Marieke's Art of Living

Days One - Four

Chennai
Guests are advised that the best airline schedule to reach Chennai is with Singapore Airlines.
On arrival this evening, you will be met at the airport and transferred to the Dune Eco Resort, your home for four nights, is located on the Bay of Bengal, 15 kms north of Pondicherry. Spread over 30 acres with 700 metres of sea front, the Resort has a range of aesthetically pleasing and unique villas that fuse recycled building materials from traditional Kerala houses and old colonial mansions into a funky contemporary architecture with solar heating. There is a swimming pool, tennis court, and an organic farm that provides the produce for the health-inspired cuisine.

The Resort also boasts an ‘Artist in Residence’ programme and shelters the ‘Children of the World India’ activities, a charitable trust with an organic farm model and catering school for Tsunami affected youngsters. Since long ago, Swamis from the nearby temples of Mahabalipuram have used this scenic beach reserve as a place of pilgrimage and meditation.

We provide daily early morning and late afternoon yoga and meditation sessions as well as yoga nidra before you retire under the expert and deeply empathetic tutelage of Saraswathi.
The cuisine here is a delectable highlight focusing on Ayurvedic principles of nutrition and there will be the opportunity to learn some dishes from the executive chef.

Their Veda Spa is under the guidance of Dr Krishna Varma aka Dr Bobby. He has been associated with Apollo hospitals for the past 6 years and graduated in the Ayurveda System of medicine and surgery from Dr. M.G.R. Medical University. With intensive training both in the theory and practice of Ayurveda Medicine for the past 12 years, he specializes in the "Varma Healing Process", a unique technique in Ayurvedic healing for Arthritis, Disc prolapse and many chronic diseases. Veda SPA provides more than 5O external and internal therapies from a simple relaxing experience to complete cures for serious medical problems.

During the days you will be offered a wonderful variety of cultural excursions that could include visits to:

Pondicherry, a French colony since the 17th C that was returned to the Central Indian Government in 1954. Today it retains much of its early colonial charm with well preserved mellow grey and white mansions, tropical gardens, ornate Hindu temples, and French cafés.
At the heart of the old town is Sri Aurobindo Ashram, established by the guru whose life as a Nationalist political activist in the early 20thC transmuted into a philosophy espousing the birth of a new spirit and race of people living with peace and purpose. His protégé, a Parisienne, Mira Alfassa , “the Mother” continued his work until 1973 and inaugurated the renowned “intentional Community” of Auroville (the “City of Dawn”) in 1968, some kilometres out of town. Based on a utopian concept of human unity and social integration, Auroville’s 8000 hectares houses over 2000 people from some 30+ nationalities, exploring new urban concepts, organic gardens, water conservation, eco-enterprise projects and innovative architecture, conserving a large dry evergreen tropical forest, and developing unique educational and spiritual programs as an extension of the Aurobindo.

Day Five
After breakfast, drive from Pondi to Chettinad (290 kms) via Tanjore (Thanjavur),
En route, visit Chidambaram temple an important Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, also the Chola Dynasty (11th- and 12th-century) Brihadisvara Temple representing the outstanding creative achievement in the architectural conception of the pure form of the dravida type of temple, and time permitting the bronze foundry where India’s most revered holy images are cast at the Satpathy Workshop in Swamimalai. Over 23 generations, Satpathy mastered the ancient art of bronze casting which traces its origins from the Indus Valley civilization and achieved its apogee during the Chola period. Chola period bronzes were created using the lost wax technique, which is also know by its French name, cire perdue, and is the process by which a bronze or brass is cast from an artist's sculpture.

This evening check into Visalam, your home for the next four nights. This heritage boutique hotel of only 15 rooms is a very fine example of a Chettiar's mid-century mansion. The Chettiar community were -and are - prosperous traders with a far-flung diaspora, stretching away to Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia. But their roots are here, in this ancient dust of Chettinad, deep in the Tamil Nadu interior. The 74 villages of Chettinad stretch over 600 sq. kms. of mostly arid land with a splash of green at irregular intervals. This is a region of outstanding cuisine, palatial houses and temples with its gopurams in colours varying from washed-out to recently painted tomato red, cobalt blue, parrot green and sunflower yellow. There is also a basket weaving industry and the flourishing, local Authangudi tile making industry, stone carvers, silver smiths, and wood carvers. The weather is warm and life in Chettinad is slow-moving and comfortable. The Chettiars spend their lives circumscribed by traditions and responsibilities handed down by the previous generations.

Days Six to Eight

As well as daily yoga sessions morning and evening and philiosophical discussions with Saras,

our stay coincides with Krishna Janmashtami / Srikrishna Jayanti
, Birth of Krishna – a Hindu festival celebrating birth of Lord Krishna, an avatar of god Vishnu
Friday, so expect to see great local temple activity.
The main objective of Lord Krishna's birth was to re-establish righteousness and to restore peace on Mother Earth from the demons and on this day, Hindu houses are beautifully decorated by women and sweets and other special recipes are made and offered to the lord. Many Devotees fast for the entire day and break it after the birth of Lord Krishna at midnight. People also make child footprint marks using some flour mixed with water in the entire house and sing bhajans, and chant Shri Krishna Mantras.

One day a visit to Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Meenakshi Ashram near Madurai is arranged for a class, special philosophy lecture by Swami Govindananda Saraswathi and ashram lunch.
(H.H. Swami Sivananda (1887 - 1963), one of the greatest saints of modern times, is the spiritual strength behind the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta centers. Swami Sivananda's teachings are a synthesis of all the formal paths of yoga. He trained many exceptional disciples in yoga and vedanta - among them, Swami Vishnudevananda, whom he sent to the West in order to reawaken the spirit of the teachings of yoga.
"Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate, Realize."

Swami Vishnudevananda- Founder (1927 - 1993) Disciple of Swami Sivananda, founder of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres, is a world renowned authority on hatha and raja yoga. By closely observing the lifestyles of the people of the west, he synthesized the ancient wisdom of yoga into five principles that could be easily incorporated into a more modern lifestyle to provide the foundation for healthy living.
"Health is wealth, Peace of mind is happiness, Yoga shows the way."

Day Nine

After breakfast, depart for drive to Madurai airport for flight to Bangalore (14.10/15.30) then drive to SOUKYA International Holistic Health Centre - an exceptional and unique Health resort established by Dr. Isaac Mathai M.D.(Hom), M.R.C.H.(Lond) and his wife, Suja Issac M.Sc.,M.Phil.(Foods & Nutrition).

You will spend four nights here.
Based on personal experience, this is an ideal revivifying, cleansing way to finish your South Indian journey and to experience the benefits from this residential integrative medical centre that treats the person with a holistic approach.
Rooms are spacious, charming and come with a private courtyard garden. The grounds are lush with fruit trees, flowers, medicinal plants and vegetables.

Days Ten to Twelve
During the days at Soukya, there will be twice daily yoga and meditation sessions with Baxter.

After an evaluation you will be recommended a personalised therapeutic and treatment protocol according to your health, ailments and dosha type.
Included at Soukya will be 2 hours per day of specific Ayurvedic treatments and an all ovo-vegetarian organic diet specified for you by the doctors.
Additional services can be procured at cost.

There will aslo be lectures on Ayurveda food + nutrition, how to take Ayurveda into a western lifestyle and a cooking demonstration.

Days Thirteen to Fifteen

The last two nights you will spend at Shreyas Retreat located on organic farmlands outside Bangalore.

Shreyas establishment has been the inspiration of a banker who established its 11 rooms as comparable to most elegant Asian hotels/resorts in ambience, service and comfort, whilst avoiding the typical "five-star" trappings of such hotels. Set in 25 acres of pristine countryside, it offers a luxurious home away from home with an emphasis on sattvic organic vegetarian cuisine, yoga, meditation and Vedanta philosophy.

Daily yoga meditation and chanting sessions will be offered. A Naturopath is available for consultation and therapists are expertly trained in massage and healing treatments.
If you choose to, you can learn to cook, work in the organic agricultural garden and interact with local village school children learning from, and teaching them. Shreyas offers a wonderful opportunity for guests to get a glimpse into the simple, hardworking lives of the local villagers. And, for those who are interested, exercises in Community Service and ‘Voluntourism initiatives’ are arranged by Shreyas at the local village, schools and orphanages.

Day Fifteen
Bangalore departure
This evening you will be driven to Bangalore International Airport for your international departure or onward travels in India.

© This Tour remains the Copyright of Marieke’s Art of Living.
We reserve the right to change the Itinerary at any time in the best interests of our clients and students.

Knowing others is intelligence. Knowing yourself is true wisdom ~Lao Tse

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A Note about the Yoga Journey:

The programme may also be booked as 9-day journey leaving after Visalam, allowing an international departure from Bangalore on Day 9 evening via a flight from Madurai,
or
as a 13-day programme, allowing an international departure on day 13 from Bangalore, after Soukya