Join a restorative 7-day, 6-night journey in the peaceful surroundings of Rishikesh, India, where yoga nidra, yoga asana, pranayama, and meditation come together to support deep rest and inner awareness. Set at Vedanjana Yoga Retreat Centre, this retreat offers a serene environment designed for renewal, reflection, and steady practice.
Guided by experienced instructors, you will explore the principles and techniques of yoga nidra in a way that helps reveal its full restorative potential. Daily relaxation practices prepare the body and mind for deeper states of rest, while classical Hatha Yoga and Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga sessions help cultivate balance, strength, and harmony.
A highlight of the retreat is a half-day excursion to a sacred site in Rishikesh, included in the course fee. During this rest day, you may visit the mystical Vashishtha Cave or the revered Kunjapuri Temple, offering a meaningful connection with the spiritual atmosphere of the region.
Comfort and nourishment are part of the experience, with cozy accommodation, supportive guidance, and three vegetarian meals each day, plus afternoon masala chai. Participants are encouraged to rest early, ideally before 10 pm, to fully benefit from the retreat rhythm.
Suitable for
- new yoga students and those with some experience
- people seeking a break from a fast-paced, demanding lifestyle to restore body and mind balance
- those interested in learning yoga nidra relaxation methods for everyday life
- anyone drawn to a healthy lifestyle rooted in the practice, science, and wisdom of yoga
- yoga instructors wishing to deepen their relaxation and yoga nidra skills
Curriculum
- Practice Relaxation & Preparation for Yogic Sleep
- Introduction to relaxation concepts and practices
- Relaxation in daily life
- Sequence of relaxation practices
- Tension and relaxation exercises
- Systematic relaxation exercises
- 31 points relaxation exercise
- Preparation for yoga nidra
- Yoga Nidra (Yogic Sleep)
- 61 points deep relaxation leading into yoga nidra
- 61 blue star practice
- Yoga nidra practice 1
- Yoga nidra practice 2
- Bandhas
- Diaphragmatic breath
- 1:1, 1:2, and 1:4 breathing practices
- Pranayama practices including nadi shodhana, ujjayi, kapalabhati, bhastrika, shitali, shitkari, and brahmari
- Jalandhara-bandha, uddiyana-bandha, and moola-bandha
- Benefits of pranayama practices
- Mantra Chanting
- Introduction to mantra science
- Morning and evening prayers
- Surya-namaskara with 12 mantras and bija mantras
- Hatha Yoga Asanas
- Meditative steps of practice: centering, entering, refining, holding, coming out, and reflection
- Surya namaskar
- Standing, sitting, backward bending, forward bending, spinal twisting, fire series, inversion, and shavasana
- Benefits of yoga asanas
- Breathing & Pranayama Practices
- Diaphragmatic breath
- 1:1, 1:2, and 1:4 breathing practices
- Nadi-shodhana, ujjayi, kapalabhati, bhastrika, shitali, shitkari, and brahmari
- Benefits of pranayama practices
- Meditation
- Meditation in daily life
- 2–5 minute meditations
- Beginning meditation
Daily Schedule
The retreat includes a half-day excursion and follows a structured daily rhythm with three vegetarian meals and afternoon masala chai. The program begins at 10:30 am on the first day and ends before noon on the last day, at check-out time. The schedule may change without prior notice.
- 07:00 - 07:15 Mantra Chanting
- 07:15 - 08:00 Shat-kriyas & Pranayama practices
- 08:00 - 09:15 Hatha-Yoga (Classical)
- 09:15 - 10:30 Breakfast and free time
- 10:30 - 12:30 Session I – Relaxation & Yoga Nidra (Theory & Practice)
- 13:30 - 15:00 Lunch
- 16:00 – 16:15 Session II – Relaxation (Yoga Nidra) & Meditation Practice
- 16:30 - 17:45 Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
- 17:45 - 18:45 Session II – Relaxation & Meditation Practice
- 18:45 - 20:00 Walking / Karaoke / Free-time
Upcoming Dates
This retreat begins on the 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd of every month, allowing you to plan ahead for any month of the year. Upcoming course dates are available for the 1st to 7th, 8th to 14th, 15th to 21st, and 22nd to 28th.
