A week of life in a spiritual community
Immerse yourself in this experience at Ananda Gaorii
SPIRITUAL PRACTICES
Even though Ananda Gaorii is not just an Ashram one of the most valuable takeaways you will get from Experience Week is the spiritual practice. Our daily routine includes morning yoga with chanting and meditation twice a day. Soon after you arrive Dada Krsnasevananda will introduce you to the collective meditation practices. These include kiirtan (a mixture of chanting and dance), a powerful meditation practice which integrates mantra, breath and visualisation and the elegant chants we use to begin and end collective meditation. Guidance on how to maintain mindfulness throughout the day will also be given.
Kiirtan combines the power of mantra and mudra-based dance. Mantra awakens and expands our consciousness while mudra opens the heart, calms the mind and brings a feeling of lightness and joy. Adding music and melody helps keep the mind and body in sync, puts a smile on the face and greatly helps with concentration.
The meditation we practice is based on the principle, “As you think so you become”. We learn how to step away from our small self, our everyday world, and anything which limits us. We then focus on our great self, universal love, and the underlying consciousness that “holds the space” for all that exists. With regular practice, our sense of identity gradually begins to shift from limited to limitless, from agitated to calm and from separate to whole.
Daily practice of yoga asanas makes the body strong, relaxed and flexible, making it much easier to sit comfortably in meditation with good concentration. What makes the asanas different from other forms of exercise is that they help to control the hormone system and the chakras, making the mind calm and improving our willpower, self-control and subtle awareness.
Kiirtan, meditation and Asanas are a powerful combination which continuously enhances our experience of well-being, clarity and the sense of being connected to something greater.
Garden team:
Depending on the time of the year you will be working with seedlings, watering plants, sowing, harvesting, preparing beds, foraging, making hugelbeds, pruning, infrastructures maintenance, collecting flowers and seeds, working with bees, and many other activities. You will have the opportunity to learn how we grow our own organic food using permaculture approach.
Kitchen:
With the cooking team you will learn how to utilize the food from our garden as well as wild plants. You will learn how to prepare delicious vegetarian and satvik food in a very simple and healthy way!
Depending on the season you will also learn how to preserve food like pickling, making sauerkraut, jams…
Communication:
During your time in our communication and social media team you will be involved with the promotion of events and social media development of Ananda Gaorii. You will be engaged in creating posts and content for our social media as well as helping with ideas for promotion of events.
Construction and maintenance:
From building and optimising to repairing and fixing you will have a wide range of tasks to help with. We have a big house and area around that always needs a hand in order to look beautiful and inviting for our guests!
House caring:
As the saying goes, home is where the heart is – and we couldn’t agree more! Here at Ananda Gaorii, we take great pride in our beautiful and cozy home, and we love nothing more than creating a warm and welcoming environment for our community to enjoy. Taking care of event/retreat rooms, decluttering, organising, and helping to ensure that the space is well-maintained and functioning smoothly, our House Manager Team plays a vital role in maintaining the house and ensuring a welcoming and safe environment for the community to enjoy.
COMMUNITY LIVING
We, in Ananda Gaorii, live together in a cooperative way, sharing meals, work, and spiritual practices. We follow a simple lifestyle that emphasizes sustainability, compassion, and personal growth.
We welcome people from all backgrounds and religions who share their values and are interested in living in a community that is focused on spiritual growth and service to others. We offer different types of accommodation for visitors, including camping, dormitories, and private rooms.
Overall, the community living in Ananda Gaorii is a vibrant and supportive group of people who are dedicated to living a meaningful and sustainable life while sharing their knowledge and practices with others.
Vig is a small town located on the northwest coast of the Zealand island in Denmark. The natural area around Vig is characterized by a mix of coastal landscapes, forests, wetlands, and agricultural fields.
One of the most notable features of the natural area is the Vigso Bay, a shallow, brackish lagoon that serves as an important habitat for various bird species such as dunlins, redshanks, and black-tailed godwits. The bay is also home to a diverse array of fish and shellfish.
Inland from the coast, the natural area around Vig is dominated by a mixture of deciduous and coniferous forests, which are home to a variety of wildlife, including deer, foxes, and squirrels. There are also several wetland areas, including the Vesterlyng and Klintebjerg Heath, which provide habitat for amphibians and reptiles.
In addition to the natural areas, there are also several cultural and historical sites in the Vig area, such as the Vig Church, which dates back to the 12th century, and the nearby Lumsaas Mill, which is a well-preserved windmill that was built in the 19th century.
Overall, the natural area around Vig offers visitors a diverse range of landscapes and habitats to explore, making it a popular destination for hiking, birdwatching, and other outdoor activities.
YOUR EXPERIENCE
PRICE: 1300 dkk
- Accommodation
- Access to all the facilities
- Three vegetarian meals and access to snacks and fruits
- Participation in the daily life of the community
- Personal meditation guidance
- You can join the daily chanting and meditation
- Daily yoga classes
- Experience in the different working teams
- Access to our bicycles
You will stay in one of our dormitories. We have separate dormitories for brothers and sisters.
We also have camping option in our orchard.
Note: if you come as a couple let us know and we will try to arrange a room for you.
Buy a ticket from Copenhagen Central Station to Ananda Gaorii, Holbækvej 56, 4560 Vig. Change in Holbæk to bus number 560 to station Herrestrup Terminal (Nykøbingvej), cross the small platform to bus number 566 Nykøbing Sj Station, to Sneglerupbej (Nykøbingvej). Walk 10 minutes to Ananda Gaorii.
If you come by car, use your navigation to: Holbækvej 56, 4560 Vig.
*Please note: If you arrive too late in Vig to take the bus, please call us 30 minutes before you are due to arrive at the station. We can arrange for someone to pick you up. Happy travels!
We advise packing clothes that is appropriate for both indoor and outdoor activities. Include warm and waterproof gear in every season because the weather might change.
You may want to bring socks for shoe-free spaces.
A fitted bed sheet, a duvet (comforter) cover, a pillow case, a bath towel, toiletries, comfortable loose-fitting clothing, indoor slippers, a notebook/pen, and warm clothes for outdoor activities. *A pillow and duvet (comforter) will be provided.
There are laundry facilities for guests, please note there is a charge.
We’ll ask you for further more information about yourself when you book for Experience Week. This gets you in the mood for the week and helps us in getting to know you and preparing for the experience.
We ask you about your joys, challenges, and inspirations as well as your current living circumstances, your motivations for participating in Experience Week, and any spiritual background you may have (but this is not necessary!).
Participants should be be emotionally and psychologically sound and capable of managing their own feelings and experiences. We are here to support you and are ready to share all our knowledge.
Please answer the questions yourself, and in your own words – don’t worry about language, we simply want to get to know you.
Please don’t make travel plans until you have received our email confirming your booking.
PRE-BOOKING NECESSARY
PRE-BOOKING HERE:
OTHER VISITING OPTIONS:
Are you curious about our community and you would like to come for a short visit?
You are very welcome to join us for a half-day experience!
Would you like to learn meditation with an experienced monk?
You are very welcome to join us for our morning or/and evening practices.
