This five-day retreat is a wonderful opportunity to nourish your body, and mind, and achieve a better quality of life. You can participate in traditional and personalized yoga courses as well as in different meditation sessions along with other meditative and healing therapies at Shivam Neelkant Yoga Kendra (center).
Daily yoga
You can practice Hatha yoga and a mix of Ashtanga or Vinyasa flow yoga. Hatha yoga is more physical asanas that help to energize your body, enhance its flexibility, and strengthen the muscles and joints. It is the traditional form of yoga to prepare you for long sitting in meditation. The yoga asanas are also good for preventing or easing lower backache, neck pain, or spinal problems.
Ashtanga yoga helps to bring flexibility, lose weight, and to heal the body. Vinyasa is a more dynamic form of yoga. Bipan Gill teaches a mix of Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga. Yoga sessions usually take place in the morning (08:00 - 09:30) and afternoon (16:00 - 17:30). The guest house provides cotton yoga carpets traditionally used in yoga (no plastic). You can bring your own yoga mat.
Daily meditation
You can practice different types of meditation with Bipan two to three times on a daily basis. The practices are the following:
- Bramamuharat meditation
- Kundalini Kriya meditation
- Chakra meditation
- Silence meditation
Meditation sessions usually take place in the morning (07:00 - 08:00) and evening (18:00 - 19:00). Participants can optionally also join the meditation in the early morning (04:00 - 06:30) which is the best time to awaken their energy, connect to the cosmos and nature as well as achieve peace of mind. Shivam Neelkant Yoga Kendra also can offer meditation sessions in nature, e.g. at the nearby waterfall.
Pranayama
Pranayama is the practice of breathing. In Sanskrit, “prana” means life energy, and “Yama” means control. It is a way to generate vital force and fire energy in your body. It helps to purify the body, lungs, and nadis (energy channels). The practice consists of different forms such as Naadi Sudhi, Bastrika, Ujjayi, Uddiyana bandha, etc.. as part of some yoga and meditation sessions.
Kriya yoga
Kriya Yoga is the sacred teaching of Dooninath Babaji Kriya Yogi of the Himalayas. He is the form of the great incarnation of Shiva's energy. Master Babaji taught this sacred science to his disciples to open the energy channels and to lead the mind to the highest transcendental state of meditation (samadhi consciousness). Yogi Shivam is a direct disciple of Dooninath Babaji and teaches his knowledge to the retreat participants. He is practicing daily rituals such as Pooja and fire rituals in which participants can take part if they want to.
This retreat enables you to integrate the manifold facets and benefits of yoga with asanas, meditation, pranayama, deep relaxation, yogic kriyas, and more into your daily life.
Whether you are a beginner or professional yoga practitioner or teacher, a meditation and yoga retreat in India is the perfect course for a relaxing holiday in the hills of Dharamsala.
Typical daily schedule (subject to change)
- 04:00 - 06:30 Early morning meditation (optional)
- 07:00 - 08:00 Warming exercise, pranayama, and meditation
- 08:00 - 09:30 Hatha yoga
- 09:30 - 10:30 Breakfast (Ayurvedic light breakfast)
- 10:30 - 13:00 Rest and relaxation
- 13:00 - 14:00 Lunch break (Ayurvedic healing food)
- 14:00 - 16:00 Rest and relaxation
- 16:00 - 17:30 Ashtanga/Vinyasa flow yoga
- 18:00 - 19:00 Pooja/ fire ritual and meditation
- 19:30 - 20:30 Dinner
