January 2026 Newsletter
Dear Friends,
OM!
As the month of February draws near, we would like to take this last opportunity to wish you a very happy and fulfilling New Year 2026. May it be a year of peace, joy, and inner clarity for each and every one of you!
The year 2025 was especially rich in meetings, shared moments, and deep spiritual communion. We hold particularly vivid memories of the month of December, which brought the year to a beautiful close with the International Retreat in Assisi and the Sangha Day in Francheville.
We feel immense gratitude toward Swamiji for the depth and preciousness of his teachings, as well as toward each of you for your committed and heartfelt presence throughout the year.
This new year is also an invitation to look ahead and share with you the programmes already planned through the summer. The annual ten-day Satsang programme with Swamiji in Tiruvannamalai, in South India, has just come to an end, and we were delighted to meet many of you there.
The next gathering will take place online on February 28, just before the Satsang season at the Rishikesh Ashram, which will be held from March 7 to 25. Please note that a non-residential retreat is scheduled from Sunday, March 22 to Wednesday, March 25, bringing this Satsang period to a close.
Two additional online gatherings are also planned for March 28 and April 25, ahead of the European season, which will unfold over the months of May, June, and July.
We invite you to explore below the full list of gatherings scheduled for spring and summer 2026, and we very much look forward to meeting you again soon, whether in person or online.
With our warmest and most heartfelt wishes for the year ahead,
Warm regards,
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
Online Satsang
Satsangs and Retreat in North India
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)
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)
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 soon.
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
8:30 a.m. – 9:45 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.
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)
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)
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 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)
Accommodation: A few rooms are available at Sambogaya. Reservations should not be made via Airbnb but by email or phone: info@sambogaya.org or 0044 (0) 7988 495893. Please mention that you will be taking part in the satsangs, as these rooms have been reserved exclusively for the participants.
For any queries, please contact Adam at: nondualityavalon@mail.com
Please note: it is important to reserve your place quickly. Indeed, the venue cannot accommodate more than the maximum number of participants authorised according to safety standards. Once the limit has been reached, you will be added to a waiting list and kept informed of any cancellations. Moreover, we advise you to book your tickets before your accommodation to guarantee your place.
More Information & Registration Here
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 7:00 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)