29 Day Yoga Meditation and Breathing Retreat For Healthy Lifestyle in Kathmandu, Nepal

This retreat is:

• Good for your overall health by practicing yoga and mediation
• A perfect way to de-stress
• To be more relaxed and refreshed than you’ve ever been
• A great chance to learn about the roots of yoga from its birthplace Nepal
• To rediscover yourself after too long of feeling disconnected
• To have a wonderful time learning a different practice than your own.

The following areas will be covered:

Asana (postures)

The Asana starts from a basic level with poses for beginners, then intermediate, followed by advanced level with demonstration, indication, alignment adjustments, and modulations. This course will cover more than 84 famous and effective asanas.

You will learn the therapeutic application of different postures. Basic and preparatory movements to warm the body up, muscles, and joints alignment. These movements will help you to achieve a full range of motion for your joints, will help you to prevent injuries during difficult yoga poses, and will develop your body awareness.

You will learn some series of yoga asanas which are easy to practice once you get back home. Yoga poses will help you purify and heal your body, as well as control, calm and focus the mind.

The different categories of postures will teach you which brings different energetic, mental, emotional, and physical effects.

Nepal Yoga Home will teach you especially Ashtanga and Hatha Yoga, besides this, our highly qualified teachers will teach the different styles of yoga: Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Shivanand Yoga, Iyengar yoga, Restorative yoga, Kundalini yoga, Vinyasa flow, power yoga and more.

Pranayama (Breathing exercises)

Concepts and practices of Pranayama including different breathing exercises. Our yoga course covers more than 25 different techniques of pranayama, and its applications, contraindications, and benefits. You will learn the importance and art of proper breathing.

Breathing is the only way of supplying our bodies and their various organs oxygen which is vital for our survival. Pranayama also goes close with the Asanas and meditation, which is better for your holistic approach to health. The union of these three yogic principles is considered as the highest form of purification and self-discipline, covering both, mind and body.

This one-month course includes different pranayama series like pre-pranayama, nostril cleansing pranayama, Nadi Sodhana (nerve cleansing), Anulom- Vilom (alternate nostril breathing), Sheetali (cooling breath), Shikari (Hissing breathing), Bhramari (humming bee breath), Ujjayi (victorious breath), Bhastrika (bellows breath), Kapalbhati (frontal brain cleansing breathing), Suryabheda (heat stimulating breath). Also includes advanced variations of pranayama.

Meditation

You will have in-depth meditation lessons which are a systematic approach to release stress and increase awareness. Step by step you will learn different styles of meditation, which are:

• Buddha meditation style
• Vipassana meditation,
• So-Ham meditation
• Mindfulness meditation
• Silence meditation
• Guided meditation
• Soul meditation
• Kundalini meditation
• Breathing meditation, etc

Yoga Philosophy

It’s based on our lifestyle. Patanjali Yoga Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita, and other yoga texts are included in this course. The following topics will be covered in yoga philosophy:

• Introduction, origin, and history of yoga
• Panch Koshas: The five sheaths of existence- Annamaya Kosha, Pranmaya Kosha, Manomaya Kosha, *Vigyaan Maya kosha, Anandamaya Kosha
• Seven energy centers (chakra), Nadis (circuitry of prana), Kundalini (the storehouse of universal potential)
• Consciousness and Yoga
• Elements of Universe: The process of evolution according to Samkhya Darshan
• Antahkarana (the mind stuff)
• Chitta and its patterns (vritis)
• Panch Kleshas (five sources of pain)
• Prakriti and Purusha (the observer and observed)
• Management of mind by the yogic process
• Ashtanga Yoga: Eight stages of self-balancing and realization
• Yama: Social codes of conduct
• Niyama: Moral codes of conduct
• Asana: Posture
• Pranayama: Breath control
• Pratyahara: Sensory withdrawal and relaxation of mind
• Dharna: Channelizing the mind and gaining stability
• Dhyaan: Meditation
• Samaadhi: Attainment of ultimate bliss

Shatkarma (Cleansing Process)

The sixth process of the yogic cleansing technique is said to be Shatkarma. They are Neti - nasal cleansing, Dhauti - cleansing of the digestive tract, Nauli - stomach cleansing, Basti - colon cleansing, Kapalbhati - frontal brain cleansing, Tratak (candle gazing) - eye cleansing.

You will learn its techniques, practice, application, indication, contraindication, and therapeutic usage.

Mudra (Physic gesture)

This four weeks course will cover the Introduction and types of hand mudras, postural mudras, Lock mudras, element mudras, pranic mudra, etc. You will learn more than 20 different types of mudras like Gyana mudra (Gesture of knowledge), chin mudra (gesture of consciousness), shambhabi mudra (eyebrow center gazing mudra), Nasikagradristhi (nosetip gazing), khechari mudra (tongue lock), shanmukhi mudra (closing the seven door), vipareetkarani (inverted psychic attitude), maha mudra (great psychic attitude), etc.

Banda (Energy locks)

The Bandhas – Locks are gateways to develop core strength, sensitivity, and subtlety. The practice of the three locks systems brings both depth and effectiveness to yoga practice. Introduction, benefit, and practice of throat lock, abdominal lock, the root lock, and great lock will be taught.

Jalandar Banda (throat lock): Jalandhar banda is the contraction of the throat with the help of pranic (breath) energy. The throat lock also “seals” the energy that is generated in the upper areas of your brain stem, so it makes it easier to focus and meditate. This is also good for thyroid and parathyroid problems.

Uddiyan banda (abdominal lock): Contraction of abdominal muscles by holding the breath outside is said to be uddiyan banda. Uddiyan banda helps to tone and strengthen the abdominal muscles and improves the function of the organs of digestion.

Mulabanda (root lock): Contraction of the muscles of the rectum, the sex organs, and the navel point with the breathing process is mulabanda. Mulabanda helps to awaken the energy in the upward direction. Mulabanda is good to keep strength in the body and steadiness in mind.

Tri-banda (great lock): to apply all locks together is said to be tri-banda or great lock.

Yogic relaxation

The practice of the systematic method of yogic relaxation will be taught which includes complete mental, physical and emotional relaxation while maintaining awareness at deeper levels.

Yoga Nidra (Yogic sleep) is included which is a powerful technique of relaxation of mind and body. Yogic relaxation creates an altered state of consciousness which allows the practitioner to relax and heal their being.

Yogic relaxation will help to enter the real subconscious and superconscious mind and cleanse the negative impact of past experiences.

This technique is effectively manifest seemingly magical changes in their life. Also, you will learn chakra shuddhi and mantra chanting to relax your mind and body.

Chakra Shuddhi (Purification of energy centers)

Purification of the chakras (energy centers) through simple meditative techniques and pranayama techniques will be taught. It includes principles of Purification, relaxation, and harmonization of the chakras.

You will learn details about the seven chakras: Muladhara (root) chakra, Svadhisthana (sacral) chakra, Manipura (solar plexus) chakra, Anahata(heart) chakra, Visuddhi (throat) chakra, Ajna (third eye) chakra and Sahasrara (crown) chakra.

Mantra chanting

During this course you will experience different powerful mantra chartings, which restores health, happiness and brings calmness to your mind. You will learn about mantra yoga which is an effective way to control involuntary thoughts. When courage or determinations are blocked, it rises up the opportunity to overcome obstacles.

Mantra awakens the healing force that reaches deep into the body and mind. The Mantras can be used to remove the blockages in energy centers.

Daily sample schedule

It might change but you will get all the classes mentioned in the itinerary even if the time is different.

• 07:00 - 08:00 Yoga Asanas (Yoga Posture)
• 08:30 - 09:00 Tea break
• 09:00 - 10:00 Self-practice
• 10:00 - 11:00 Breakfast
• 11:00 - 13:00 Rest/Hiking, sightseeing (yourself)
• 13:00 - 14:00 Yogic Relaxation
• 14:00 - 15:00 Lunch
• 15:00 - 15:30 Rest
• 15:30 - 16:30 Meditation, stretching, breathing
• 17:00 - 18:00 Tea break
• 18:00 - 19:00 Yoga Philosophy/mantra chanting
• 19:00 - 20:00 Dinner
• 20:00 Time to bed

Rules and regulation

Nepal Yoga Home respect you very much but they have some rules to maintain the purity and quality of the yogic lifestyle. Here are some rules and regulations:

• 1. This is a yoga home place to balance your body, mind and soul. Please do not compare it to a hotel or resort. This is your laboratory of life to experiment with yourself in front of truth.
• 2. Alcohol, cigarette or any other drugs are not allowed.
• 3. Nepal Yoga Home are vegetarian so they are providing you with vegetarian/ vegan food. You are not allowed to bring meat inside the yoga home.
• 4. If you have difficulty to adjust in vegetarian, Nepali and yogic food there is a restaurant within 5-10 minutes' walking distance. If you like to take additional food or something you can bring yourself from the city which is just 20 min walking distance from the yoga home.
• 5. Nepal Yoga Home provide laundry service at an additional cost
• 6. Please try to deepen in your own practice and try to deepen the silence after 9 p.m. Nepal Yoga Home normally closes the gate after 9 p.m. Their principle is early to bed and early wake-up.
• 7. Nepal Yoga Home are not responsible for injury cases but they suggest practicing according to your own capacity.
• 8. Nepal Yoga Home provide a shared yoga mat. If you need personal yoga you can buy an organic yoga mat with them.
• 9. Keep your room, toilet and yoga hall clean feel more responsible for cleanness as part of karma Yoga (selfless action).
• 10. Nepal Yoga Home have pure drinking water if you are very sensitive to changing the water you can buy distilled water in shops.
• 11. Upgrade of course is possible but downgrade is not possible.
• 12. Please do not speak during mealtime.