Journey Into The Self
Auroville and Tiruvannamalai, South India
Come with us to South India
Join us for an immersive pilgrimage.
We begin in Auorville to create a deep inner and outer container and then dive in further at the foot of holy mount Arunachala in Tiruvannamalai.
February 12th - 22nd, 2025
Auroville, Pondicherry and Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, South India
For those coming from USA, we recommend arriving in India 1-3 nights prior to the start of the retreat for jet-lag recovery time. We can provide recommendations for places to stay/things to do.
This immersive pilgrimage will be led by Corinne and Matthew Andrews, co-owners of Shraddhā Yoga. We are grateful to share our love of sacred India with you!
Between us we have organized and led thirteen retreats/pilgrimages in North and South India. We will draw upon our extensive local contacts, decades-long practice and study of yoga, and deep reverence for the land, culture, temples and people to create a rich and immersive experience.
Throughout this retreat, we will visit dozens of sacred sites. These places have absorbed the prayers and aspirations of millions of devotees and spiritual seekers and are understood to be ‘tirthas’, or portals where spiritual energy flows into the material plane. Our focus in these places will be to experience this energy and open to its transformational potential.
The first three nights will be at Verité Retreat Center in Auroville. We’ll practice asana, pranayama, meditation, and mantra chanting together in the beautiful Verite Hall, setting a foundation for our explorations. We will also meditate together at the Matrimandir, Irumbai Shiva Temple and at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
We will spend the next seven nights in Tiruvannamalai in relationship with holy Arunachala. Arunachala is Shiva: the primordial divine consciousness that underlies everything we see and touch and think. The mountain radiates grace in every direction. It is a presence that holds us in love and a wisdom that can guide us toward self realization.
We will visit yogis, swamis, amma’s and spiritual teachers who transmit the wisdom, love and grace of Arunachala Shiva in their own unique ways. And we will participate in ancient sacred rituals that invoke the divine presence and create a container for going deep within ourselves to discover the truth that resides there.
We will also have focused time for guided meditation, movement and journaling, and time for sharing in the spirit of community. We will breathe deeply and chant together every day.
Arunachala has been a pilgrimage site for thousands of years, and offers its ancient wisdom to seekers who come to spend time in its aura. The most famous of these seekers was Ramana Maharshi, who arrived as a teenager and never again left the mountain. Others include Guhai Namasivaya, Virupaksha Deva, Yogi Ramsuratkumar, and Guru Narayana Swami. Each of these yogis left behind the radiance of their embodied love for Shiva in particular locations around Tiruvannamalai, and we will visit these places and taste their nectar.
We will do girivalam, walking the 8 mile route around Arunachala and visit the largest Śiva temple in South India, as well as the much older Adi Annamalai temple and other local shrines. We will spend time at the Yogi Ramsuratkumar Ashram, sing devotional chants and songs, spend time at Nadaloka sound temple and participate in Vedic ceremonies conducted by local priests. We will eat delicious traditional South Indian food, and bask in the holy vibration of Arunachala.
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For the first 3 nights we will stay in Verite, Auroville, Tamil Nadu.
Then we will travel to Tiruvannamalai and stay at Triveni Ashram for the remaining 7 nights.
Triveni is a special retreat situated just outside the Yogi Ramsuratkumar Ashram, walking distance from Arunachala and the Ramana Maharshi Ashram.Most of the rooming options at Triveni are shared. If you absolutely require a single room, it may be possible if you register early.
If you choose to arrive in India 1-3 nights early we can support you in deciding where to stay before the retreat begins.
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The cost is $2,800, which includes everything (food, group car/bus/rickshaw travel, accommodations, etc) for the 10 nights/11 days.
The cost of flights are not included and you will need to book and pay for your own flight. We are available to support you in choosing the flight.If you choose to come early or stay on for any adjunct journeys, there will be separate payment required for that.
We recommend bringing some spending money for Ayurveda or other treatments, shopping, etc.Payment plans are available.
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Matthew and Corinne Andrews, co-founders of Shraddhā Yoga, will serve as guides and facilitators.
Between them they have led thirteen retreats in North and South India, including several in Tiruvannamalai.
They will draw on their strong local connections and depth of experience with yoga and India to create a rich and profound experience. -
Click here to view the proposed outline based on last year’s pilgrimage.
The doc is a draft and will definitely change to meet the needs of the specific group each year.
Program Details
In India, ancient streams of indigenous wisdom are thoroughly infused into the social and cultural fabric of day to day life. As a result, the Earth breathes more freely. The Divine Mother has been honored here for millennia, and Her being can be felt resonating in the air, the water, the plants and soil. It is an amazing gift to share our love of India with you, and to organize collective immersions in Her beauty and richness.
The depth of spiritual seeking and aspiration that gave birth to the yoga traditions is alive and resonant in India like no other place.
Our retreats and pilgrimages to different places in both South and North India offer a chance to experience India’s rich spiritual culture and ancient wisdom. We collaborate with local guides and teachers who share local traditions and art, and provide access to sacred sites with context.
From the gratitude we at Shraddhā Yoga have for all we have been given, we give back and support various aspects of Indian culture and society. Over the years, we have supported Mohanam Village Heritage Centre, Arunachala Ashram’s Sat Dharma Trust, and Baba’s Feed Project.
