As students of yoga and life, going back to the Source and meeting Mother India will be a blessing for our practice and teaching.
ITINERARY
DECEMBER 27, 2024
Depart from US or Europe (Dec 28) to Kochi.
DECEMBER 29
Transfer by minibus from Kochi airport to Chamundi Hill Palace, Kerala.
DECEMBER 30 TO JANUARY 3
Ayurveda, yoga and creativity at Chamundi. Daily ayurvedic treatment/massages and supervision with resident ayurvedic physician Dr Sheela. Guided tour of spice garden with Jibu. Puja at local temple. Houseboat tour on the Backwaters
JANUARY 3, 2025
Depart for the great city of Madurai, stay at Royal Court Hotel, deluxe accommodations with two participants per room. Visit Meenakshi and Tiruparankundaram temples and the famous Bazaar.
JANUARY 5-6
Explore Thanjavur. Visit of Temple and Palace and immersion in deep rural India.
JANUARY 7
Depart for Mahabalipuram. Lunch at Ramana Maharshi Ashram. Stay at Ideal Beach resort.
JANUARY 8-10
Explore Mahabalipuram. Visit the Shore Temple and the famous bas-relief, the descent of the Ganges. Visit Auroville near Pondichery. Optional swim in the Bay of Bengal.
JANUARY 11
Depart from Chennai International Airport and arrival in U.S or Europe.
Instructors
François Raoult, M.A., ERYT500, C-IAYT
François is the founder and director of Open Sky Yoga Center in Rochester, NY and has taught yoga since 1975. For a decade, he toured Europe with an avant-garde puppet theater and composed music for the plays. The manipulation of string puppets led him to explore yoga and tai chi. He conducts seminars, international retreats and teacher training worldwide. He also leads international retreats with his wife Nathalie in India, Mexico, Crete and Venice…. A graduate of the Ecole Nationale de Yoga in Paris (with direct disciples of Sri Krishnamacharya) and among the first french yoga instructors to study in Pune,India with Sri B.K.S. Iyengar from whom he received a Junior 3 certification. François also has explored meditation, ayurveda and experiential anatomy. Certified in Gong and Laughing Yoga(!). François completed the international Sound Healer program in Spain and also holds a master’s degree in Ethnomusicology.
Nathalie Alvarez
Nathalie is François’s partner in life and co-creator of the Journey to India. A pioneer in the fields of massage and transpersonal therapy since 1981— Nathalie directed L’Ecole du Corps Conscience, based in Montpellier, France. Nathalie’s work combines expression, symbolism, mandalas and color therapy.
LOGISTICS
COST
$4450 (not including airfare)
$800 non-refundable deposit
Balance due June 1, 2024. No refunds after September 1, 2024 unless you find someone to take your place.
$4450 fee includes all yoga sessions with François, all journaling sessions with Nathalie, art supplies, transportation on AC bus, all meals, hotels, Ayurvedic massage, Kathakali performance and class, houseboat excursion in the waters of Kerala, visits to sacred temples of Thanjavur, Madurai, Mahabalipuram and Auroville, transfer from Kochi to Chamundi.
FLIGHT ARRANGEMENTS
For flights from US: we work with a travel agency special- izing in Indian travel. For departures from other countries, contact your local travel agent. You need to arrive on the morning of the 29th in Kerala.
Information on immunizations, visa and travel insurance info will be sent after registration.
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
A Visa is needed for India. See Travista Outsourcing, http://indiavisa.travisaoutsourcing. com/
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Suggested travel insurance: travelex.com or statravel.com
Download and print flyer: PDF
For more information: Francois Raoult
| Option | Fee | |
|---|---|---|
| Non-refundable Deposit, Journey 2024-25 | $800 | |
| The Journey 2024-25 Balance | $3650 | |
| Full Fee, The Journey 2024-25 | $4450 |