12 Days Himalayan Meditation and Yoga Retreat India

You will stay at Ashok Country Resort, Florance Inn, and a family house or simple hotel in Manali and the small village of Vashisht. You can choose to spend your nights in a twin sharing room, tent or single room.

Ashok Country Resort

Ashok Country Resort is a family run eco-friendly boutique hotel. Away from the concrete jungle of vertical building, the resort is surrounded by the lush green lawns. The quiet poolside promises a breathtaking view. The spa offers you unparalleled relaxation in the form of personalized massages.

The rooms are elegantly designed and well-equipped with guest amenities like Wi-Fi connectivity, 24-hour room services, hot and cold water, tea / coffee maker, a doctor on call, and laundry services, to name a few.

The Amar House

The Amar House is a homestay and yoga shala located in the center of Vashisht. The family house offers double rooms with attached bathroom and washroom. Twin beds can be combined to form one single bed. The bathroom comes equipped with a shower and warm water.

Bottled water is not included in the rooms, but you can ask the staff to purchase water if needed. Laundry services are also available upon request, perfect for weary travelers wanting some clean clothes!

Most rooms offer scenic views of the mountains. The rushing waters of the mighty Beas River can be heard below. The accommodations offer stellar views of the Manali-Kullu valley. Balconies that face west offer the perfect view to watch the sunset, meditate, or read.

The yoga studio is attached to the homestay. The newly built yoga shala offers the best environment to practice yoga and meditative exercises at any time of the day! Windows encompass the studio space creating a warm environment full of natural light. The studio is open to guests that wish to practice or take lessons.

Day 1: Arrival in Delhi

Arrival in Delhi, reception at the airport and transfer to a hotel, and then overnight in the hotel.

Day 2: Visit Delhi and night Volvo bus to Manali

You have time after breakfast to relax or do some sightseeing around Delhi. There are many options such as visiting the Red Fort and the Jama Masjid, seeing Old Delhi by bicycle rickshaw, walking in Lodhi Gardens, shopping at Sarojini Nagar Market and much more! In the early evening, you will be dropped to the overnight bus to Manali.

There is an option to fly to Kullu from Delhi at an additional charge if you do not wish to take the night bus. The bus journey takes about 12 to 14 hours. Open Lotus Yoga suggests an early dinner / late lunch since you will be transferred from the hotel to the deluxe Volvo bus at approximately 17:00. The bus provides bottled water and blankets and they stop for a late dinner (at approximately 21:30 - 22:00). There will also be additional rest stops on the way to Manali.

Day 3: Arrive in Manali

You will arrive in Manali at around 08:00. From here, you will be welcomed and transferred to your hotel or family house which is four kilometers up the road in the town of Vashisht (the elevation is 2000 meters). You can rest and relax or take your toiletries and towel and head to the local temple to bathe in the deliciously warm natural hot springs. Wash away your travels fatigue and nourish yourself in these especially healing waters.

You will enjoy lunch at the Ram family house. After lunch, you will have a short orientation talk. In the evening, you will meet the Indian yoga teacher at the yoga shala where he will talk to you about yoga and meditation. After the orientation, you will get dinner. You will spend the night in a family house or preferred hotel.

Day 4: Yoga, meditation and short trek

In the morning, you will get a yoga, pranayama and asana practice for two hours at 07:00. The breakfast is at 09:30. After breakfast, you will go on a guided walk to Jogini Falls. These are beautiful waterfalls about an hour along the wall of the valley from Vashisht.

These falls descend from high above and run into the Beas River below. In the evening, you will take a meditation class. The dinner is served after the class. You will spend the night in a family house or hotel.

Day 5: Yoga, meditation and temple visit

Yoga, pranayama and asana practice for two hours will take place at 07:00. Breakfast is served at 09:30. After breakfast, you will visit the village of Ghoshal, Old Manali, and the beautiful Hadimba Temple. The temple is about one kilometer from Manali. It is a very old temple and surrounded by tall cedar pine trees on the edge of Dhungri Village.

According to legends, Bhima one of the Pandava brothers, fell in love with an aboriginal woman named Hadimba, the sister of the local chief by the name of Hadimba and married her. In your own time, you can take a rickshaw back to Vashisht. In the evening, you will get dinner and a meditation class after the dinner. You will spend the night in a family house or hotel.

Day 6: Yoga, meditation and explore villages life

You will get a yoga, pranayama and asana practice for two hours at 07:00. You will get breakfast at 09:30. After breakfast, you will have the opportunity to take a walk to villages. You will walk up along the valley to three distinct villages that dot along the Beas River.

You will visit the village of Burwa, Shanag, and Ghoshal, and then stop for tea at a local family house. In the evening, you will take a meditation class either before or after dinner. You will get dinner and spend the night in a family house or hotel.

Day 7: Yoga, meditation, and visit Naggar Castle

Yoga, pranayama and asana practice for two hours will take place at 07:00. Breakfast is served at 09:30. After breakfast, you will drive to Nagar to visit Naggar Castle, Roerich Art Gallery, and Krishna Temple. After you go back to Vashisht, you will get an evening meditation session and dinner.

Day 8 and 9: Yoga, meditation, and visit Tibetan medicine doctor or Indian astrologer to check a person problem in a spiritual way

You will get a yoga, pranayama and asana practice for two hours at 07:00. You will get breakfast at 09:30. After breakfast, you will walk to a Tibetan Ayurvedic doctor for personal treatment. Half of the group will go to the Tibetan doctor to check up and half of the group will go to an Indian astrologer to check a person's problem in a spiritual way.

Day 10: Yoga and free visit

In the morning, you will get a yoga, pranayama and asana practice for two hours at 07:00. After that, you will get breakfast at 09:30. After breakfast, you will have free time to relax, enjoy the hot springs, schedule a massage or do a little exploring on your own.

You will get a Kirtan session and dinner. You will spend the night in a family house or hotel. You can do canopying or rock climbing as per your own choice for half a day. Open Lotus Yoga will help you to book one day in advance.

Day 11: Pranayama, special Havan Puja for group, and night Volvo bus

You will get a pranayama class for 30 minutes at 07:00. After the session, you will join Havan Puja which is a special puja for a person's life to keep good health and wellness (shanti life). Hindu priest will organize it. Please note that every person is not allowed to eat anything before Puja.

They can drink tea / coffee, etc. but cannot eat anything. So you will get breakfast later after the puja is completed. It will take two to three hours to complete the puja which is never a fixed time. After the Havan Puja, you will be transferred to the bus stand and take a night Volvo bus to Delhi. You will spend the night on the bus.

Day 12: Arrival in Delhi, free visit to Delhi, and departure

On your arrival in Delhi, Open Lotus Yoga will transfer you to a hotel. It is a free day to explore Delhi. In the evening, you will be transferred to the airport. Farewell!

• A guided walk to Jogini Falls
• A trip to Tibetan Ayurvedic doctor for personal treatment / Indian astrologer to check your problem in a spiritual way
• Visits to Naggar Castle, Roerich Art Gallery, and Krishna Temple
• Visits to the village of Burwa, Shanag, and Ghoshal
• Visits to the village of Ghoshal, Old Manali, and the beautiful Hadimba Temple

This yoga retreat will take you from New Delhi to Manali and then Vashisht.

Vashisht

Vashist is a lively village in the Kullu-Manali Valley, about three kilometers northeast of the main city of Manali. From here, it's a two-minute walk to the hot springs, temples, local shops, and rooftop cafes.

There are plenty of walking paths that lead to picturesque waterfalls, abundant apple orchards, and the other surrounding villages. The towering Himalayan mountains, the roar of the Beas River, the crisp mountain air, and the faint sounds of village life below can be experienced from your room.

During this retreat, you will have vegetarian meals. Open Lotus Yoga provides breakfast in the morning and dinner in the evening. They do not provide lunch, but there are plenty of local, diverse lunch options within the village of Vashisht. Food options within the village include Italian, German, Israeli, Jamaican, Korean, Chinese, and Tibetan cuisine.

• A trip to the Red Fort and Jama Masjid
• A walk in Lodhi Gardens
• Canopying
• Going to the local temple in Manali to bathe in the deliciously warm natural hot springs
• Rock climbing
• Seeing Old Delhi by bicycle rickshaw
• Shopping at Sarojini Nagar Market

• 7 morning yoga classes
• 6 evening meditation sessions
• Pranayama and asana practices
• Special Havan Puja ceremony
• Indian cooking class
• Local guide for visits, trekking, and hiking
• 11 nights' accommodation
• Daily breakfast and dinner in family house prepared by the women of the family
• Transport to visit Delhi without a guide (the driver will manage it)
• Transport for sightseeing
• Airport transfer to a standard hotel in Delhi
• Delhi to Manali and Manali to Delhi by Volvo bus
• Transfer to the hotel in Manali from the bus stand
• 1 double room for yoga teachers and her partner with breakfast and dinner
• Tibetan doctor (Amchi) and astrologer fees
• Government service tax

• Tibetan or Ayurvedic medicine
• Massage and other personal activities
• Sightseeing fees in Delhi
• Travel insurance and medical evacuation
• Additional beverages and bottled mineral water
• Monument fees
• Food in Delhi and lunches in Vashisht
• Food and beverages while taking night Volvo bus
• Any flight

• A reservation requires a deposit of 100% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.