is for you if:
You love Yoga
You are looking for an inward journey
You love nature and want to spend time in the mountains
You want to dive deeper into your spiritual practice
You want to super charge your meditation practice
You want to spend time in temples and holy cities
You miss being in community
You love Indian food and want to spend time in India
You want to reconnect with yourself
Please feel free to send me an email with any questions at: dn@deidrenorman.com. I can't wait to be on this journey with you.
COST : $4,000 (Sign up before June 1st and only pay $3,800)
This rate is for double occupancy. If you want your own room for the trip, please let me know. I can check and see if this is still an available option.
A non-refundable deposit of $500 is due to reserve your space. The rest of your payment is due on our before September 15, 2022.