5 DAY KASHMIR SHAIVISM RETREAT (INCLUDING SHAKTIPAT INTENSIVE)

What to expect:

For those who would like to delve deeper into the theory as well as the practice of Kashmir Shaivism this retreat will take a closer look at some of the key points and deeper meanings in a way that is relatable to everyday life and your own spiritual path.

On the second day we will be joined by a local guide and take some of the practices to the sacred sites of Glastonbury and experience the ancient energies which draw people to this magical place from all over the world, including the Abbey where King Arthur's tomb lays, the Chalice Well housing the red spring and the sacred cavern beneath the White Spring.

This retreat will also include some morning yoga and the 2 day Shaktipat intensive experience which is a rare opportunity for spiritual awakening through Shaktipat, the sacred transmission of Divine energy through an awakened master.

Through the Siddha lineage, Shaktipat works across three levels of Kundalini:
· Prana Kundalini · Chit Kundalini · Para Kundalini ·
The depth of awakening is unique to each student and unfolds according to their readiness.

Rooted in the Classical Tantric wisdom of Kashmir Shaivism, and the Siddha Yoga lineage of Sri Baba Muktananda (direct disciple of Bhagavan Nityananda), this retreat offers an intimate space for personal spiritual development and evolution in the presence of a living master of the Siddha lineage.

The 5 day Retreat will include:

- Deep Dive into the Non-Dual Wisdom Teachings from Kashmir Shaivism, Vedanta & Vigyan Bhairav Classical Tantra
- Morning yoga on the first 3 days
- Yatra (Pilgrimage) with Spiritual Practice at the Sacred Sites of Glastonbury with a Local Expert
- Shaktipat Transmission
- Kundalini Activation
- Meditation
- Satsang
- Bijas to Unblock Chakras
- Pranayama
- Yoga Nidra
- Ecstatic Kirtan on Saturday Evening (Optional, included)
- Wholesome Vegetarian Lunch on all days (please specify on checkout form if you have any food allergies or intolerances)

Logisitics:

- There is NO parking available on site, local paid car parks can be found using google maps
- Breakfast, Dinner and overnight accommodation is by your own arrangement
- Limited concessions for those experiencing financial hardship - please contact us directly to discuss

- What to bring: Cushion, Yoga Mat, Layers, Warm Socks / Slippers, Shawl, Water Bottle, Journal & Pen. On the Thursday we will have the Yatra (spiritual pilgrimage which will require a total of around 45-60mins of walking over the day so please bring comfortable outdoor shoes and a hooded jacket or umbrella if the weather is wet (we will only walk very short distances if heavy rain). You may also like to bring a couple of empty water bottles to fill at the Red and White Springs on that day.

Please arrive 5 minutes early on all days to get settled and started on time.

About Your Teacher: Swami Brahmananda - A Short Bio:

Swami Brahmananda Saraswati (David Nowe) is a spiritual teacher whose remarkable life bridges family, business, Western philosophy and psychology, and more than five decades of spiritual practice.

Born in Pittsburgh as the eldest of 13 children, he graduated from Columbia University and also studied in France, Lebanon and Japan. Before becoming a spiritual teacher, his life took him through the worlds of Broadway, business and Wall Street, giving him first-hand experience of the pressures, ambitions and possibilities of modern professional life. He has also spoken about how meditation and spiritual practice profoundly influenced his approach to business and his experience of creating abundance.

His spiritual path has included deep exploration of Kashmir Shaivism, Vedanta and Siddha Yoga alongside Buddhism, Sufism and Christianity, as well as Western psychology and approaches to human potential. He has taught meditation, A Course in Miracles and HeartMath, combining ancient wisdom with practical tools for conscious living.

In 1975, he met the renowned Indian spiritual master Swami Muktananda and received Shaktipat initiation. At the time, Brahmananda was suffering from severe rheumatoid arthritis requiring medication. Following Shaktipat, he experienced a profound Kundalini awakening accompanied by spontaneous kriyas — involuntary movements understood within the yogic tradition as part of a process of energetic purification — and has described experiencing a spontaneous healing from the arthritis.

This encounter became a turning point in his life. He spent the following eight years studying, practising and working with Muktananda in his ashrams and received initiation as a sannyasi, taking the name Brahmananda. In 1981, Muktananda asked him to establish an ashram in Los Angeles and appointed him National Coordinator of Siddha Yoga centres and ashrams across the United States.

After living the renunciate path, Brahmananda later returned to householder life for a period, marrying and raising a family while continuing his spiritual practice and teaching, before subsequently returning to life as a Swami. This breadth of experience gives him a rare practical understanding of integrating spirituality with relationships, parenting, work, money and everyday life.

In 1995, he founded the God Realization Ministry, sharing Siddha Yoga principles in more than 200 Christian churches. He has travelled and taught in more than 75 countries and served as Spiritual Director at Simple Peace Retreats in Assisi, Italy.

Warm, humorous and down-to-earth, Brahmananda is far from the stereotype of a spiritual teacher removed from ordinary life. His teachings draw upon a lifetime encompassing family, career, financial success, relationships, different cultures and faiths, as well as decades of meditation and spiritual practice. His message is not about withdrawing from life, but discovering how awakening can be lived and embodied within it.

FAQs:

Who is this for? Do I need to have experience in meditation or yoga?

No experience is necessary - only a genuine openness and willingness to sit, engage and receive. This retreat is for you if you are feeling called to learn or deepen a meditation practice, are curious about receiving direct spiritual transmission, would like to develop a personal connection with a living spiritual master, are longing for deeper peace, clarity or meaning, or are currently navigating stress, transition, burnout, or a lack of direction or purpose. These are just some of the many reasons people come - feel free to reach out and ask. Swami Brahmananda is always welcoming of contact and will personally answer your questions.

What is Shaktipat?

Shaktipat literally means “the descent of Divine Power” - Shakti meaning Divine Energy or Power, and Pat meaning to fall or descend. Through the grace of a light touch, glance, words or presence of the Guru, the spiritual energy is awakened within us, allowing it to be experienced and embodied here and now. Different spiritual traditions use different language for divine presence and awakening, with concepts such as Shakti, the Holy Spirit, Buddha-nature or Christ consciousness - each arising within its own distinct tradition and carrying its own meaning.

What is Kundalini?

Kundalini is the innate spiritual energy that lives within every person - an expression of Shakti, the Divine life force that animates us and all of existence. When awakened, Kundalini supports expanded awareness, deeper meditation, and recognition of one’s true Self.

What is Kashmir Shaivism?

Kashmir Shaivism is a nondual Tantric tradition, with the goal of embodied enlightenment, which understands Shiva as pure consciousness and Shakti as its living, creative power. Shiva and Shakti are inseparable - consciousness and its dynamic expression as the body, mind, nature and the world of all objects and experience. Rather than seeking liberation by transcending or escaping the body or the world, this tradition recognises the body, the universe and all experience as expressions of the Divine. Its path therefore is one of embodied awakening: recognising our true nature as consciousness while bringing that recognition fully into the experience of being alive, here and now.

What is Vigyan Bhairav Tantra?

Vigyan Bhairav Tantra is a classic text of Kashmir Shaivism offering 112 meditation doorways into awakened consciousness. Rather than separating spiritual practice from daily life, it reveals breath, sound, sensation, silence, and presence as direct paths to the recognition of the Self.

What is Siddha Yoga?

Siddha Yoga is a spiritual path rooted in the Indian yogic tradition, especially the nondual teachings of Kashmir Shaivism and Vedanta. It emphasises meditation, mantra, chanting, self-inquiry, devotion, and Shaktipat - the awakening of inner spiritual energy through the grace of the Guru. At its heart is the recognition that the divine Self is not separate from us, but is our true Self, and that spiritual practice and the grace of the Guru help reveal this innate state of awakened consciousness.

What is Yoga Nidra?

Yoga Nidra means “yogic sleep,” but it is not ordinary sleep. It is a guided meditative practice in which the body becomes deeply relaxed while awareness remains awake and present. In Yoga Nidra, participants are usually guided while lying down through breath awareness, body awareness, inner visualisation, and progressively deeper states of relaxation. The practice invites the body and mind into profound rest while cultivating an underlying state of conscious awareness.

What is Kirtan?

Kirtan is a joyful, participatory form of devotional group chanting and singing, rooted in the Indian yogic tradition and often utilising “call and response”. Through shared voice, mantra, rhythm, and repetition, kirtan can quiet the thinking mind, open the heart, and create a powerful sense of connection and ecstatic presence.