January 2026 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

OM!

As a new year begins, we would like to extend our warmest wishes to you for peace, joy, and inner clarity to all of you. We sincerely hope that you enjoyed a beautiful holiday season, filled with gentleness, presence, and quiet introspection.

The year that has just come to an end was particularly rich in encounters, shared moments, and experiences of fraternal and spiritual communion. We feel deep gratitude toward Swamiji for his profound and precious teachings, and toward each one of you for your luminous and committed presence throughout the year.

The month of December brought this year to a beautiful close, most notably with the International Retreat in Assisi, an especially intense gathering bringing together a large number of friends, as well as a very beautiful Sangha Day less than two weeks ago, which still resonates deeply in our hearts.

This new year is also an invitation to look ahead and to share with you the programmes already planned, which we are delighted to offer.

In just over two weeks, some of us will meet again in Tiruvannamalai, in South India, for a ten-day Satsang programme with Swamiji, from January 16 to 25. The next meeting will take place online on February 28, just before the Satsang season at the Ajatananda Ashram, from March 7 to 25, ending with the 3-day non residential Retreat, from 22 to 25 March. Two further online meetings are also scheduled for March 28 and April 25, before the European season starting in May.

We invite you to discover all the other gatherings that make up the 2026 programme below, and we very much look forward to meeting you again soon, in person or online, throughout these shared moments.

With our heartfelt gratitude and warmest wishes for the New Year,

The Ajatananda Ashram Team

 

In Memoriam…
At this turning of the year, we pause to remember with tenderness and gratitude those who have touched our lives and are no longer with us.

In November 2025, we were saddened by the sudden passing of our dear Buddhist sister, Sheila.

Ven. Sister Sheila Wharton was a woman of kindness and sincerity, whose life touched people across the world. She served others in many ways, as a nurse and midwife, a social worker and a therapist. As a Buddhist nun, she was a teacher of meditation and compassion, and she stood firmly for peace and justice.

Living simply, she gave her time generously and was known for the small, heartfelt gestures that reflected her spirit.

Her legacy of quiet compassion continues to inspire us…

We also remember with love Keryarnna, who passed away in May 2025, a woman guided throughout her life by a deep spiritual calling.

From an early age, she felt drawn to the sacred, and her journey unfolded across both Western and Eastern traditions, eventually resting in the clarity of Advaita Vedanta. India held a special place in her heart, and attending Swamiji’s Satsangs in the later years was a great blessing for her.

Keryarnna was a gentle and loving being, creative as an artist and painter, and deeply connected to the Earth through a simple life and organic gardening. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, deeply loved by her family.

She will be remembered for her gentleness and sincere spiritual devotion.

Satsang Schedule (2026)

Winter / Spring / Summer

Satsang in South India

16–25 Jan

Tiruvannamalai (Tamil Nadu)

Online Satsang

28 Feb

Rishikesh (online)

Satsangs and Retreat in North India

7–25 Mar

Rishikesh (Uttarakhand)

22–25 Mar

Rishikesh (Uttarakhand)

Online Satsangs

28 Mar

Rishikesh (online)

25 Apr

Rishikesh (online)

Satsangs and Intensives in Europe

8 May

Francheville (France)

22–24 May

Glastonbury (UK)

29–31 May

London (UK)

6 June

Brussels (Belgium)

19–21 June

Paris (France)

26 June

Brussels (Belgium)

4–5 July

Órgiva (Spain)

Satsangs and Retreats

All event times are given in local time.

PLEASE NOTE: The opening of the registration for each event will be announced here and by e-mail to our Newsletter subscribers.

2026

Satsangs South India

Tiruvannamalai

16-25 Jan 2026 – Rainbow Guest House

Daily Open Satsang
From Fri 16 to Sun 25 Jan, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Registration is not required to participate in this programme.

Event in:
English

With simultaneous translation into:
French

Venue: Rainbow Guest House rooftop, Perumbakkam Road (200m after Satya Café), Lakshmanan Nagar, Tiruvannamalai (India)

Arunachala3

Tiruvannamalai (India)

Online Satsang

28 Feb 2026

Satsang
9:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.
(IST — Rishikesh)

5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
(CET — Paris, Brussels, Barcelona)

4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
(GMT — London)

See other time zones here

Registration is required to participate in this programme along with a sincere commitment to abide by the three rules of online etiquette.

Event in:
English

With simultaneous translation into:
French

Please note: registration will open a few weeks before the event.

Satsangs and Retreat in North India

Rishikesh – Ajatananda Ashram

7 – 25 mars 2026

Daily Open Satsang
4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
(except Thursdays and Fridays)

Daily Open Meditation
7 p.m. – 7:50 p.m.
(except Thursdays and Fridays and during the Retreat)

Daily Open Hatha Yoga Class
8:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
(except Thursdays and Fridays and during the Retreat)

Registration is not required to participate in these programmes.

Events in:
English

22-25 Mar 2026

Non-residential Satsang Retreat
From Sun 22 Mar, 7 p.m. (introduction) to Wed 25 Mar, 9 p.m.
(except Thursdays and Fridays and during the Retreat)

Registration is required to participate in this programme.

Events in:
English

Please note: registration will open a few weeks before the event.

GangaView2-768x470 (1)

The Ganges nearby the Ashram in Tapovan, Rishikesh (India)

Online Satsangs

28 mar 2026

Satsang
9:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.
(IST — Rishikesh)

5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
(CET — Paris, Brussels, Barcelona)

4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
(GMT — London)

See other time zones here

Registration is required to participate in this programme along with a sincere commitment to abide by the three rules of online etiquette.

Event in:
French

With simultaneous translation in:
English

Please note: registration will open a few weeks before the event.

25 Apr 2026

Satsang
8:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
(IST — Rishikesh)

5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
(CET — Paris, Brussels, Barcelona)

4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
(GMT — London)

See other time zones here

Registration is required to participate in this programme along with a sincere commitment to abide by the three rules of online etiquette.

Event in:
English

With simultaneous translation in:
French

Please note: registration will open a few weeks before the event.

Satsangs and Intensives in Europe

Francheville (France)

8 May 2026 – Les Grandes Terres

Sangha Day
Fri 8 May, 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Registration is required to participate in this programme.

Event in:
French

Organized by Les Amis d’Ajatananda Ashram.

Venue: Les Grandes Terres, Chemin du Grand Moulin, 69340 Francheville (near Lyon)
Contact: amis.ajatananda@gmail.com

Please note: registration will open a few weeks before the event.

Gampopa (1)

Gampopa Hall – Les Grandes Terres, Francheville (France)

Glastonbury (UK)

22-24 May 2026 – Sambogaya

Satsangs
Fri 22, Sat 23 & Sun 24 May, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
(Doors open at 6:30 p.m.)

Registration is required to participate in these programmes.

Events in:
English

Organized by Non-Duality Avalon.

Venue: Sambogaya, Dod Lane, Glastonbury, BA68BZ (UK)

For any queries, please contact Adam at: nondualityavalon@mail.com

Please note: registration will open a few weeks before the event.

Sambogaya

Sambogaya – Glastonbury (United Kingdom)

London (UK)

29-31 May 2026 – The Study Society

Open Satsangs
Fri 29 & Sat 30 May, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
(Doors open at 6:30 p.m.)

Registration is not required to participate in these programmes.

Satsang Intensive
Sun 31 May, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
(Doors open at 9:30 a.m.)

Registration is required to participate in this programme.

Events in:
English

Venue: The Study Society, Colet House, 151 Talgarth Rd, London W14 9DA (UK)

Please note: registration will open a few weeks before the event.

The Study Society, Colet House, London (UK)

Brussels (Belgium)

6 June 2026 – Les Orangers

Satsang Intensive
Sat 6 June, 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Registration is required to participate in this programme.

Event in:
French

Venue: Les Orangers, 24, av. des Orangers, 1150 Brussels (Belgium)

Please note: registration will open a few weeks before the event.

Les Orangers, Brussels (Belgium)

Paris (France)

19-21 June 2026 – Forum 104

Talk
Fri 19 June, 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
(Doors open at 6:30 p.m.)

Registration is not required to participate in this programme.

Seminar (non-residential)
Sat 20 June & Sun 21 June, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
(Doors open at 9:30 a.m.)

Registration is required to participate in this programme.

Events in:
French

Venue : Forum 104, 104 Rue de Vaugirard, 75006 Paris
Contact : amis.ajatananda@gmail.com

Please note: registration will open a few weeks before the event.

Paris (France)

Brussels (Belgium)

26 June 2026 – Centre Pérou

Open Satsang
Fri 26 June, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
(Doors open at 6:30 p.m.)

Registration is required to participate in this programme.

Event in:
French

Venue: Centre Pérou, 23, av. du Pérou, 1000 Brussels (Belgium)

For registration, please contact: yana@tomaso.be

Centre Pérou, Brussels (Belgium)

Órgiva (Spain)

4-5 July 2026 – La Fuente

Open Satsangs
Sat 4 & Sun 5 July, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Registration is not required to participate in these programmes.

Events in:
English

With translation into:
Spanish

Venue: La Fuente, c/ Cercado, 5, Órgiva (Spain)
Contact: amigos.ajatananda@gmail.com
Phone: +34 602454945 (Yvonne)

Órgiva (Spain)

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