OVERVIEW

FIVE SENSES AT THE SIX SENSES - Wellness + Creativity Retreat

After our very popular India retreats in 2025 we are excited to announce a new on in 2026 - this time during the special celebration of DIWALI, India’s “festival of lights,” where we’ll get to experience several added festivities to our week.

Incorporating Diwali celebrations into a wellness and creativity retreat adds a vibrant layer of meaning and inspiration to the experience. Diwali, with its themes of renewal, light, and the triumph of good over darkness, aligns beautifully with the retreat’s focus on personal growth, healing, and creative expression. Guest can engage in reflective practices like journaling or intention-setting inspired by the festival’s symbolism, while also exploring creative outlets such as rangoli art, candle-making, or storytelling. Celebrating Diwali in this context not only enriches the cultural depth of the retreat but also encourages participants to reconnect with their inner light, release old patterns, and spark fresh creative energy in a joyful, communal setting.

Join us in the exotic north region of Rajasthan on our continued luxury partnership with Six Senses Fort Barwara. We will enjoy this creative retreat during the season when the weather is favorable. The senses match with both the elements and our chakras. Each day, we will steep our activities and classes around moving though these. Besides daily yoga/meditation and creativity classes, some of the additions will be:

SMELL / EARTH / ROOT CHAKRA
Aromatherapy Class, Welcome temple incense blessing, Walking tour to village
TASTE / WATER / SACRAL CHAKRA
Organic garden tour with chef, Indian cooking class, Indian liqueur tasting, Special poolside dinner
SEE / FIRE / SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA
Candle meditation, Fire ceremony, Temple Diwali Puja blessing, Making of Diya lanterns, + DIWALI CELEBRATIONS!
TOUCH / AIR / HEART CHAKRA
Walking meditation to hilltop temple, Ayurvedic spa treatments, Henna party
HEAR / ETHER / UPPER CHAKRA
Nature Safari at sunrise, Closing temple blessing with chants, Soundbath, Farwell Dinner with traditional musicians

Yoga and meditation classes with EPM founder, Erin Lewis, will be held daily to prepare our bodies and minds, and then our travel journal creation classes, led by collaborator Julian Hyzler, will help us find news ways of seeing. Both yoga and art work together to find focus in the many layers of smells, sites, and sounds that abound in this amazing part of the world. *NO PREVIOUS ART OR YOGA BACKGROUND REQUIRED. All levels are welcome, and participation is voluntary. Projects and classes will be offered as a completely exploratory, unintimidating and personal experience.

ACCOMMODATION

A royal palace of well-being, this beautiful 14th-century fort was sensitively converted to become a Six Senses sanctuary of wellness. Originally owned by a Rajasthani Royal Family, it faces the Chauth ka Barwara Mandir temple. The significant conservation effort incorporates two palaces and two temples within the walled fort. The design of Six Senses resort in Rajasthan reinterprets the gracious and regal ambiance of a bygone era dating back 700 years.

The honeypot sites of royal Rajasthan—spliced by the brown slopes of the Aravalli Range, the state emerged after Partition from a mosaic of 22 feudal kingdoms—are so many people’s taster to India. Which stands to reason—it’s near impossible not to fall in love with this place. It took almost a decade for this 700-year-old fort to be converted into a 48-suite hotel... The spa, in the fort’s ancient temple, blends Ayurveda with Six Senses’ inimitable touch. Its small garden grows everything from cauliflowers and cabbages, guavas and jamuns to desi roses. A commitment to working with local communities is evident everywhere: local women brew hot masala chai and cook bajra and jowar rotis during the day; block-printers and bangle makers set up shop in little corners; fresh nimbu paani detox drink counters are dotted around the hotel. It is encouraging to see global brands arrive in India so conscious of local heritage and riches, and to strive to imbue their openings with as much of this as possible. — Conde Nast

ACTIVITIES

Not only will we take advantage of the amenities and beauty of our hotel and the Six Senses wellness experience, but we’ll enjoy some cultural activities such as a walking tour to the local village, a private cooking class and organic garden tour with the chef, two blessings with the priest, a fire ceremony, a meditation walk to one of Rajasthan’s pilgrimage hilltop temples, and of course participation in India’s biggest festival of Diwali. One of the highlights in the week will be a sunrise WILDLIFE SAFARI, where we’ll set off on this adventure to explore the depths of Ranthambore National Park on the trail of the Royal Bengal Tiger. Once the former hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Jaipur, today Ranthambore National Park draws the attention of many passionate wildlife lovers and photographers. Expert naturalists lead the way in luxury safari jeeps showing us all things small and large that live in the wilds of Ranthambore. We’ll also get to add to our week luxurious Ayurvedic spa treatments, traditional India musicians, a henna party, and hands-on candle making.

CUISINE

Healthful, vegetarian food is part of the retreat experience. Dining is a locally sourced and an inspired culinary journey. The chefs at Six Senses Fort Barwara offer a creative approach to their menus. They combine the best of regional Rajasthani and pan-Indian cuisine with a sprinkling of international influences while embracing the philosophy of local, fresh and seasonal produce. Where possible, they harvest ingredients from the resort’s organic gardens and carefully selected farmers from the villages and townships nearby.

Our program includes daily breakfast and most dinners and lunches. We will participate in a cooking class, as well as an Indian liqueur tasting during the week. And our meals will be in various locations around the palace in order to enjoy some beautiful settings alongside our meals.

*Provided meals are vegetarian, although daily breakfast is an open menu for all guests to enjoy whatever they choose on the menu. Plus, for a few selected meals, guests will be on their own to dine as they wish, thus allowing all diet preferences to be accommodated. Special allergy and dietary restrictions can also be noted and taken care of.

*In the yogic tradition, meals on our retreats are vegetarian. When the company was founded, we wanted to create consistency and integrity within our yogic lineage as well as finding the most consistent way in each location to leave a light footprint. We know not all our guests are vegetarian, but we ask that they be open and understanding of the principles that guide this choice for just the few days that we are together. That said, breakfast is an open menu with all diets being represented, so there are usually options of meat / fish. Plus, a couple of the provided meals at sea-based locations will have an option for seafood, and of course guests can choose whatever they prefer from menus when we are on our own for a few meals during the week. Special allergies can be addressed and noted.

WELLNESS + CREATIVITY

Daily practices will be offered in a way to relax, stimulate, and help guests grow in the mindfulness nature of the trip. Classes are open to all levels, beginner to practiced, and can range from gentle, restorative, and vinyasa flow.* Plus meditations such as yoga nidra, guided meditation and a walking meditation will be offered. We will have the opportunity to attend a candle meditation, temple blessings, and aqua yoga, as well a relaxing sound bath. India’s culture and rich yogic background lends itself to be more mindful and intentional, and we will embrace just that as we experience the week and how we approach the itinerary.

Style and class levels will be determined and moulded to fit participating students' needs, and with a small intimate retreat class size, students will be able to get personalized attention and comfortability to deeply explore their practice. Our yoga and meditation classes during our time in India will take place at beautiful settings around the sprawling palace and grounds, and we’ll also participate in ceremonies at the on-site temple.

ERIN LEWIS

Erin is the founder of EAT PRAY MOVE and loves to share the joy of travel with guests and finds that there is a yogic spirit of connection (to oneself, others, and the present moment) by traveling and experiencing new things. In addition to carrying this practice throughout the week and allowing our senses to be heightening with our activities, meals, and time together, Erin will also offer yoga to help us relax and restore and reconnect. Besides teaching in studios, Erin has led thousands of guests around the world for over 12 years on yoga retreats. She continues to evolve in her personal practice which naturally makes its way through her teaching. She loves sharing not only the asana (movement) limb of yoga with others, but also the many other facets which lead to life-changing shifts in our daily habits.

JULIAN HYZLER

From his home base in Italy, Julian leads many art retreats each year. In 2014, we began to collaborate with Julian to co-host our FORM+FOCUS retreats which combine yoga, meditation, and movement alongside art, photography, and creativity. Julian is the founder of EASEL&LENS where he leads painting and photography courses around the world and online. Looking ahead we’re excited to offer this unique balance of skills to our guests in Italy, Iceland, Marrakesh, Goa, Venice, Madeira, and future locations as well! If you join us on a retreat, you’ll be sure to stay entertained with Julian’s witty banter and knowledgeable, artistic anecdotes.

Julian has been teaching students of all ages and abilities for over 25 years. He initially trained at art schools in Kingston and Norwich in England before specialising in Illustration in London, working for many terrific clients during time as a freelancer; Penguin, British Airways, Channel 4, Harper Collins, Chatto and Windus, and got his first real taste of Italy on the back of winning a travel scholarship to Venice. His teaching method is always relaxed and friendly, whilst also being productive and lively, and you can expect positive encouragement to try new ideas as and when you feel confident to do so. Teaching art requires energy, patience and an ability to get as much out of each student as possible, and Julian always strives to do this, whether teaching life-drawing, photography, design, illustration, or painting and drawing. 

* Participation in classes and activities is optional throughout the retreat. All levels welcome!

WHAT PAST EPM GUESTS ARE SAYING

DETAILS / PRICING

• 7 days / 6 nights (Nov 5-11, 2026)

• Inclusive Retreat Price = $5795 (shared room*), +$2295 (single room)

• EARLY BIRD PROMO - SAVE $200 UNTIL SEPT 30, 2025

• Deposit to hold space = $1,500

• Max # Guests = 14
  * Guests traveling alone can choose the shared room and we match up based on guest profile. Rooms are spacious with separate beds and private bathrooms.
  ** 50% of final balance due 120 days before retreat start date, and remaining 50% due 60 days before retreat start date.
  Read full cancellation policy in our Terms & Conditions.

INCLUDED*:

• Luxury Hotel accommodation in spacious Sanctuary Suites (each with over 800sq ft, a living room, separate bedroom, and generous bathroom, private outdoor garden)

• Daily Yoga classes in gorgeous settings around the palace

• Creativity and travel-journal classes

• Daily Breakfast

• Most dinners and selected lunches

• Welcome reception

• Guided walk to nearby Rajasthan village

• Welcome ceremony at temple

• Aromatherapy class

• Private cooking class

• Organic garden tour

• Indian liqueur tasting

• Sunrise Wildlife Safari

• Henna Party

• Ayurvedic Spa Treatments

• Soundbath

• Candle Meditation

• Fire Ceremony

• Diwali Celebrations

• Diya Lantern making

• Walking Meditation to hilltop temple

• Group airport transfer

• Taxes

* airfare not included
*tentative schedule, activities may be substituted based on weather and seasonability. All activities are carefully chosen based on the best experience for the guests.

TRAVEL:

• Nearest international airport: Jaipur International Airport (JAI)

• One group transfer will be offered at 1:00pm on arrival day from Jaipur airport to the hotel, and one return transfer at 10:00am on departure day. It is a 2.5 hour drive

• For guests arriving outside of these times, we can assist you in organizing a private transfer through the hotel.

SUGGESTED PACKING:

Besides the basic packing and travel needs, here are a few things to think about bringing with you.

• Bathing suit

• Yoga clothes

• Smart phone with camera and/or digital camera

• Plug adaptors / converters

• Light layered clothing, sun hat