April 25-26 Retreat With Swami Medhananda “The World As God”

Swami Medhananda is a monk of the Ramakrishna Order currently posted at The Vedanta Society of Southern California. Many of you may know him through his books, INFINITE PATHS TO INFINITE REALITY and SWAMI VIVEKANANDA’S VEDANTIC COSMOPOLITANISM. You might also be acquainted with his talks and classes posted on YouTube. We are happy that he has made the time to stop by Ridgely to give an in-person retreat.

To accommodate his schedule the retreat hours will be different than our usual weekend programs. Here is the schedule:

        Thursday April 25

         1pm Lunch

         2:30-4:30 Session 1

2:30-3:30: Talk: “Sri Ramakrishna’s Philosophy of Vijnana Vedanta”

3:30-4:30: Gospel class (“Is the world unreal?”)

         

         Friday April 26

         10:30-12:30 Session 2

10:30-11:30 am: Talk: “Service as Worship”

11:30-12:30 pm: Gospel class (The Problem of Evil and Suffering)

           1pm Lunch

As of March 11 all the overnight spaces have been filled. You can find accommodation at a local hotel and attend as a day visitor.

If you wish to attend as a day visitor, you also need to register.

Register by calling us (845)687-4574 or emailing gitaprana@ridgely.org

As Shuddhatmaprana, our usual cook for the retreats, will not be here during this time, we are looking for volunteers to bring lunch for 1 day. We expect about 25 people. Please contact Gitaprana if you would like to be of service in this way.

Vivekananda Retreat Opens Tomorrow March 2 ,2024

It appears to be Spring and that means Vivekananda Retreat will be open starting March 2. There may still be snow, but so far, we have had a basically snowless winter. If you wish to visit Ridgely for a day/tour, please call to make arrangements at least 2 days in advance. It is not possible to take your own tour. We live in the houses where you will be visiting and so it is necessary to you to be accompanied by one of us. The tours we give usually last about 2 hours. There is much to see and many stories connected with this place associated with Swami Vivekananda! You can also schedule an overnight stay. Call or email us to schedule overnight stays at least 5 days in advance. Please note: we do not allow children under the age of 17 to stay overnight at the retreat. Also, we are still requiring all overnight guests to take a home Covid test before arriving. This is to protect the resident staff and other guests.

Ridgely is meant to be a place of retreat and reflection. For that reason, we deliberately do not have many daily activities. Each guest is free to structure their retreat as they see fit. Meals are prepared by the guests in the communal kitchen of each retreat house. Caretakers are there to assist if they are free.

We have morning and evening group meditations from 6-7am and 6-7pm. The shrine room is open all day from 6am-7pm. Anyone may use the shrine to meditate during those hours. We have quite a few local people who drop in to meditate whenever they are free. 

Weekly events:

Ridgely sponsors 2 zoom classes each week

Wednesdays at 5:30pm.  Gitaprana’s Shakta Advaita class

Sundays at 5:30pm  Ask the Sisters sessions. The sisters from Calif. and Ridgely answer questions asked via email from the class attendees. The sisters do not know what the questions are in advance so these sessions are very spontaneous.

To receive the Zoom links for these classes please email Gitaprana.   gitaprana@ridgely.org

We also have a class here at the retreat on Sundays at 10:30am. Currently we are studying the Bhagavad Gita in depth.

From about April to November we try to schedule 1 organized weekend retreat featuring a guests speaker-usually one of the swamis or sisters from the Vedanta Societies around the US. We are currently working on that schedule.

Ridgely has 82 acres of forest and field. Anyone may walk on our property, along our shrine trail, during daylight hours. You don’t need to tell us that you are coming to walk. You do need to be aware that we live in an area where ticks causing Lyme Disease are present, so dress appropriately.

Volunteering at Ridgely

Spring means we are beginning our outside property maintenance. There is always much to be done. We have many long flower and shrub borders that require weeding. We have a big organic vegetable garden that needs to be maintained. This year we need to do some work on our shrine trail, fixing drainage and cutting back invasive vines.

We also have many small painting projects both inside and outside of all 3 houses.

We would love some help. If you would like to volunteer, please email or call us. Last year we designated Saturdays as work days, but it rained practically every Saturday. This year we may set 2 days per month beginning in April for group work days.

 

Vivekananda Retreat is closed right now (January 2024)

The retreat always closes during the winter when snow and ice make moving around on our property dangerous..  We will reopen when we know the weather conditions are going to be consistently good. That usually means March. Please check back at a later date.  A reminder:even when the retreat is open, you need to call or email us to schedule a visit. See you when we reopen!

UPCOMING EVENTS AT RIDGELY October/November 2023

Oct. 21, 11am-3pm Durga Puja

We invite you to our annual puja celebrating the Goddess Durga. The puja will be followed by a homa fire and a Prasad meal. If you are planning to attend be aware that we have reinstated our Covid practices. Please do not come if you are feeling even a little ill and be aware that masks are currently required.

Nov. 3-4 Retreat on “The Gitas’ by Swamis Sarvadevananda, Tyagananda and Atmanjnanananda

Friday Nov. 3 ,10-5 (lunch provided)

Saturday Nov. 4 ,10-12 (lunch provided)

You are invited to attend this 2 day retreat. Swami Sarvadevananda will speak on the Shanti Gita. Swami Tyagananda will take a section of the Bhagavad Gita. Swami Atmajnanananda will speak on the Ashtavakra Gita. Schedule details are still to be finalized.

If you wish to attend this retreat as an overnight guest or as a day visitor please contact us at gitaprana@ridgely.org as soon as possible. Please be aware that all overnight guests must take a home Covid test before arrival. All retreat attendees are required to wear masks.

In addition to the retreat on Thursday November 2, there will be an evening informal satsang with the swamis. This program will begin at 7:30pm.

Sunday, November 12, 6-10pm. Kali Puja

This is our annual, elaborate puja  celebrating the Devi Dakshina Kali. The evening includes the main worship, homa fire and Prasad. If you wish to stay overnight please notify us as soon as possible.

Retreat With Swami Yogatmananda Sept. 2-3

Swami Yogatmananda, Head of the Vedanta Society of Providence, will be giving a retreat here on Saturday, Sept. 2-Sunday September 3. His subject will be Gems From Meister Eckhart. Many of you know that Swami Yogatmananda gives a retreat here every year over the Labor Day weekend. His retreats are very popular and , as of today, all the overnight spaces for men are filled. There are still a couple spaces for women left. We won’t be restricting the number of people who attend all or part of this retreat, so it is still possible to attend as a day visitor. All are welcome.We hope to see you that weekend.

 Here is the tentative schedule:

Saturday, Sept, 2

10am-12:45 Morning sessions

1-2 Lunch

2:15-5 Afternoon sessions

Sunday Sept. 3

10am-12:45 Final sessions

1-2 Lunch

 

Upcoming Events and Activities at Ridgely

Sept. 2-3 Retreat with Swami Yogatmananda GEMS FROM MEISTER ECKHART

Oct. 21 Durga Puja

Nov. 3 TENTATIVE Retreat with Swami Sarvadevananda and friends

Nov. 12 Kali Puja

We will send more details about all these events later in the summer

Ridgely’s Ongoing classes

ZOOM

Sundays 5:30pm Eastern  ASK THE SISTERS

 Sisters from Calif. and Ridgely answer questions and sometimes get wildly off topic. We don’t know what the questions are in advance so we can’t plan answers. We love this class-the chance to get together with many sisters and friends from all over the US.

Wednesdays 5:30pm Eastern. GITAPRANA’S SHAKTA CLASS

Looking at the tradition and philosophies of of the Divine Mother. Currently we are finishing a study of the Devi Mahatmyam. We will most likely take up the study of the Lalita Sahasranama/1000 Names of Lalita next.

Please email us if you wish to receive the links for either of these classes. We don’t post them to YouTube or any other site online.

Saturday mornings at Ridgely

9:30 volunteer work mornings followed by a bag lunch.

 Lately we have been rained or smoked out but we are hoping the weather will not continue this way forever. Most of our work is outside so outside clothes are needed. Gloves and a hat too.

Sundays at Ridgely

 Once again we are going to try to resume our Sunday program here at the retreat.

9:30-10:30 Chandi chanting/reading

10:30-12 Class facilitated by Gitaprana. We usually use a text. We might start with the Kena Upanishad.

1pm Lunch

Vivekananda Retreat is open

March has been a month of snow and ice, forcing us to close the retreat temporarily. We are now back open. If you wish to visit as a day visitor you must call us to schedule a tour. If you wish to stay overnight, we need at least 5 days notice. We still have some Covid restrictions in place. Masks are required. Overnight visitors must take a Covid home test before coming. We do not allow people who have travelled internationally to visit the retreat overnight until they have been in this country 5 days and test Covid negative. Please remember, we live here and share our space with visitors. Children under the age of 17 are not allowed to stay overnight at the retreat.

Our regular schedule is currently in place.

Saturdays: 9:30am Chandi reading

10:30am -1 volunteer service (please call us if you wish to join us. Weather sometimes forces us to cancel)

Sundays: Bhagavad Gita study group 11am

Our shrine room is open for meditation every day from 6am to 7pm. Group meditation times are 6-7am and 6-7pm. If you have never been here before, please call us to schedule a time for shrine orientation. After that you may come and go during our open hours w/o contacting us.

 

Vivekananda Retreat is Open/ Kali Puja Oct.24 6pm

It is Fall here at Ridgely. It seems like we will have a gorgeous leaf season.We are open for overnight guests and day visitors until snow/ice force us to close for the winter. Please follow there guidelines:

You must be vaccinated and masked at all times

Overnight guests need to make reservations at least 2 weeks in advance. We require overnight guests to take a home Covid test before arrival.

Day visitors need to make an appointment at least a day in advance. Many of our visitors believe Ridgely is a museum. No. We live here, so you need to have someone take you on a tour through the main house.

We are not giving tours to drop-in visitors

Kali Puja 

We will be performing our annual Kali Puja at 6-11pm on the amavasya/no moon night, Monday, Oct. 24. This is an elaborate ritual worship of the goddess Dakshina Kali, the dark mother who is the source of all. 

Here is the approximate timing:

Puja:6pm

Homa:9pm

Flower Offering: 10pm

Prasad Meal: 10:30pm

You are welcome to attend all or part of this celebration. We are again limiting the number of attendees so you need to register by email or phone. Our phone 3: (845) 687-4574

Email: gitaprana@ridgely.org

Vivekananda Retreat Will Open April 1, 2022

We are happy to welcome you back to the retreat. We will remain open to  day visitors and overnight guests unless the Covid cases rise to high levels in our area and in the NE in general. To visit you must be vaccinated. Masks are required inside at all times.

 Our shrine is open from 6am-7pm for anyone who wishes to meditate. If it will be your first tine to use the shrine, please call us. All others may come and go without letting us know.

Please call at least a day in advance us to schedule a tour/day visit. You cannot just drop in without scheduling. Since we live here in the houses you will visit and most of us fall into the high risk Covid category, we do not allow people to take tours without one of us as a guide.

Overnight guests need to schedule at least five days in advance. Please note that we do not allow children under the age of 17 to stay overnight at the retreat. Visitors with young children can book a local hotel room and spend the day at Ridgely. To make a reservation, please call us. We have not scheduled any organized programs/retreats at this time. We hope to begin these programs in May/June.

The retreat’s phone # is (845) 687-4574.

Vivekananda Retreat is Open in a Limited Way

Vivekananda Retreat is currently open in a limited way. For tours and overnight stays, vaccination and masks are mandatory. Right now we are not allowing children under 12 years of age to visit the retreat. For tours, you MUST call us to schedule. No drop-in visits. We are allowing limited overnight guests. You must call us at least 2 weeks in advance to book an overnight stay.

DURGA PUJA. We will be celebrating the Devi Durga on Saturday, Oct. 9, 10:30am-2pm. We are limiting the number of people so you must call us to register to attend.

KALI PUJA. This year we will be holding our annual Kali Puja on Nov. 4, 6-11pm. Please note that we have switched to an earlier time. Again, we will limit the number of people present, so you must call to register.

Our phone # is (845) 687-4574