Weekend Retreat: How to Gain Spiritual Wisdom
Friday, January 3, 2025 – Sunday, January 5, 2025 PDT
IN PERSON OR ONLINE
With Gajananam
How to Gain Spiritual Wisdom
Consider the time-tested approach for learning and assimilating spiritual teachings via shravanam – listening to the teachings, mananam – reflecting on their import, and nididhyasanam – assimilating the deeper truths in our daily lives through contemplation and attentiveness.
Shravanam – Listening
The purport of spiritual teachings is traditionally passed on in an oral fashion, where examples pertaining to the present time and place are given. The teacher helps bring our attention to the subtle truths about the Self. This fresh and freeing vision is usually clouded by our own conditioning and biases. Listening attentively helps the aspirant see beyond the usual entrapments of the ego.
Mananam – Reflecting
After hearing the teachings and understanding their purport, the aspirant has two conflicting points of view to resolve: Am I the consciousness functioning through this body-mind complex, or am I the complex itself? I can’t be both, so which am I? We need to closely examine and resolve such conflicting ideas within ourselves. This process includes asking the teacher questions to help clarify our doubts.
Nididhyasanam – Contemplation
In contemplation, the aspirant takes up this new and fresh angle of vision instead of viewing things through his or her habitual mode of thinking. This helps in assimilating the teachings into their character, by strengthening the spiritual impressions in the mind and weakening their limited viewpoints.
Gajananam is a direct disciple of Swami Vishnu-devananda and is the founder/director of the Vishnu-devananda Yoga Vedanta Center in Fremont, CA. He served and studied at the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers in the mid-1980s and 1990s. In the 1990s, he served as the director of the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center in New York and has taught at many Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Courses and retreats.
To deepen his understanding of the ancient scriptures and mantras, he studied Sanskrit with Sanskrit Scholar Dr. Sarasvati Mohan in the 2000s. Over the past decade, he has spent time each year on personal retreat in Uttarakashi, Himalayas, where he attends Satsang with senior sadhus and monks. Since 2013, he has had the opportunity to the study Vedantic scriptures in a traditional fashion. With three decades of practice, study and teaching experience, he offers yoga and Vedanta courses and retreats in Fremont and at various centers and ashrams.
Daily Schedule
Friday 1/3
6:00–7:30pm Yoga Asana Class
7:30pm Vegetarian dinner
Saturday 1/4
6:00–7:15am Satsang (meditation, chanting and a short talk)
8:00am Light breakfast
10:00–11:30am Yoga Asana Class
12:00pm Lunch
1:00pm Karma Yoga
2:00–3:15pm Afternoon Talk #1: Listening
4:15–5:30pm Afternoon Talk #2: Reflecting
5:45–6:15pm Pranayama practice
6:30pm Dinner
Sunday 1/5
6:00–7:15am Satsang
8:00am Light breakfast
10:00–11:30am Yoga Asana Class
12:00pm Lunch
1:00pm Karma Yoga
2:00–3:30pm Afternoon Talk #3: Contemplation
5:30–7:00pm Satsang and Soup (optional)
Arrive Friday by 6:00pm and depart Sunday afternoon.
Online: $125. (includes daily Satsang, 3 yoga classes and 3 comprehensive talks)
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