Vasant Panchami Festival: Saraswati Puja ~ Celebrating the Light of Knowledge
Vasant Panchami Festival: Saraswati Puja ~ Celebrating the Light of Knowledge
243 Greenwood Brook Rd, Industry, ME, USA
Up to 8 in group
January 23 - 25, 2026
Retreat Highlights
- Whole-foods, plant-based, sattvic (balanced) vegan fare
- 3+ Hours of daily Yoga and Meditation Instruction
- Mountain Retreat
- Traditional Yogic Environment
- Off-grid, nature immersion
- Digital detox
About this Retreat
Your Guides
Jaya Yogini was 10 years old when she moved to Sat Manav Yoga Ashram, a traditional Yogic community in Maine’s western mountains. She joined the traditional Guru/shishya (student) lineage of Sat Manav Yoga in 1999.
Driven by so many questions that conventional society leaves unanswered, Jaya found solace and solutions, beyond her wildest dreams, in the classical teachings of Yoga. Leaving a “normal life” far behind, she immersed herself in Yoga, striving for its highest attainment — to change the world by living our true purpose as human beings.
Home-schooled following the Yogic model, Jaya has intensively studied all aspects of Yoga from a very young age, including the formal Yogic practices of asanas and meditation, along with Sanskrit, chanting, and dance, and continues to do so. As the primary teacher and coordinator for the Ashram's Gurukul (school), she designed and ran Yoga programs for children at the Ashram, offsite and in public schools for over a decade.
For the past 5 years, Jaya has been head of Sat Manav's Yoga retreat and outreach event programs. She teaches group and private classes, and speaks throughout New England on the life-changing teachings of classical Yoga.
For the past 23 her ever-growing passion for sharing her extensive knowledge and excitement for Yoga is surpassed only by her passion for living it daily at Sat Manav Yoga Ashram with her Gurus and fellow Yogis.
Details of this retreat
In India, Vasant Panchami marks the turn toward spring, honoring Saraswati—the goddess of wisdom, creativity, and learning. Here in Maine, we are still deep in winter, yet this festival reminds us that even in the cold and quiet, growth is stirring beneath the surface. Saraswati is that force—the wisdom of true nature itself, the clarity that cuts through confusion, and the spark of inspiration that carries us into what is possible.
At Sat Manav Yoga Ashram, Saraswati Puja is not only observed but lived. It is a festival that draws us into motion. Through fire, sound, food, and teaching, we align ourselves with Saraswati’s current—the energy that turns silence into song, chaos into clarity, and waiting into growth.
🌸 Saraswati Puja — an ancient ritual invoking wisdom and clarity for the path ahead
🔥 Fire & Offering — releasing obstacles and calling in light through agni (fire) ceremony
🎶 Sacred Sound — live chanting and music to awaken energy and focus
🍲 Ashram Feast — nourishing vegan food to strengthen and uplift in the heart of winter
✨ Discourse & Reflection — teachings on how Saraswati’s wisdom applies to our modern lives
Yoga teaches that when we change ourselves, we change the world. Every being in nature already lives in harmony with its true nature—trees grow, rivers flow, birds migrate. Only humans have stepped away, forgetting the wisdom that guides life itself. Saraswati represents that wisdom. Through the practices of Yoga—disciplines that purify the body, steady the mind, and awaken clarity—we return to our true nature. And when we do, our lives, and the world around us, begin to realign.
This is more than a celebration—it is a chance to reorient your life at midwinter, to connect with the depth of a living yogic tradition, and to kindle the inner spark that carries you into the year ahead.
Kids welcome! We have sitters available for the morning Yoga Intensive and the afternoon Philosophy Teaching.
For questions, text or call Jaya at 207-578-8227.
Your donation supports our nonprofit work of benefiting all beings through Yoga and meditation. Thank you!
At Sat Manav Yoga Ashram, Saraswati Puja is not only observed but lived. It is a festival that draws us into motion. Through fire, sound, food, and teaching, we align ourselves with Saraswati’s current—the energy that turns silence into song, chaos into clarity, and waiting into growth.
🌸 Saraswati Puja — an ancient ritual invoking wisdom and clarity for the path ahead
🔥 Fire & Offering — releasing obstacles and calling in light through agni (fire) ceremony
🎶 Sacred Sound — live chanting and music to awaken energy and focus
🍲 Ashram Feast — nourishing vegan food to strengthen and uplift in the heart of winter
✨ Discourse & Reflection — teachings on how Saraswati’s wisdom applies to our modern lives
Yoga teaches that when we change ourselves, we change the world. Every being in nature already lives in harmony with its true nature—trees grow, rivers flow, birds migrate. Only humans have stepped away, forgetting the wisdom that guides life itself. Saraswati represents that wisdom. Through the practices of Yoga—disciplines that purify the body, steady the mind, and awaken clarity—we return to our true nature. And when we do, our lives, and the world around us, begin to realign.
This is more than a celebration—it is a chance to reorient your life at midwinter, to connect with the depth of a living yogic tradition, and to kindle the inner spark that carries you into the year ahead.
Kids welcome! We have sitters available for the morning Yoga Intensive and the afternoon Philosophy Teaching.
For questions, text or call Jaya at 207-578-8227.
Your donation supports our nonprofit work of benefiting all beings through Yoga and meditation. Thank you!
Getting Here
Sat Manav Yoga Ashram, 243 Greenwood Brook Rd, Industry, ME, USA
Directions
The largest airport in Maine is located in Portland. It is 2 hours from the Ashram. We recommend renting a car, but we do offer airport pickup and drop off for $200 (total). You can also get a bus from the airport to Augusta (1 hour away). We offer pickup/drop off from the bus for $100.
For driving, the directions below will get you here quickly and easily. We are located in a rural area where cell service and GPS are not reliable. To make sure you find us, please print and follow our directions and NOT your GPS. https://satmanavyogaashram.com/directions
Safe travels and we'll see you soon!
For driving, the directions below will get you here quickly and easily. We are located in a rural area where cell service and GPS are not reliable. To make sure you find us, please print and follow our directions and NOT your GPS. https://satmanavyogaashram.com/directions
Safe travels and we'll see you soon!
Accommodation
Every building at Sat Manav Yoga Ashram was constructed by the resident Yogis, creating the ideal environment for reflection and practice. They follow the essential guidelines for Yogic living, while still providing a very comfortable, restful and pleasant atmosphere. Each building is heated with wood and cooled by opening the windows to fresh mountain air. Water is drawn by hand pumps, we use composting toilets and pump showers (hot), keeping us deeply connected with the life-sustaining resources we use. There is no wi-fi or conventional electronics that interfere with our well-being. In today's world there are very few places you can give your body and mind a total reprieve from the effects and distractions of electronics. With Yogic décor and all-natural materials (from the linens you sleep in to the floor you walk on) nestled in the Maine woods surrounded by rushing mountain streams, your nights will be as unforgettable as your days. Our first guest cabin, the "Kund," has an open downstairs, a private deck off of one bedroom, and a beautiful tile shower. The upstairs is divided into two rooms; one with a queen and one with two twin futons. A shared full bath and comfortable living area (with LOTS of books) are downstairs. With cherry floors, knotty pine walls, skylights and wonderful views of the property, a night at the Kund is the perfect conclusion to your day! Our second cabin, the "Shodhana," is centrally located, but also tucked away, just across from our wood-fired Sauna; also the shower house. It features 2 bedrooms with private half baths, and a shared living room, with couches that inspire hours of reflective reading or a rejuvenating nap. Nestled in the trees, between two streams, Shodhana is the perfect place for release into the peace and quiet.
Weekend All Inclusive! (Fri. Afternoon-Sun. Evening)
Venue & Amenities
A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi
Spa
Sauna
Pool
Towels
Free Parking
Kitchen
Tour Assistance
Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea
Cafe
Restaurant
Fitness Center
Yoga Studio
Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent
20 x 30 Straw-bale Yoga Shala
Woodfired Sauna
Extensive Library
Woodfired Sauna
Extensive Library
Meals
Menu Types
Vegan
Vegetarian
Pescetarian
Ayurvedic
Includes Meat
Organic
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Nut Free
"Delicious, savory fulfillment in vegetable form! I absolutely love the food at the Ashram, and the whole style of eating. The ceremony of it all feeds your soul and your stomach simultaneously!" -ES.
What's Included
- Lodging
- Food
- All events and classes
What's Not Included
- Travel fare
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