Vedanta Center of GWDC Labor Day Retreat 2026

With featured speaker: Swami Paritushtananda (Assistant Minister at Vedanta Society of Kansas City)
And special guest: Dr. Jeffrey Long (Professor of Religious Studies at Elizabethtown College)

September 6th - Sunday

10:00 am - 10:15 am
Introduction to Retreat, Opening Prayer, Opening Remarks
10:15 am - 11:00 am
Guided Meditation
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Foundations of Spiritual Life (Swami Paritushtananda)
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Lunch
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Devotional Songs
2:00 pm - 2:45 pm
Session 2 - Upasana: Worship and Meditation (Swami Sarvasthananda)
2:45 pm - 3:15 pm
Tea/Coffee Break
3:15 pm - 4:00 pm
Session 3 - Upasana: Synthesis of The Four Yogas (Swami Sarvasthananda)
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Panel Discussion: Swami Atmajnanananda & Swami Bhaswatananda
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Arati and Meditation
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Vocal Concert: Janhavi Phansalkar on Vocals and Mallar Goswami on Tabla
9:00 pm
Dinner

September 7th - Monday

5:00 am - 7:00 am
Morning Silent Meditation in Shrine
7:30 am - 8:15 am
Morning Worship in Shrine
8:30 am - 9:30 am
Breakfast
9:45 am - 10:45 am
Session 4 - Upasana: Its Importance in the Ramakrishna Movement (Swami Sarvasthananda)
10:45 am - 11:15 am
Tea/Coffee Break
11:15 am to 12:00 pm
Panel Discussion: Swami Sarvasthananda & Dr. Jeffrey Long
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Lunch
1:30 pm - 2:15 pm
Devotional Songs
2:15 pm - 3:00 pm
Conclusion and Q&A: Swamis Sarvasthananda, Atmajnanananda, Bhaswatananda
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Vocal Concert: Piu Mukherjee
4:00 pm
Vote of Thanks, Group Photo