
The Bhagavad Gita is one of the world’s most profound spiritual texts, offering timeless wisdom for navigating personal and collective challenges. Set within the epic Mahabharata, the Gita addresses a question that remains deeply relevant today: “What is the right thing to do here and now?” Faced with uncertainty, conflict, and rapid change, its teachings provide practical guidance for living with purpose, clarity, and integrity.
In this illuminating program, we will explore the Gita as a synthesis of the great yogic traditions of India, integrating the paths of Knowledge (Jnana Yoga), Selfless Action (Karma Yoga), and Devotion (Bhakti Yoga) into a unified approach to spiritual life. Drawing on the insights of the modern yogi and philosopher Sri Aurobindo, we will examine how the Gita presents a life-affirming vision of dharma—not as an abstract philosophy, but as a living force that sustains harmony within ourselves, society, and the world.
At a time when humanity faces profound social, environmental, and spiritual challenges, the Bhagavad Gita offers both a clear-eyed understanding of our global condition and a path forward. Participants will gain practical tools for applying its wisdom to daily life, deepen their understanding of dharma as that which “holds the world together” (loka-samgraha), and discover how the integration of knowledge, action, and love can become a powerful response to the challenges of our time.
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.

Debashish Banerji, Ph.D., is the Haridas Chaudhuri Professor of Indian Philosophies and Cultures and the Doshi Professor of Asian Art at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), San Francisco. He has authored and edited several books on modern Indian culture and spirituality, Integral Yoga, critical posthumanism and on creative and art-related projects. He has curated exhibitions of Indian and Japanese art and has written and produced a documentary film, Darshan: The Living Art of India (2018). A monograph Time-Steps of the Cosmic Horse: The Contemplative Philosophy of the Great Forest (Brihadāraṇyaka) Upaniṣad and a co-edited volume Posthumanism and India: A Critical Cartography, are his latest published book projects.
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