Abhayaranya Yoga Ashram

At Abhayaranya Yoga Ashram, the day begins with a gong bell. On the 14-day program that is 5:30 in the morning, followed by jalneti, the yogic nasal cleansing, then mantra chanting, pranayama and a sequence of asana before breakfast.

The ashram stands on Neelkanth Temple Road in Rishikesh, just above the Patna Waterfall. Guests reach it on foot: about thirty minutes uphill from the main road, or a ten-minute climb from the waterfall. A porter service carries bags up and down the hill. Guests stay in wooden cottages with hand-crafted interiors and attached bathrooms, and eat three Satvik vegetarian meals a day.

The teaching is Hatha yoga, taught in English, with afternoon and evening sessions of asana and meditation or Yoga Nidra. Daily discussions draw on the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads and Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. The 14-day Living Yoga program is built on the principles of karma yoga. Retreats run three, seven, fourteen and twenty-one days. They are open to adults aged 18 to 75, with no prior experience required, and the pages describe them as available year-round by advance booking only.

Ayurveda runs alongside the yoga. Each Ayurvedic retreat begins with a consultation with an Ayurvedic doctor, who assesses constitution (Prakriti), current imbalance (Vikriti) and digestive strength (Agni). From that assessment the doctor prescribes therapies, herbal treatments and diet. The ashram also lists 200, 300 and 500-hour yoga teacher trainings. Sundays and public holidays are left open for guests to explore Rishikesh or rest.