For those of us, living in cities and towns, away from nature, the pull of the daily grind might make it difficult to find a quiet moment to stop and remember our true calling and find time for spiritual practice. Even if there is a desire to deepen the sadhana, we often lack inspiration and motivation to start moving in this direction.

To help on this path, we have organized a retreat, a time away from it all, where together, we could deepen our Krishna consciousness. Waking before sunrise, mangala-arati, joint chanting of the holy names, reading Bhagavatam, guru puja, listening to lectures, kirtan and service are wonderful elements that will give us strength and inspiration in our spiritual life, and also make it more meaningful and fulfilling.

The retreat will take place at Gita-Nagari, an eco-farm located on a remote stretch of land in rural Pennsylvania, surrounded by rolling hills, in a place where the amazing Vaishnava saint Bhakti Tirtha Maharaj found his last refuge.

Our guide to conscious spiritual practice will be Vatsala Das (aka Oleg Suntsov), a lecturer, philosopher, Vedic culture specialist, who brings with him over 23 years of Krishna consciousness practice. Lecturer for the Theological Academy “Bhaktivedanta Ashram” and educational projects, such as the “Big Vedic Practicum” and “School of Bhakti”, among others. In his lectures and seminars, he creates an atmosphere of trust and inspiration,  speaking of complex topics of spiritual development in a simple and clear language.

A pleasant conclusion of our immersion in the world of Bhakti will be the joint preparation of a feast for the residents and visitors of Gita-Nagari! Together we can experience the joyful feeling of serving the Vaishnavs, learn to meet, entertain, serve guests and give presents in the right frame of mind.

The three-day retreat “Absorbed Practice of Krishna Consciousness” will consist of simple and at the same time effective practices that will help us recharge our “spiritual batteries” and gain a taste for deepening the sadhana.

Schedule of Events:

 April 19
13:00 Lunch
14:00 Kathha about Bhakti Tirtha Maharaj at his residence, led by his disciples
18:00 Dinner
19:00 Seminar, Vatsala prabhu

April 20
4:30 Mangala-arati, joint japa meditation
7:00 Lecture on “Srimad-Bhagavatam” with Vraja Lila mataji
8:00 Greetings of the Deities
8:30 Breakfast
10:00 Seminar, Vatsala prabhu
13:00 Lunch
15:00 Seminar, Vatsala prabhu
18:00 Dinner
19:00 Kirtan

April 21
4:30 Mangala-arati, joint japa
7:00 Lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam with Vatsala prabhu
8:00 Greetings of the Deities
8:30 Breakfast
9:30 am Setting up for joint feast preparation with Vatsala prabhu
10:00 Cooking together
13:00 Feast (meeting, guest service, gifts for guests)
14:00 Joint cleaning, sharing
15:00 Departure