Water in the Desert - Divine Grace Yoga Ashram is Coming Soon

Water in the Desert - Divine Grace Yoga Ashram update

Blessed immortal soul, I'm writing to share an update on this divine project and the retreat schedule for this year.

We have a property under contract, God willing it will close in early March and Divine Grace Yoga Ashram will have its home. It has been amazing to be a part of this project as it has been taking shape - the Ashram Board of Directors has come together so beautifully, there are many bright souls supporting this project within and surrounding the board. Today marks my fourth week in Sedona - and tomorrow evening the fifth Satsang with our dear friends at Chocolatree.

The property that has been selected for us (truly I cannot say that we have selected it!) is

perfect for the project. It is located in Cottonwood, approximately 15 miles and 20 minutes west of Sedona, and within two hours of Phoenix (dependent upon traffic). The land is approximately 1.5 acres, includes a house with a large great room for Satsang and Asanas, a few bedrooms, structures for outdoor gatherings and expansion, an amazing natural temple of the Mother formed by three massive “mother” cottonwood trees that have each given birth to many, with the Verde River running through the backyard. The land and the river are sacred, the space is silent and offers several beautiful spots for meditation and walks on the property. There is also state park land a half mile walk away, with a mile plus of walking trail along the river.

Water has featured prominently since I came back to the USA from India for the pilgrimage for peace. Walking across the country with only a bottle of water allowed me to see God through the souls offering water (without ever asking!) and the water itself. Then again walking with no protection other than faith it has been always amazing to see the inextricable linkage between even summer storms and the pilgrim who walks in faith. Now, once again, water in the desert is a feature of this coming Ashram.

This project is for you, it is a peace offering from the One Divine. It is for friends and sadhakas (spiritual seekers). You may remember that from my perspective all are friends - we will be limited certainly in the short term in terms of how many guests we will be able to support at one time. The Ashram will operate on a “donation only” basis, just as the weekend “Be Still and Know” retreats have for this past year (and will continue to be). Accommodations will be simple, the food menu streamlined but wholesome, and the daily schedule will look very much like the daily schedule at the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Ashrams around the world. Our ability to offer the full schedule will be dependent upon karma yogis, but it is our intent to support this schedule 365 days per year once we have taken enough steps forward. Every day will be a retreat day.

Now is a good time to begin planning for a visit. By mid March we intend to start to receive you. For now please just reach out to me directly to plan a visit. I ask that you don’t finalize your travel plans until we close on the purchase, but we are starting to book the calendar now. For your planning, you should intend to visit for at least three days, ideally a week or so. Weekly special programs (e.g: Meditation or Positive Thinking) will typically begin on Monday evenings, ending Friday morning, and Weekend programs will begin Friday evenings and end on Monday morning.

Here is what the schedule looks like for now. The daily schedule is set, and I’ll do my best to keep to the weekly and weekend program schedule. There will be some changes with special guests that come, allowing us to offer some special programs, and I’ll advise these as they come together. To be clear, please note that the special programs noted below will be based upon the standard daily schedule, this includes the silent programs as well. I’ll share more details on all a few steps from now, in the meantime please ask any questions.

There is a new website coming soon, will update when it is ready to navigate.

Also: There are plenty of opportunities for Karma Yogis (to serve at the Ashram) for Sivananda Yoga instructors, construction and maintenance, grounds, etc. If you would like to volunteer please contact me.

Ashram Daily Schedule: 5:30AM Wake-up 6:00AM Satsang (Meditation, Chanting and Discourse) 8:00AM Sivananda Yoga Asana/Pranayama 10:00AM Brunch 11:00AM Karma Yoga hour 12:00N “Tea and Gita” - Bhagavad Gita Discussion 1:00PM Personal Sadhana Time or Programs 2:30PM Silence and Sadhana 6:00PM Dinner 7:00PM Peace Chanting 8:00PM Satsang 10:00PM Lights out