Yoga of Emotions

Navarasa Immersion

"A healthy individual is one who is able to experience all the rasās (emotions) as they arise in them, & return to śāntam (equanimity) after the experience."
- Sri TKV Kriṣṇamāchārya

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Nāṭyaśāstra, the classical Indian dance tradition, speaks of nine primary rasās (energy underlying emotions) that is universal. The suppression, repression, or substitution of the evocation of the rasās when events occur in life becomes the ground for many of the sufferings and illnesses in the long run.

Navarasa Immersion is a retreat designed to enable participants to explore the personal emotional patterns and discover insights to transform dysfunctional patterns to enable healthy relationships and enhanced sense of well-being in their lives.

This retreat will help you discover a deeper connection with your body, insights into your emotional patterns, and somatic practices to regulate your nervous system.

What to expect at the retreat:

  • Yoga: In the tradition of Sri T KriṣṇamachāryaDesikachār & Hatha Yoga. Comfortable to practitioners of all levels.
  • Applied Theatre: Exploring the rasās (primary emotions) through applied theatre.
  • Reflective Arts: Working through evocations through self-reflective art practices.
  • Meditation: Silent meditative spaces spread across the beautiful campus.
  • Somatic Experiencing: Trauma healing practices to help transform locked up fight, flight, freeze energies in the body.
  • Nature Walks: Reconnecting with self through mindful walks in nature and by the Ganges.

When

Date: 28th - 31st August 2025 (3 Nights / 4 Days)
Date of Arrival: 28th August 2025 (Thu) by 2 PM
Date of Departure: 31st August 2025 (Sun) by 4 PM

Where

Rishikesh, Himalayas

Last Date to Register: 5th August 2025
Questions? Reach out to Hari at +91-9966900337 (WhatsApp)

Navarasa Immersion - Workshop Facilitators

Hariprasad Varma

Hariprasad Varma is an internationally certified Transformation Coach, LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® (LSP) & Flow Game Facilitator, and Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT). For over a decade, he has been working at the intersection of well-being and leadership in corporate, educational, and social sectors.

Hari has coached industry leaders and change makers from over 25 countries across a diverse set of themes ranging from trauma healing and therapy to professional excellence and team synergy. He is passionate about integrating globally celebrated facilitation modalities with ideas and practices from Indic wisdom traditions. He has curated over 18 retreats across India and abroad in the past 10 years.

He is the founder of Zensei & Yogaśāla.

  • At Zensei, he offers personalised one-to-one and team coaching services and design customised leadership journeys for organisations through embodied and intuitive modalities such as the LSP method and Flow Game.
  • At Yogaśāla, he practices as a yoga and trauma therapist integrating practices from Yoga and Somatic Experiencing method for his clients with specific therapeutic conditions.

Hari has received in-depth training in Navarasās from his mentor and renowned Koodiyattom Artist Venu G (Kerala). He is also grateful for his studies and dialogues with R. Sriram and Anjali Sriram, authors of the book ‘Nāṭya Yoga’ which explores parallels between ideas in Nāṭya Śāstra and Yoga Sūtrās. 

Hari has been learning, practicing and facilitating offerings based on Yoga Sūtrās, Nāṭya Śāstra, Vāstu Śhilpa Śāstra, Mahābhārata and Rāmāyaņa for numerous groups for the past eight years as a member of the Ritambhara Ashram under the guidance of Sri Raghu Ananthanarayanan and his peers at Ritambhara Āchārya Sangha. 

Currently, Hari is in his Intermediary Level training in becoming a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) under the mentorship of Ms. Efu Nyaki (Brazil), and he is looking forward to completing his internship in Process Work with Sumedhas Academy for Human Context

Upasana Tendulkar

Upasana Tendulkar is a passionate Bharatanatyam dancer, educator, and entrepreneur dedicated to combining ancient wisdom with modern methodologies. As the founder of Dancing Tales, she integrates performing arts with life skills, wellbeing, and corporate solutions, delivering immersive learning experiences. 

Her work blends the timeless principles of the Natyashastra, Saundarya Shastra, and other Indian wisdom with contemporary science, fostering intellectual, emotional, and spiritual growth. Upasana has facilitated workshops focusing on Agile collaboration and employee well-being, as well as events celebrating Krishna Janmashtami and Shivratri through dance, meditation, and chanting.

Her career spans roles in human resources, where she contributed to policy development, change management, and organizational culture alignment. Upasana has also curated courses and programs on managing change through dance and movements and contributed to Faculty Development Programs on Natyashastra Pedagogy.

With academic qualifications that include an MBA from Cardiff University and certifications in Bharatanatyam Visharad and leadership courses, Upasana exemplifies the integration of art and education. Her vision is to nurture grace and harmony in all aspects of life, inspiring personal and professional transformation. She is multilingual, skilled in communication and experiential learning, and enjoys fencing, writing, and travel in her leisure time.

Meenakshi Chauhan

Meenakshi Chauhan is a 500-hour USA Yoga Alliance certified yoga teacher, specializing in traditional Hatha Yoga and Prāṇāyāma.

Her journey into yoga began during her five-year stint in the corporate world, where the fast-paced lifestyle led her to seek something deeper and more mindful. What started as a personal practice slowly transformed into a calling. Stepping away from the desk, she found her true rhythm through movement, breath, and stillness.

With over four years of dedicated personal practice, she brings a grounded, breathled approach to her sessions. Her teaching style is slow, intentional, and deeply rooted in traditional practices. In her sessions, she creates a space for reflection, inner alignment, and deep rest, something we all need a lot more of in today’s world.

A passionate traveler and trekker, her teachings are deeply inspired by nature and movement. She believes the yoga mat is not just a place for physical movement, but a space to return home to oneself.