The Great Awakening · Rishikesh, India
This is not a yoga holiday. It is a full awakening of consciousness — guided by Izumi Sammer in the sacred heartland of Rishikesh. A 5–7 day immersion into quantum meditation, collective healing, and the deep mechanics of reality creation.
The Sacred Setting
Nestled at the foothills of the Himalayas, where the sacred Ganga River descends from the mountains onto the plains of India, Rishikesh carries a vibrational frequency that humanity has recognised for millennia. Sages, mystics, and seekers from every corner of the world have arrived here across thousands of years — not by chance, but because this land accelerates inner transformation in ways that cannot be replicated anywhere else on Earth.
Rishikesh is widely known as the Yoga Capital of the World. But for The Great Awakening, it holds something far deeper: a living portal for consciousness expansion. The energy of the mountains, the presence of the Ganga, and the accumulated spiritual intention of thousands of years of seekers create conditions in which awareness opens naturally, old patterns dissolve faster, and the truth of who you are becomes impossible to deny.
When TGA held its inaugural spiritual retreat in Rishikesh in October 2023, participants described experiences they had never encountered in years of meditation, therapy, or previous spiritual practice. The combination of Rishikesh's sacred landscape and TGA's quantum consciousness approach created something entirely new in India's spiritual landscape — and it has only deepened in the retreats that followed.
Rishikesh is also one of the only major cities in India that is entirely meat-free and alcohol-free by civic rule — a fact that creates a uniquely sattvic (pure) environment in which serious inner work can unfold without distraction or interference from the world's heavier energies. For those genuinely committed to awakening, this matters deeply.
THE TGA DIFFERENCE
There are hundreds of retreats in Rishikesh. Most of them are excellent at what they do: teaching yoga asanas, offering Ayurvedic treatments, introducing pranayama, providing a peaceful break from urban life. These are valuable offerings and TGA respects them deeply.
But they are not what TGA does. The Great Awakening retreat exists in an entirely different category — one that has, until now, been almost entirely absent from India's retreat landscape. TGA's retreat is built around a single, radical purpose: the awakening of consciousness itself.
Not the improvement of flexibility. Not stress relief. Not a spiritual holiday. The actual, lived, direct recognition of what you are — beyond your conditioning, beyond your history, beyond the stories the world has told you about yourself — and the permanent shift in how you move through life that follows from that recognition.
This is why participants who have attended yoga retreats across India, meditation centres in Southeast Asia, and workshops with internationally known teachers consistently describe TGA retreats as unlike anything they have encountered. Because it is. There is no other retreat in India specifically designed around the work of quantum consciousness, collective group healing, and reality creation at the level that TGA delivers it.
1. Quantum Meditation — the core practice. Most meditation systems train attention: focus on breath, sensation, or mantra. Quantum Meditation, as taught by Izumi Sammer, works at the level of consciousness itself — investigating the nature of the observer, the mechanics of perception, and the direct relationship between inner state and the reality a person experiences. This is not a relaxation technique. It is a direct technology of awakening.
2. The collective field. TGA retreats use the group energy as an active healing mechanism. When a room of sincere seekers enters a shared state of expanded awareness, the field created is more powerful than the sum of its individual parts. Participants regularly report that healing — of long-held emotional patterns, physical symptoms, and deep-seated limiting beliefs — unfolds in group sessions that has not shifted in years of individual practice. This is not metaphor; it is a repeatable, observable phenomenon that occurs at every TGA retreat.
3. Izumi Sammer's direct transmission. Izumi ji is not a certified yoga instructor delivering a curriculum. He is a consciousness teacher of rare depth — one whose own awakening is lived, not studied — and in whose presence something fundamental shifts in those around him. Many TGA participants report that the most significant moments of their retreat had nothing to do with a formal practice session, but simply with being in the room while Izumi ji was teaching.
"The first time I met Izumi Ji, I looked into the eyes of Source. The recognition was there without any understanding of what I had just experienced. That day changed everything."
Inside the Retreat
Many people arrive at TGA retreats unsure of what to expect — having tried other programmes without finding the depth they were looking for. This is a full, transparent account of what unfolds across the days of a TGA retreat in Rishikesh.
The retreat opens with a grounding ceremony that marks the transition from ordinary life into the sacred container of the retreat. This is not symbolic — it is functional. The ceremony begins the process of releasing the accumulated tensions, mental noise, and conditioned patterns that every participant carries into the space. Most participants report feeling a noticeable shift in their internal state within hours of arrival — not from anything they have done, but from the combination of Rishikesh's energy and the group field beginning to form.
Evening of day one typically includes an opening teaching by Izumi ji — an introduction to the framework of consciousness and reality that will be explored in depth over the coming days. Participants are invited to arrive with no agenda, no expectation, and no plan to get anything specific from the retreat. The instruction is simply: be present, and let the retreat happen.
Morning and evening sessions of Quantum Meditation form the backbone of each day. In the early days of the retreat, these sessions introduce participants to the foundational experience: the direct recognition of awareness itself, independent of thought, sensation, or circumstance. For most people, this is the first time in their lives they have touched this territory with any stability.
The afternoon teachings deepen the understanding of what is being directly experienced in meditation: how consciousness relates to the body, how beliefs become biology, how the stories we tell about ourselves shape the reality we encounter, and why awakening is not a spiritual concept but a practical change in the mechanism of perception.
Group healing circles — sessions in which the collective field is used as an active healing force — begin on day two. These are among the most frequently described transformative experiences of the entire retreat. In the collective field, patterns that have been held for decades often release within minutes. The group carries what the individual cannot carry alone.
By the midpoint of the retreat, something has changed — not conceptually but experientially. Participants describe a quality of inner stillness that does not depend on conditions, a clarity of perception that ordinary thinking cannot produce, and a sense of recognition — of having come home to something that was always present but was obscured by the noise of conditioned life.
The teachings at this stage move from introduction to integration: how to live from this expanded state, how to work with the law of attraction and reality creation from a foundation of genuine awareness rather than wishful thinking, and how to understand what is happening in one's life through the lens of conscious evolution.
Individual moments of profound experience are common during this phase — not engineered, not created by technique, but arising naturally as the accumulated work of the preceding days reaches its crescendo. Izumi ji's ability to hold the space for these moments, and to guide participants through them without bypassing their depth, is one of TGA's most distinctive and valued qualities.
The closing day of the retreat focuses on integration: grounding the expanded states of awareness accessed during the retreat into the practical reality of daily life. Participants leave not with a set of techniques to try at home, but with a fundamental shift in their understanding of who they are and what life is.
The TGA Community — a living international network of nearly 5,000 members across more than 15 countries — provides continued support after the retreat through weekly Zoom sessions, guided meditations, group healing circles, an active forum, and ongoing teachings. Retreat participants do not re-enter ordinary life alone; they join a soul family that continues the journey alongside them.
"Some journeys start without your understanding, but they conclude with everything you asked for. In reality, that is the new beginning of the actual journey."
THE CORE PRACTICE
Quantum Meditation is the primary practice at all TGA retreats, and it is the practice that most consistently produces the experiences participants describe as the most profound of their lives. Understanding what it is — and what it is not — helps clarify why TGA's retreat sits in a category apart from the hundreds of other meditation retreats available in India.
Conventional meditation — whether Vipassana, mindfulness-based stress reduction, transcendental meditation, or yogic dhyana — trains the practitioner to stabilise attention, reduce reactivity, and access states of greater calm and clarity. These are genuinely valuable outcomes and TGA respects every tradition that produces them.
Quantum Meditation, as practised at TGA retreats, works at a different level entirely. Rather than training attention to rest on an object, it investigates the nature of the subject — the awareness itself that is doing the resting. The question is not 'what am I aware of?' but 'what is aware?' — and the answer to that question, when directly encountered rather than intellectually considered, is the foundation of genuine spiritual awakening.
The term 'quantum' is used not as marketing language but as a pointer to the understanding that consciousness is not produced by the brain — it is the ground state of reality itself. Just as quantum physics reveals that the observer participates in creating the observed, Quantum Meditation reveals that the consciousness you are is not separate from the reality you experience. This recognition — lived, not thought — changes everything.
In early sessions, most participants notice a deepening stillness — a quieting of the internal monologue that normally fills every available moment of awareness. This alone is valuable, but it is only the beginning.
As the sessions deepen across the days of the retreat — particularly in the group field, and particularly in Izumi ji's direct presence — practitioners begin to notice the space in which thoughts arise: the awareness that is present before a thought begins and after it ends. Most people have never stably inhabited this territory before. It is experienced as a quality of presence, of aliveness, of recognition — often described as 'coming home.'
Advanced states — direct recognition of pure awareness, experiences of unity consciousness, the dissolution of the felt sense of a separate self — arise naturally in some participants, particularly during group healing sessions. These are not manufactured, induced, or engineered. They are the natural result of the conditions TGA creates: sacred space, skilled teaching, genuine group field, and the accumulated energy of Rishikesh itself.
Is This for You?
TGA retreats draw participants from across India and from over 15 countries worldwide. What they share is not a yoga background, a spiritual qualification, or a particular belief system. What they share is a sincere, undeniable inner calling — the sense that there is more to life than they have yet found, and a genuine willingness to meet that more directly.
You may belong at a TGA retreat if any of the following resonates:
You are experiencing signs of spiritual awakening — heightened sensitivity, vivid dreams, a feeling that ordinary life no longer satisfies, unexplained emotional releases, or a persistent sense of being called toward something you cannot yet name. TGA's retreat provides a structured, deeply supported environment in which these experiences can be understood, integrated, and deepened.
You have explored yoga, therapy, or other spiritual traditions but feel you have not yet reached the depth you are genuinely seeking. You are ready for something that works at the level of consciousness itself, not at the level of technique.
You are drawn to the intersection of quantum consciousness, manifestation, and spiritual truth — and you want to understand not just how to meditate but how consciousness shapes the reality you experience.
You crave connection with a genuine soul community — people who are awake, serious about growth, and aligned with conscious evolution rather than surface-level wellness or spiritual performance.
You are a complete beginner who has just begun to question the nature of reality and your place in it. No prior experience, knowledge, or practice is required. The only prerequisite is a sincere desire to awaken and to discover who you truly are.
You live outside India but feel drawn to experience a spiritual awakening retreat — in the country that has been humanity's spiritual heartland for thousands of years. International participants are warmly welcomed and fully supported from arrival to departure.
TGA retreats are not for everyone. They are not suitable for those seeking a relaxing holiday, a yoga certification, or a social media pilgrimage. The work is genuine, deep, and occasionally demanding. It asks for full presence, full honesty, and full willingness to meet whatever arises. For those who are ready for that — and they know who they are — there is nothing else quite like it.
REAL VOICES
Over 5,000 members worldwide. 21 retreats conducted across India and internationally. The following voices belong to people who came searching — and found something they were not expecting.
"I have been on a spiritual journey since 2001. I have followed different meditation techniques and methods over the years. I can say now that my true spiritual understanding started after I joined TGA. The retreat in Rishikesh was unlike anything I had experienced in two decades of seeking."
"I came as a complete beginner. I had never meditated in my life before my first TGA retreat. By day two I was experiencing states of awareness I had no words for. The group energy, the presence of Rishikesh, and Izumi ji's guidance created something I cannot fully explain — only feel."
"After attending retreats in India and gaining this wisdom, when I really started applying the knowledge, I now feel free. What a relief when we truly follow — no resistance, no justification. Heart and mind remain clear."
"My spiritual quest ended when I joined TGA. All my missing links were found during retreats. I have completed four retreats with TGA. They have helped me discover myself again."
THE GUIDES
Izumi Sammer is the spiritual mentor, lead teacher, and primary guide of The Great Awakening. A teacher of quantum consciousness, advanced meditation techniques, and the mechanics of reality creation, Izumi ji has guided thousands of individuals through life-altering experiences of spiritual awakening and inner transformation — in India, Canada, the United States, Europe, and across the TGA community worldwide.
What distinguishes Izumi ji is not a list of certifications or a lineage of traditional transmission — though both exist. It is the quality of awakened awareness that is palpable in his presence, and the capacity to hold space for the depth of experience that arises in participants during TGA retreats without reducing, intellectualising, or bypassing what is genuinely occurring. Retreat participants consistently describe being in Izumi ji's presence as one of the most catalytic experiences of their lives — independent of whatever formal session is underway.
Izumi ji personally leads all meditation sessions, group healing circles, and core teachings at every TGA Rishikesh retreat. There are no assistants, no proxies, no delegated sessions. Every participant receives direct access to the depth of teaching and transmission that makes TGA retreats what they are.
Praveen Bhatiya is the founder and driving force behind The Great Awakening. A deeply committed student and teacher of consciousness, manifestation, and the law of attraction, Praveen ji founded TGA in April 2022 with a vision of making genuine spiritual awakening accessible to every sincere seeker — regardless of background, tradition, or prior experience.
What began as a 10-member Telegram group united by shared curiosity has grown, under Praveen ji's leadership, into one of India's most respected and rapidly expanding international spiritual communities — nearly 5,000 members across more than 15 countries, with retreats conducted on four continents. Praveen ji's straightforwardness, practical wisdom, and genuine care for each community member have been among the most consistently cited qualities in TGA reviews.
At Rishikesh retreats, Praveen ji serves as host, guide, and connective tissue — the bridge between Izumi ji's depth of teaching and the practical reality of participants' lives in India and around the world.
PRACTICAL DETAILS
TGA Rishikesh retreats typically run for 5 to 7 days. For first-time participants, a minimum of 5 days is strongly recommended — the awakening process has a natural arc, and shorter formats do not allow it to reach the depth that produces lasting transformation. Advanced retreat formats (for returning participants) sometimes run for 3 days.
TGA retreats are held in carefully chosen, sacred settings in and around Rishikesh — typically in serene ashram environments away from the busy tourist areas, close to the Ganga and within reach of the Himalayan foothills. Specific venue details are provided to all registered participants.
Nearest airport: Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun (Dehradun/DED) — approximately 35 km from Rishikesh, around 45 minutes by road. Most participants fly into Indira Gandhi International Airport (Delhi/DEL) and either take a connecting flight to Dehradun or travel by road (approximately 5–6 hours from Delhi, or 4 hours by train to Haridwar followed by 25 km road transfer).
All TGA retreats are conducted in both English and Hindi. Izumi ji and Praveen ji are fully fluent in both languages, and sessions are naturally bilingual — switching fluidly to ensure every participant has full access to every teaching. International participants from English-speaking countries find the environment fully accessible.
TGA Rishikesh retreats are open to all sincere seekers regardless of spiritual background, prior experience, nationality, or age. No meditation experience, yoga practice, or previous spiritual study is required. Participants as young as 18 and as old as their 70s have attended TGA retreats. The only genuine requirement is sincerity.
All accommodation, vegetarian meals, meditation sessions, group healing circles, teachings by Izumi ji and Praveen ji, and all retreat materials are included in the retreat fee. Specific inclusions vary by retreat format — all details are provided at the time of registration.
All TGA retreat participants are welcomed into the TGA Community — a living, active, international network of nearly 5,000 members. Weekly live Zoom sessions with Izumi ji and Praveen ji, guided meditations, group healing circles, an active online forum, and access to TGA's full library of videos, podcasts, and learning resources continue the journey begun at the retreat. This is not a mailing list. It is a soul family.
People Also Ask
YOUR NEXT STEP
Thousands of souls have already taken the first step — arriving at a TGA retreat searching for answers about consciousness, purpose, and the nature of reality, and leaving with something they cannot fully put into words: a clarity, a recognition, a coming home to themselves that does not fade when they return to ordinary life.
The Great Awakening is not a retreat centre. It is a living movement of conscious evolution — one that began in Rishikesh in October 2023 and has now touched lives across four continents. And there is a place in it for you.
Whether you begin with a retreat in Rishikesh, an online course in manifestation and consciousness, or simply by joining the TGA community — begin. The journey, once started, does not require you to know where it is going. It only requires that you take the first step.