Our Pilgrimage to the Heart Retreat is a journey through the perfect fusion of Śiva and Śakti. Śiva is the Divine light of consciousness. Śakti, the Goddess, is the creative awareness that powers that consciousness. But as you’ll experience while on this pilgrimage through yoga, devotion, chanting, wisdom teachings, and awe, this fusion of Śiva and Śakti is never separate. They are in a constant dance together and we are a part of their sacred dance.
Over 13 days, we’ll travel throughout five Indian cities: from the fire-lit ghats of Varanasi to the sensuous temples of Khajuraho, the timeless love of the Taj Mahal in Agra, the devotion of Vrindavan, and the radiant beauty of Jaipur.
Each place offers a different doorway into the divine union of Śiva and Śakti — a journey not only across India, but inward, to the very heart of being.
This is why we are being intentional with who joins, why we’re calling it a pilgrimage rather than a retreat, and why we would be honored if you were able to join us.
We’ve been to India and it completely changed our lives, our spiritual practices, and our understanding of what it means to live in devotion.
Now, with the help of our friends Uschi and Rakesh, who live in Varanasi and have led sacred journeys for decades, we want to help you experience many of India’s spiritual centers and hold the space for your spiritual evolution.
If there’s anything we can do to make this journey a reality for you or if you have any questions, send us an email at crescentcityyoga@gmail.com
♥️Lee & Kelly
🕉 Varanasi — City of Lord Shiva
We begin in Varanasi, the eternal city of Lord Śiva, god of transformation, dance, and yoga.
Set upon the banks of the holy river Gaṅgā Mā, this ancient city pulses with ritual: dawn prayers, bells echoing from temple courtyards, fire offerings that have burned for thousands of years.
Here we witness the rhythm of life and death in perfect harmony. The sacred cycle that Śiva holds.
We’ll visit powerful temples, drift along the ghats by boat, and take part in ancient ceremonies that open the heart to awe.
Varanasi is not a destination; it is initiation — the threshold where everything becomes sacred.
🌺 Khajuraho — Tantric Temples
From Varanasi, we travel to Khajuraho, whose very name means “The Way of the Palm Tree.”
These exquisite temples, hidden in the jungle for centuries, survived untouched, preserving the luminous art of India’s Gupta period, when beauty and spirit were one.
The carvings here tell the story of Śiva and Śakti in all their forms — human, divine, and cosmic — revealing the Tantric understanding that sensuality and sanctity are not separate.
Surrounded by quiet farmlands and warm-hearted villagers, we’ll move at a gentle rhythm: morning practice, Ayurvedic treatments, sacred art, and deep conversation.
Khajuraho invites us to rediscover the soul of Tantra: beauty without shame, devotion without division.
🤍 Agra — The Pearl of India
Our pilgrimage continues by train to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal, a marble monument to undying love.
Commissioned by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz, its luminous symmetry mirrors the union of form and spirit.
We’ll visit the Taj Mahal at sunrise, its pale stone glowing in soft light, and allow its quiet majesty to open us to devotion.
Agra is a pause — a breath between Śiva’s fire and Śakti’s song.
💞 Vrindavan — Land of Devotion
Just beyond Agra lies Vrindavan, sacred to Śrī Kṛṣṇa and his divine consort Rādhā Rānī, Queen of the Gopīs.
Here, love is not metaphor — it is practice.
We’ll join the evening ārati at the radiant Prem Mandir, chanting and dancing in the Hare Kṛṣṇa tradition, and walk through colorful markets alive with flowers, drums, and devotion.
Vrindavan is the heart of bhakti — where the Divine Lover and Beloved remind us that every breath is love in motion.
💎 Jaipur — Jewel of the Goddess
Our journey ends in Jaipur, the fabled “Pink City” and royal capital of Rajasthan — a place of abundance, artistry, and devotion to the Goddess.
Home to exquisite palaces and sacred shrines, Jaipur reveals the feminine face of the divine in the form of Lakṣmī Devī and the Tantric Goddesses who bless beauty, prosperity, and grace.
We’ll wander through the Amber Fort and its shrine to Śilā Devī, visit the City Palace and Monkey Temple, and let the colors, music, and generosity of this city wash through us.
Jaipur is celebration — a closing garland of gratitude at the feet of the Goddess.
🙏 Your Guides
Uschi Gibson, Kelly Ryan, and Lee Lemond
Kelly Ryan & Lee Lemond
Lee Lemond and Kelly Ryan are the co-founders of Crescent City Yoga in New Orleans.
Together, they have cultivated a community rooted in presence, embodiment, and the living wisdom of Yoga and Tantra. Their teaching blends devotion, embodied awareness, and the luminous insight of non-dual Śaiva Tantra, shared through classes, workshops, and retreats.
Lee’s path is steeped in the philosophy and subtle body teachings of the Yogic and Tantric traditions. Kelly brings a grounded, heart-forward approach, full of warmth and smiles, that creates spaces of deep connection and belonging.
Over the last few years, their journeys to India have deepened both their personal practice and their teaching. They were moved by the devotional rhythms of daily life and the teachers who welcomed them in.
Each retreat they offer is an extension of that devotion: a living pilgrimage where practice, travel, and relationship become sacred.
Together with their friends Uschi and Rikesh, they invite you to join this journey through the sacred landscape of India and the landscape of your own heart.
Uschi Gibson
Uschi’s life transitioned full time to India in 2008, and she has lived in Varanasi ever since. Establishing a women’s empowerment unit in the villages outside of Varanasi, she learned the customs and language of Varanasi so she could engage on a level very unique for a foreigner. Coming from the community of Ojai, California, USA, where she taught Yoga and coordinated Yoga events, she grew into wanting to share her passion for India with friends and an extended community. Uschi’s discourse throughout the LuckyLalita journeys inspire guests to feel the teachings of India at a heart level. 20 years of working in the Yoga community have afforded Uschi the unique capacity to plan LuckyLalita journeys for the multi faceted needs of yoga studios & teachers from all over the world.
Rakesh
Native to Varanasi, Rakesh grew up working with tourists and speaks fluent English, as well as some Italian, Spanish, German, and Japanese. Born into a traditional Brahmin family from a lineage of priests and Banarsi sari merchants, Rakesh treats his hosting with the same honor he has learned the traditions of his rich culture. Rakesh arranges all the transport and daily movements of the LuckyLalita journeys, as well as being a protector and adviser throughout.
We would be honored to walk these sacred paths with you — to share the rivers, the temples, the prayers, and the beauty that has shaped our own hearts and practice. If you feel called to join us or if you have questions along the way, email us at crescentcityyoga@gmail.com.