42nd Annual Regional Retreat
Theme: Knowing to Being SAI
Where:
Mt.Madonna
445 Summit Rd
Watsonville, CA 95076
When :
Saturday, August 30, 2025
&
Sunday, August 31, 2025
(Labor Day Weekend)
Theme: Knowing to Being SAI
Where:
Mt.Madonna
445 Summit Rd
Watsonville, CA 95076
When :
Saturday, August 30, 2025
&
Sunday, August 31, 2025
(Labor Day Weekend)
Of all the abundant blessings Dr. Sanjay Mahalingam has received in his life, the most cherished is the joy of basking in the immediate presence of a great being like Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. The more than 7 years of living with Swami left him enriched beyond words and firmly set on an inner exploration, that in the years that followed completely transformed the quality of his life.
As he awakens from the slumber of the limited personality to the unlimited essence of one’s real nature, he bows down to the immense grace his spiritual master personified. It’s indeed a rare opportunity to live in the close proximity of a spiritual master and rarer still to realize the blessing and bring it to fruition in one’s own life.
Dr. Sanjay Mahalingam has been blessed with many personal interviews over the course of his years as a student and research scholar of Sri Sathya Institute of Higher Learning. Amongst other travels such as those to Chennai for the Athi Rudra Maha Yagna (2007), he has had the rare fortune of accompanying Swami on the highly coveted Kodaikanal trips on three different occasions (2005, 2006 and 2007). He was an important part of the famous university convocation dramas of 2004 and 2005. These diverse interactions with Bhagwan allowed him to witness the munificence of the Avatar in its varied manifestations and provided him the invaluable opportunity to glean from his experiences with Bhagwan, wisdom that is astonishingly simple, yet very profound.
Dr. Sanjay Mahalingam has been a proficient academic and educator at the Sri Sathya Institute of Higher Learning, Prashanti Nilayam. After serving in the university founded by Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba for 21 years in various capacities, he has recently moved on to pursue the love and delight of his life: helping people live a life of unending joy and freedom. A beloved teacher and guide to his students, Dr. Sanjay Mahalingam is widely regarded an extraordinary communicator, a skill that he has consciously employed in transmitting the teachings of his beloved spiritual master.
Dr. Sanjay Mahalingam has completed MBA (2004) and PhD (2008) from Sri Sathya Institute of Higher Learning, Prashanti Nilayam. He is a trained life coach, a certified NLP practitioner, an expert in experiential non-duality and above all devoted to the God that shines in each heart.
TIME |
ACTIVITIES |
VENUE |
YA |
|---|---|---|---|
07:30 AM - 09:00 AM | Registration | Breezeway |
|
09:00 AM - 10:00 AM | Unison Singing | Outside Conference Center (Altar Room) |
|
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM | Brunch/Registration | Dining Hall/Breezeway |
|
11:05 AM - 01:00 PM | Refocus with 3 Bhajans Welcome + Speaker Introduction Speaker Session with Dr. Sanjay Mahalingam | Conference Center (Altar Room) |
|
01:00 PM - 02:00 PM | Lunch / Registration | Dining Hall/Breezeway |
|
02:00 PM - 02:30 PM | Devotional Singing | Conference Center (Altar Room) |
|
02:30 PM - 03:30 PM | Sai TEDTalks - Region 7 Speakers | Conference Center (Altar Room) |
|
03:30 PM - 05:00 PM | Write a Letter to Swami! Breakout Activity | Conference Center (Altar Room) |
|
05:15 PM - 06:15 PM | Dinner | Dining Hall |
|
06:30 PM - 08:00 PM | Refocus with 3 Bhajans Speaker Session with Dr. Sanjay Mahalingam | Conference Center (Altar Room) |
|
08:00 PM - 09:00 PM | Young Adult Offering | Conference Center (Altar Room) |
|
09:15 PM - 10:30 PM | BhaJam Session | Conference Center (Altar Room) |
|
10:30 PM | Lights Out | Grounds |
|
TIME |
ACTIVITIES |
VENUE |
YA |
|---|---|---|---|
05:30 AM - 06:00 AM | Morning Prayers - 21 Aums, Suprabatham | Conference Center (Altar Room) |
|
06:00 AM - 06:45 AM | Nagarsankirtan | Grounds |
|
06:45 AM - 07:15 AM | Unison Singing | Outside Conference Center (Altar Room) |
|
07:30 AM - 08:10 AM | Yoga | Conference Center (Altar Room) |
|
08:15 AM - 08:30 AM | Guided Meditation | Conference Center (Altar Room) |
|
| Silent Breakfast |
|
|
09:30 AM - 10:30 AM | Devotional Singing Session | Conference Center (Altar Room) |
|
| Welcome + Announcements + Refocus |
|
|
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM | Workshop Session with Dr. Sanjay Mahalingam | Conference Center (Altar Room) |
|
12:30 PM - 01:30 PM | Lunch | Dining Hall/Breezeway |
|
02:00 PM - 03:00 PM | SSE + Adults | Conference Center (Altar Room) |
|
03:00 PM - 04:00 PM | Group Discussion on Free Will | Conference Center (Altar Room)l |
|
04:00 PM - 04:30 PM | Dr. Sanjay Mahalingam - Concluding Thoughts | Conference Center (Altar Room) |
|
| Devotional Singing Session + Thank yous + Closing Prayers |
|
|
| Visit Swami's Room |
|
|
05:15 PM - 06:15 PM | Boxed Dinner | Dining Hall |
|
The SSE Camp at the retreat is a 2-day program and marks the start of the SSE year. It is a fun way to have a field trip to begin the year!
It is a wonderful opportunity to meet and spend time with children from other Centers, and make new friends in the Sai World!
TIME |
ACTIVITIES |
VENUE |
|---|---|---|
07:30 AM - 09:00 AM | Registration (with Parents) | Outside Conference Center (Altar Room) |
09:00 AM - 10:00 AM | Firebowl Singing (with Parents) | Outside Conference Center (Altar Room) |
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM | Brunch + Registration + Checkin (with Parents) | Dining Hall |
11:05 AM - 11:20 AM | Devotional Singing + Welcome (with Parents) | Outside Conference Center (Altar Room) |
11:20 AM - 11:30 AM | SSE Departs to Seminar House | |
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM | Intros + Group Song learning | Seminar House |
12:00 PM - 01:00 PM | Sculpture Making | Seminar House |
01:00 PM - 01:30 PM | Snack (Conference Center) | Conference Center |
01:30 PM - 02:00 PM | Song Practice + Seated for Devotional Singing (with Parents) | Conference Center (Altar Room) |
02:00 PM - 02:30 PM | Devotional Singing (with Parents) | Conference Center (Altar Room) |
02:30 PM - 03:00 PM | Sai TED Talks - Reflective Sharing (Seated at back of room) | Conference Center (Altar Room) |
03:00 PM - 03:15 PM | SSE Departs to Gym | Walk to the Gym |
03:15 PM - 04:45 PM | Games | Gym |
05:15 PM - 05:50 PM | Dinner (with Parents) | Dining Hall |
06:00 PM - 08:00 PM | SSE G1 + G2: Movie (Maple) | Conference Center (Maple Room) |
08:00 PM - 09:00 PM | YA Offering (with Parents) | Conference Center (Altar Room) |
09:00 PM | BhaJam (with Parents) | Conference Center (Altar Room) |
TIME |
ACTIVITIES |
VENUE |
|---|---|---|
05:30 AM - 08:30 AM | 21 Oms + Suprabatham + Nagar Sankeertan + Firebowl Singing + Yoga + Meditation (with Parents) | Conference Center (Altar Room) / Grounds |
08:30 AM - 09:30 AM | Silent Breakfast (with Parents) | Dining Hall |
09:30 AM - 10:30 AM | Devotional Singing (with Parents) | Conference Center (Altar Room) |
10:30 AM - 10:45 AM | Welcome + Refocus (with Parents) | Conference Center (Altar Room) |
10:45 AM - 11:00 AM | SSE G1 + G2 Departs to Maple | |
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM | SSE G1 + G2: SSE Games (Maple) | Conference Center (Maple Room) |
12:30 PM - 01:30 PM | Lunch (with Parents) | Dining Hall |
01:30 PM - 02:00 PM | SSE (G3 + G4) Meet with Dr. Sanjay Mahalingam (Dining Hall) | Dining Hall |
02:00 PM - 03:00 PM | Nature Walk (with Parents) | Grounds |
03:00 PM - 03:45 PM | SSE (G1 + G2) Meet with Dr. Sanjay Mahalingam (Maple) | Conference Center (Maple Room) |
04:00 PM - 04:30 PM | Learn + Offer Hanuman Bhajan (outside Conference Center) | Outside Conference Center - Patio Area |
04:30 PM - 05:30 PM | Devotional Singing + Closing Prayers (with Parents) | Conference Center (Altar Room) |
05:30 PM - 06:15 PM | Dinner (Available Boxed) (with Parents) | Dining Hall |
All SSE children are encouraged to attend it!
Hands that serve are holier than lips that pray. – Sri Sathya Sai Baba
This year’s retreat theme, "Knowing to Being SAI", calls us not just to understand Swami’s teachings,
but to live them fully — through love, compassion, and selfless action.
What better way to do this than donating liquid love (blood).
Click here for details
Did you know?
- One donation can save up to three lives
- A few moments of your time can become someone’s lifeline
- A true act of being SAI in action
In this spirit, we invite you to participate in a Blood Donation Drive, a sacred opportunity to give the gift of life.
Join us in this noble act of love and sacrifice.
Together, let us celebrate His life — by saving lives.