स्वरूप
Svarūpa
A journey back to the Self.
In the sacred land of Kashi, where the Buddha gave his first teaching. Four days of living yoga, led by Atul.
Feb 22 to 26, 2027 · Varanasi (Kashi), India
स्वरूप
A journey back to the Self.
In the sacred land of Kashi, where the Buddha gave his first teaching. Four days of living yoga, led by Atul.
Feb 22 to 26, 2027 · Varanasi (Kashi), India
You may be thinking of travelling to India for something a holiday cannot give.
So here is what Svarūpa is. It is four days of living yoga in Varanasi. There is practice, meditation, philosophy and silence, but mostly there is the city itself, and the slow work of coming closer to who you truly are.
You do not need to arrive calm or certain. You need to be willing to sit, observe, and question how you have been living.
I will be with you throughout. You will not be finding your way around India alone.
Atul
तदा द्रष्टुः स्वरूपेऽवस्थानम्
tadā draṣṭuḥ svarūpe'vasthānam · Yoga Sūtra 1.3
"Then the seer abides in its own true nature."
The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali, compiled around 2,500 years ago, are the founding text of classical yoga. They define yoga as the stilling of the movements of the mind. The very next line says what remains when the mind is still: the seer, resting in itself.
Svarūpa means exactly that. Sva, one's own, and rūpa, form. Your true nature, before anything is added to it.
Patañjali, drawing on the older Sāṅkhya philosophy, separates two things: what is seen, and the one who sees.
Body, breath, thought, mood
Your body and breath. Your thoughts and emotions. Your memories, roles and moods. Even your sense of "I".
All of it changes
The one who watches
The awareness that watches all of this. Never the object, always the witness.
It does not change
Patañjali traces suffering to one confusion: the seer taking itself to be what it sees. Svarūpa is four days built to loosen that confusion, so you leave lighter, clearer, and closer to your truest Self.
Scholars, pandits and practitioners have gathered here for longer than most countries have existed. Nothing here is staged for visitors.
Sarnath, where the Buddha gave his first teaching, is a short drive away.
You are not watching a tradition. You are inside one.
We stay at a family homestay on the banks of the Ganga, cared for by an elderly couple. It is clean, simple and beautiful.
Basic, clean rooms. Home-cooked sattvic food. Quiet mornings by the river and a family's care.
Room service, a hotel menu, a spa, or luxury comforts.
Here we live simply, as guests in someone's home. That is part of the practice.
Location shared on booking.
Bungalow with lawn
River view
4 nights, all sattvic vegetarian meals, excursions and entry costs, airport to property transfer.
Flights, visa, return transfer to the airport.
Single is one person per room. Couple is two people sharing one room.
You do not need to be flexible. You do need to be comfortable sitting for long periods and walking between temples and ghats.
Most visitors need an Indian e-visa. Apply early and check the current rules for your passport. Fly into Varanasi (VNS); we meet you at the airport on Feb 22.
A group of up to 12, one fixed base, and you are met at the airport. Solo travellers, including women travelling alone, are welcome.
Modest clothing for temples, with shoulders and knees covered. Layers for cool mornings, shoes that slip off easily, and a notebook.
The retreat ends. The practice does not.
You can reach me any time for guidance.
Atul
Spots are limited to 12. Early bird: AED 500 off until Dec 10, 2026.
The full Svarūpa deck, exactly as designed. Useful if you want to read it offline, print it, or send it to whoever you are thinking of travelling with.
Download the deck (PDF, 2.9 MB)
