8 Day Holy (Color) Festival and Yoga Retreat in Rishikesh

Facilities

Yoga-philosophical aspects

• Human life: meaning and aim of life
• Yoga - introduction: it is origin and development
• Introduction of Patanjali’s yoga-Sutras
• Limbs of Ashtanga yoga - Yama, niyama (social and personal rules and regulations), asana (physical posture), pranayama (breathing techniques)

The concept of three bodies and its role in yoga practice

• Introduction in Karma, Raja yoga - meaning, types, role in yoga
• Kosha and its role in meditation and pranayama

The concept of five koshas

• Three nadis, Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna and their role in practice
• Chakras, general concept, and role in daily life
• Panch-Klesha (five causes of pain and miseries) or causes of success and failure in yoga
• Earth, water, fire element affirmation in sutras
• Samkhya Darshan, Vedanta Darshan

Nadis and chakras, the general concept

• What is Kundalini energy, ways of activation
• Kundalini and chakra
• Concept of Gunas
• Prakriti and Purusha
• Discipline of yoga student
• Obstacles in the path of yoga

Yoga practical aspects

Asana (beginner, intermediate, and advanced level)

• Natural relaxation asana
• Natural standing asana with external rotations
• Forward bending asana
• Backward extensions
• Spinal twisting asana
• Inverted asana
• Balancing asana
• Surya-Namaskara
• Meditation asana
• Thunder-bolt (vajrasana) group asana
• Lotus (Padmasana) group asana

Pranayama and mudras

• Introduction to pranayama
• Basic pranayama techniques and benefits (abdominal breathing, preparational breathing, Kapalabhati, Nadi Shodana with or without retention, Ujjayi breathing, Bramari, Bhastrika, Shitali, Shitkari, Surya Bheda and Chandra Bheda, Ujja)
• The pranic body
• Parana and lifestyle
• Breath, health, and pranayama
• Breathing and life span
• Sitting positions for pranayama

Kriyas (body cleansing methods): (Neti, Kapalabhati, Trataka, Shanka Prakshalana)

• What is mudra and bandha
• What is Ashwini mudra, its role in the energy body
• Dyana, Ajali, Prithvi, Varuna, Shakti, Gyana, Chin, Shambhavi, Khechari mudra, Hansi mudra, Vayu mudra, Akash mudra, Shunya mudra, Surya mudra, Jalodarnashak mudra, Apan mudra, Pran mudra, shankh mudra, Apan Vayu mudra, Ling mudra, Dhyan mudra, lotus mudra)
• Moola, Uddyana bandha, Jalandra
• Shatkarma (concept, aim, safety, performance)
• Obstacles in pranayama practice

Meditation

• Standard meditation practice (Om meditation, Trataka, Yoga Nidra, sound meditation, mantra meditation, nadis meditation, five elements meditation, breath meditation, ham so meditation, Ajapa or japa, Ida or Pingala spinal rotation, Hridayakasha Dharana, Panchaprana Dharana, Pranava Dhyana)
• Visualisation and concentration
• Obstacles in meditation
• Concept of meditation step by step
• Postures for meditation practice
• How to integrate meditation in yoga class?
• How to choose the object for meditation?

Mantra

• Standard mantras (Guru, Ganesh mantra, Shakti mantra, Gayatri mantra, Shanti mantra, Shiva mantra, five elements mantra, So Ham, AUM, Lakshmi mantra, Vishnu mantra, the mantra for health, business, children)

Yoga therapy or Ayurveda

• Using of number of yogic or Ayurvedic methods in supporting and treatment of some diseases
• What is Ayurveda

The concept of three doshas

• How to identify the dosha
• Six tastes and their function for the balance of body and mind

Pre-requisites

• You have to have interest to learn Vedic science, personal work on body and mind and not only to spend vacation as on all inclusive resort. Vedansha are spiritual Ashram and do not allow following activity: eating non-vegetarian meal, smoking, drinking alcohol, abuse their staff, show any type of sexual misconduct, manipulating, annoying other clients, damage the vedansha property, study material, interrupt teaching process.
• Individuals with disabilities or ailments, people who have any disease or unfit before the course are advised to refrain from applying. If you join course, and feel worse after this, Vedansha will help you to arrange all required medical help, but they will not allow you to continue the course and your payment will be not refunded.
• Minimum age at the time of admission is 18 years. Applicants aged over 60 years could apply after consultation with Vedansha via email.
• Pregnant women need a medical authorization permitting them to practice yoga from their own country with translation in English
• Any candidate found unfit after the commencement of the course will not be permitted to continue the training and a refund of fees and other charges will not be admissible
• This teacher training course requires educational abilities and the desire to study the program according to the standards of Yoga Alliance USA. Students are reminded to remain aware and respectful of cultural differences among the participants and teachers. Any disruptions to the teaching process or behavior deemed harmful to other students, teachers, or the institute's property is in violation of the rules and policies of Vedansha Institute. Violation of the school's policies may result in dismissal from the program without any refund of the course fees.
• The teachers are not fitness instructors, most of them are spiritual yoga masters who have a completely different way of life and devotion to their practice. Some of them are monks, pandits in temples or swamis. They request you to please be polite and respect their work. If you find something that not suitable for you or for your faith or mentality, please do not put the blame on them. Let them know at the front desk, online or just discuss with Founder Dr Pandey Ji directly if you want any changes and what you find not suitable for you. In 99% misunderstanding will be solved in a good way.
• The course language is English. Any other mentioned language is used for online communication and in some cases can be used in communication during the course on the place. If you wish to get a translator for any other language kindly request to ask about availability before booking. If a booking is done without the request of translation Vedansha have right to cancel the booking and refund the deposit. If translation will be requested on place Vedansha has right to dismiss the client from the course and do not refund the deposit. If a client request to arrange another school with appropriate language ability it can be done upon request if the school with this language is available in Rishikesh for extra costs.
• The booking should be performed by the person who is going to participate in the course. If a booking is done by the third person (relatives, friends, parents etc) the direct participant should send Vedansha an email or scanned copy of confirmation that he/she acknowledge the program, rules and regulations of the organizer.
• Any candidate who decided to change the program after arriving have to apply for it in written form. If you decide to cancel the course after arriving, Vedansha will have to charge amount that covered our costs of 30% of the course days as Vedansha reserve teacher, accommodation, meal prior to your arriving.

Daily schedule

Day 1

• 12:00 Check in
• 13:00 - 14:00 Lunch
• 14:00 - 16:00 Free time or therapy time
• 16:00 - 17:30 Ashtanga Vinyasa or Hatha yoga (theory and practice) - the number of physical postures according to study program
• 17:30 - 18:30 Yoga Nidra or guided meditation: guided relaxation practice, meditation, and concentration
• 18:30 - 19:30 Dinner
• 19:30 - 22:00 Free time
• 22:00 - 06:00 Sleep

Day 2

• 07:00 Breakfast
• 08:00 - 10:00 Holy festival special pooja fire ceremony
• 10:00 - 12:00 Play with colors, sweets ceremonies
• 12:00 - 13:00 Lunch
• 13:00 - 17:00 Visiting sightseeing and celebration in the city
• 18:00 Come back
• 19:00 - 19:30 Dinner
• 19:30 - 22:00 Free time
• 22:00 - 06:00 Sleep

Day 3 to day 6

• 06:00 - 06:30 Wake up and cleansing
• 06:30 - 07:00 Shatkriya and herbal tea - yogic cleansing with Jala neti (special techniques of nose cleansing), pooja (mantra recitation and fire ceremony purification)
• 07:00 - 08:30 Asanas practical class Hatha or Ashtanga style (depending on the week schedule) - learning the asana postures under the guidance of an experienced yoga teacher
• 08:30 - 09:30 Pranayama - breathing exercises
• 09:30 - 10:30 Breakfast - special yogic menu
• 10:30 - 11:30 Yoga philosophy or Ayurveda
• 11:30 - 12:30 Free time or therapy time or cooking class
• 13:00 - 14:00 Lunch
• 14:00 - 16:00 Free time or therapy time
• 16:00 - 17:30 Ashtanga Vinyasa or Hatha yoga (theory and practice) - the number of physical postures according to study program
• 17:30 - 18:30 Yoga Nidra or guided meditation - guided relaxation practice, meditation, and concentration
• 18:30 - 19:30 Dinner
• 19:30 - 22:00 Free time
• 22:00 - 06:00 Sleep

Day 7

• 06:00 - 06:30 Wake up and cleansing
• 06:30 - 07:00 Morning excursion in Himalaya
• 09:30 - 10:30 Breakfast - special yogic menu
• 10:30 - 11:30 Yoga philosophy or Ayurveda
• 11:30 - 12:30 Ayurveda cooking class
• 13:00 - 14:00 Lunch
• 14:00 - 16:00 Free time or therapy time
• 16:00 - 17:30 Ashtanga Vinyasa or Hatha yoga (theory and practice) - the number of physical postures according to study program
• 17:30 - 18:30 Yoga Nidra or guided meditation - guided relaxation practice, meditation, and concentration
• 18:30 - 19:30 Dinner
• 19:30 - 22:00 Free time
• 22:00 - 06:00 Sleep

Day 8

• 06:00 - 06:30 Wake up and cleansing
• 06:30 - 07:00 Shatkriya and herbal tea - yogic cleansing with Jala neti (special techniques of nose cleansing), pooja (mantra recitation and fire ceremony purification)
• 07:00 - 08:30 Asanas practical class Hatha or Ashtanga style (depending on the week schedule) - learning the asana postures under the guiding of an experienced yoga teacher
• 08:30 - 09:30 Pranayama - breathing exercises
• 09:30 - 10:30 Breakfast - special yogic menu
• 10:30 - 11:30 Yoga philosophy or Ayurveda
• 11:30 - 12:30 Free time or therapy time
• 13:00 - 14:00 Lunch
• Check out

Vedansha Institute of Vedic Science and Alternative Medicine offers their guests vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free meal three times daily. They also can fulfill any other dietary requirements.

• 7 nights accommodation
• 1 excursion in Himalaya
• 2 Ayurvedic whole body massages
• 1 t-shirt with the school symbol
• 3 daily vegetarian meals
• 1 Ayurvedic cooking class
• Cleansing kit
• Daily detox drink
• Daily practical and theoretical yoga classes
• Mala string of beads energized by Yogacharya Dr. S.K.Pandey-Ji
• Study materials
• Herbs suggestions for the well-being
• Accompanying and supporting during the time of staying in the institute, help provided 24 hours

• Extra days of accommodation
• Additional activities
• Airport transfers
• Ayurvedic procedures and consultation more than mentioned above
• Detailed aura check-up with providing of a written report about aura statement, disturbances in aura if they are present, supporting methods, and treatment advises of naturopathic specialist (individual plan of asana postures, pranayama, herbs, meditative practice)
• Full astrological consultation with a detailed explanation of planet position, disturbances, methods of correction, suggestions in career, family life, marriage, prevention of diseases

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• A reservation requires a deposit of 14% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.