Yes! And, just like everywhere else in the world, it can also be unsafe. It depends on what situations you get yourself into. Firstly, I will say that we have traveled alone in India countless times for more than a decade and have mostly felt extremely safe. (More so than in many western cities) In the beginning, it does take some time to understand Indian cultural norms and to train yourself to avoid unwanted interactions. Indian people are intensely open, curious and friendly. Being a foreigner in India can attract more attention than you might have experienced before (especially if you look very young). Mostly that attention is good-natured and harmless, but sometimes it can be coming from someone with bad energy or intentions. You can feel the difference. Trusting your intuition is the main key to staying safe in India. If you join the retreat, you will receive a document outlining some of the rules we live by when we are in India (such as how to dress, how to behave, things to do and not do etc.) We will be in our safe little retreat bubble for the whole duration of the retreat. You can land with us and then go exploring after the retreat when you feel adjusted to the culture.

This is the official Indian Visa Website: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/ Yes, it looks like it was made in 1998. But trust us, this is the correct one. You can get your tourist visa online. For most countries you can apply for a single entry 30 day visa, or a multiple entry 1 year visa. Try to do it a week before you go. Usually it takes about 48hrs, but give it some extra days just in case.

The best way to get to Rishikesh is to fly into Dehradun, which is the closest airport to Rishikesh. Your flight to India will land into a major city first and then connect to Dehradun with a domestic flight. To make this the most smooth and easeful journey, we strongly recommend that you take the domestic flight to Dehradun, rather than flying into Delhi and taking a train or bus to Dehradun. If you really, really want to take the train, you must book a few weeks ahead of time and require an Indian phone number in order to do so. Also, be aware that diving straight into central Delhi Railway Station might not be something your nervous system has bandwidth for. Taking trains in India is not as simple as showing up and buying a ticket, trains often sell out & run hours behind schedule. So, please fly into Dehradun.

Taxi. The retreat center is a 30min drive from the center of Rishikesh. We will organize a carpool from Rishikesh. You will receive more information about that as the time comes closer.

If you have a friend living in that city, and they will take really good care of you, no problem. If this is your first time in India and you don't know anyone in that city, we strongly recommend that you do not try to navigate a major city alone. It's probably not going to be a great idea... but could give you a good story to tell. Cities in India can be very intense places for many reasons. They are also polluted in ways that you cannot imagine. It is extremely easy to get very sick in cities through contact with the tap water, contaminated food & really intense air pollution. It is also important that you have some sharp "street-smarts" or cities can be very dangerous places. Robbery & scams are also more common. Rather than going sight-seeing alone in the city as your introduction to India, I would recommend heading straight to Rishikesh to acclimatize, or paying more and staying the night in one of the good airport hotels attached to the airport, and saving sight-seeing and solo travels for after the retreat. Personally, I completely avoid entering into Delhi unless I absolutely have to. If I have to stay some days in Delhi, I stay at the Visaya in South Delhi.

Please buy a SIM card for your phone at the airport with a data plan to last the duration of your stay. It can be a little complicated to get a SIM outside of the airport. Airtel or Jio are the best networks.

Yes! This retreat is for people of all levels of experience. If you have never practiced dance, yoga, or meditation before, this is a great time to start! Our sessions will be accessible practices. Some will be very gentle, others may give you a sweat, a deep experience or some strong insight. You will be welcome to take things at your own pace, rest whenever needed & we are here to support you 100%.

Yes, unless you are sick. If you are tired, it is okay to lie down during the session rather than participating directly in the practices, but it is important that you are in the container. Together we create a current of energy and every time someone steps out of that current, there is a break in the chain and it can scatter the energy and discourage other students from fully showing up.

You will need... - Your Passport - An Indian Visa, which you can now easily get online. - Comfortable, modest clothing for wearing around the retreat center that respects cultural norms in India. Bring like a large shawl to cover shoulders and wear loose skirts or pants that cover your knees. Also bring a warm layer for cool evenings. - Comfortable clothes for dance & yoga practice, the same as like what you wear in your own country is fine. Our practice space is private so come as you like. - A journal and pencils or pens. - A yoga mat if you like to have your own one. Mats will be provided, but its always nice to have your own. - A sarong & your swimsuit for the river. - Flipflops or shoes that easily slip on and off as there are no shoes allowed inside. - Earplugs if you need to wear them to share a sleeping space. *If you know that you snore, please let us know in advance. - A couple of dresses that make you feel feminine. - Any medicines you are taking, including emergency medicines for asthma or allergy. - Musical instruments if you want to share music.

Ideally you can switch off your phone for the duration of the retreat and get a real digital detox. If you want to keep your phone on as a clock, we ask that your phone stays in Aeroplane Mode in your bag and serves as a clock only. You cannot bring your phone into the temple space for any of the sessions. We also understand that everyone has a life and a family and a job, and if you need to make contact with anyone we ask that you can keep that to the minimum and only use your phone in the reception of the retreat center only, not in the rooms. We are creating a shared frequency and we would love it if we could just hold full presence to the here and now and put the phones away for this time.

This retreat is not suitable for young children who need to be entertained to come into the temple space. However, if you have a partner who wants to join and take care of your child so that you can be present in the space then this could be possible. Please let us know if you have this situation in your application.

No. We will be in silence from the time we wake up in the mornings until after the breakfast break. This gives us all some time to be with ourselves, even though we are in a group. It minimizes the amount of chit-chat and gives us a sacred time to reflect. Silence can feel awkward in the beginning, but rest assured, you will cherish the time when it ends. If you have any major issue that is coming up for you that you need to discuss during the silence, of course we can talk about it in private. We are available to hear and support you in any way we can.

A 50% deposit is required to secure your place on the retreat, and in doing so, we reserve a space for you. This deposit is non-refundable if you need to cancel, as we have a limited capacity. We may however be able to refund your deposit if another person is able to take your place. It will be taken on a case-by-case basis.