From Shifting Sands to Sacred Ground: The Path of Kriya Yoga and Mystical Christianity

With each new wave of current events, we feel the sand shifting beneath our feet. Our institutions no longer seem trustworthy, and our traditional religious structures can leave us feeling hollow. Yet the Divine has not left us helpless. The ancient traditions of Kriya Yoga and mystical Christianity offer an unshakeable rock upon which to build our lives — empowering us to draw on the wisdom and strength of God percolating in the depths of our souls, so that we may live with peace, joy, and love.

You are warmly invited to join us for our summer immersion retreat, July 20–24. This year, we will also be integrating teaching from the mystical Christian tradition. Over these five days, we will meditate together, learn from our spiritual leaders, and experience the grace of sacred community. There will be inspired talks, group meditation, chanting, yoga, and a joyous kirtan. Kriya Yoga initiation will also be offered during the retreat. Please join us for what promises to be a week of healing, growth, and transformation.

Date: July 20 - 24, 2026

Location: The Assisi Institute in Rochester, NY

Cost: This retreat is offered on a donation basis. Donations will be accepted at the time of the retreat.

Registration: Registration is open. To reserve your seat, please fill out this form no later than July 1. More information will be sent when registration has been completed.

Meals: Coffee, tea, and snacks are available throughout the day. Participants will be given ample time to find (or bring) their own lunches and/or dinners off-campus with the exception of our chef-prepared Wednesday dinner at 5 pm, before the kirtan. This is a great time for fellowship! For those who stay with us or bring food to the Assisi Institute, please note that we are strictly vegetarian. Refrigerator space and a microwave are available. 

Areas of Focus:

*How Kriya Yoga works to heal and transform our biological and spiritual (chakra) nervous systems, readying us for higher states of consciousness. 

* How a spiritual path, especially in the context of Kriya Yoga and mystical Christianity, builds resiliency, empowering us to meet life’s challenges with creativity and wisdom. 

* How healthy spirituality works to help heal us from our deeply-held pain and trauma. 

* How to deepen our day-to-day attunement with Christ and the gurus of our lineage.

* Different ways of being a yogi in the modern world.

Teacher Bios

Isha Das:

Craig Bullock (Isha Das) is an accomplished teacher, writer, lecturer, practicing psychotherapist, and spiritual director of The Assisi Institute in Rochester, New York. A former pastoral administrator at the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Rochester, Isha Das earned graduate degrees in Religious Studies from the University of Notre Dame and Clinical Psychology from the University of Duquesne. His education includes extensive study in psychology, spirituality, mysticism, world religions, and yoga. He counts Richard Rohr among his life-long friends and mentors. Isha Das was made a minister and official Kriya Yoga teacher by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda.

Swami Nirvananda:

Internationally-known musical and spiritual recording artist Swami Nirvanananda Saraswati will be joining us in person to teach and to share his soul-touching music. Merging the teachings of Kriya Yoga with the devotional aspect of Bhakti Yoga and the charitable path of Karma Yoga, Swami expresses unity in the diversity of many paths and religions which all lead to the same goal: Universal Love and Oneness With Spirit.

Christianne Asper-Contant:

Christianne Asper-Contant (CAS, E-RYT 500) is the Director of the Yoga Program at the Assisi Institute and a Clinical Ayurveda Specialist who has been studying and teaching the wisdom sister sciences for over 20 years. Her path includes dedicated study and practice in yoga, Ayurveda, and Kriya Yoga, which have profoundly shaped both her personal life and her approach to teaching. Rooted in these traditions, her work integrates spiritual understanding with practical application in daily life. Through her teaching, she offers a practical framework for recognizing the signals of the body and responding with simple, embodied shifts that support balance, clarity, and a deeper connection to the body’s natural rhythm.She leads classes, workshops, and programs that support this process of reconnection.

Gāyatrī (Judith Listte): A Swami in the Saraswati tradition, Judith has been teaching Kriya Yoga throughout Italy since 2010. She holds certification in therapeutic yoga from SITY Milan and specializes in Women's Yoga and Vedic Astrology. As founder of the Triguṇa Cultural Association in Catania, she leads classes in Pilates, Yoga, and Meditation while organizing annual Kriyā Yoga seminars.

For any questions, email Mary at assisi.marymcfee@gmail.com

To reserve your seat, please fill out this form

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid." Jesus

"To reestablish God in the temples of souls through revival of the original teachings of God-communion as propounded by Christ and Krishna is why I was sent to the West." Yogananda

"Babaji is ever in communion with Christ; together they send our vibrations of redemption and have planned the spiritual technique of salvation for this age." Yogananda