with Sadia Saeed & Shabnam Virmani
September 9 – 12, 2026
Guided by shabad as our signposts and dhyaan as our compass, this retreat invites us into an intimate journey through the city of the self. Through songs, reflection, and gentle inquiry, we will explore the mind’s illusions, look closely at sorrow and attachment, and open to the possibility of non-dual ecstasy.
Each day will open and close with the songs of Kabir, the Sufis, and other mystic voices. Along the way, we will listen deeply and learn to sing some of these poems ourselves, allowing music, meditation, and contemplation to shape the rhythm of the days.
Retreat starts from 9:00 AM on 9th September
Sadia Saeed is a psychologist, somatic therapist, and mindfulness meditation trainer with more than 25 years of experience supporting emotional healing and inner transformation. She founded Inner Space, a psychotherapy and meditation center focused on bringing psychological wellbeing together with contemplative practice.
In addition to her therapeutic work, Sadia has long been a dedicated meditation practitioner, with years of personal immersion in Vipassana retreats and study in Advaita, Buddhism, and contemplative wisdom traditions. Over the past 15 years, she has facilitated many mindfulness courses, meditation retreats, and self-awareness programs in individual, non-profit, and corporate settings, creating spaces for deep inquiry, compassion, and embodied presence. Her teaching is shaped both by professional training and lived practice, and is known for its warmth, depth, and authenticity. She is also the author of You Are Simply Perfect, a book that reflects her approach to self-awareness, compassion, and wholehearted living.
Shabnam Virmani is a filmmaker, writer, and artist who began the Kabir Project journeys in 2002. Since then, she has explored the philosophy of Kabir and other mystic and Sufi poets through a close engagement with their oral folk music traditions.
Her love for this poetry and its wisdom has taken many forms, including award-winning documentary films, books, urban festivals, rural yatras, a digital archive called Ajab Shahar, a school program called Shabad Shaala, and her own singing and performances. Her film Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein received the Special Jury Prize at the National Film Awards in 2011. She has also worked on two books: I Saw Myself: Journeys with Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai (Penguin, 2019) and Burn Down Your House: Provocations from Kabir (Speaking Tiger, 2023).
By donation | Stay and Meals at Actuals
For queries, registration & accommodation, please email:
Buddha Pada Center
12th mile, Buddha Pada centre, Relli river road, Panchayat, Deolo, Sindibong Khasmahal, Kalimpong, West Bengal 734301, India
Kalimpong
Price
On request
Please contact the organizer directly for pricing information
Wed, Sep 9 – Sat, Sep 12