The best Yoga Retreats in Himalaya to escape the mundane, find yourself, and revel in the beauty of pure nature
Why go on a Yoga Retreat in the Himalayas?
The answer is simple: to find yourself. This ancient land is a spiritual powerhouse, one of the most mysterious and magical places on earth. Besides being home to many ancient Hindu temples and Buddhist monasteries, it's also home to over a hundred peaks over 7,200m (23,622ft).
According to Hindus, Himalaya is the home of Lord Shiva and many of India’s most spiritual places. Indeed, the roof of the world is a humbling sight to behold. It has most of the planet’s tallest summits, including Mt. Everest on the China-Nepal border, K2 in the Jammu and Kashmir region, and Kangchenjunga on the Nepal-India border, the world’s third-highest peak.
For those on a spiritual journey, the Himalayas are the ultimate destination. A yoga retreat in the Himalayas is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to escape the mundane and connect with something greater than yourself. You’ll not only take time off from your life, but also transcend it.
Most retreats combine yoga practice with meditation, lectures, spiritual teachings, breathwork, and mindfulness workshops. There may also be guided hikes and visits to the local monasteries and temples, all of which provide a fully immersive experience.
Popular Yoga Retreat destinations in the Himalayas
The northern Indian state of Uttarakhand is crossed by the Himalayan mountain range, and boasts a spectacular number of Hindu pilgrimage sites. This includes the noteworthy Gangotri mountain glacier, the source of the Ganges, where pilgrims go to bathe in the ice-cold waters.
Uttarakhand is also where you’ll find Rishikesh, the birthplace of yoga. Nestled at the foothills of the Himalayas, on the banks of the holy river Ganges, yoga retreats in Rishikesh offer a traditional approach to the practice and perhaps one of the most authentic yoga experiences in India.
India’s northernmost state, Himachal Pradesh exhales spirituality at every corner, a;; thanks to its many Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, and Christian sites. It’s also known as the “Land of Gods”. Here, Dharamshala is the home of the Dalai Lama and Tibetans in exile, and one of the best places to go on a spiritual pilgrimage in Himachal Pradesh.