Incredible India
Yoga in the Temples of South India
with Vishali Varga, Vanessa Airey & Sarah Webb
June 25 – July 8th, 2026
Join Vishali Varga, Vanessa Airey & Sarah Webb in this incredible opportunity to deeply immerse yourself in the experience of yatra, the yogic practice of traveling to the most sacred spaces in India. A yatra is not a ‘vacation’, but an engagement of the body, like asana, a demanding activity that allows one to experience stretching and re-balancing body, heart, and mind.
A yatra is a ‘pilgrimage’ made with a particular intention to expand your own spiritual journey. In the year leading up to departure, we will study to prepare you for the experience. While there, we will do our best to invigorate the body as our senses meet wondrous new experiences. An expanded mind and heart are guaranteed as we focus on opening to receive the gifts of this ancient culture.
Indian temple culture holds profound practices often unknown in the West, where yoga is usually introduced through asana, Patanjali’s 8 limbs and cursory philosophical study. In reality, thousands of rituals, texts, and practices to support the path to realizing the bliss of the Self.
On this yatra, we travel through South India—one of the few places where ancient traditions remain alive and practiced for millennia. Here, we gain direct experience of a wisdom that is both timeless and urgently relevant today, but hidden in plain sight as experiencing and decoding the rituals requires interest and access.
The people, their myths, rituals, and way of life offer new ways of seeing the world and the Self. This journey goes beyond typical tours, opening a rare window into 2,000 years of living spiritual tradition still vibrant in South Indian temples.
On this trip, you’ll be travelling with leaders who offer such access and provide the decoding necessary to take us deeply into the culture, deeply into the Self. We will dress in Indian clothes, and because of this, we will be welcomed as honored guests and thanked for taking the time to study and practice their ancient teachings – even the clothing is deeply meaningful. At each temple we will participate in the rituals of the temple deities.
During mealtimes, we will eat with the locals at small restaurants or at the homes of friends or priests. The yatra includes visits to daily life, to local schools, a rural village, and cottage industries of weaving and bronze casting. All this will deepen your understanding of the power of cultural lineage in the practice of yoga.
When we arrive in Chidambaram, the home of the Dancing Shiva Nataraja, we will unpack the significance of the stories of Kali, Patanjali, Shiva, Ganesha, and the Goddesses. Together, we will explore how and why their cultural/political/socio/physio/ religious heritage is relevant to us and a deeper understanding of the Self.
In 15 days, you’ll have a lifetime of experiences to inspire and further your unfolding understanding of the vastness of yoga from the inside out. Won’t you join us? All you need is a steady heart, a tender mind, and an adventurous spirit!
For more information, please contact Vanessa, Sarah, or Vishali
Sign up before Oct 12 for Early Bird Pricing ~ save $400.
PP Double Occupancy: $4295; Single Occupancy $5395
After Oct 12, 2025:
PP Double Occupancy $4695; Single Occupancy $5795
all hotels have private bath and air conditioning.
Upon arrival, we travel by deluxe air-conditioned coach
To reserve your spot:
Deposit: $825. cash, check, Zelle, Venmo or credit card (with 3.5% fee)
A monthly payment plan is available. All Payments must be made by April 12, 2026
Your trip will include:
Temple visits:
Hindu deities: Kali, Nataraja, Krishna, Lakshmi, Ganapati, Murugan & more
Rituals: homa, abhishekam, darshan, pradakshina, and more….explained and practiced
satsang and deeper teachings into the rituals and practices of yoga, asana practice, ritual attendance, sari Shopping, sari wrapping, bronze casting, cotton & silk loom visit, visit to 19th 19th-century mansions of ancient trading caste, rural village visit with lunch, hike to meditation cave, elephant rides, shopping, swimming, spa services (fees not included) available at some hotels, priest home visit, rural village and school visit
Not included: Airfare, Tips and donations, Lunch and dinners, Indian clothing. A “savings friendly” spending plan will be provided for budgeting purposes in the training.
Sample Itinerary
June 25
Depart US (an inexpensive option: Air India flight 102 non-stop JFK arrives DEL 11 am 6/26. Then Indigo flight 2.20pm - arrives Chennai 5:10 pm)
June 26
Arrive in Chennai 5:10 pm, Drive to Thiruvannamalai, Dinner & Bed, Stay Thiruvannamalai Sparsha Resort
June 27
Thiruvannamalai: Morning Asana & Satsang, Afternoon trip to Temple, Stay Thiruvannamalai Sparsha Resort
June 28
Thiruvannamalai - Kanchi: Morning Asana & visit to Samadhi Shrine, Drive to Kanchipuram, Evening Darshan at Ekambeshwar, Evening Satsang, Stay Kanchipuram
June 29
Kanchipuram: Morning visit Kamakshi Ekambehswara Temple, Drive to Chidambaram in afternoon, Evening Satsang & Ardha Janma, Arrive Chidambaram
June 30
Chidambaram: Morning visit to temple, Satsang, Thillai Kaliamman, Afternoon Mariamman, Evening Coconuts with Ganesh, Ardha Janma
July 1
Chidambaram: Homa
July 2
Chidambaram: Morning – Rest/Darshan, Afternoon – Satsang, Evening – Ardha Janma
July 3
Chidambaram – Kumbakonam: Morning Thillai Kali Amman, Drive to rural Village for lunch, and school visit, Afternoon- Satsang & Spa Treatments, Stay Kumbakonam Resort
July 4
Kumbakonam: Morning Asana, Sw. Malai/Bronze makers, Lunch in town, Afternoon Spa treatments
July 5
Kumbakonam: Morning asana/Satsang, Pratyanghira, Adhi Kumbeshwara temples, Evening Thiruvarau Temple
July 5
Kumbakonam –Trichy - Madurai: Visit Mariamman, Jambhukeshwar, Vekkaliamman, Stay Madurai Resort
July 6
Madurai: Meenakshi Temple / Shop at Emporium, Stay Madurai Resort
July 7
Madurai: Fly from Madurai to Delhi
July 8
RECOMMENDED FLIGHT Delhi-JFK Air India flight 101. 2 am, Arrive Home July 8th 11:30 am
