Here is a short report about the bhakti-yoga retreat, held by Bhaktivedanta College from October–November last year. Taking part in the retreat were students from Belgium, Spain, Slovakia, Finland, and the US.

There were several ingredients that made the retreat both memorable and successful:

• The interest and kindness of the teachers
• The temple’s morning program
• The lively and melodious kirtans
• The sweet spiritual atmosphere of the community
• The association of other fellow seekers – including retreat members and full-time college students

During the retreat there were both philosophical and practical classes. One particularly memorable week was the seminar by Dhananjaya Dasa and Visakha Dasi on memories of Srila Prabhupada the founder-acarya of ISKCON.

"The retreat is an excellent introduction, not only theoretically but practically. It provides a lot of opportunities to associate with devotees. I am glad I followed the advice of mataji Jaya Bhadra, an advanced devotee who has lived in Radhadesh for twenty years, to take the course. Every class was a fantastic contribution to my limited knowledge. The theoretical classes were the most exciting for me, surely because of the high standard of the teachers. The place and the living conditions were more than sufficient even for the most demanding. Even a person not used to a Vaishnava ashram can be fully satisfied. The natural surroundings induce a peaceful mood of silent, untouched rural conditions, which are rare in the modern world. – Bhaktin Blanca, Spain

The College is now preparing a foundation in bhakti-yoga course which will run from March 1 – May 31 for those students who would like to continue their studies.