Besides attending live retreats, you can also watch Bettina ji's teachings on her YouTube Channel.

Bettina Bäumer gives "Retreat Seminars" on various texts of the non-dualist Kashmir Shaiva tradition. She mainly teaches three basic Tantras of the Trika School: the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra, the Paratrisika (with Abhinavagupta's Vivarana commentary) and the Netra Tantra (with commentary by Ksemaraja), as well as texts like the Siva Sutra, the Spanda Karika, and the the Pratyabhijna Hridayam. Besides these, she also teaches mystical Bhakti hymns of Kashmir, such as the Sivastotravali by Utpaladeva, the Stavacintamani by Bhatta Narayana, the Sambapancasika and Stotras by Abhinavagupta.

She follows a certain style in conducting these retreats, basically consisting of two sessions of text study, morning and afternoon, about four hours of meditation, recitation of the hymns and slokas of the texts concerned, besides periods of silence and meditative walks in nature (wherever the surroundings permit).

These Retreat Seminars are given in various places around India and in Europe, notably near her home in Varanasi, in Himachal Pradesh, and in Rishikesh, as well as in Srinagar (Kashmir) itself. They typically will be five days long, though shorter or longer sessions are possible.

September 23 – 27, 2026

The Dynamism of Consciousness

A retreat-seminar on the foundational texts of Kashmir Śaivism mainly based on Vijñāna Bhairava and Spanda Kārikā (led by Bettina Sharada Bäumer) 

Venue: Fireflies Intercultural Centre, Bangalore, India

We praise that Śaṅkara who is the source of power of the wheel of energies
by whose expansion (lit. opening of the eyes) and contraction (lit. closing of the eyes)
the universe is absorbed and comes into being.
In as much as nothing can veil his nature, there cannot be his obstruction anywhere 
in whom all this world rests and from whom it has come forth.
(Spanda Kārikā verses 1-2)

Why this Retreat?
So-called Kashmir Saivism has attracted many seekers in the last decades in India and the world because it contains a spirituality of inclusiveness and supreme non-duality; which is so essential in our world of divisions and conflicts. But to overcome these dualities it requires more than a philosophy; It requires a spiritual practice (Sadhana, Yoga) which has a transformative power, not only on the individual practitioners, but through them on the social surroundings. The revealed scriptures and texts authored by their commentators and mystics contain insights and instructions to practice a spirituality which helps us to overcome dichotomies.

The retreat-seminar will be conducted in English by renowned scholar practitioner Bettina Sharada Bäumer.

Bettina Sharada Bäumer is an Austrian-born Indian scholar of religion and a recognised spiritual teacher for more than 20 years. Bäumer has been described by Vandana Parthasarathy, writing in The Hindu, as a "renowned Indologist, one of the foremost expounders of Kashmir Saivism and a well-known figure in the field of inter-religious dialogue".

The retreat is addressed to beginners in Kashmir Śaivism as well as advanced students and practitioners.

The focus is on selected texts from Vijñāna Bhairava and Spanda Kārikā with extensive meditations. There will be time for sharing in the afternoons.

Dates
Arrival:                     September 22 , 2026
Retreat Seminar:     September 23 – 27, 2026
Departure:               September 27, 2026 (After lunch)

Venue
Fireflies Intercultural Centre (www.fireflies.org.in) is located in Dinnepalya, a village in the suburbs of Bangalore, off Kanakapura road. It is an inclusive space that is open to people and organisations concerned with personal growth, cultural engagement and environmental protection. It is a place for renewal and action along social and ecological lines. Heavily wooded grounds, multi-tiered canopy of trees, gentle pathways surrounded by lush green shrubbery, sprinkled with a dash of blooming colour, birdsong, and soft breezes. This is the setting in which Fireflies Intercultural Centre is situated. It’s a different world here.

Cost
Bettina Sharada Ma’s teachings are priceless; thus, we request you to value it with a generous gift from the heart (Dakshina) at the conclusion of the retreat.We will be happy to offer free stay (double room occupancy) and food for the period of the event. Participants will have to bear their own travel cost.

This event has been imagined as a coming together of a small group of intensely motivated people.

Application Procedure
As there are only limited number of seats, please register your interest in participating by emailing  milindwani@pipaltree.org.in till July 15, 2026. When applying please  clearly provide the following personal details such as your NAME, MOBILE NO, CITY along with a few lines of your PERSONAL PROFILE and why you are INTERESTED in joining the seminar retreat.

You will get a confirmation by July 22, 2026. There will be a waiting-list.

About Vijñāna Bhairava and Spanda Kārikā
The Vijnāna Bhairava is one of the earliest Tantras of non-dual Kashmir Shaivism, and it has become famous because it teaches 112 ways of meditation to reach Divine Consciousness [1]. It is an extraordinary text for spiritual practice. However in this retreat seminar it will not be the object of teaching, but some of its verses and practices will be given as examples and in relation to the Spanda Kārikā.

The basic text on which this retreat will proceed are the Spanda Kārikās or “Stanzas on Vibration (of Consciousness)” attributed to Vasugupta (9th cent.) the revealer of the Śivasūtras (or according to other commentators to his disciple Kallata). Both texts in their brevity and conciseness contain the non-dualist approach to Śiva and present the mystical path to realization of this insight.  The Spanda Kārikā consists of 3 sections containing 51 verses: 1) The Vibration of one’s own Nature; 2) The Vibration of the Arising of Innate Knowledge; 3) The Vibration of the Powers. 

[1] A full teaching of the Vijñāna Bhairava Tantra by Bettina Sharada Ma is available at: http://www.youtube.com/@bettinasharadabaumer174