Yoga Vacation ProgramOctober 25 — 28, 2026
A Returning to the Self
A Three-Part Journey into Inner Freedom
Acharya Shunya
Acharya Shunya guides participants through a timeless Vedic exploration of the Self. Beginning with the direct recognition of one’s true nature (Atman), moving through an understanding of the forces that veil this truth (Maya), and culminating in the art of living with freedom and clarity in everyday life, this series offers both insight and inner experience. Rooted in Advaita Vedanta, this program invites a return to what has always been whole, aware, and undisturbed.
3 Satsangs:
Each evening is a 45-minute satsang that unfolds as a living inquiry rather than a lecture. Through simple contemplations, subtle guidance, and moments of inward stillness, participants are invited not just to understand these teachings but to recognize them within their own experience.
3 workshops:
Samadrishti – Seeing with Equal Vision
In this workshop, Acharya Shunya invites participants to explore what it means to see life without the constant coloring of personal preferences, judgments, and inner divisions. Samadrishti is not about forcing sameness or suppressing feelings. It is about recognizing the same underlying presence in all beings, even as forms, roles, and behaviors differ. Through guided reflection and simple relational inquiry, we begin to notice where the mind creates separation and where it can soften into a more spacious way of seeing. This shift is not abstract. It touches how we meet others, how we respond to difficulty, and how we hold ourselves. As the lens of perception clears, a natural balance begins to emerge, bringing both compassion and steadiness into daily interactions.
Asanga – Inner Freedom in the Midst of Life
In this session, Acharya Shunya guides participants in a deeper inquiry into the subtle ways we become entangled in our experiences. Asanga does not ask us to withdraw from life or become indifferent. Rather, it reveals how one can remain fully present without becoming burdened by what is experienced. Participants are gently led to observe how attachment forms, how identity gathers around thoughts and emotions, and how holding creates inner heaviness. Through simple contemplative exercises, a different possibility begins to open, where life continues to move, but the inner space remains light, open, and undisturbed. This is the beginning of a freedom that does not depend on circumstances, but on a shift in understanding.
Yajna Living – The Art of Offering in Everyday Life
In this workshop, Acharya Shunya brings the teachings into the field of action. Yajna is introduced not only as a sacred ritual, but as a way of living in which every action becomes an offering. Participants are invited to reflect on where effort feels heavy, where control tightens the mind, and how a subtle shift toward offering can bring ease and meaning into daily life. The insight of idam na mama, this is not mine, is explored not as rejection, but as a doorway into lightness and trust. Gradually, action becomes less about personal burden and more about alignment, allowing one to participate in life with clarity, sincerity, and quiet freedom.
No prior background in Vedanta is required. Whether you are new to these teachings or have walked this path for years, these gatherings offer a space to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the deeper ground of your being.
Come as you are. Leave with a quiet shift that continues to unfold within.
Offered as 3 satsangs and 3 workshops (subject to change).
The presentations associated with this Yoga Vacation Program begin with an 8pm satsang on the first day of the program and conclude with a 90-minute noon workshop on the last day of the program. Click here to read more about the Yoga Vacation Program details and view the ashram schedule for yoga classes and meals during your stay. We suggest you arrive at least one day prior to the start of your program for the optimal experience.
Acharya Shunya was born and raised in Ayodhya, the sacred city of Lord Rama in northern India, in a family of grhastha sadhus, householders who were also yogis and teachers rooted in a living spiritual tradition. Her great-grandfather, grandfather, and father were all respected teachers of the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, and Advaita Vedanta. From them, she inherited not only scriptural wisdom but a lived understanding that spiritual life can unfold in the very heart of household life.
Today, she carries her lineage forward as the founder of Vedika Global, an international nonprofit based in the San Francisco Bay Area and dedicated to preserving and sharing her lineage’s wisdom. She is also the guiding teacher of the Vedic Study Circle, a global learning community with students from 21 countries studying the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, and the four yogas: Bhakti, Karma, Jnana, and Upasana.
She is the award-winning and bestselling author of Ayurveda Lifestyle Wisdom, Roar Like a Goddess, and Sovereign Self, and the host of the widely heard podcast Shadow to Self. As a mother, teacher, and lineage-holder, she has devoted her life to making the wisdom of the sages accessible, lived, and transformative for seekers today.
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