Embark on a Once-in-a-Lifetime Transformative Journey
Join the Mind-Body-Spirit Yatra 2025—a 5-day journey of deep physical, mental, and spiritual renewal. Rooted in Thai wisdom and mindfulness practices, this transformative experience invites you to reconnect with yourself, nature, and a global community of changemakers. Guided by experienced facilitators, this is more than a retreat—it’s a path to holistic wellbeing and shared growth.
Why Join This Yatra?
- Experience Thailand Through Local Eyes: Journey into the heart of communities you wouldn’t reach on your own—led by indigenous Karen elders, spiritual leaders, and local changemakers who open their homes, forests, and sacred sites to share their living wisdom.
- Walk With, Not Through: This is not sightseeing. It’s an invitation to belong—through shared meals, village stays, rituals, and conversations that reveal the unseen layers of place, culture, and spirit.
- Unearth the Wisdom of Wellbeing: Learn deeply rooted practices for mind, body, and spirit—from forest meditation and earth-based rituals to indigenous teachings on harmony with nature. These are not techniques, but ways of being.
- Build Community That Matters: Through group reflection, storytelling, and silence, we co-create a space of trust, curiosity, and healing—forming bonds that transcend borders and backgrounds.
- Live the Intrinsic, Not the Itinerary: This yatra is a rare chance to slow down and be transformed—not by what you do, but by what you encounter. The value can’t be explained from outside—it must be lived.
This is a pilgrimage into relationship—within yourself, with others, and with the Earth. A journey of becoming, remembering, and returning home.
Itinerary Overview
Day 0: Wednesday, November 12, 2025
Theme: Departure and Transition
- Evening: Depart from Mab Ueang Agrinature Center in Chonburi for Chiang Mai.
Day 1: Thursday, November 13, 2025
Theme: Spirit – Indigenous Nature of the Karen Tribe
- Arrive in Chiang Mai and travel to the hills of Ban Nong Tao village.
- Opening circle and intention-setting to ground the journey.
- Participate in a Bai-see (String Tying Ceremony) for soul retrieval.
- Learn about Karen spirituality through a talk by Lazy Man, a local elder.
- Bonfire and storytelling under the stars, cultivating a sense of community and connection.
Day 2: Friday, November 14, 2025
Theme: Spirit and Mind – From Nature to the Nature of Mind
- Guided meditation and group process to deepen inner awareness.
- Sacred forest trek in Ban Nong Tao.
- Travel to a Vipassana temple and be introduced to Theravada Buddhism.
- Evening chanting and group reflection to integrate the day’s experiences.
Day 3: Saturday, November 15, 2025
Theme: Mind and Body – From Calm Mind to Body Wisdom
- Participate in the traditional Theravāda alms round.
- Join a Vipassanā meditation class and practice.
- Travel to Chiang Dao, the sacred mountain.
- Experience DANCE Mandala Movement Meditation—a practice that helps you connect with your body and emotions.
- Relax in the natural hot springs of Chiang Dao.
Day 4: Sunday, November 16, 2025
Theme: Body and Integration – Coming Back to Ourselves
- Group check-in and reflective sharing circle
- Enjoy a massage, herbal sauna, and traditional treatments offered by a local herbalist collective
- Travel to Pun Pun, a center for sustainable living and organic farming
- Participate in group reflections to integrate the day’s experiences
Day 5: Monday, November 17, 2025
Theme: Farewell – Integration and Setting Forth
- Guided tour of Pun Pun, highlighting sustainable living and organic farming practices
- Closing meditation and final group reflection circle
- Farewells and return travel to Chiang Mai city
Meet the Facilitators
Petra Čarman, PhD is a social psychologist and facilitator with a passion for mindfulness, sustainability, and transformational learning. With a background in ecovillage research and engaged spirituality, she specializes in guiding embodied practices and reflective processes that inspire personal growth and collective empowerment. Petra’s work bridges academic expertise with holistic education, creating spaces for participants to reconnect with themselves, others, and the natural world.
Topsi Wansiri Rongrongmuang is a Thai facilitator grounded in traditional spirituality, environmental activism, and experiential learning. Her work encourages mindful consumption and living with intention, rooted in the belief that inner transformation leads to outer change. Through immersive journeys and hands-on experiences, she supports others in stepping out of their comfort zones to reconnect with nature, community, and self. Topsi creates spaces for intercultural dialogue and collective healing, linking inner peace with a more just and compassionate world.
Logistics and Details
Who Should Join?
This yatra is designed especially for participants from Ecoversities—educators, changemakers, and community builders committed to mindfulness, sustainability, and transformative learning. While open to those inspired by these themes, it particularly invites those engaged in ecological education, social innovation, and collective healing. This journey offers a unique space to deepen y our connection to self,community, and the natural world, fostering new perspectives and practices that support meaningful change both inside and beyond the classroom.
Destinations:
- Chiang Mai: A vibrant cultural hub.
- Ban Nong Tao Village: Home to the Karen tribe and their indigenous spirituality.
- Vipassana Temple: A serene space for Buddhist meditation and mindfulness.
- Chiang Dao: A retreat space nestled in the mountains, perfect for reflection and wellness activities.
- Pun Pun: A sustainable living center promoting organic farming and natural building.
What’s Included?
- Accommodation in serene, nature-inspired locations. (4 nights)
- All meals during the journey (vegetarian options available).
- Transportation between destinations in Chiang Mai.
- Guided workshops, ceremonies, and activities.
What’s Not Included?
- Travels to and from Chiang Mai city.
- Personal expenses or additional activities during free time
Note on Accommodation
Accommodation during the yatra will vary by location to reflect each place’s unique character. Some sites offer dormitory-style or shared rooms, while others provide single rooms for individual comfort. Participants are encouraged to embrace this variety as part of the overall journey, experiencing the diverse ways of living and connecting that each setting offers.
Registration and Fees
The minimum contribution for this yatra is 700 US dollars (USD) or 23,800 Thai baht (THB), which covers local transportation, accommodation, all meals, community service activities, and workshop materials. This amount does not include the facilitation fee, which acknowledges the time, energy, wisdom, and
community connections that make this journey possible. The suggested contribution for facilitation is USD 200 or THB 6,800.
Rooted in a gift culture, we invite participants to contribute more if they are able, as a way to honor the facilitator’s work and pay it forward—supporting grassroots communities and enabling others with fewer resources to join future journeys.
How to Register:
- Fill out the registration form https://forms.gle/RUwQoefto3rYiAr38
- Receive an email with further details
- Make a deposit to secure your spot
- Receive a confirmation email
