RETREAT/PILGRIMAGE in INDIA
with Lance Schuler and Philipp Lemke
February 21 - March 2, 2026 in Maheswar
Upskilling: A Deep Dive to the Roots of Yoga
2026 marks the 21st year of our INSPYA Yoga Team being committed to train and upskill yogīs and yoginīs around the world. We have come of age and would like to mark this anniversary with a training in quite a magical location: the Motherland of yoga, India.
The roots of yoga started in this incredible place about 3500 years ago. To this day, even though India is modernising rapidly, there are ancient traditions and mind boggling practices and yogic lifestyles to behold and be inspired by.
Through his many years of living in India, Phil is connected to some of these schools and yogins. In 2006, on one of his ascetic pilgrimages along the banks of the beautiful Narmadā River, he discovered Maheswar, which has since been his favourite place in India. He went again this year and found it still mostly untouched by tourism, still retaining its timeless charm.
Hence, Lance and Phil have decided to run our training there in February 2026. We have taken a group to this retreat place before, in 2012, and know how well a retreat-like program is supported and enhanced in Maheswar. As before, our Indian brother Vijay will join our team to help manage everything smoothly. He has grown up on the Narmadā River, and is living and breathing its yogic traditions.
We will offer a deep dive into tantric and haṭha yoga practices and philosophy. This is an opportunity to immerse ourselves into their culture. We invite you to take this plunge with, and to take your practice and in some cases teaching to the next level.
The Magic of India
Including the sacred Environment
Maheswar is a quaint little place on the Narmadā River. Maheshwar is believed to be built on the site of the ancient city of Somvanśya Śāstrārjuna Kṣatriya, and was the capital of king Kārtavīrya Arjuna, who is mentioned in the two principle Indian epics, the Rāmāyaṇa and the Mahābhārata (which contains the most famous yoga scripture, the Bhagavad-Gītā. In the late eighteenth century, Maheswar served as the capital of the great Maratha queen Rājmāta Ahilya Devī Holkar. It is home to a host of amazing buildings that still stand today: a palace, as well as numerous temples, a fort, and riverfront ghats (the broad stone steps which step down to the river).
Maheswar is en route an ancient pilgrimage, called the Narmadā-Parikrama. Circumbalating the river traditionally takes 3 years, 3 months, and 13 days. A pilgrim (parikramavāsi) should walk bare-footed, and must not carry food for more than two days in advance. S/he should carry his own luggage herself. S/he should visit the temples and religious places and worship the God or Goddess as much as possible. Every parikramavāsi should try to speak true, maintain mental satisfaction, and behave good to all. The Mother-Goddess Narmadā is to be worshipped every morning and evening. A pilgrim should not take money with her, the Mother will provide (through people’s donations).
We will include this traditional environment into our practices as much as possible, creating a lively relationship with the splendour, and the people around us. There will be numerous outings, the biggest by taxi to the nearby holy city of Omkareswar, which has a remarkable island with hundreds of temples, monkeys and yogins. It is also the home of one of the twelve Jyotirliṅga (the god Śiva’s phalluses of light), the holiest sites in Śiva-worship.
Tantra & Haṭha Yoga in Theory & Practice
We have chosen this topic because we regard these yoga traditions as two of the main roots of modern yoga. They brought the transformational work with our life force (prāṇa) and the subtle, energetic into body containing cakra, nāḍī, etc into yoga. Both are still very much alive in India, as Phil could experience first-hand on his recent stay at the festival of the Indian ascetics (the Mahākumbhamela), where he stayed and learned with his sādhu-friends. Lance and Phil live in the world, and have a passion for integrating yoga into daily life, empowering people to live their fullest potential. Phil will teach you about the history, philosophy, and mechanisms of tantra and haṭha yoga. Both Lance and Phil will suffuse the āsana, prāṇāyāma, and meditation practice with tantric and haṭha-yogic approaches, giving you new tools to energise and broaden your practice and teaching. Both traditions have a strong devotional element (bhakti), and there is no better place than India to dive into that heart-opening and mystical aspect of yoga. There will also be classes on the mythology of yoga, enabling you to understand what is going on in temples, ceremonies, and other aspects of Indian worship and ways to attain spiritual power.
As always, Lance and Phil will teach in a creative and fun way, bouncing off each other’s unique strengths, insights and spirit. Vijay will add his inspiring devotion, and has obviously been immersed in Indian culture and practices all his life, right on the banks of our River Narmadā.
Planned Schedule
A normal Day (without an outing).
6.00 – 8.00 Morning-Practice
8.15 – 10.15 Breakfast & Rest
10.15 – 12.30 Āsana-Practice +
12.30 – 15.00 Lunch & Rest
15.00 – 17.15 Afternoon-Session
17.15 – 19.00 Dinner & Rest
19.00 – 20.15 Evening Session
All up 65 hours of teachings.
Curriculum
Indian Culture & Yoga Philosophy
Deep dive into Hindu-Mythology: deities + their meaning & use for personal practice
Ceremonies (pūja) & Devotional Practices (bhakti-yoga)
Pilgrimage (yatra), especially the Parikrama on the Narmadā River
Tantra-Yoga: main intention and concepts, history, scriptures, practices (incorporated primarily into our prāṇāyāma and meditation), Neo-Tantra vs original Tantra, benefits and traps
Haṭha-Yoga: main intention and concepts, history, scriptures, practices (incorporated primarily into our āsana and prāṇāyāma), the transition from Haṭha to Modern Postural Yoga
Practice
Ásana practice with a special focus on moving from and strengthening your centre & inner fire
Agni-Pūja-Prāṇāyāma (Fire-Ceremony): a whole sequence of practices to build the inner fire
Tattva-Śuddhi (Purification of the Elements): a slightly complex practice to purify the subtle body
Mindfulness & focused Tranquility (sati & śamatha) as the necessary foundation
The Retreat-Hotel
The retreat place is run as a four-star retreat by the Indian Government (maybe 3-3.5 in our ranking). It is a short walk from the palace and town centre, right on the banks of the river, and for Indian standards really quiet. It also has a beautiful yoga hall that can accommodate 30+ students. Vijay and Phil have always stayed in touch with the friendly and motivated staff, and know that they’ll do their best to make this a comfortable and unforgettable training. We will teach you a lot about Indian customs and even a bit of the language (Hindi) to integrate you into this community. Yoga practitioners get a lot of respect from Indians, and they are generally very hospitable and curious people.
The river is one of the cleanest in all of India (the pilgrims have to drink its water!), and there is a gorgeous little temple on a tiny island about 150 metres off our retreat place. We like to swim there, or take boats, in order to have private ceremonies in that temple. Lance, Phil, and Vijay cannot imagine a better place and traditional environment for such a retreat.
The team
Investment
Included in the Price:
All taxis during the retreat (Indore–Maheswar–Indore + outing)
9 nights at our retreat place
Three meals per day at our retreat place
All teachings
Outing to Omkareswar (3/4 Day)
Simple Double Room, shared (6 available), AUD 1799 per person
Deluxe Zimmer/Cottage, shared (10 available), AUD 1999 per person
Super Deluxe Room, shared (12 available), AUD 2299 per person
Your own Expenses:
Flights to New Delhi and back home.
Hotel in Delhi.
Please download the PDF here for full details of costs
Please contact Phil for further questions and for registration: insightyogaphil@gmail.com
Optional add-on Adventure: March 2 -6, 2026
Since you’ll already be in India, why not make the most of it and tag a group trip onto the training. We offer to basically make the trip back to New Delhi an adventure. First, we’ll be exploring the incredible desert-town Jaipur, one of the jewels of the State of Rajastan. Then we will go to Agra, home of the world-famous Taj Mahal, one of the most beautiful structures ever built. Furthermore, we’ll have a day to walk in the footsteps of Lord Kṛṣṇa. According to legend, Kṛṣṇa was born in Mathura and grew up in Vrindavan. Both places are major pilgrim destinations, full of Kṛṣṇa temples, ceremonies and bhakti.
Vijay and Phil will be your guides on this extra-tour.
Itinerary:
Monday: overnight train journey to Jaipur
Tuesday: One 3-4 star night in Jaipur + sightseeing (palaces, etc.)
Wednesday: train to Agra, seeing Agra Fort, staying at a 3-4 star hotel
Thursday: sunrise at the Taj Mahal. Then taxi to Mathura, sightseeing in Vridavan. Night in a 3-4 star hotel in either Mathura or Vridavan
Friday: train from Mathura to Delhi, and Good-byes
Included:
All trains, and taxis during this trip
All hotels during this journey (the price indicated is for shared rooms, option to pay more for a single room)
We will organise everything for you
Guided tours by Vijay and Phil
Investment: AUD 699
