“It was like discovering Shangri-La!” gushed one participant of the spiritual retreat that began on July 29 when she first saw the panoramic view of the Sat Yoga Ashram on the sacred mountain of Arunachala in Costa Rica. “It was pure magic and delight.” The whole group agreed.

The retreatants first received a tour of Mahatma Lodge, the gardens, and their rustic but luxurious lodging. Soon they were ready to drop the ego mind and abide in sweet inner peace as the eternal Self.

The retreat officially commenced with a meditation led by Shunyamurti, in which the participants centered themselves and set their intention for the retreat. Afterward, everyone shared a meal prepared with love by Radha and the dedicated karma yogis on the cooking staff. Saraswati, the retreat coordinator, then gave an orientation. Everyone already felt very much at home.

Every day was filled with early morning, noon, and evening meditation sessions, powerful teachings offered by Shunyamurti, delicious prasad prepared by Radha’s Kitchen, plus time for karma yoga, asana classes, relaxation time, and a variety of other activities ranging from bird watching and nature walks, with expert/naturalist guide, Rafael Campos, to sattvic singing and Shakti-raising dance classes. The retreatants even got the chance to inaugurate the community’s first “campfire” song, “Arunachala Mountain High.”

One retreatant spoke for many in recognizing the power of community: “Participating in the Karma Yoga activities filled me with a joy you would not usually expect from these simple, everyday activities. They gave me a sense of not only belonging to the community but of contributing to it, of sharing in every aspect of the life of the Ashram, of being a healthy contributing cell of this beautiful organism that the Ashram is. Beyond the sharing there is the working in a meditative state, the taking of a simple task and turning it into something beautiful, joyous, chopping an onion as if you were painting a Mona Lisa! Then, there is the learning that if you make a mistake…it is not such a big deal! The community holds you in a space where your ego cannot engage in narratives of self-punishment or resentment; these are immediately recognized and discarded due to the recognition of their totally false nature!!! So there is only growth and gratitude. I feel Karma yoga is an essential part of the retreat.”

Apart from the safe space and creative form that the retreat provided, there were many opportunities for intimate gatherings and joining together in blissful communion. On several nights of the retreat, the participants had the chance to view the awe-inspiring sunsets and meditate together on the wonderful artistic majesty of the day’s end. Shunyamurti always reminded everyone that the beauty that they were viewing vis-à-vis the breathtaking artistry of Nature’s palette was but a mere reflection of the true beauty that lies within.

One of the most spectacular nights of the retreat was a combination of a slow, majestic sunset and a(n) (exceptionally) creative writing class. The group wrote on a variety of topics ranging from their experiences of the retreat, the difficulties encountered on the path by the five obstacles delineated in the Bhagavad Gita (Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, and Ahankar), and the perfect bliss of Pure Awareness. One retreatant wrote the following:

“Blast down the confines of duality;
The obstructively beautiful cosmic kid-you-not.
Discovery of archetypal destruction & rebirth creates a
thirst so strong, yet intangible.
Intangibility: An accelerated journey into Infinity -
The beyond within.”

Uncanny synchronicities permeated the retreat, but this was most evident through the teachings of Shunyamurti. Nearly every one of the retreatants commented that Shunyamurti was speaking to him/her directly through the spiritual guidance given, ostensibly, to the group as a whole. “It was as if every teaching that he gave us was tailor-made for my specific needs at the moment. This had the effect of cutting straight through the ego narratives whirling around in my head and bringing me back to the bliss of the present moment,” commented one retreatant. “We covered myriad topics ranging from relationships, to attachment, to day-to-day spiritual living, which were summed up in the teaching on the five obstacles in the Gita: lust, anger, greed, attachment, and arrogance. The way that Shunyamurti tied these together with the current studies in depth psychology absolutely fascinated me,” remarked another participant.

Participants took a lot away from the retreat. “I feel I took a really big step forward in my spiritual path. If I have any doubt about living a sattvic life, in a sacred place, trying to attain a more elevated consciousness of the Divine, it is now gone!” exclaimed one retreatant in triumphant glory. “I was able to meditate more deeply….I was able to confront my ego in several ways and face some truths I probably would have preferred to overlook if it weren’t for the safety I felt contained in, the purity of intention of the others, the sincerity of action and thought of all including myself. I felt renewed in my faith in God and to trust even without understanding, for there is wisdom and divine love in all…the Ashram is a materialized proof of this,” blissfully commented one participant with a smile on her face. “I got a clearer vision of the limitations of ego consciousness and its corruptness, opposed to the vast infinite potential of living as the Self beyond all duality and recognizing that in others,” concluded another retreatant.

The retreat was certainly an unforgettable experience for every one of the participants, leading all to feel that Arunachala was not only a retreat center, a future spiritual and cultural birthing place, and an exemplar of natural beauty, but more importantly, their home. For some, the retreat brought forth an uprising of blissful and powerful emotions enabled by the powerful energy field created by the community. For others, the retreat was a return to the subtle stillness and blessed simplicity inherent in ashram life. But for all, the retreat was an experience of the essential components of a Sat Yoga retreat: Serenity—and Shaktipat!