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YogAnga Retreat at Sri Santosh Puri Ashram: Explore a yogic lifestyle, where yogis were born and raised… on the bank of the sacred Ganga River in the foothills of the Himalayas (between Haridwar and Rishikesh).
Santosh means contentment and after an initial inner struggle to release whatever may be necessary for your inner purification, that is exactly what ashram life at YogAnga Retreat offers. People come here to slow down and unwind from their hectic western lifestyles, to deepen their sādhana (yoga / meditation practice), or to studying in one of our many certificate courses.
The day begins pre-dawn with meditation and aarti, Herbal tea and an 7:30am Hatha style asana class are followed by breakfast and Karma Yoga before lunch. The afternoon is dedicated to lectures, prāṇayama sessions, or Ganga snaans (baths). Dinner, the evening aarti and occasional kirtan celebrations brings the day full circle.
Yoga here is a 24-hour experience, not just a couple of daily asana sessions, so be prepared to work hard for the good of the community. Also be prepared for bringing awareness to everything you do, from they way you get out of bed in the morning to how you interact (or not) with other visitors. This is not a place for change that is forced upon you. The tools for clarity, peace, and purity are laid out and the struggle of whether or not to take up these tools, how to use them, and how cynical to feel about the whole process is between you, your ego, and whatever deity you invoke. All of these activities are optional yet it is amazing the inner transformations that can take place the deeper one dives into everything here.
Aspirants can come for any of the formal courses offered year-round, or for an individualized time, just to participate in Ashram life of Arti-Puja, Asana, Meditation, Kirtan chanting and Karma yoga.
The sound of the 4am conch begins the day with the beauty of bhakti yoga through morning Aarati. And as the sun radiates over the Himalayas and the Ganges softly flows by, you loose yourself in the day and the practice of yoga in all its forms; asana classes, meditation, seva, philosophical teachings and studies.
04:00 Wake up with Conch
04:30 Dhuni Puja (Vedic Chanting) / Chai
07:30 Hatha Yoga: Asana / Prāṇayama
09:30 Breakfast
10:30 Karma Yoga
11:30 Class Session 01
12:30 Silent Lunch
14:00 Self Study
15:00 Chai / Ayurvedic Herbal Tea
15:30 Class Session 02
18:15 Silent Dinner
19:00 Kirtan / Dhuni Puja (Vedic Chanting)
20:00 Self Guided Meditation / Yoga Nidra
YogAnga Retreat Trust (Santosh Puri Ashram) is often a hidden gem, in between the overwhelming commercial yoga scene of Rishikesh and the crowded traditional spiritual pilgrimage town of Haridwar, in Uttarakhand, North India.
• 7 km from Haridwar (the Gate of the Divine) • 18 km from Rishikesh • 225 Km north of New Delhi
From within the cool green shade of the ashram grounds, it is possible to hear chanting and singing from surrounding ashrams. It’s also possible to hear nothing, but the whispering of river-breezes in the trees – a rare and beautiful thing in a country packed with humanity and the normal noise pollution that goes with it.
Santosh Puri’s ‘backyard’ is a sprawling national forest, and the grounds themselves are a sweet blend of rambling woods. Guests stay in a south facing dorm block, with balconies over looking flower vegetable gardens. Enjoy time in our several unassuming gathering spaces: dhuni, yajnashala, samadhi temples, two yoga halls, music and arts hall, courtyard and roof decks, each radiating their own harmonic power.
With the forested borders of the holy Ganga river (Ganges), where the foothills of the Himalayas begin, as our backyard, it is easy to settle in to one’s sadhana. Guest numbers are limited to 35 or so as this is a smaller family compound, adding to the feeling of intimacy. High season is typically September through April.
Ganga Puri graduated with a degree in Physics & Mathematics from the Garhwal University in Srinagar. After the mahasamadhi of his father in 2001, a fundamental change of realization overcame the student of science causing Ganga to change his life path onto the complete devotion to the Divine Truth. Meditation and yoga practices became his main activities. Eventually Ganga Puri received his post-graduate diploma and Master’s Degree in Human Consciousness and Yogic Science, from the Gurukul Kangri University of Swami Dayananda Saraswati, in Haridwar.
Mandakini Puri Rox is rooted in a traditional yogic family, following the sanyasi lineage of her parents / gurus: Santosh Puri Maharaj and Narvada Puri Mataji. She is blessed to have been born and continues to reside on the bank of Ma Ganga in the Ashram of her father’s namesake. Her sincere yogic practices led her to become a Yoga Acharya, with a Masters Degrees in Yogic Science & Human Excellence at Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya. Since 2004 she has been managing and teaching courses with YogAnga Retreat at Santosh Puri Ashram.
Dr. Alaknanda Puri (aka Gangotri), is our resident Ayurvedic Doctor and Teacher at YogAnga Retreat, Sri Santosh Puri Ashram. Aside from initially studying informally with several swamis and Ayurvedic practitioners, Alaknanda has a Bachelors in Ayurveda Medical Science from Ayurveda College Coimbotore, a Bachelors of Arts in Philosophy and Diploma in Yogic Science from Shrinagar University, as well as a certificate in traditional Ayurveda Vaidyavisharad, and a Diploma in Holistic Health Management from Dev Sanskriti University.
Nicole Jaquis is Sādhana Curriculum Developer and Teacher who has produced course books for YTT, Sanskrit, Sukṣma Vyāyām, Marmas and Ayurveda. Nicole facilitates transformational silent retreats, while also providing various multimedia services for the Ashram.
With a prior career as a Neuromuscular / Craniosacral Therapist and bodywork teacher at Heartwood Institute in Northern California, as well as decades living in India, Iyenger trained Brahmananda Giri has been teaching Anatomy & Alignment during our Yoga Teacher Training since 2016.
