Berkshire Yoga Festival 2026

What is kundalini anyway? How can we have an embodied experience in a safe and supported way? These are the themes that will be explored as we journey through spinal suppleness, mantra meditation, connection and community. The whole point of this immersion is to have a lived experience of your beauty, grace and perfection. No self improvement required, simply show up as you are.

Description to Come

We all have the recurring experience of frustration and suffering - from different causes, and at different levels of intensity - throughout our daily lives. In response to this recurring experience, we seek to release suffering and find fulfillment outwardly and, as a result, become entangled in what the Ancients called the ‘world of name and form’. This misguided seeking perpetuates the recurrence of unresolved issues, frustrations, tension, and suffering that we all experience throughout our lives.

Deep methods of Inner Practice evolved in the tradition of Tantric Laya Yoga through which we can break this recurring cycle, realize our true nature, actualize our innate potentials and, ultimately, become free. These methods of practice relied on complex symbol systems.

In this series of three classes, we will explore two of the most important symbol systems, the methods of practice evolved to work with them and, finally, how to integrate these symbols and methods into our personal practice.

In this first 90-minute session of the series, we will
- Explore the cakra symbol system as a “microcosmic” map that reveals both our dysfunctional patterns and our innate untapped potentials.
- Introduce the methods of Bhūta Śuddhi and Cakra Sādhana
- Work with these methods in a practice focused on the Anāhata Cakra

Discover the voice of your soul in this transformative workshop with internationally touring world music artist, teacher, and author Girish.

Science is proving what ancient cultures and our inner wisdom already knows: your voice can become one of the most powerful agents of transformation in every facet of your life. Sharing his own experience as a sound healer, musician, yogi, and former Hindu monk, Girish offers tools and practices to find and express your true voice in this interactive and inspiring workshop.

Discover and express your true voice and reclaim the healing potential that resides there. Girish will share several enjoyable and practical techniques, based on his decades of sound healing experience, that you can incorporate into your daily life. You will discover what 21st Century neuroscience reveals about these practices, many based on ancient yogic teachings, and learn new and inspiring ways to support and open your voice. You will discover unique, liberating methods to clear old patterns that block your natural expression and fulfillment. You will feel how opening your voice leads to powerful transformation in every dimension of your life.

The Sri Sukta is a sacred cluster of sixteen mantras dedicated to the Divine Mother as the source of abundance, nourishment, and sustaining power in the universe. Far more than prayers for material well-being, these awakened mantras align consciousness with the subtle forces that support wholeness, vitality, and inner prosperity.

In this immersive workshop, Ishan Tigunait will introduce the Sri Sukta within its yogic and spiritual context, exploring how mantra functions as a living force rather than a symbolic chant. Participants will learn one mantra from the Sri Sukta in depth, including its meaning, energetic quality, and proper pronunciation. Through practice, Sri Sukta becomes a direct experience of inner abundance that naturally expresses itself outward into the world.

This session is accessible to practitioners of all levels and is especially meaningful for those interested in mantra, the Divine Feminine, or cultivating a more supportive and nourishing inner landscape.

In this session, we will explore:
● The purpose and spiritual significance of the Sri Sukta
● How mantra works to awaken abundance and nurturance
● The meaning, sound, and practice of one Sri Sukta mantra
● How inner prosperity becomes the ground for outer fulfillment

Participants will leave with a lived experience of mantra practice and a deeper understanding of abundance as a spiritual and embodied reality.

Scriptures proclaim, “You are the creator of your destiny.” We have the ability to identify and choose the path that leads to true freedom and abundance. This is what tantra sadhana is all about. There are numerous tantric practices: some complex, some straightforward; some enticing in the beginning and perplexing at the end.

In this keynote, Pandit Tigunait shares the time-tested practice of tantra vidya which is sweet and insightful right from the start, and fulfilling at each step of our progress. This practice is based on his latest book, Sri Sukta: Tantra of Inner Prosperity.

This presentation will enable you to gather the tools needed to confront and conquer the forces of uncertainty, fear, and confusion sweeping across both our inner and outer worlds.

This embodied practice explores the technique of Jalandhara Bandha: “the net that catches." This subtle yogic energetic seal gathers scattered attention and stabilizes the mind. Through accessible movement, lunar-informed breathwork, and guided meditation, this practice gently quiets mental overactivity and supports nervous system regulation. Woven with contemplative INSIGHT inquiry, participants experience how steadiness arises not through effort, but through alignment, containment, and listening. This is a practice of calm power, inner coherence, and the relief of being held from within. Suitable for all levels.

We all have the recurring experience of frustration and suffering - from different causes, and at different levels of intensity - throughout our daily lives. In response to this recurring experience, we seek to release suffering and find fulfillment outwardly and, as a result, become entangled in what the Ancients called the ‘world of name and form’. This misguided seeking perpetuates the recurrence of unresolved issues, frustrations, tension, and suffering that we all experience throughout our lives.

Deep methods of Inner Practice evolved in the tradition of Tantric Laya Yoga through which we can break this recurring cycle, realize our true nature, actualize our innate potentials and, ultimately, become free. These methods of practice relied on complex symbol systems.

In this series of three classes, we will explore two of the most important symbol systems, the methods of practice evolved to work with them and, finally, how to integrate these symbols and methods into our personal practice.

In the second session of the series, we will
- Explore the symbolism of the Vedic Gods and Goddesses as “macrocosmic map” that reveals what the Ancients called our Divine Human Potentials.
- Introduce the methods of Devatā Yoga
- Work with this methods in a practice focused on the Mahā Lakṣmī

At the heart of the tantric tradition stands Saraswati, the radiant embodiment of knowledge, intuition, and the hidden currents of wisdom that guide every seeker. In the esoteric teachings of the Durga Saptashati, she is revealed as the gatekeeper to the vast treasury of tantra vidya, and the one who holds the key to unveiling the deeper nature of reality. Known as maha maya and yoga nidra, Saraswati illuminates the many layers of human experience, from the most ordinary to the most sublime, and shows us how to move skillfully between them.

In this transformative session, you will explore this multifaceted divinity not as a symbol, but as a living force that unlocks access to the true heart of tantra. You will also learn the meaning and practice of a rare and sacred Saraswati mantra, preserved in both the Vedic and tantric traditions, and discover how this mantra opens the doors to clarity, creativity, and inner awakening.

From this vantage point, this session expands into the wider world of tantra itself—a tradition that, for millennia, has offered a priceless trove of techniques to support and accelerate our spiritual growth. Yet today it is often overshadowed by confusion and sensationalism. Some encounter rituals, mantras, kundalini, and chakras; others become absorbed in deities and mystical practices.

Pandit Tigunait, drawing on a thousand-year lineage of tantric masters, will cut through this modern jungle of misunderstanding to reveal the rich and sublime essence of tantra. You will learn how to discern which aspects of the tantric tradition resonate most deeply with you, how to navigate common pitfalls with confidence, and how to follow a path that leads directly to inner fulfillment and true freedom.

In this global moment of war, chaos, and destruction, yoga practitioners might feel inclined to turn to yoga philosophy for ethical guidance and a broader understanding of the moral implications and relationship between yoga and war. While it is common and tempting to turn to “ahimsa” as a foundational tenet of yoga philosophy and thus regard yoga as inherently non-violent and anti-war, such interpretations offer simplistic readings of yoga philosophy. 

So what does yoga philosophy say about war, from a historic and contemporary standpoint? I believe that nuancing our understanding of yoga philosophy with respect to war strengthens both our capacity to turn to yoga as a moral compass and our impact when we wish to harness yoga's power toward more liberatory purposes. In this half lecture, half participatory workshop session, I invite you to join me in a dialogue on the politics of yoga, war, and empire; and in a commitment to strengthen our collective movement toward liberation of all beings.

Vishoka Meditation is a classical yogic approach to meditation that uses the subtle dimension of breath as a doorway into the mind’s natural state of clarity, joy, and inner radiance. Rooted in the Himalayan Tradition and drawing source wisdom from the YogaSutra and the Lotus Sutra, this practice offers a comprehensive yet accessible pathway toward a sorrow less state of awareness—one that does not bypass life’s challenges, but transforms our relationship to them.

In this workshop-style session, Ishan Tigunait will introduce the foundations of Vishoka Meditation, weaving together guided practice and philosophical context.  Participants will learn essential techniques that unite the subtle aspect of the breath with the mind’s power of awareness, revealing a deeper and more luminous dimension of consciousness already present within us.

This session is well-suited for both newer meditators and experienced practitioners seeking a clear, grounded, and systematic approach to meditation.

In this experiential session, we will explore:
● The purpose and essential experience of meditation in relation to yoga practice
● How breath awareness reveals our healing potential, and helps us bridge body and mind
● How an embodied experience of prana is the self-revealing dimension of mind
● Key principles that make meditation accessible, sustainable, and joyful
● How Vishoka Meditation practice supports emotional resilience and inner stability

Participants will leave with a felt sense of the practice and a deeper understanding of how meditation can become a source of clarity, healing, and inner nourishment.

This integrative practice weaves grounding Qigong with subtle meditation to explore the meeting point of matter and spirit. We begin with slow, accessible Qigong forms that cultivate the water and earth elements, building stability, rootedness, and energetic containment. From this grounded foundation, we transition into silent meditation, inviting a felt ascent into ether and spirit without leaving the body behind. Expect integrated calm focus and the quiet lift of embodied spirit. Suitable for all levels.

We all have the recurring experience of frustration and suffering - from different causes, and at different levels of intensity - throughout our daily lives. In response to this recurring experience, we seek to release suffering and find fulfillment outwardly and, as a result, become entangled in what the Ancients called the ‘world of name and form’. This misguided seeking perpetuates the recurrence of unresolved issues, frustrations, tension, and suffering that we all experience throughout our lives.

Deep methods of Inner Practice evolved in the tradition of Tantric Laya Yoga through which we can break this recurring cycle, realize our true nature, actualize our innate potentials and, ultimately, become free. These methods of practice relied on complex symbol systems.

This workshop works off Gary's previous two sessions, but is also open to any participant.

In this 60-minutes session we will explore through lecture, discussion and Q&A how to authentically integrate these symbols and methods into personal practice and daily life.

Join musician, former Hindu monk, and author, Girish, for a deep dive into the healing practices of Bhakti Yoga in this transformational 90 minute journey through Breathwork, Chanting, and a Mantra-infused Restorative Savasana practice.
We'll share an entirely new Breathwork experience in this upcoming session with Girish, diving into the powerful BREATH OF LIFE practice from the monasteries of Tibet, followed by a deeply healing Vocal Yoga session, preparing us for some sweet call-and-response Kirtan before transitioning into a restorative Savasana practice, serenaded with live music and chanting.
Girish is an internationally touring world music artist, teacher, and author. He began his music career as a jazz drummer, spent five years as a monk in a Hindu monastery, returned to music as a session tabla player on more than a hundred world music albums, and for the past twelve years has written, recorded, and performed his own original music and taught Sanskrit mantras and chanting in music festivals and yoga studios all over the world. His seven albums have received critical acclaim from O, The Oprah Magazine, Yoga Journal, and The Guardian, among others. Girish's book, Music and Mantras, continues Girish's mission to share the art of meditation through music and mantra with the world.