Arunachala

Tiruvannamalai is one of the most sacred sites in South India — a living pilgrimage town at the foot of the holy mountain of Arunachala, long associated with the sage Ramana Maharshi. This seven-day retreat is an opportunity to go deep: to meditate in the caves where Ramana lived in silence, sit with living teachers, walk the ancient mountain path at night, and spend uninterrupted time in your own practice.

This won't be a luxury holiday or a wellness retreat in the conventional sense. Instead, it will be an opportunity to step away from everyday life and immerse yourself in a rhythm of practice, simplicity and contemplation. Together we'll spend our days practising yoga, meditation and philosophy, visiting sacred places, and exploring the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi in the place he called home.

Like any genuine pilgrimage, there will be moments that are physically and emotionally challenging. Intensive practice has a way of bringing things to the surface, and while we'll be there to support one another throughout the journey, we also want everyone to come with an understanding that this is a retreat centred around sincere spiritual practice rather than comfort or relaxation.

This is an intimate, practice-based retreat — limited to sixteen sincere practitioners — held in the place long considered the spiritual heart of the world.

The living lineage

In the presence of Ramana Maharshi

For more than a century, seekers from across the world have been drawn to the foot of Arunachala by the sage Ramana Maharshi — who pointed, again and again, to the single question: Who am I? His ashram still sits at the base of the mountain, a place of silence and quiet devotion.

We sit in the hall where he lived and taught, climb to the caves where he spent years in silence, and spend time in the presence of those still holding this lineage today.

The shrine of Sri Ramana Maharshi, garlanded with flowers — Ramana's shrine

The main entrance to Sri Ramanasramam — The ashram entrance

The days

How we'll spend our days

Each day moves between practice, sacred exploration, and rest. The rhythm is intentional but not rigid — there is space to breathe, to go inward, and to find your own pace.

Ramana Maharshi's Ashram — sitting in the hall where he lived and taught
Virupaksha Cave — where Ramana spent years in silent meditation on the mountain
Skandashram — his hillside retreat, with wide views across the plains
Annamalai Swami's Ashram — a place of great simplicity, close to the mountain
Time with living saints — an opportunity to sit in the presence of those still holding this lineage
Morning yoga and meditation
Evening meditation & Satsang with Mitch
One-on-one sessions with Mitch — personal time to deepen your practice and work through what is arising
Authentic homemade Indian cuisine — sattvic, purely vegetarian, prepared fresh daily
Unstructured time — to rest, journal, swim, walk, or sit with your own practice

25 January · The night walk

GirivalamWalking the mountain through the night

One of the highlights of the journey will be walking the Girivalam — the ancient 14-kilometre pilgrimage around Arunachala, on the evening of 25 January. Thousands of pilgrims complete this walk every month, and it's considered one of the most profound ways of honouring the mountain. Once we begin, we'll complete the journey together, which usually takes around four to six hours.

There are two options: a shorter 1–2km section, or the full 14km route (4–6 hours). Once on the route it is not possible to turn back, and no vehicles are permitted on the pilgrim path.

Arunachaleswarar Temple and its tank beneath the mountain — Arunachaleswarar Temple & tank, beneath the mountain

The Tiruvannamalai Deepam Festival photographed in 1880 — The Tiruvannamalai Deepam Festival · 1880

Your guides

Teachers

Meditation & Inner Practice

Mitch Hunter

Mitch Hunter is a mystic, meditation teacher, and former academic in the School of Physiotherapy at Griffith University. His work is grounded in the spiritual tradition of Sri Ramana Maharshi and Advaita Vedanta.

He has over twenty-five years of meditation practice and a lifelong history of mystical experiences that culminated in a stabilised awakening in 2019. Since then a silent and causeless joy has remained within him, guiding both his life and his teaching.

This awakening reshaped his approach to physiotherapy, teaching, and the way he supports others. Mitch now works full-time helping people turn inward to recognise their true nature and move toward self-realisation. His work blends jnana yoga with modern health sciences to offer a direct and accessible path to inner healing and meaningful transformation — for individuals and the wider collective.

Yoga, Meditation & Philosophy

Rose Lamont

Rose Lamont is a yoga and meditation teacher, writer and filmmaker based in Australia. She has been teaching yoga, meditation and philosophy for more than a decade and is the co-founder of Ritual Studios, established in 2015.

Her teaching is informed by the study and practice of Raja Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Vipassana meditation, and contemporary postural traditions including Iyengar and Katonah Yoga. Alongside her work as a teacher, Rose facilitates yoga teacher trainings, retreats and specialised courses in philosophy, meditation and pranayama.

With a background in law and philosophy, Rose's work explores the intersection of consciousness, culture, spirituality and the enduring human search for meaning. She is the host of the Wisdom Now podcast and director of a forthcoming documentary on the life and teachings of her mentor, Rose Baudin.

Through teaching, writing, filmmaking and conversation, Rose is interested in how ancient wisdom traditions can illuminate contemporary life. Her work is grounded in a commitment to sincere practice, ongoing study, inquiry, and the direct experience of yoga as a living tradition.

Your place includes

What's included

The journey begins well before we arrive in India — with online preparation to help you settle in and arrive ready. Because of the nature of this retreat, we'd love participants to have some previous experience with yoga and meditation, along with an openness to travelling with curiosity, flexibility and a genuine desire to immerse themselves in the experience. Before we leave, we'll hold preparation sessions so everyone feels informed, supported and ready for the journey ahead.

7 days & 6 nights in Tiruvannamalai (24–30 January)
6 nights' accommodation at the property beneath the mountain
Private shuttle transfer from Chennai to Tiruvannamalai
3 group calls in preparation for the retreat
Online preparation video resources
2.5 hrs of daily asana, pranayama & meditation with Rose
Guided visits to Ramana's ashram, caves & sacred sites
Evening meditation & Satsang with Mitch
One-on-one sessions with Mitch
Girivalam — the 14km night pilgrimage
Authentic homemade sattvic vegetarian meals

Strictly limited to 16 places

Join us in Tiruvannamalai

$3,750per person · only 16 places

If you've ever felt a quiet pull towards India, towards pilgrimage, or towards exploring your practice more deeply, perhaps this is the invitation you've been waiting for. We would be honoured to share this experience with you.

This is an intimate retreat and places are strictly limited to sixteen. Secure yours with a $1,000 deposit (non-refundable). The balance is due closer to the retreat. Pay your deposit directly to the account below, then register your interest and we'll be in touch with everything you need.

Pay your deposit

Account nameHunter Healing

BSB734216

Account number520833

ReferenceYour name + "Arunachala"

Deposit $1,000 · non-refundable · secures one of 16 places

24 – 30 January 2027 · Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu · with Mitch Hunter & Rose Lamont

In the presence of Ramana Maharshi

How we'll spend our days

Daily schedule

Yoga & pranayama

Sacred site visits, one-on-ones & rest

Satsang & Meditation