Listening to the Land: A contemplative conversation on eco-spirituality, equality, and the future of our planet — held on sacred ground in the desert of Rajasthan.

Cynthia Sciberras sits with Surajnath Siddh and Shreejan Sita. Image courtesy of Utsava Ma

In October 2025, beneath a red tent breathing with desert light at Shri Jasnath Asan in Rajasthan, we gathered for a rare and luminous meeting of worlds. This one-hour conversation brings together Surajnath Siddh, Shreejan Sita, and Cynthia Sciberras of YOKE to honour the launch of Yogecology: The Spirit of the Soil — a work born of devotion, ecology, and the quiet intelligence of sacred land.

What unfolded is less an interview and more a shared remembering: of ancient yogic lineages held in the Marwar desert, of the fierce tenderness of the feminine principle, of the ways earth, practice, and story move through our bodies as teachers. It is a conversation about what sustains us — spiritually, culturally, ecologically — and how traditions carried across centuries can meet the urgencies of the modern world with integrity, urgency and spirit.

What we also learned in this conversation is that change begins in the subtle realms: in how women are listened to, centred, and protected within families, communities, and spiritual spaces. It begins in how we honour the feminine — not as metaphor, but as lived responsibility.

This recording also marks a moment of celebration. YOKE’s 10-year celebration issue, gifted at the festival and received with open hands, became part of the gathering — a continuation of the lineage of story, art, and inquiry that YOKE has tended for a decade.

Settle in. Let the desert speak. Let this hour offer companionship, reflection, and a sense of the sacred threads that bind soil, soul, and community.

“Yogecology: Spirit in the Soil harmonizes the ecospirituality of Rajasthan with our lost understanding of land stewardship through the natural farming techniques prevalent in that region. By following the teachings of Jasnathji and Jambhoji, we can once again become conscious of our Oneness with Mother Earth and act in accordance with our ecological dharma in the protection and regeneration of Earth.” Dr Vandana Shiva

To get your hands on this newly launched book YOGECOLOGY here.

PLAY FULL INTERVIEW

Surajnath Siddh is the 12th head monk of Shri Shridev Jasnath Asan, initiated into the Nath tradition at six. With a Master’s in Yoga Psychology, he has restored the medieval fort, founded the Rajasthan Eco-Retreat, and champions ecological regeneration and the teachings of Hatha Yoga.

Shreejan Sita is a PhD scholar in Integrative Medicine, yoga therapist, and founder of Utsava Maa. After years in the U.S., she came to Rajasthan to deepen her practice at the seat of the Siddha Yogis. She now teaches therapeutic Hatha, leads youth leadership programs, and weaves yoga, ecology, and women’s empowerment.

Image by Coni Hörler; Cynthia Sciberras