HIMALAYAN DREAMS May 1-23, 2016 A Pilgrimage to Northern India with Hali & YuMee As much as we adore the charms of southern India, the spiritual depth and sheer natural beauty of India s majestic North captures our imaginations like no place else. If, like us, the prospect of meditating in the Himalayas, meeting the sadhus of Rishikesh, and taking teachings in Dharamsala makes your heart go pitter pat, then allow us to share the details of our 2016 India journey with you. Experience the sights and sounds of the Himalayas. Visit breathtaking temples and flourishing spiritual communities Ours is a pilgrimage of likeminded practitioners that will bring you to the birthplace of yoga for an unforgettable firsthand experience of India s omnipresent sights and sounds. You will be expertly guided by yoga teachers 1
and lovers of all things India, Hali Schwartz and YuMee Chung. We will begin in New Delhi, a fascinating historic city with much to see and do. From the mesmerizing colours of its many shopping bazaars to the sumptuous flavours of its restaurants, Delhi is a city that has to be seen to be believed. Then onto Rishikesh, the reputed yoga capital of the world. Here you will visit ashrams, temples and monuments perched on the banks of the holy River Ganges. Mussoorie, The Queen of Hill Stations, offers a perfect counterpoint to the activity of Rishikesh. This serene mountain village offers world class hiking, stunning views and an opportunity to appreciate nature s abundance. Further north is Dharamshala, the seat of the Tibetan government in exile and home to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. This Himalayan gem is a hotbed for yoga schools and dharma centres. Our journey ends in Kashmir, India's northernmost province home to her most dramatic landscapes. Here, you will visit Jammu City, the 'The City of Temples' and Srinagar, where you will stay in a luxury houseboat on Dal lake. It has been said that once you reach Kashmir you have reached the closest you will ever get to paradise on earth. Our small group will stay in chic, boutique accommodations chosen for their comfort and sense of place. If you like your travel experiences served up with authenticity and attentive service, then this may just be the trip for you. Stay in a luxury houseboat on Dal Lake, India s most famous lake. See for yourself why Kashmir has the reputation of being India s most pristine province. 2
ITINERARY Our journey will begin on May 1, 2015 and end on May 23, 2015: May 1: Depart from Toronto s Pearson International Airport. May 2-4: Arrive at Indira Gandhi international Airport in Delhi. A comfy bed will be waiting for you talk about a soft landing. Take the next couple of days to explore the delights of Delhi at your own pace. May 5: Fly to Rishikesh. Spend the night at a hotel located right on the bank of the Ganges. May 6-9: Short drive to Mussoorie, a lush hill station with a fairyland atmosphere. Retreat into nature and into the heart of your own contemplative practice. May 10-14: Scenic drive to Dharamshala. Explore Dharamshala, a.k.a Little Tibet. The charming town of McLeod Ganj is rich with Buddhist centres and yoga schools. It is also chock full of vegetarian restaurants, cafes, cute shops and museums. May 15-18: Scenic drive to Jammu City in Kashmir. Visit breathtaking temples. See for yourself why Jammu is known as heaven on earth. May 19-21: Fly to Srinagar. Stay in a houseboat on Lake Dal. Above: mountain views in Dharamshala. Below: Chonor House, our authentic Tibetan-style home away from home May 22: Fly to Delhi May 23: Goodbyes and flight home 3
WHAT S INCLUDED Our intention is to support each and every step of your journey, while still offering you a chance to explore India s north your own way. This is not an all-inclusive, one-sizefits-all kind of trip, even though we ll certainly take care of all the big stuff. Our trip includes: Roundtrip international flight to and from Toronto, arranged by our travel agent (your price may vary if you fly from elsewhere) All domestic flights, arranged by our travel agent All ground transport in India All shared hotel accommodations and single accommodation in Jammu City Yoga and meditation instruction. We will offer at least ten led practices over the course of the trip. Shiva on the bank of the Ganges in Rishikesh Breakfast throughout. Dinners while in Srinagar Five or six expertly guided tours by local professionals WHAT S NOT INCLUDED Travel visas Travel insurance Ground transport to and from Pearson International Airport or your local airport Lunches throughout. Dinners throughout, except while in Srinagar Gratuities While our hotels offer free Wi-Fi, you may wish to pay for Wi-Fi at airports or on the road Shopping and miscellaneous daily activities beyond the scheduled day trips We recommend you budget an additional $600-800 CAD to cover the above. 4
INVESTMENT AND DEPOST STRUCTURE $5800 CAD (including tax) payable in seven instalments: 1. $500 non-refundable deposit payable to Hali upon booking to reserve your spot 2. $500 payable to our travel agent on or before June 1 3. $500 payable to our travel agent on or before July 1 4. $1,500 payable to our travel agent on or before September 1 5. $1,000 payable to our travel agent on or before November 1 6. $500 payable to our travel agent on or before January 2 7. $1300 payable to our travel agent on or before March 1 Experience big sky mind on the deck of our hotel in Mussoorie. 5
YOUR TEACHERS HALI SCHWARTZ has been fully immersed in the world of yoga since she was a young child. When she was just 5 years old her mother would bring her to 'satsang' - the gathering of people coming together to discuss yoga, ancient scripture, and practice meditation. It was at the age of 20 that she decided to go to the Himalayas, to begin her studies in earnest, at the International Meditation Institute (I.M.I). From 1988 to 1998 she returned many times to India to continue these studies, and in 1999 started offering yogic teachings to the Toronto yoga community. Since then she has been involved in teaching yoga history and philosophy in dozens of teacher training programs in the city, as well as offering classical hatha yoga and restorative yoga to the students of Toronto community. Each year she goes back to India to keep her studies vibrant and alive, as well as hosting and facilitating yoga and travel retreats for groups of seekers wishing to explore that awesome country with a reliable and experienced guide. She has traveled to India nearly 20 times and considers it her second home. She is passionately committed to sharing her love of India with all who wish to know and experience it. YUMEE CHUNG YuMee Chung, E-RYT-500 is a former securities lawyer who left a busy practice to engage more deeply with life. More than a decade later, she is an Advance Certified Jivamukti Yoga teacher who also offers classes in the therapeutic Yoga Tune Up method. Known for her uplifting, breath-driven classes and intelligent, organic sequencing, she is a popular teacher who speaks deftly to body, mind and spirit, and communicates about the most subtle and nuanced parts of the yogic journey with grace and earthy charm. Students can expect an impeccable practice that strikes a perfect balance between spirit and sweat. Lauded in Yoga Journal as one of the teachers to watch in the Jivamukti Yoga lineage, YuMee is on the faculty of a number of yoga teacher training programs and she leads international workshops and retreats. Though her work and teaching take her around the globe, she is happiest at home with her cat and musician husband. 6
HOW DO I LEARN MORE? Contact Hali at haliyog@gmail.com with your questions. HOW DO I REGISTER? Contact Hali at haliyog@gmail.com or YuMee at yumee@rogers.com to express your intention to join us and to arrange for your deposit. We will put you in contact with our travel agent who is coordinating all payments. THE SMALL PRINT We require a non-refundable deposit of $500 CAD to hold your spot. Beyond September 1, we cannot offer any refunds unless we find someone else to take your spot. We require you to purchase and provide proof of trip cancellation and interruption insurance. We strongly recommend you purchase travel medical insurance. Our travel agent will be happy to assist you with both. We reserve the right to make small changes to our itinerary if the need arises. You will be informed of all material changes. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS How large will our group be? We are accepting a maximum of 16 travellers. Is this trip open to the general public? No, we are only promoting this trip to our network of likeminded practitioners. You can expect to be in good company. Do I have to fly from Toronto? Our travel agent can arrange flights from any departure city however this may impact your price. Can I extend my trip? We can help you extend your trip if you choose to stay on in India. Can I fly on points? We can offer you a price without international flight if you choose to fly on points. Ideally, you will choose the same outbound flight as the rest of our group. Our agent will work closely with you (for a nominal fee) to ensure a smooth journey. What forms of payment do you accept? We accept cash, personal cheques and interac email money transfers to haliyog@gmail.com for the initial deposit. Our travel agent can also accept credit card payments however there is a 3.75% surcharge applied to credit card payments (this is from the credit card company, and not the retreat organizers or the travel agency). Can I have a room to myself? Due to the size of our group and the boutique hotels we have chosen, we have an extremely limited number of single rooms available. Please contact us immediately if you would like to discuss the possibility of a single supplement. Can I decide to attend at the last minute? Sadly, no. We expect to fill this retreat before May 1. Almost half the available spots are already spoken for. 7