Śiva, Śakti and the Womb of Life

This Winter Solstice 19-29 December at Shivalaya:

Śiva, Śakti and the Womb of Life.

Ten days at the foot of sacred Arunachala, in the lap of Mother Divine.

A unique, life affirming and empowering retreat experience

Prayer and Pilgrimage
Movement and Meditation.
Stories and Song.
Recitation and deep rest.

– Connect more deeply to your own heart, to the wisdom of your body and the intelligence of Life.
– Experience the authentic, living Indic tradition and the power of pilgrimage to Arunachala.
– Cultivate an easeful, nourishing and evolving whole human practice
– Integrate powerful yoga principles into your day to day reality
– Support the full expression of your beautiful self.

-Fresh homemade food, accommodation in the beautiful sanctuary of Shivalaya.

Book now to guarantee your place

Śiva, Śakti and the Womb

As Kṛṣṇa says in the Gītā:
I am the mother, I am the womb and I am the seed casting father. Whatever is born in any womb is born within this womb, the womb of consciousness, Life, existence.

As humans, we have the capacity to ‘womb it’ – to create something more beautiful than we might ever have even dared dream was possible from within what already is.

We do this:
as much by allowing as by striving,
as much by releasing as engaging,

by inviting a relationship of deeper friendliness:
with ourselves,
with the other,
with our environment and
with the intelligence of Life itself.

This Winter Solstice 19-29 December at Shivalaya

Renew and revitalise your relationship to yourself and to Life.

At the feet of Arunachala mountain – regarded as a form of Śiva himself, in the sanctuary of Namashivalaya, in the lap of Pārvati Mā, we will explore the yoga of the whole human being.

Yoga does not ask us to be anything we are not, but invites us to experience our true depth, recover our true capacity, remember our real self.

Arunachala is one of the most potent places to foster this remembering.
As guru of guru-s, yogi amongst yogi-s Ramana Maharshi said,

‘Arunachala is truly the holy place. Of all holy places it is the most sacred! Know that it is the heart of the world. It is truly Siva himself! It is his heart-abode, a secret kṣetra. In that place the Lord ever abides the hill of light named Arunachala.’

If you are new to the deeper, broader perspectives of yoga, what better place to dive in?
This ten day program will invite you into the practical, flavourful, supportive and empowering riches of the yoga tradition.

If you are a seasoned student/practitioner, what better locale to deepen your practice than at Arunachala, yogabhūmi par excellence?

During these ten days, soaking in the blessings of Arunachala, we will live the teachings: simply, gladly, wholeheartedly.

Every day will integrate practices to nourish the whole human being:

-meditation practices:
Bathing in the presence of Arunachala, with gratitude for the many sages who have tended its nourishing fire, every day we will devote time to the foundational technique of yoga practice, the one that takes all the others to whole new levels and turbocharges the yoga process of ‘rewiring’ our understanding of who we are, dissolving our attachments to limitations and allowing ourselves into the light and insight of greater freedom, streadiness and clarity.
*If you are new to meditation, clear guidance and instruction will be provided. We will also learn simple techniques that can weave the support of meditative practice easily into daily life.

-broad spectrum yogic movement:
For nourishment and invigoration,
For healing and harmonisation,
For releasing and unwinding,
For renewal and recreation.

•How to actually cultivate yoga when we are working with yogāsana
•Solar power and Sūrya namaskāra for life – ‘do anywhere’ forms of sun salutation. Sun salutations and the structure for a nourishing, well-rounded and sustainable physical practice
•Nourishing the whole human being: playful explorations with coordinative patterns and stimuli, challenging body, mind and senses to easefully, promote neurogenesis and renewal while cultivating dynamic strength, balance and practical mobility
•Restorative sessions for deep rest and relaxation

Working beyond yoga brands, this approach is accessible and scalable for all, we’ll explore:
– efficiency, skilfulness and coordination, how we can learn to move as an orchestra – with all the instrumental powers of our being collaborating in mutual support.
– harnessing the energy of the elements, drawing on the vastness of sky, the power of the sun, integrating them into the roots of our being and becoming a conduit for flowing, nourishing and supportive energy.
– expanding our movement toolkit and resources with principle based practices we can easily weave into our day to day lives.

-singing and recitation:
Sound is treasured in the yoga tradition and is a key part of James’ practice and teaching. Sound reaches the parts that other techniques are not always able to. Recitation in Sanskṛt – the well-made, well-structured language – supports yogic integration of both hemispheres of the brain, helps refine our speech and can expand our awareness of how we relate to ourselves, others and our world in remarkable ways.
*Do not worry if you are not an experienced singer or used to singing with others, this practice is accessible and connects us to our deeper human heritage!

Prayer and pilgrimage:
With regular agnihotra ceremonies at Shivalaya and visits to sacred sites around Arunachala, we will connect to the practical wisdom that is an intrinsic part of our human heritage to foster a richer relationship with all of Life.

Learning and studying the jagadīśvarī hymn
Sanskṛt is an ocean and can be studied for many lifetimes. However, we can learn to recite classical Sanskṛt relatively quickly and we will do so during this retreat: learning the sounds of Sanskṛt and the foundation principles to be able to recite and sing in Sanskṛt with accuracy, confidence and feeling.

*James brings thirty years of teaching experience and makes the Sanskṛt teachings accessible and relatable so we can all connect to the deep inspiration of these practices.

We will learn and practice the Jagadīśvarī hymn to Mother Divine as well as hymns to Śiva and Gaṇeśa in this land where every stone is considered a liṅga and the mountain the liṅga par excellence.

-Studying these hymns will allow us to dive deep into the rich flavour and practical teachings of the yoga tradition.
In interactive, practical study sessions, we will explore the timeless yoga principles, always relating them, in authentic, traditional style to our own lives.

-Satsang and communication. Yoga practice is a conversation. So many of its greatest teachings are given in the form of a dialog. We will share daily satsang – coming together to explore what is, sharing song, stories, communication and conscious relating activities, meditation and celebration.

In the yoga tradition, to study is to practice and to practice is to study. We each have to walk our own path, but we can learn from and support each other along the way.

This retreat offers a wonderful and special opportunity to work together in a truly supportive environment and empower your own ongoing yogic journey.

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Excursions and special activities

-Girivalam circumnambulation of Arunachala.
Early morning meditative pilgrimage around the mountain.

-Temple tour of Adi Annamalai temple, the oldest temple in Tiruvannamalai.

– Visit to Ramanashram and Skandashram meditation caves

– Morning visit to Arunachala for mountainside meditation and visit to Ramanashram

– Time for optional additional girivalam/Ramanashram visit

Depending on the group and conditions on the ground:

-Meditative hiking pilgrimage to the beautiful Pārvatīmallai and its extraordinary mountain-top temple.

– Visit to the Arunachaleshwara temple

Fees per participant:
Fees include accommodation, all practice/study/satsang sessions, transport and entry/guide fees for excursions during the retreat, all meals at Namashivalaya (two meals or three meals a day depending on our schedule eg. On girivalam and Pārvatīmalai excursion days we will have two meals only)
Not included: transport to and from the retreat, any food/refreshments outside, any transport for personal optional trips beyond the retreat program.

Refund policy:
Before 31st August 2026: 100% refund minus any transaction/transfer fees
From 1st September 2026: No refund unless your place is taken by another participant. If someone else takes your place, a full refund will be issued minus any transaction/transfer fees.

Fees in GB£ per person
Yogi Hut single occupancy: 1630
Yogi Hut double occupancy: 1520
Siddha Lounge single occupancy: 1920
Siddha Lounge double occupancy: 1810
Śiva single occupancy: 1720
Śiva double occupancy: 1610
Śiva triple occupancy: 1510
Śakti single occupancy: 1720
Śakti double occupancy: 1610
Lakṣhmī single occupancy: 1720
Lakṣhmī double occupancy: 1610
Saraswatī single occupancy: 1720
Saraswatī double occupancy: 1610
Viṣṇu single occupancy: 1880
Viṣṇu double occupancy: 1770
Kadamba single occupancy: 1720
Kadamba double occupancy: 1610

Miminum attendance: 10 retreat participants
Maximum: 18 retreat participants

Example daily schedule:
Day at Shivalaya
6-7 meditation
7-7:45 agnihotra
7:45-9:00 āsana/movement
From 9:00 breakfast
11:00-13:00 morning session
13:00 lunch and rest
16:00 afternoon session and meditation
18:00 dinner
19:00 satsang
20:30 rest and joyful silence

Morning Excursion days
Morning excursion
Return for hearty lunch and rest
Afternoon session
18:00 dinner
19:00 satsang
20:30 rest and joyful silence

Afternoon Excursion days
6-7 meditation
7-7:45 agnihotra
7:45-9:00 āsana/movement
From 9:00 breakfast
10:30-12:30 morning session
13:00 lunch
14:00/15:00 afternoon excursion
18:30 dinner
20:00 satsang
21:00 rest and joyful silence

Our accommodation is at the wonderful sanctuary of Namashivalaya. www.namashivalaya.org
Surrounded by rice fields, in the presence of the sacred mountain Arunachala, Namashivalaya offers an extraordinary setting to immerse in these teachings.
Tended with love and devotion by Shankara and Vimala and their wonderful team of local staff, the tree and flower filled grounds offer a haven for birdlife in an atmosphere wonderfully conducive for yoga practice and meditation.
All rooms are comfortable and spacious.
Singles, doubles and triples are available. We will have the whole retreat to ourselves.

Once you reserve your place by paying the GB£720 deposit, James will be in touch to arrange your room choice. Alternatively, email james@jamesboagyoga.com or call +447415594689 also on whatsapp/telegram, to inquire as to the options available or to book rooms together with other participants.

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