Women's Retreat · 1 – 11 March 2027 · Pushkar, Rajasthan

Desert Rose

Mahashivaratri Retreat

A proper initiation into India for real spiritual seekers — we have designed an experience that we believe is the perfect intersection between spiritual depth & exquisite fun. Eleven sacred days in the holy city of Pushkar diving into sādhana, dancing with the Kalbeliya community under the desert stars, writing devotional poetry, learning to chant long stotrams, performing Vedic fire ceremonies, pilgrimage to sacred temple sites & celebrating the great night of Shiva with an incredible community of likeminded women. Be prepared to go deep (and have a LOT of fun)!

Location Pushkar, Rajasthan India
Duration 11 Days · 10 Nights
Sacred Night Mahashivaratri 2027
Availability Limited to 15 souls
Reserve Your Spot Explore the Journey

Limited to 15 participants. This retreat is intimate by design — once it is full, it is full.

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Yogic Dictionary

sādhana

/ SAH-dha-na /

A daily spiritual practice — the disciplined inner path through which the practitioner moves toward liberation and self-realization.

saṅgha

/ SUNG-ha /

A community of practitioners walking the path together — the sacred power of collective intention and shared devotion.

Mahāśivarātri

/ ma-HAH-shee-va-RAH-tree /

The Great Night of Shiva — the most auspicious night of the yogic calendar, considered the single most powerful night of the year for spiritual practice.

nāda yoga

/ NAH-da YO-ga /

The yoga of sound — a practice of using sacred vibration, mantra and chanting as a direct path to inner stillness and expanded states of consciousness.

parikramā

/ pah-ree-KRAH-mah /

Sacred circumambulation — the devotional act of walking barefoot clockwise around a holy site, temple, or body of water as an act of reverence and purification.

The Vision

Sādhana, creative expression
& the magic of saṅgha

Pushkar is one of the rarest and holiest cities in all of India. It is home to the only Brahma temple in the world and is surrounding a sacred lake that has been a site of pilgrimage for thousands of years.

At its heart, this is a sādhana and creative expression retreat — designed in a way for your inner artist to bloom. Through deep practice we cultivate the inner conditions of stillness, clarity and deep intuitive connection from which authentic creative expression naturally arises. From there we will have workshops for devotional poetry, painting, singing kirtan and learning traditional Kalbeliya dance with Rajasthani folk artists to let your creative channels flourish.

We have planned the retreat to build up to the most auspicious night of the yogic calendar — Mahashivaratri, the Great Night of Shiva. It is known to the yogis that this is the single-most powerful night of the entire year to receive the most merits from your spiritual practice. We will join together for a large puja in celebration and see what other magic awaits in Pushkar.

This is a retreat for sincere seekers who want real depth — not a holiday with a yoga class. Be prepared to go deep, have fun, and most-likely meet your new best friends in the process.

ॐ
Dates 1 – 11 March 2027 Arrive March 1 · Depart March 11
Sacred Night Mahashivaratri 2027 The Great Night of Shiva — the centrepiece of our entire journey
Location Pushkar, Rajasthan, India One of India's most sacred pilgrimage cities · Nearest airport: Jaipur (JGA)
Group Size Maximum 15 women Intimate, immersive, and deeply personal · By application only
Tradition Classical Yogic & Vedic "Real" yoga, Vedic rituals & chanting

The Sacred Night

महाशिवरात्रि

Mahashivaratri

The Great Night of Shiva

Mahashivaratri is my single most important and favorite night of the entire year — and it is our deepest honor to be able to share it with you in this way.

This is the night when the yogis say the veil between you and the divine grows thinner than at any other point in the calendar. When your practice carries more potency, your prayers land deeper, and something in the field becomes genuinely available that simply isn't there on ordinary nights. On this night there will be literally millions of people celebrating in prayer and creating collective field across the world — chanting, fasting, staying awake and receiving the blessings of pure divine grace.

To experience this in one of the most sacred lands on the planet, surrounded by a community of powerful, aligned & blossoming women — is truly one of the greatest gifts I can imagine.

Your Guides

Who will hold the space

Isis Anchalee

Isis Anchalee

Co-Facilitator · Spiritual Guide · RTT™ Hypnotherapist

Isis is a 1000+ RYT yoga teacher, RTT™ hypnotherapist, medicine woman, and devoted student of classical yoga, non-dual Shaiva Tantra, Sri Vidya, and Kriya Yoga. With 6,000+ hours of meditation and study, 130+ days in retreat and dieta, and four years supporting plant medicine ceremony internationally, she brings rare depth, precision, and love to the space she holds. This retreat is an expression of the path she has given her life to.

Classical Yoga Shaiva Tantra RTT™ Hypnotherapy Kambo Jyotish
Gina Badamo

Gina Badamo

Co-Facilitator · Odissi Dancer · Photographer · Poet · Yogini

Gina is an Odissi dancer, photographer, poet, and yogini whose work lives at the intersection of embodied devotion and sacred art. She brings the poetry writing workshop, her lens, and the sensibility of someone who has dedicated her life to beauty as a spiritual practice. Her presence in the retreat adds a dimension of creative depth and artistic sensitivity that makes this container truly complete.

Odissi Dance Photography Poetry Yoga

The Programme

Ten days of sacred immersion

Each day is woven with practice, pilgrimage, learning, and deep play. This is the full tapestry of what awaits you.

Daily Practice

Daily Morning Sadhana

Each morning begins with a 2-hour sadhana — 1 hour of classical Hatha pranayama to create the conditions for deep meditation, followed by 30 minutes of stotram chanting and 30 minutes of Naad Yoga. Don't expect fancy asanas, this is yoga as the path to expansion & liberation.

Sacred Arts

Stotram Chanting

Learn to chant the Nirvana Shatakam and the Panchakshara Stotram in their full form, alongside daily practice of Shiva Japa. They are precise vibrational technologies — sacred frequencies that purify the mind and open the heart from the inside out.

Living Tradition

Learn Kalbeliya Dance

The Kalbeliya are the nomadic snake-charmer community of Rajasthan, whose traditional folk dance is a UNESCO-recognised art form and an act of living devotion. We dance with them under the desert stars, serenaded by traditional Rajasthani folk musicians — discovering the liberation of embodied, uninhibited joy in one of the most alive settings on earth.

Creative Practice

Poetry Writing Workshop

The sacred lands of India are famous for their devotional poets — Mirabai, Kabir, Rumi, Utpaladeva. Seated on the ghats of Pushkar Lake we will be guided through a workshop to connect with the Beloved and channel devotional poetry from the deepest place within.

Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage to Sacred Sites

We will take you to some of the most sacred sites in the region — the Brahma temple, through the ghats, and hilltop shrines from where sacred waters flow.

Sacred Ritual

Parikrama Around Pushkar Lake

The parikrama — circumambulation — of the sacred Pushkar Lake is a purifying practice believed to cleanse lifetimes of karma. We walk it together at sunset, in silence, as the golden light fades over the water and the sound of temple bells fills the air.

Sacred Fire

Ganesha Havan

We begin our journey with a Ganesha Havan — a sacred fire ceremony with a Vedic Priest invoking the remover of obstacles to bless and clear obstacles from our path.

Cosmic Ritual

Navagraha Havan

This is for all of our astrology girlies. The Navagraha Havan — nine planetary fire ceremony — is one of the most powerful Vedic rituals for clearing karmic imprints and bringing the nine planetary forces into harmonious alignment.

Creative Practice

Painting Class

Painting as meditation, as offering and devotion. A guided session where the canvas becomes a space to express from the depths of our hearts what words and movement cannot reach.

Rest & Restoration

Spa Day

After the all-night Mahashivaratri vigil, we have a full day of rest and restoration — spa time, self-care and deep self-nourishment. We will take it easy, move slow, and allow ourselves time to integrate the powerful energies from the night before.

Deep Rest

Yoga Nidra

The ancient practice of yogic sleep that brings the body and nervous system into profound rest while the mind remains aware. One of the most powerful tools for integration, restoration, and accessing the subconscious.

Devotional Music

Kirtan

The ancient art of bhakti yoga — singing the names of the divine together. Be prepared to open your voice and your heart.

Community & Expression

Open Mic Night

One evening at the end of our time together we gather and offer our creative expression — a song, a poem, a dance, a piece of writing, or whatever is alive in your heart. No performance required, just the courage to share what the journey has moved in you.

Creative Practice

Photoshoot & Content Creation

A dedicated photoshoot session at sunset on the magical ghats of Pushkar Lake. Gina's lens will capture you in the fullness of who you are becoming. Leave with beautiful images that reflects the depth, beauty and devotion of your journey.

The Centrepiece · The Great Night

Mahashivaratri Puja & Celebrations

The culmination of our entire retreat. Together we perform a large puja for Mahashivaratri at a Vedic Priest's house, and then surrender into the magic of Pushkar's Mahashivaratri celebrations. We will chant, pray, dance, and stay up all night in deep devotion.

What's Included

Everything you need

10 Nights Accommodation

Shared or single room options in beautiful Pushkar accommodation, chosen for its proximity to sacred sites.

All Retreat Center Meals

All meals at the retreat centre are included — nourishing, locally sourced sattvic vegetarian food aligned with yogic principles. Meals in town during free time are at participants' own expense.

All Ceremonies & Rituals

Ganesha Havan, Navagraha Havan, Mahashivaratri Puja, and all sacred fire ceremonies — led by authentic pandits.

Daily Sadhana Sessions

Morning and evening practice in classical yogic tradition — pranayama, meditation, mantra, and asana.

Kalbeliya Dance Sessions

Authentic dance sessions with the Kalbeliya community — learning their living tradition and dancing in their world.

All Workshops & Classes

Poetry writing workshop, painting class, yoga nidra, Kalbeliya dance sessions, and all other workshops and creative classes throughout the retreat.

All Pilgrimages & Parikrama

Guided walks to sacred sites, the Pushkar Lake parikrama, hilltop shrines, and desert pilgrimages.

Local Transfers

All local transfers within Pushkar for group activities and sacred sites throughout the retreat.

Welcome Bundle

A curated welcome bundle filled with magical goodies — a little piece of the retreat magic to receive you upon arrival.

Not included: International or domestic flights, airport transfers to/from Pushkar, travel insurance, personal expenses.

Know before you come

Is this your retreat?

This is for you if —

✦ You want to deepen your sadhana as a practitioner — in a real, structured, immersive container held by devoted guides
✦ You want to crack your heart open — to channel art, poetry, dance, and devotion as living spiritual practice
✦ You want to learn traditional Kalbeliya dance with nomadic snake charmers under the desert sky
✦ You want to purify karma through Vedic fire ceremony, sacred pilgrimage, and the power of Mahashivaratri
✦ You feel a deep connection with India but have wanted to experience it with two phenomenal guides rather than navigate it alone
✦ You want to pilgrimage to one of the most sacred cities in the world — and be fully present for the greatest night of Shiva
✦ You want to experience depth, magic, and real connection with likeminded sangha — incredible women from around the globe who are as devoted to the path as you are

This is not for you if —

— You are looking for a purely recreational holiday — this is a sacred, intentional container first and foremost
— You are new to spiritual practice and looking for a gentle introduction — this is a practitioner's retreat
— You need a fully curated, low-effort experience — India asks something of you, and so does this retreat
— You are not willing to commit to the full schedule — this container is designed as a whole, not a pick-and-mix
— You are resistant to ceremony, ritual, or devotional practice — the heart of this retreat is bhakti
— You are not a woman — this is a women's retreat, held in a women-only container

Investment

Join the pilgrimage

This is a sacred journey, not a luxury holiday. The investment reflects ten days of profound teaching, authentic ceremony, and transformational experience in one of the holiest cities on earth.

Shared Room

Desert Rose Shared

$3,850

USD · Payment plans available

Limited spaces at this rate

  • 10 nights shared accommodation
  • All meals (sattvic vegetarian)
  • All ceremonies, havans & pujas
  • All workshops, classes & pilgrimages
  • Local transfers throughout
Reserve Shared Room

Single Room

Desert Rose Private

$4,150

USD · Payment plans available

Very limited single rooms

  • 10 nights private single room
  • All meals (sattvic vegetarian)
  • All ceremonies, havans & pujas
  • All workshops, classes & pilgrimages
  • Local transfers throughout
Reserve Single Room

Payment Plans — A non-refundable deposit of $800 secures your place. The remaining balance can be paid in instalments. Contact us to discuss. Deposits are transferable to a future retreat in the event of cancellation with 60+ days notice.

From Past Retreatants

"I arrived as one person and left as another. Not because anything external changed — but because something ancient inside me remembered itself. Isis holds the space for the kind of transformation that pilgrimage is meant to create."

— Previous Retreat Participant

FAQ

Your questions

Do I need prior experience with yoga or sadhana?
A genuine longing to go deeper is the only prerequisite. Some participants will be experienced practitioners; others will be arriving at their first encounter with classical yogic tradition. All are welcome. The practices are taught from the ground up, and the land and the ceremonies themselves are the greatest teachers.
How do I get to Pushkar?
Fly into Jaipur International Airport (JAI) — the nearest major airport, approximately 2.5 hours from Pushkar. We recommend arriving in Jaipur the day before the retreat begins. Transfer to Pushkar by taxi or bus. We will share detailed travel guidance upon booking.
Is this appropriate for someone new to India?
Yes. We hold the container carefully, providing guidance on how to move through the culture with respect and openness. That said, India is not always comfortable — it is destabilising in the most beautiful way. Come expecting your world to be expanded, not catered to.
What is the refund / cancellation policy?
The $800 deposit is non-refundable in all circumstances but is transferable to a future retreat with 60+ days notice. Cancellations within 60 days of the retreat start date forfeit 50% of the total amount paid. We strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance covering cancellation.
What should I bring?
Light, modest cotton clothing suitable for temples and pilgrimage (covered shoulders and knees). A shawl or pashmina for cool desert evenings and morning sadhana. Comfortable walking shoes. A journal. An open heart. A full packing list is sent upon booking confirmation.

The desert is calling.

15 souls. 10 days. One sacred city. Mahashivaratri 2027.

Only 15 spaces available — reserve yours before the retreat fills.

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