Retreat
With Asanas & Pranayamas, learn and practise Meditation from the Tantras in the Satyananda Bihar tradition.
Starting dates
Arrival Saturday, departure Friday. If you want to arrive earlier or depart later, please contact us.
Introduction
Learn and practise Meditation from the Tantras as taught in the Satyananda Bihar tradition, with daily asana, pranayama, chanting and meditation. The techniques give a firm foundation for meditation at home, and suit beginners and experienced practitioners alike. Alongside the daily classes we offer a variety of optional workshops. In our ashram we follow ‘simple living and high thinking’, with organic farming and a play school. We are not a resort, guest house or a hostel. Life here runs much like a spiritual family: we eat, chant, meditate, sing, learn, work and play together.
Itinerary
The retreat focuses on one or two Meditations from the Tantras, chosen from techniques such as Ajapa Japa, Tratak, Antar Mouna, Chidakash Dharana and mantra meditation (described below). You can request your choice before the retreat, or Swamiji will decide with the group at the start. There are daily classes of asana, pranayama and mantra chanting, suitable for all levels. Mornings are asana and pranayama; afternoons meditation.
Choice of Meditation from the Tantras
Meditation
Meditation on the breath with universal or personal mantra, to calm, focus & purify the mind, taking it deeper and connecting with the rhythms of nature and with your Higher Consciousness. The breath is a constant companion and faithful friend.
Meditation
Witness your senses, thoughts and emotions, learn to stand back from them, and rest in the deep, silent inner space of antar mouna (inner silence).
Meditation
Exploring the inner screen of consciousness, and expressing what is seen there through art.
Meditation
If you cannot keep your eyes closed, open them: gaze steadily at a candle flame, a sunrise or a sunset. Tratak focuses and settles the mind. Good for restless minds, children’s concentration and sound sleep.
Meditation
Purify, balance and energize your chakras (energy centres) through breathing, visualization and mantra. A complete practice which also prepares for Kriya Yoga and safe Kundalini awakening.
Meditation
Devised by Swami Niranjanji to view your personality objectively: its strengths, weaknesses, ambitions and needs. A practice for overcoming confusion, finding focus, and planning your future.
Meditation
Experiencing Mantra chanting as Vaikhari (aloud), Manasic (mentally), and Upanshu (silently) through Likhit Jap (writing and drawing mantras), Chankramanam (walking) and finding the best way to benefit from mantras & their associated Yantras (geometric shapes of power).
Meditation
The yoga of sound – singing through the chakras, listening to the deep silence beneath it.
Meditation
Becoming aware of and empowering our attitudes, with ancient techniques from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras; and using them to become happier and more loving individuals.
Daily schedule includes
The morning is an ideal time to connect with the body and breath, and to calm the mind through asana. Asanas build fitness, strength and flexibility, and suit beginners, experienced practitioners and therapy students. Pranayama (breathing practice) settles and focuses the mind. You will get a daily practice, adapted to your needs, that you can continue by yourself at home.
Morning and evening mantra chanting sessions steady and focus the mind. In the evening there is a short group meditation followed by kirtan (singing spiritual songs) or satsang (spiritual discussion). All are welcome to join, or simply to sit and listen.
In this session you take an active part in ashram life – in the garden, in the kitchen, helping in the office, housekeeping. “To find the Higher Self you must lose yourself in the service of others” – this is Karma Yoga, seva (selfless service).
A day here
In the ashram we maintain silence from 9:00 pm to the next morning 9:00 am to help us be more aware of our inner consciousness. Please cooperate.
Alongside our daily classes, we offer a wide range of workshops for a reasonable extra cost (optional extra class): Yoga Nidra, Chakra Sadhana, Yoga therapy, Bhakti Yoga. Please inquire.
Through the week
Fees cover
Things to do (optional)
Location, stay & food
The ashram is in the village of Bankikodla, Karnataka. Gokarna, an ancient temple town, is 5 km away: temples, beaches and a weekly market.
Twin shared room with attached bathroom. Rooms are in heritage buildings surrounded by gardens and the ashram’s organic farm, with twin beds and an attached bathroom with toilet and shower. Bed sheets and pillows are provided.
Dormitory with shared bathroom. The dormitories are in the century-old heritage house. They sleep between 2 and 5 people on sleeping pads. Clean toilets and bathrooms are shared. Bed sheets and pillows are provided.
Three vegetarian meals are served daily, with tea or coffee. Meals are cooked here — traditional, local vegetarian food. Shankar Prasad grows its own rice and many of its vegetables on the fully organic farm; what is not grown on the land is bought from organic farmers in the village and neighbouring town.
Dabolim (Goa) is about 3 hours by taxi, Manohar (Mopa, Goa) about 5. We can arrange a trusted village taxi: send us your flight details and it will be waiting.
Any train on the Konkan line. Gokarna Road is 20 minutes away by auto-rickshaw; from Kumta or Ankola take a bus or taxi. Overnight buses also run often from Mumbai and Bengaluru to Gokarna Cross. Full routes on the How to reach page.
Fees
Booking / cancellation policy: A reservation requires a 10% deposit, which is non-refundable if the booking is cancelled. The balance is paid on arrival.
Booking
Tell us your dates and we’ll confirm availability, fees and how to hold your place.
