Total knowledge: bringing the gita to life

May 3-8, 2026

During this five-day meditation retreat, Sheela and Ravi Shankar of Nidhi Yoga will bring the wisdom of ancient India to life through an immersive study of Chapter 2 of the Bhagavad Gita. Known as Sankhya Yoga, this chapter distills the essence of Krishna’s teachings to Arjuna into one powerful, cohesive message.

Together, Sheela—a master chanter—and Ravi—an expert in yoga philosophy and asana—will guide participants through all 72 verses, using chanting, inquiry, physical postures, breathwork, and meditation to illuminate core themes including:

  • The true nature of the atma, the eternal Self

  • Dharma and sva-dharma, or one’s personal purpose

  • Karma Yoga and acting without attachment

  • Bhakti (devotion), discipline, and mastery of the senses

  • The qualities of one who lives with steady wisdom

Each day blends study with yoga asana, pranayama, and meditation, offering a grounded and accessible way to live with courage, devotion, and discernment.

The retreat takes place at Wisdom Roots Studio on the Hilltown Commons campus—a peaceful setting ideal for reflection, renewal, and connection with fellow seekers.

meet our faculty

  • Ravi Shankar

    Ravi has been on the path of Yoga for more than 30 years. He is a student of T.K.V. Desikachar and has spent a number of years working under him and continues to teach in the same tradition. He has completed the intensive 2-year teacher training Diploma in Yoga at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram. The learning he cherishes most is the years spent working in association with TKV Desikachar on the KYM yoga journal - Darsanam. He specialises in teaching the philosophy of the Yoga Sutra, Sankhyakarika, Bhagavat Gita, and the Taittiriya Upanisad. In addition, his breath-centric asana programs are very well received for their deeply meditative and therapeutic benefits. He was the Scholar-in-Residence (2008-09), Denison University, Granville, Ohio. He was earlier the Lilly Scholar at the Laura C. Harris Symposium, March 2007 at Denison University, Granville, Ohio. He has conducted yoga programs for leading corporate houses in India in areas of Wellness, Stress Management, and Learning.

  • Sheela Shankar

    Sheela is a student of T.K.V. Desikachar who pioneered the use of Vedic Chanting as a meditative practice in Yoga. She has undergone the 2-year teacher training Diploma in Yoga at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (KYM), Chennai. She was one of TKV Desikachar’s foremost teachers of Vedic Chanting and is also a trained classical singer in both the Carnatic and the Hindustani tradition. 
    Over the years, Sheela has continued to practice and teach Vedic Chanting and bhajans to several individuals and groups from various parts of the world.
    She is the Vedic Chanting Course Faculty in Yoga Nidhi, India since 2000 and in Sadhana Mala, UK since 2017. She was the keynote speaker at the Association of Yoga Studies Convention, UK in 2019 with Ravi Shankar. She is the Vedic chanting faculty for the Der indische Weg, Miltenberg, Germany, and for Ropana, Japan.

Included in your tuition

Sample day schedule


Integrated Asana & Pranayama Practice

7 - 8:30 AM

Breakfast

8:45 - 9:45 AM

Program Session (Pranayama & Vedic Chanting)

10 AM - 12 PM

Lunch & Free Time

12:15 - 2:45 PM

Program Session (Pancakosa Philosophy)

3 - 5 PM

Guidance in Singing the Songs of Surrender and Devotion

5:30 - 6:30 PM

Dinner

7 - 8 PM

Kirtan

8:15 - 9 PM

Total package: five nights in a private en-suite room, three nourishing meals daily, daily asana/pranayama practice, and full tuition — $2,000.


Early bird pricing: $1,900 (register by March 1, 2026)

Tuition Rates & registration

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