 |
| ABOUT TRIPS REGISTER LEADER INCENTIVES BEFORE YOU GO ECO-TRAVEL PHOTOS CONTACT |
 |
|
Spiritual Journey to the Motherland: South India Yoga, Temple, Ayurveda, and Nature Tour with Michele Baker and Melanie Buffett Feb 6 - 21, 2012 Chennai, Pondicherry, Auroville, Tiruvannamalai, Bangalore, Mysore, Coorg Valley $3600 ($225 / day) Includes 2 meals per day, all domestic transportation, lodging, entrance fees, guides, daily yoga. Does not include international airfare, guide tips or charitable donations. Dive deep into the spiritual core of South India by exploring all that its famous for...Hindu temples, ayurvedic treatments, yoga, the beach and mountains. Arrive in Chennai, formerly known as Madras, and the capital of Tamil Nadu. From there we being our journey... Day 1: Arrive Chennai. Overnight Chennai. Day 2: Chennai to Pondicherry via Mahallabalapuram - In the morning, drive 1 hour to Mahalbalipuram, a World Heritage site where several rock-cut temples built in the 7th C. sit on the beach. Continue 1.5 hrs to Pondicherry, a small coastal city with French flavor. Visit Sri Aurobindo's Ashram. Overnight Pondicherry. Day 3: Pondicherry to Auroville - Morning yoga with leaders. Shopping. After lunch, drive 30 mins. to Auroville, a universal township created by The Mother in 1968. Relax on beach. Overnight Pondicherry. Day 4: Auroville to Tiruvannamalai - After morning yoga, drive 2 hrs to Tiruvannamalai, one of the most venerated places in Tamil Nadu and home of the sacred shrine of Lord Arunachaleswara. In the afternoon, take a South Indian cooking class before an evening chanting session at Ramana Maharshi's ashram. Overnight Tiruvannamalai. Day 5: Tiruvannamalai - After morning yoga, visit the bustling temple and in the afternoon, climb Arunachala hill for incredible views and to see the cave that Ramana Maharshi meditated in for 14 years. Overnight Tiruvannamalai. Day 6 Tiruvannamalai to Bangalore via Vellore - After morning yoga, drive 1.5 hours to Vellore to visit Sripuram Golden Mahalaxmi Temple, a temple dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi and carved of gold. Tour of temple and amd participate in the various sevas offered. Continue on to Bangalore (4 hrs). Overnight Bangalore. Day 7: Bangalore - After morning yoga, visit a poor Muslim girls school where young girls have the opportunity to be educated and go to college. Visit www.awccschools.com for more information. Afternoon drive to Ayurveda center. Day 8-10: Ayurveda Gram - Spend 3 days diving into ayurvedic treatments at an authentic Indian center. Starting at 6am, the day is filled with yoga, pranayama, meditation and therapy treatments. Day 11: Bangalore to Mysore - After morning yoga and breakfast, take 11am train to Mysore. Famous for its traditional painting and its silk, sandalwood and incense production, Mysore is now known as an international centre for Ashtanga yoga. Afternoon free to explore. Day 12: Mysore - After morning yoga, visit the market, Pattabhi Jois' Ashtanga center, sandalwood factory, Maharaja's Palace. Day 13: Mysore to Coorg Valley - Morning drive 2 hours to the Coorg Valley stopping at Bylakupee, the largest Tibetan settlement outside of Tibet! Circumnavigate the enormous Golden Temple and surrounding stupas and eat lunch with the monks. Continue on to the Coorg Valley, home to native Kodava people a lovely area filled with coffee and spice plantations. Enjoy late afternoon yoga with Michele and Melanie. Overnight Coorg Valley guesthouse. Day 14: Coorg Valley - After morning yoga, either hike to the tallest mountain in the area or just walk around the guesthouse and watch the incredible display of butterflies. Take a tour of the plantation. Overnight Coorg Valley guesthouse. Day 15: Coorg Valley to Mangalore - After morning yoga and lunch, drive 2.5 hrs to Mangalore to catch a 6:30pm flight to Chennai. Overnight Chennai. Day 16: Chennai sightseeing - Visit Desikichar's renowned yoga center. Do last minute shopping. In the evening, return to the USA. |
|
|
 Michele Baker, E-R.Y.T 500. Founder; Swan River Yoga * New Orleans, LA Michele Baker has the highest status possible with Yoga Alliance, and has been teaching yoga full-time in the Gulf Region and New Orleans since 1998. She has numerous certifications with yoga Masters and travels the region sharing these teachings. She is most recently an Anusara Inspired Yoga Teacher working towards Certification and a certified Jivamukti Yoga teacher. Michele also has certifications with Geshe Michael Roach and Lama Christie in the study of The Yoga Sutras from Tibetan Heart Yoga, Thai Yoga Massage Therapy, and is a Level 3 Reiki Master. She honors her teachers, Ram Dass, and numerous Shamans from Central America, who assist her in keeping her energy clear, as an open conduit of light. Michele gratefully has over 8,000 hours of teaching experience, and is the Director of the first ever Yoga Teacher Training School in New Orleans, and the Founder of Swan River Yoga. As a bhakti yogini, Michele travels the world teaching, leading several retreats every year. She enjoys performance art, hiking, surfing, singing, and playing her harp and harmonium. Her Highest art is to make love and beauty with the mystery of life. She pays Highest honor to her teachers, whom she continues to visit often for inspiration. Contact Michele. |
 Melanie Buffett Founder; Yoga Birds * Fairhope, AL Melanie Buffett is a dedicated yogini and Alabama Gulf Coast native. Her mission as a yoga teacher is to help people discover Spirit and Joy in embodiment. She cultivated a daily study and practice of yoga living in Los Angeles from 1996 to 2000. A teacher since 2003, she has completed extensive study and training in the Iyengar and Anusara yoga systems. She is a Yoga Alliance Registered Teacher. She recently completed Level 1 Anusara Yoga Teacher Training in New Orleans and is pursuing Anusara Yoga Inspired Teacher Status. Melanie holds a Basic Level Practitioner Certification from the Center for Thai Yoga Therapy at The White Lotus Foundation in Ojai, California and has studied Ayurveda and Thai Massage at The Lotus Palm School in Montreal Canada. Melanie is the owner and founder of Yoga Birds, a yoga studio, lifestyle boutique, and teacher training center located in the idyllic bird sanctuary Fairhope, Alabama. Melanie credits her students as her most influential teachers. She has taught yoga in Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Fairhope. She and her musician husband, Burke Ingraffia enjoy splitting their time between the solitude of coastal living and dancing to the funky pulse of New Orleans. For more information visit www.melaniebuffett.com |
They say in India, Sub Kulch Malega or Anything is Possible. Things rarely happen quite like you expect. Our schedules are an outline. In the event of unforeseeable circumstances the itinerary may change. An enjoyable experience takes precedence over everything else.
|