Riding through the streets of Vrindavan on my bike, a sacred pilgrimage place in India, I laugh to myself. Dodging e-rickshaws, cars, bikes, dogs, monkeys, cows, and pigs, weaving in and out of the chaos, shouts of “Radha Radha” echo in the air as people yell at those ahead of them. Loudspeakers boom from the temples. Amidst all this, there’s a strange calm in the chaos. I think of my friend and how he worries about me riding through intersections in Georgetown. This ride is ten times more intense, yet somehow, I am still alive. I’m always surprised there aren’t more accidents. Not everyone’s nervous system can handle it here—the dirt, poverty, congestion—yet it’s mixed with a fervor to receive grace. It’s all about devotion in motion: rituals, prayers, and chanting. These polar opposites invite a surrender, a non-resistance that produces a flow state without effort.

During my stay here, sometimes in the chaos I’m forced to observe my attachments rising from not having the ease and comforts I’m used to. The urge for gratifications in the name of happiness, beauty, comfort, and nice things gives my body a sense of relief from India’s harsh, busy, somewhat dirty, and culturally challenging environment. In India, there is often no sense of personal space, and time doesn’t feel linear. My ego is challenged by these external discomforts, and my mind is often confronted with fight or flight. Yet when these confrontations arise, I recognize that I have no choice but to accept, let go of my objective, and surrender because I cannot change the situation. If I try to fight the external chaos, my mind is filled with anxiety and stress that sends my body into tension and pain.

India teaches you how to find calmness in chaos. It brings you to a place of surrender—not by force, nor from a religious belief. Woven into the fabric of India is a rich spirituality, deeply embedded in the culture, in how people think, and in how they respond to the challenges they face. We have so many misconceptions about what surrender is, but it’s not a forced response to let go. The Indian head nod says it all. India has shown me the ease that comes with surrender, a lightness found in heavy situations or environments. A country where most of the people are underprivileged, yet their richness lies in their faith. Seeing the smile and bright eyes of the beggar or sadhu on the streets radiates a wealth within that I seek, born from simplicity. All the riches of the West steal this simplicity of heart and mind; privilege sometimes blinds a person to the wealth of gratitude.

In the West, I like to think I control what’s happening in my life. I know the culture, my work environment, and the people I choose to be with. Western privileges give me a false sense of control. These privileges allow me to fulfill the demands of my mind and senses in search of quick relief in the name of happiness. As I’m taken out of my comfort zone in India, there is no choice but to observe, accept, relinquish what I have no control over, and then surrender becomes an organic outcome.

The illusion is that when I’m pushed outside my comfort zone in the West (which might happen daily), I think I can control the situation, manipulate things to start going my way. But this is where the illusion lies. How much power do we really have to control external situations that slap us in the face? Yes, we do have choices, and they may or may not change the outcome. But in either case, we attach ourselves to the idea that we are in control. Whatever choice we make, it is our dharma to respond with integrity but without attachment. When one relinquishes attachment, a response of calmness in the chaos can emerge.

Uncovering the Mysticism of India

A Mantra Kirtan Immersion to the heart of Kirtan

Across the land, temple bells ring and sacred chanting echoes through the streets. Cymbals and drums resound in the distance, calling the soul toward its quest for life and the exploration of love. Gopi will not be taking you on a tourist’s journey, but that of a pilgrim. This time, she will be taking those deep spiritual seekers into the villages, where the secrets of sacred sound and mantra were revealed and given form in Mayapur, West Bengal—the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya, the divine Avatar of Love. He revived and made accessible the most powerful love mantra, a vibration now heard in yoga studios and whispered in private meditation across the world. These mantras awaken the deep, forgotten love that every heart yearns to remember.

6 days Mayapur

This pilgrimage is a doorway into the mystery of divine love. Our first immersion begins with us flying to Calcutta, where you will be picked up and taken to a very powerful and sacred village in West Bengal, Nabadwip, Mayapur, the nine islands surrounded by the sacred Ganga, and explore the nine limbs of bhakti devotion, dive deep into kirtan, mantra, yoga, and ritual. Here, the veil between worlds grows thin—grace can be felt, and divine presence becomes tangible through sincere chanting and practice. The sacred Ganges flows gently through West Bengal, its lush green landscape embracing you, while saints and teachers call you onward into the greater quest.

3 days Vrindarvan

We plan to fly from Calcutta to Delhi and take a cab to Vrindavan. The birthplace of Lord Krishna, Vrindavan is a place of pilgrimage for Hindus and home to over 5,000 temples, large and small. Mantra chanting resonates throughout the town. Each day will offer a new experience and adventure. Sitting in on the famous 24 hour mantra music kirtan at the most beautiful and vibrant Krishna Balaram temple will be an unforgettable experience.  We will enjoy a boat ride on the sacred river Yamuna, surrounded by puja (ritual). Each day we will visit significant historical temples, diving into the mystical stories behind these living shrines. We will also tour a wonderful charity school that educates girls from very poor families, not only changing their lives but also ending generations of poverty. We’ll meet local saints and sages living lives of devotion, practice yoga and meditation, and enjoy delicious healthy food. We’ll also make time for a henna party and of course plenty of shopping. We will be staying at a comfortable, calm hotel called the MVT Guesthouse.

3 days Govardhan

We will also spend 3 days by the sacred hill of Govardhan near Vrindavan, considered to be a living force and avatar of divinity, grace in the form of a mountain. Thousands of pilgrims circumambulate barefoot around it every day, chanting the holy names of God. Its energy and power are infectious for believers and skeptics alike. Around the 21 km long pilgrim path, there are many holy spots where one is invited to enter prayer and meditation, as well as gorgeous sacred ponds where locals and visitors bathe for purification. We will stay at the newly built Govardhan Retreat Center, partaking in a Kirtan mantra music festival led by musicians from all over the globe, gathering to unite their souls in one sacred song of Divine Love. We will also visit Barsana, the land and home of the Goddess Sri Radha, a mystical place that graces pilgrims with love and touches individuals’ hearts in unexplainable ways.