Dates: Sat Feb 14 - Mon Feb 16, 2026 (schedule)
Who can attend: Grades 9 - 12 in CMSJ Balavihar
Registration Fee: $75
Registration Deadline: Jan 31st, 2026
The Junior CHYK retreat is a special retreat just for high school Balavihar students, conducted by CHYK San Jose. It includes interactive workshops, sports, games, Q&A, and more!
This is an opportunity to spend an exciting weekend to learn, grow, and have fun in a community of like-minded peers!
> What is Junior CHYK? CHYK (Chinmaya Yuva Kendra) is the youth wing of Chinmaya Mission for ages 18-28. Junior CHYKs are students in grades 9-12.
> Why should I attend? Rather than hearing from us, check out what previous years' attendees said:
1) Some said that they were forced to come to the retreat by their parents, but by the end of Day 1, they ended up loving it and wanted to come again.
2) Many said that they expected it to be a weekend of just lectures. They were surprised they got to learn through games, workshops, group discussions, and quality time with Akalkaji!
3) Finally, almost every person said they didn't realize that they would bond so much with each other and with the CHYK volunteers, both of which made for an atmosphere of fun and closeness.
So if you're excited to learn, grow, and have fun in a community of like-minded people— register now!
> Questions about the retreat? We're happy to answer them! Email us at jchyk-retreat@cmsj.org.
2026 Retreat Schedule
Brahmacharini AkalkaJi
We are excited to announce that Brahmacharini AkalkaJi will be visiting from New Jersey to conduct this retreat. AkalkaJi led the 2024 CMSJ Junior CHYK retreat, and was incredibly popular with the J-CHYKs, so we are super excited to have her return!
AkalkaJi was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana and then San Diego, California. She has a unique perspective that helps her easily relate to youth raised in America.
AkalkaJi brings a medley of experiences to our 2026 J-CHYK retreat. She taught Sanskrit at two Youth Empowerment (YEP) Courses for CHYK West, was a middle school instructor in the 2020 and 2021 E-Balavihar Summer Camps, and continues to teach middle schoolers in E-Balavihar. She attended the 2013-2015 Vedanta Course and thereafter served in Trinidad and Tobago for 6 years, teaching Sanskrit and conducting various satsangs.
AkalkaJi is currently posted at Chinmaya Ramdoot in New Jersey, where she organizes several events for Junior CHYKs. She connects well with the J-CHYKs due to her dynamic, friendly, and kind personality. We are very lucky to have her!
Previous Year Retreat Info:
2026 will be our fourth year of running the CMSJ J-CHYK retreat! Get a sneak peek by seeing the 2024 retreat promo video, schedule, and photo gallery below: