DIVINE FEMININE RETREAT IN RISHIKESH, INDIA
FEBRUARY 19 / MARCH 2, 2025
A very unique and authentic retreat for conscious women
Connects the beauty and spirituality of Mama India with your own pure inner world
Then you will certainly feel called to join us on this healing journey through the 5 Elements and 5 Goddesses in India. The idea of this journey has been maturing in us for a while now... we feel that the right moment has come. With a small group of conscious women we are going to take this step of deep and healing transformation in Rishikesh, at the foot of the Himalayas and the banks of Ma Ganga, the sacred river Ganges.
We take you through the 5 elements, each of which is connected to an Indian goddess also called Devi in Sanskrit.
Through various Indian and shamanic rituals and ceremonies, visiting places of power and singing mantras and meditations on sacred places, we will discover the aspects of each goddess within ourselves. With systemic constellations we will delve deeper into what each element and aspect says about us, to clarify what we want to transform.
We start each day with yoga, pranayama, mantras and a circle to share our feelings and experiences in a safe and confidential way.
Flexibility in the program to work with what presents itself, is what the energy of India invites us to. It is important to slow down, to observe in silence, to meditate, to wonder and to discover in the inner and outer world, in short: just to Be.
I have been living in and around India since 2022, of which Rishikesh has become my home. After living in Peru for 20 years, I traveled to India for the first time in February 2020. I had the privilege of spending the first 5 months of the lock-down in an authentic Ashram in Rishikesh. That is where my deep connection with ´Ma Ganga´, mantra chanting, Hindu rituals and Kundalini Yoga also originated. Outside of India, I live 3 months of the year in Kathmandu, Nepal and also on the island of Koh Phangan in Thailand.
I am a medicine woman with 16 years of experience in healing with plants and other healing methods from Peru and different parts of the world. One of my biggest passions is healing through singing, voice activation and sound healing with Tibetan singing bowls and other instruments. I also facilitate women and mixed circles, kirtan, cacao ceremonies, offering rings to mother earth, etc.
In Peru, I founded Warmayllu, a Peruvian NGO dedicated to integrating local indigenous arts and wisdom and strengthening traditional healing practices in intercultural education in communities in the Amazon, the Andes and the coast. Through my work in the different villages of “deep Peru (Peru Profundo”), I have gratefully acquired a great deal of practical healing knowledge from the women and men who preserve and transmit this ancient wisdom.
I feel that co-organizing this healing journey to India is a deep part of my mission by creating a bridge between different cultures, healing energy from this Indian power place and going through a deep transformation together.
(Instagram: mariska_umamaheswari / FB: Mariska van Dalfsen)
From a very young age I have traveled a lot and seen a lot of the world. Always fascinated by different lifestyles, cultures and the beauty of nature.
In my 30s the journey within began.
The systemic message was; adapt, don't stand out. That supported me in my travels because I could easily observe from that position. I have also made my profession of this observation. As a coach, trainer and facilitator of (family) constellations I connect, move along but I also know exactly when the system asks for confrontation or pressure to break old patterns.
My passion to support people in their personal development in combination with my fascination for other cultures has also brought me to the path of spirituality and shamanism. As a practitioner I use deepening methods from various cultural and indigenous traditions. For example, I work on the medicine wheel and with the ancestral field. In India I can always feel how spirituality is so organically interwoven with daily life.
The simplicity and beauty of the rituals and ceremonies touches and moves me. I look forward to connecting with you on a deep level in this richness and beauty.
Just be, just be: time to sit in silence by the Ganges and “simply “feel and absorb her healing energy.”
This holy city is situated on the edge of the Ganges and beautifully at the foot of the Himalayas. The Ganges is also lovingly called Mother Ganga. For the Indians she is so holy that you should immerse yourself in her soul-cleansing water at least once in your life.
Rishikesh is also called the Yoga capital of the world because of the many yoga centers located here. Thousands of years ago, this was the place where the most important Rishi's lived, holy men who – through their direct connection with the divine – Hindu scriptures and mantras's channeled.
We will spend our time in and around Sant Sewa Ashram, one of the oldest ashrams in Rishikesh which is situated right on Mother Ganga. It is located in the centre of Laxmanjula area where you will be tempted by shops selling colourful clothes, mala's (prayer beads) in all kinds of stones and seeds, art objects, interesting books, chai shops and restaurants.
From here we will visit several sacred power places by jeep, such as the Vashist cave. This cave has been a place of meditation for thousands of years and is therefore named after Vashist, one of the famous Sapta Rishis. Nearby is also the Arundati cave, which is also called the Christ cave, because the statue of Jesus has been seen here several times. A beautiful place to get into deep meditation. Early in the morning we will visit the Ma Kunjapuri temple to admire a beautiful sunrise and feel the power of Ma Saati, a manifestation of Parvati, the wife of Lord Shiva. We will also visit the Veerbhadra temple, a hidden and lesser known Shiva temple in a tree. We will also participate in several Ganga Aarti's (evening ceremonies), including in the authentic Triveni Gath. Of course we can also enjoy the traditional “Don't miss the "Holy dip" in Ganga. Fortunately, the water of the Ganga is clear and clean here, because we are close to the source of its origin.
Purification, embracing our emotions and letting go of what no longer serves us, trusting and going with the flow of life, intuition, transparency, removing masks, spreading awareness, being.
Connection to mother earth, womb healing, female ancestral lineage, creation, giving and receiving, abundance, strengthening your roots.
Discovering the power of your authentic voice, creativity, expression through art, visualizing, being open to learning new things, manifesting your own potential.
Letting go of old patterns, freeing yourself from fear, transformation, manifesting your unlimited self, courage, discerning what is good for you.
Healing the masculine and feminine within us and the ancestral lineage, to find the balance of the sacred feminine and sacred masculine within ourselves.
The investment for participation in the retreat is € 1595 pp. After registration you will receive a confirmation by email and you will receive an advance invoice of € 195.
(You can cancel your registration until November 30, 2024 and your deposit will be refunded (minus €25 administration costs). In December you will receive the remaining invoice of €1400.
Included in this amount are the following facilities
Exclusive:
We welcome you on Wednesday 19th February in Rishikesh and on Sunday 2nd March we say goodbye to each other and close the retreat after breakfast.
If you would like to explore other parts of India before or afterward, we will be happy to put you in touch with a highly professional and reliable Indian travel agent.
Hotel: We are staying at Sant Sewa Ashram in Laxmanyula Rishikesh. Everyone has their own room. There are a few rooms with a view of Ganga, other rooms are connected with terraces. Each room has its own bathroom with shower and toilet.
Other info:
You must apply for an E visa, which can be done via this link
Website: https://visumbuitenland.nl/india
Cost: 49.50
Please note: only mention that you are going on holiday. As soon as you mention anything that resembles work or a supervised activity, you will be made difficult.
*GGD INFO Vaccinations
make an appointment with the GGD and discuss what the best vaccinations are for you. It changes all the time and it is also personal considerations.
Mandatory vaccinations for India Yellow fever
Vaccination against yellow fever is only mandatory for India if you have been in a yellow fever country in the seven days before entering India. This advice also applies if you have only made a transfer at the airport of a yellow fever country.
Recommended vaccinations for India
DTP Hepatitis A Hepatitis B MMR Typhoid Rabies Tuberculosis Yellow fever Regardless of the length of your stay, the following vaccinations are recommended for India: vaccination against DTP (diphtheria, tetanus and polio) and vaccination against hepatitis A (infectious jaundice). If you have not had measles or a vaccination against measles, a MMR vaccination is recommended for India. For a stay of longer than two weeks, vaccination against typhoid is recommended for India. For a stay of longer than three months, vaccinations against hepatitis B, rabies and in some cases tuberculosis are recommended for India. Sometimes vaccinations against these diseases are recommended for India for a shorter stay. Consult the GGD about this.
Please contact us via email or Whatsapp for questions or to register.
