ABOUT THE RETREAT SPEAKER

Ramakrishna-Sarada Vedanta Center of Phoenix is pleased to organize this 5-Day, 4-Night retreat conducted by Swami Sarvapriyananda.

Swami Sarvapriyananda has been the Minister and spiritual leader of the Vedanta Society of New York since January 2017. He joined the Ramakrishna Math in 1994 and received sannyasa in 2004. He served as an acharya (teacher) of the monastic probationers’ training center at Belur Math, India. He also served in various capacities in different educational institutes of the Ramakrishna Mission in India and as the Assistant Minister of the Vedanta Society of Southern California.

During 2019-2020 he was a Nagral Fellow at the Harvard Divinity School.

Swami Sarvapriyananda is a well-known speaker on Vedanta, and his talks are extremely popular globally via the internet. He has been a speaker on various prestigious forums such as TEDx, SAND, Google Talk etc. He has also been invited to speak at several universities across the world, including Harvard University. The swami has engaged in dialogue with many eminent thinkers such as Rupert Spira, Rick Archer, David Chalmers and Sam Harris.

RETREAT TOPIC/TEXT

Topic: Dakshinamurty Stotram

Text: Reflections on Dakshinamurty Stotram by Swami Sarvapriyananda

Adi Shankaracharya’s Dakshinamurti Stotram is a hymn that condenses the essence of Advaita Vedanta into ten verses.

The Stotram points to the central insight of Vedanta: our real nature is pure Consciousness, ever the witness of body, mind, and world. What appears as the universe is not separate, but arises in that very Consciousness – like reflections in a mirror. Dakshinamurti as the supreme teacher, embodies this transmission that leads beyond words to direct recognition of the Self.

With clarity and depth, Swami Sarvapriyananda unfolds this vision step by step – discerning the Self from the not-Self, examining rival philosophies, and culminating in the great declaration Tat Twam Asi (“You are That”).

GUIDED MEDITATION SESSIONS

Ramakrishna-Sarada Vedanta Center of Phoenix is also pleased to announce two sessions of Guided Meditation with Swami Atmavidyananda. These sessions are embedded within the program on Saturday and Sunday evenings respectively.

Swami Atmavidyananda (William A. Scott III) is a swami of the Ramakrishna Order of India. Currently he is the treasurer of the Vedanta Society of Southern California. He also serves as the organist-choir director-composer, gardener, and occasional lecturer. He conducts services for the Ramakrishna Vedanta Center in Las Vegas, NV nearly every month.

He has also traveled around the US to speak at most of the Vedanta centers and a few other venues. His lecturing has also taken him to The Institute of Culture in Calcutta, India, New Delhi, Canada, and France. Swami Atmavidyananda was first taken to the Vedanta Society at Hollywood when he was 5 years old. He was initiated by Swami Prabhavananda in 1969. He joined the order in 1978 and took Sanyas from Swami Bhuteshanandaji in 1990.

RETREAT DAILY PROGRAM

FRIDAY DECEMBER 11th Evening

4:00 to 6:30 PM: Registration

6:30 to 7:30 PM: Dinner Buffet

7:30 to 8:30 PM: Welcome and Introduction to the Retreat

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SATURDAY December 12th - MORNING

6:30 to 7:00 AM: Meditation

7:00 to 8:00 AM: Yoga

8:00 to 9:00 AM: Breakfast Buffet

10:00 to 11:00 AM: Dakshinamurty Stotram

11:15 AM to 12:30 PM: Dakshinamurty Stotram

SATURDAY December 12th – AFTERNOON

12:30 to 1:30 PM: Lunch Buffet

3:30 to 4:30 PM: Chat-Chaat-Chai with Swami Sarvapriyananda

5:00 to 6:00 PM: Awakening to the Witness - Guided meditation accompanied by crystal bowls, chimes, and other instruments. Led by Swami Atmavidyananda, with Alok.

6:30 to 7:30 PM: Dinner Buffet

8:00 – 9:00 PM – Bhajan Satsang

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SUNDAY December 13th - MORNING

6:30 to 7:00 AM: Meditation

7:00 to 8:00 AM: Yoga

8:00 to 9:00 AM: Breakfast Buffet

10:00 to 11:00 AM: Dakshinamurty Stotram

11:15 AM to 12:30 PM: Dakshinamurty Stotram

SUNDAY December 13th – AFTERNOON

12:30 to 1:30 PM: Lunch Buffet

3:30 to 4:30 PM: Chat-Chaat-Chai with Swami Sarvapriyananda

5:00 to 6:00 PM: Abiding as Pure Awareness- Guided meditation accompanied by crystal bowls, chimes, and other instruments. Led by Swami Atmavidyananda, with Alok.

6:30 to 7:30 PM: Dinner Buffet

8:00 – 9:00 PM – Bhajan Satsang

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MONDAY December 14th – MORNING

6:30 to 7:00 AM: Meditation 

7:00 to 8:00 AM: Yoga

8:00 to 9:00 AM: Breakfast Buffet

10:00 to 11:00 AM: Dakshinamurty Stotram

11:15 AM to 12:30 PM: Dakshinamurty Stotram

MONDAY December 14th – AFTERNOON

12:30 to 1:30 PM: Lunch Buffet

3:30 to 4:30 PM: Chat-Chaat-Chai with Swami Sarvapriyananda

5:00 to 6:00 PM: Dakshinamurty Stotram

6:30 to 7:30 PM: Dinner Buffet

8:00 – 9:00 PM – Bhajan Satsang

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TUESDAY December 15th - MORNING

6:30 to 7:00 AM: Meditation

7:00 to 8:00 AM: Yoga

8:00 to 9:00 AM: Breakfast Buffet

10:00 to 11:00 AM: Dakshinamurty Stotram

11:15 to 12:30 PM: Q&A with Swami Sarvapriyananda

12:30 to 1:30 PM: Lunch Buffet

Retreat concludes after lunch on Tuesday December 15th, 2026.

RETREAT VENUE

This 5-Day, 4-Night retreat will be held in the Spirit in The Desert Retreat Center – about 25 miles north-east of the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The Center is located at 7415 East Elbow Bend, Carefree, AZ 85377.

Call the Center at (480) 488-5218 if you need directions.

PARTICIPATION LIMIT

Retreat attendance is limited to the first 100 registered participants.

Participation in this weekend’s retreat is by prepaid registration only for both Resident and Commuter participants.

REGISTRATION FOR VEDANTA PHOENIX WINTER 2026 RETREAT

Registration is now open and will remain open until 6 pm October 31st, 2026. Please note that the Registration Fee should be paid in full at the time of registration.

Registrations are accepted in the order in which they are received. If you are registering for yourself and a friend or friends, we need all your email addresses AND names of those registered in the group to hold those seats. The names of all the registrants in the group should be sent to VedantaPhoenixRetreat@gmail.com. If you should have questions, please reach out to us at the same email address.

Your seat at the retreat will be confirmed once your registration fee is paid and acknowledged by Vedanta Center of Phoenix in an acknowledgment email to you.

REGISTRATION FEE AND OPTIONS

Participants can register either as a Resident residing at SITD, Resident residing at Hampton Inn, or as a Commuter participant.

REGISTRATION FEE (ALL PARTICIPANTS) – $750 PER PERSON

ROOM & BOARD FOR RESIDENT PARTICIPANTS (SITD) - $776.70 PER PERSON

BOARD ONLY FOR COMMUTER PARTICIPANTS - $342.00 PER PERSON

BOARD ONLY FOR SINGLE OCCUPANCY PARTICIPANTS (Hampton Inn/Elsewhere) - $342.00 PER PERSON

RESIDENT PARTICIPANTS

The Spirit in The Desert Retreat Center has excellent lodging and dining arrangements for Resident Participants.

Vedanta Center of Phoenix has blocked 24 double occupancy rooms. There are no single occupancy rooms available. Resident Participants will be staying in assigned rooms on a double occupancy basis. 

For participants who want single occupancy rooms, we have secured 25 rooms at the Hampton Inn by Hilton at the edge of the Spirit in The Desert Retreat Campus (2 Easy Street, Carefree, AZ - 85377). You will have to call Hampton Inn by Hilton directly at 480-476-9200 to make your reservation no later than Nov 15th. You will also make your payment directly to Hampton Inn for your room.

Room assignment at the Spirit in The Desert will be done by the Vedanta Center of Phoenix on a first-registered first-served basis.

Please do not call the Spirit in The Desert Retreat Center for room reservation for this retreat.

A Resident Participant who wishes to share a room with a preferred roommate is advised to register for both participants and specify on the registration form the name of that roommate. Alternatively, if a Resident Participant knows a fellow participant who has or will register as a Resident Participant, and wishes to share a room with that participant, then please email us at VedantaPhoenixRetreat@gmail.com the name of that preferred roommate. Similarly, the preferred roommate should also email us at VedantaPhoenixRetreat@gmail.com indicating his/her preferred roommate.

Please note that once a room assignment is made, it will be difficult to make changes to it.

COMMUTER PARTICIPANTS

Local participants commuting daily from their place of residence and some out-of-town participants who may wish to stay with a friend or at another hotel/motel close by may register as Commuter Participants. Please note that the Commuter Participants are responsible for their own transportation arrangements.

All meals are included in the BOARD Fees for ALL participants.

HOW TO REGISTER

If you are using a desktop or laptop, then scroll back to the top of the page, and look at the right-hand column. Select participant type, Resident, Resident Single Occupancy, or Commuter and number of registrants, then continue following the instructions provided.

If you are using a smartphone, then scroll below and select participant type, Resident, Resident Single Occupancy, or Commuter and number of registrants, then continue following the instructions provided.

Resident Participants wishing to stay in the Spirit in The Desert Retreat Center are encouraged to register early for room reservation.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Vedanta Center of Phoenix has a firm cancellation policy. Please read below.

Your registration fee is non-refundable but is transferable.

Please note that you are registering and reserving a seat in a limited seating retreat; seating is limited to the first 100 registered participants. 

Our policy is very FIRM; please be clear about our policy at the time of registration. In the event you have registered and are unable to attend we will make every attempt to help you transfer your seat to someone else.

RETREAT CONTACT

If you have any questions, please send an email to the Vedanta Phoenix Retreat Team at VedantaPhoenixRetreat@gmail.com

Have a safe trip to Phoenix. See you soon!

Vedanta Center of Phoenix Retreat Team