India
Meditation retreats in India, one or two weeks
At Shankar Prasad Ashram near Gokarna, in South India, meditation retreats run for one or two weeks inside a working ashram. The meditation is from the Satyananda tradition of the Bihar School of Yoga: Yoga Nidra and the Meditations from the Tantras.
By length
Pick a retreat by how long you have
- One week: the 1-Week Yoga Nidra Retreat, the 1-Week Meditations from the Tantras Retreat, the 1-Week Ayurveda and Yoga Nidra Retreat, or the six-night Conscious Dying Retreat.
- Two weeks: the 2-Week Ayurveda and Yoga Nidra Retreat, or the Kundalini Yoga 2-week immersion.
- Four days at New Year: the New Year Retreat, 29 December to 1 January.
- Longer: stay on as a guest or volunteer after any retreat and keep the daily practice.
The techniques
What you practise
- Yoga Nidra, psychic sleep: a lying-down meditation that leads from outer sounds through body, breath and mind to deeper layers of consciousness.
- Ajapa Japa: meditation on the breath with a mantra.
- Antar Mouna: inner silence, watching the mind.
- Tratak: steady gazing, usually at a candle flame.
- Chidakasha Dharana and mantra meditation.
- Daily asana, pranayama and chanting alongside, suitable for all levels.
What it is not
Be clear before you book
These are not silent Vipassana-style retreats. The ashram keeps silence from 9 pm to 9 am, but the day includes classes, chanting, meals together and some karma yoga. If you want ten days of full silence, this is not that.
Ask the office which retreat suits you: WhatsApp +91 80953 29129.
Retreats
Retreats and dates
Suggested donations: ₹8,665 for a 1-week Yoga Nidra or Tantra retreat, ₹18,515 for the 1-week Ayurveda retreat (dormitory), ₹37,030 for two weeks of Ayurveda, all with the room and meals. For foreign nationals, NRI and OCI, ask the ashram for the international rate.
Immersion
Kundalini Yoga
Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan, kriya, asana, pranayama, dynamic and silent meditation, mantra and deep relaxation.
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1 week
1-Week Yoga Nidra Retreat
Six nights of Yoga Nidra in the Satyananda Bihar tradition, with daily asana, pranayama, chanting, meditation and ocean meditations.
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1 week
Meditations from the Tantras Retreat
Six nights of tantric meditation in the Satyananda Bihar tradition, Ajapa Japa, Antar Mouna, Tratak and more, with daily asana, pranayama and chanting.
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1 week
Conscious Dying Retreat
A six-night retreat based on Yoga Nidra, ten Conscious Dying classes with asana, pranayama, chanting and meditation, to meet death with awareness.
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4 weeks
Indian Spirituality, Four Weeks
Four weeks through two great scriptures, the Patanjali Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, with satsang, discussion, related meditation, chanting and kirtan.
Read more →1 week
Ayurveda & Yoga Nidra Retreat — 1 Week
Six nights combining Yoga Nidra with Ayurveda — five theory classes, two Ayurvedic treatments and a personal dosha consultation.
Read more →2 weeks
Ayurveda & Yoga Nidra Retreat — 2 Weeks
Two weeks of Yoga Nidra and Ayurveda — two Ayurvedic treatments a week, theory classes and a personal dosha consultation. Runs on an individual basis with advance notice.
Read more →Retreat
Mahashivratri
The night of Shiva, kept at the ashram with chanting and meditation through the night.
Read more →Retreat
New Year Retreat
Turn the year at the ashram, with sadhana, satsang and the quiet of Gokarna.
Read more →By arrangement
Ashram Life Experience
Live the discipline, the support, the simplicity and the joy of spiritual community life, helping yourself by helping others. “Find your Higher Self by losing your little self in the service of others.”
Read more →Questions about meditation retreats
Is a 1-week retreat enough for a beginner?
Yes. The 1-week retreats suit beginners and experienced practitioners, and you leave with a daily practice you can keep at home.
Is this a silent retreat?
No. Silence is kept from 9 pm to 9 am, but the days have classes, chanting and shared meals.
What is Yoga Nidra?
A lying-down guided meditation from the Satyananda tradition, known as psychic sleep. It relaxes the body and mind and works with deeper layers of the mind.
Which tradition is taught?
Satyananda Yoga, from the Bihar School of Yoga. The resident teacher is Swami Yogaratna Saraswati, a sannyasin and teacher for over 40 years.
Where in India is the ashram?
In Bankikodla village, 5 km from Gokarna, on the coast of Karnataka in South India, about 3 hours by taxi from Goa airport.
Are meals and a room included?
Yes. Retreats include a room for every night and three vegetarian meals a day with tea and coffee.