Ashram in India: Yoga and Meditation retreat in Rishikesh

Posted by Liany Garves

06/02/2019

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Is it worth visiting an Ashram for a Yoga and/or meditation retreat? You may be wondering in case you’re planning a trip through India, even if you are not a yoga practitioner.

But what are the best places to do a yoga retreat?

And what exactly is an Ashram and what are the costs involved in an experience like this?

How many days is the ideal for experiencing an Ashram?

Check out this post for my experience at an Ashram in Rishikesh, the capital of Yoga, where I stayed for two weeks! And I hope to answer all your concerns! If you prefer, you can go straight to the topic that matters most to you:

What’s an ashram?
Why visit an ashram for a Yoga retreat?
How’s the day-to-day in an ashram?
How long to stay?
What are the best places to practice yoga in India?
How to find the ideal ashram?
Swami Rama Sadakha Grama: Yoga and meditation in the Himalayan tradition
How to get to Rishikesh
Costs

What’s an Ashram?

Reading a book in my free time

In its ancient version, an Ashram was the place where the wise men lived amid nature and enjoying their moments of tranquility.

Currently, this term is used in India as a place to pursue spirituality. Thus, people who seek a more spiritual life can live there permanently or just spend a period, but usually, there is a specific routine and the guidance of a spiritual leader.

Although the ashrams originated in the Hindu cradle, the vast majority of them do not follow a specific religion and they have a spiritual focus instead and receive people from any religion;

Why visit an ashram for a Yoga retreat?

If you plan to visit India, you’ve probably heard about how spiritualized is the country. And despite the Hinduism is the most common religion in the country, it’s not the only one. India was one of the few countries I visited in which there are so many different religions living in complete harmony :).

Therefore, regardless of your religion or spirituality, or whether you are a practitioner of yoga or meditation, I highly recommend the experience of a few days in an ashram.

Even without practicing yoga, the energy of the environment and the members who attend the place is really something else. And this makes us think more about ourselves as individuals and to look deeper into ourselves. You can use these days only to read, relax and spend a few days away from the internet and completely without stress.

For me, it was such a good experience that I’m already coming back to the same place next month;)! And I intend to repeat this experience at least once a year!

There are ashrams scattered all over India and with many different foci. You can search for the ones you most identify. As I had my focus on Yoga practice, I sought one in which there was this activity on the daily schedule.

But can I practice yoga in India without staying in an ashram?

Yes, sure! There is no need to stay in an ashram if you do not want to if your goal is solely the practice of yoga.

Rishikesh is known as the capital of yoga and there, for example, there are hundreds of options of yoga places. It’s nice because you can try several places and see what you like best. You can stay at any hotel or hostel and take the yoga classes separately! Some hotels and hostels even offer yoga classes in their space. Overall, the prices are very cheap there. I saw yoga classes for approximately INR 200.00 – 300.00 (more or less USD 3.00 to USD 5.00) per class.

There are plenty of accommodation options in Rishikesh with different comfort options. The best area to stay is around Tapovan Street. Check out the prices below:

Booking.com

I spent two nights in Rishikesh before I went to the ashram and stayed at Hashtag Hostel. Excellent option if you are traveling on a budget. The location is great, beds in shared dorms are very comfortable and the meals (charged) was a delight. All very simple, but enough! And the best: Very cheap! I paid on average USD 2.00 per night.

But… I still recommend the full experience. When you stay in an ashram, you are completely immersed in the routine and in that lifestyle. Soon you begin to feel the effects on your body of tranquility and relaxation. These are moments only for you! It’s really a gift for your mind and body!

How’s the day-to-day in an Ashram?

Usually, ashrams have a daily routine with a schedule to follow. Some places are more restricted and guests need to participate in all daily activities and, in others, you will be free to attend only the activities you are interested in.

Either way, be prepared to wake up early (usually around 05:00), for vegetarian meals and for a day full of activities that are usually yoga practice, meditation practice and philosophy classes. Some ashrams are very liberal regarding guests visiting the city in their free time. Others suggest (it’s just a suggestion) that you do not leave the premises while you are staying there, having your sightseeing days before or after your check-out.

I, for example, stayed for two days in another place visiting Rishikesh. It’s important that you watch out for these details when you’re looking for your ideal location. So your experience will be really good throughout your period.

You can check the schedule of my day to day just below the description of the ashram where I stayed, the Swami Rama Sadakha Grama.

How long to stay in an Ashram?

This is really subjective because each person has different interests and wills. There is usually no definite period and you can stay as many days as you want. I met people who stayed there for only a day or two. But there are some places where there is a minimum and/or maximum period hosting time.

The Swami Rama Sadakha Grama (where I stayed) has no minimum period but there is a maximum period of 15 days at first. You can stay longer, but you will need to make your initial booking for 15 days and then extend your period there.

I stayed 14 days and particularly considered the ideal period. It took me a while to adapt to the new routine, especially waking up at 04:45. I felt sleepy in the beginning and couldn’t make the most of it. I was gradually entering the routine and after my sixth day, I was completely adapted. I managed to absorb a lot more of my time there.

I think I would still have stayed another week if I could, to make the most of the experience and the learnings I had there. But I know that only a few people will have the availability of this whole period because sometimes we have 20 holiday days or even less time and we still want to visit other places, right???

So, if you can, stay at least a week. You will satisfy your curiosity and understand how it works in a period less than a week, but you will need more time to actually go deeper into the routine.

What are the best places to practice yoga in India

Hatha yoga class at the ashram

India is the cradle of yoga and there are yoga retreats scattered throughout the country. Rishikesh is known as the capital of yoga, and so I thought it was the city that would bring me a more immersive experience in yoga. I loved the city as a whole and the ashram where I stayed was completely off the transit route and the madness of the city, bringing an environment full of nature, peace and amazing energy!

Moreover, Rishikesh is a great option for Hatha and Vinyasa Yoga for some reasons:

It is a very cheap city;
It is easily accessible by train, bus, taxi or flights from New Delhi. The buses take about 6 hours from Delhi to Rishikesh;
There are many options for practicing yoga: ashrams, hostels, and hotels focused on that and much more. Therefore, you can simply go testing the places that most please you!
Rishikesh is at the feet of the Himalayas and is not as hot as the rest of India (It still reaches around 40 oC in the summer, but it is quite chilly in winter).

But there are many other options, such as Goa, Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka and even Mumbai.

If you are interested in Ashtanga Yoga, the city known as the birthplace of Ashtanga is Mysore in the state of Karnataka.

How to find the ideal ashram?

I would love to recommend here an excellent site with all the pros and cons and style of every Ashram for you to search there and find the one that suits your needs… But unfortunately, I found nothing like that on my researches.

If you have some recommendation of good sites, please indicate here in the comments;)

What do we have to do the? Research a lot on Google and mainly in Blogs. Some ashrams do not have a good website, so it is difficult to find the information.

What I can do here is to tell more about the experience I had and recommend the ashram I stayed: the Swami Rama Sadakha Grama!! Because I only have compliments for this wonderful place!

Swami Rama Sadakha Grama: Yoga and meditation in the Himalayan tradition

The Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama was the ashram I chose. Very close to the river Ganges and far away from the city, the location is amazing.

At first, I was in doubt about which place to choose. The SRSG had a schedule with 2 hours of meditation per day, and since I was not used to practicing meditation before going there, it worried me a little, because I did not know if I could handle it. Even so, I felt so good during my conversations by email and WhatsApp with them, that I felt driven to go there!

And since I do not believe that nothing is by chance in this world (and perhaps the fact that you are reading this post is also not by chance…) I think this really was the place and the ideal time for this experience. It was simply so wonderful and it completely changed my way of thinking about yoga and in various perceptions of my life!

I liked it so much and felt so connected with the place and with the ideology, that I will come back next month, this time to do the course of a yoga instructor. Soon I will tell you how this experience was!

History of the Ashram

“Sadhaka” is the name of the one who seeks a spiritual life and “Grama“, means village. Therefore, the name of the ashram Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama means the village of the spiritual seekers who follow the teachings of Swami Rama of the Himalayas.

I did not know the story of Swami Rama (“Swami” is a Sanskrit word and it is a title given to all that dominates the knowledge of yoga and possesses a spiritual devotion), but I was really impressed with all his life trajectory. He devoted his life in trying to unite science and spirituality and to prove the benefits of meditation. His disciple, Swami Veda, founded the SRSG in 2002 for the purpose of teaching and making the knowledge of yoga meditation for all those who are interested, according to the Himalayan tradition. In addition to the lessons and schedule of the ashram, they also dedicate themselves to studying and researching in the field of meditative yoga.

Structure

The SRSG has a very good structure and is huge, and is also very comfortable and beautiful.

They have 33 cabins with one or two fully furnished bedrooms and with hot shower and western-style toilets. Usually, guests share the hut with another person.

The meditation hall comfortably accommodates up to 200 people and there are classrooms, video, library, and bookstore.

The gardens are full of nature and very pleasant.

The cafeteria is simple but comfortable! The ashram offers 3 vegetarian meals a day (which are a real delight… I miss the food there) and tea twice a day.

Day by day

The daily schedule of the SRSG is as follows:

5:30-5:45 – Morning prayers

5:45-7:00 – Hatha Yoga (joints and glands)

7:00-8:00 – Meditation

8:00-9:00 – Breakfast

9:00-10:00 – Karma Yoga (cleaning and organization)

10:00-12:00 – Philosophy class

12:00-12:45 – Pranayama (breathing practice)

13:00-14:0 0 – Lunch

14:00-16:00 – free time for reading

16:00-16:15 – Tea

16:15-18:45 – Hatha Yoga

18:45-19:45 – Meditation

19:00-20:00 – Dinner

20:00-21:00 – Night programming (usually a lecture or musical programs)

21:00-21:15 – Prayers

It is recommended that all sadhakas participate in all activities, but it is not mandatory. They also recommend that during their stay at the ashram, visits to the city are limited only to the essentials once a week. I stayed in Rishikesh for two nights before the ashram to visit the city, and after I check-in at the SRSG, I did not leave anymore.

How to get to Rishikesh and Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama

To get to Rishikesh by New Delhi, there are several transportation options. I’ll list them all to make it easier:

By plane

Breathing Practice at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama

There are direct flights from New Delhi airport to Dehradun, which is only 15 Km from Rishikesh. You can find flights by USD 30,00. The journey lasts only 40 minutes and is the quickest and most comfortable way. The SRSG can arrange a taxi to pick you up at the airport.

By train

Karma Yoga – Time to clean and organize

One of the most common and practical means of transport in India are trains. They work super well, are cheap and you can travel around practically the entire country.

The closest station to Rishikesh is Haridwar and the trains leave from New Delhi station. I recommend you to buy tickets in class AC3, AC2 or AC1. They are the most comfortable and safest (especially if you are a woman traveling alone like me). The passages cost about INR 700.00 (USD 10,00). But it is necessary to take a taxi from Haridwar to Rishikesh, which will cost approximately INR 800.00 (USD 12,00).

You can buy tickets on the IRCTC website, but the trains are usually full, so buy the tickets in advance. There are many foreigners going daily to Rishikesh, so you can try to gather more people to share the cab with you.

By bus

This is the cheapest way to get to Rishikesh. There are buses leaving from the New Delhi-ISBT bus station, just beside the Kashmere Gate subway stop on the Yellow line. Buses leave every hour or even more often and there are several types of buses with various prices.

The cheapest is around INR 250.00 (USD 4,00) and the most expensive for about INR 700.00 (USD 10,00). I don’t recommend the cheapest ones. I saw them there and they’re very uncomfortable and old. I recommend you take the Volvo bus. They only leave in the morning, around 09:00, they cost INR 700.00 but are very comfortable and there is air conditioning.

I used the Volvo Bus for my trip and had a very quiet and pleasant trip. It is possible to go to the bus station in Delhi by Metro and to get to the Ashram from Rishikesh bus station by taxi, the cost is only INR 150.00.

The only problem is that it is not possible to buy the bus ticket online with an international credit card, they only accept Indian credit cards. But you can just arrive early at the bus station and you will be able to get your tickets directly at the bus. Check the Volvo bus schedules before going to the bus station.

Costs of an Ashram

Practicing yoga in the Ashram Gardens

There are yoga retreats with various prices throughout India. Overall, I found several ashrams with daily prices varying between USD 14.00 and USD 20.00 in Rishikesh, including meals, accommodation and yoga classes. But I also saw more expensive options.

In the south, in Kerala or Goa, there are options for only USD 5.00 per night. The SRSG costs between USD 25.00 and USD 35.00 per day with all meals, accommodation and all programs included. Despite being a little more expensive than other options over there, they have more comfort and the structure is really very good. So I find the price fair for what they offer.

Final message

I hope I’ve been able to help your doubts about the experience in an ashram. And if you want to have a chat and learn more about what I felt and how this experience it was, feel free to send me an e-mail or leave here in the comments!

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