Nepal: Yoga Retreat for the Body & Soul

After three weeks of crawling around on floors and lifting squirming children, both at work and at home, I was in desperate need of some mental and physical self-care. Given that the traditional art of yoga arguably originated in the mountains of Nepal, I decided to book myself a weekend get-away at the Nepal Yoga Academy & Retreat located in the hills of Changunarayan, Bhaktapur, 40 minutes from my home in Surybinayak. My goal was simply to release some of the tension built up in my body and mind from weeks of being constantly “on”, surrounded by bouncing kids in a new environment. However, I got way more than I had even hoped for.

The retreat grounds

All dressed up! (Thank goodness I had help)

Setting of the Fire Ceremony

I arrived at the retreat center late Saturday morning and was immediately hustled into the Yoga Shala to be fitted for a Saree. It so happens that I was just in time to witness the graduation ceremony of the last 200-hour YTT (yoga teacher training) class, who had been at the academy for the past month. We were all fitted into traditional dress, offered garlands of Marigolds, and got to participate in the mantras and rituals of the “Fire Ceremony”, all the while overlooking the beautiful hills of the valley below us. It was an exciting and lovely introduction to my weekend.

Lunch overlooking the valley

After the ceremony we all sat for lunch together, and I got to meet some of the fascinating people I would be sharing the next few days with. Some were staying for months, weeks, or just the day, but all had unique stories of how they came to be at this remote yoga retreat in the hills of Nepal. Among my new friends was a travel influencer from the Czech Republic, a former lawyer from India, a yoga instructor from Morocco and an engineer from South Africa. They all had endless stories of travel and adventure that made me long for the same freedom of spirit, however, I just don’t see myself dropping my plans to go surfing in Sri Lanka for three months— not yet anyway. Regardless, this beautiful, International crowd that I had found myself a part of had already begun to feed my soul with every shared conversation. That afternoon, I had my first breathing and yoga session, led by yoga guru Dr. Chintamani (or “Guruji”, as is the traditional address for a yoga teacher).

A yoga session with Guruji

The session consisted of a 30 minute pranayama (yogic breathing exercises), followed by a 90 minute Hatha yoga flow and guided meditation, which I found to be the perfect level of difficulty. My loss of flexibility was immediately evident, as was my weakened core, which was to be expected after almost of month without formal exercise. However, I still found the asanas (poses/postures) to be more soothing than anything, and it felt like heaven to loosen up my body and clear my mind for the first time in ages. With the help of Guruji, I was reaching deeper into the poses than I ever thought possible, and I found that the process became more cathartic with greater challenge. Dinner was served after the class, followed by tea, and then I retired to my room for a hot shower and relaxation.

Morning cup of ginger tea

On Sunday morning, I left my room at seven to meet one of the Academy trainees, who had offered to guide me through Jal Neti (nasal cleansing). This consisted of crouching down and pouring salt water through one nostril and out the other, on each side, to clear the passageway completely in preparation for breathing and yoga during the day. The sensation was strange but not entirely unpleasant, and I will say that my breath has never felt clearer. After a cup of ginger tea to compliment the Jal Neti, I entered another 2 hour session (30 minutes pranayama, 90 minutes yoga asanas and meditation) before breakfast was served out on the patio at 9:30. Over breakfast, I got the opportunity to chat with the Czech woman at length about her journey with meditation, and I was ultimately encouraged to try it out. I practiced some meditation techniques for the next hour and, though I didn’t manage to completely clear my mind, I certainly found some peace and relaxation.

The Hindu temple grounds

Before lunch, I decided to take a short hike down to the large Hindu temple that was tucked into the hill just beneath the retreat grounds, and spent some time exploring the area. A lunch of dal bhat was served outside, which I enjoyed with several of my new friends, before I left to prepare for my steam bath. This was more of a steam box than a bath, as I was seated in a wooden box with just a hole cut out on the top for my head. The effect was actually quite nice, because, as my body sweat out everything (everything!), my head remained cool and comfortable, allowing me to last a good 25 minutes before jumping under a painfully cold shower. Thoroughly relaxed, I took some time to read before joining my 4:00 pranayama, guided mediation and yoga session, which took me up to dinner.

Climbing up the waterfall :)

On my final morning, I once again started with Jal Neti and ginger tea, followed by a 2 hour pranayama and yoga session, during which I found myself stretching further and holding poses longer than I have ever been able to before, in all of my attempts at yoga. It was an incredibly relaxing, cleansing class to finish my experience at the retreat. After enjoying breakfast in the morning sunshine, Guruji offered for me to stay as long as I would like on my last day, so I decided to leave my bag and head off on a 2 hour, 5 mile hike to the Nagarkot waterfall, stretching my legs and getting a little conditioning for my upcoming trek. The waterfall was about 1,000 feet down in elevation from where the retreat was located, so I got a good workout in, especially considering the hot afternoon sun, but I got to relax and cool off a bit at the falls before heading back up. The village of Nagarkot is especially known for having some of the best Himalayan views in the valley, which I got to appreciate earlier that week at sunrise from the lookout tower. Blessed with a uniquely clear day, the panorama was stunning, and though pictures can’t do it justice, I’ll throw one in here anyway! the waterfall was a nice way to spend an afternoon, but nothing can beat those Nagarkot views. I made it back just in time for a 1:00 lunch, and chatted over tea with some other guests for a while before finally heading out.

Morning views from Nagarkot

I had decided to forgo the taxi in favor of trying to catch the local bus back down into Bhaktapur, so I walked 15 minutes up the hill with my bag to the nearest station. Luckily, a bus arrived just as I did (there’s no time schedule or anything) and I climbed aboard, taking a seat near the front. As we made our way down the winding roads, bumping and shaking along to some fun Indie music on the radio, the door remained open, and we hardly stopped as more and more locals climbed on for a lift in to town. I was dropped off just a 20 minute walk from my homestay, and I arrived with an hour to spare before dinner, tired and hot but so content.

I left my weekend at the Nepal Yoga Academy educated, exercised and relaxed— everything I wanted out of my 3 days. I was introduced to a wealth of knowledge about traditional yogic asanas, breathing, mantras, meditation and rituals, all of which was mostly new to me, and I left with a greater appreciation for the challenges and benefits of such practice. I also got to strengthen, stretch and work my body over a series of four yoga sessions and 2 hikes, which was such a treat to my stiff muscles. And finally, through breathing and meditation practice, my mind felt clearer and calmer than it had in ages. Not to mention, a few days in a remote retreat, surrounded by serene nature and 0 children, did wonders for my mental well-being. It was an experience I will not soon forget, and I am excited to implement some of what I’ve learned into my daily life for some much needed de-stressing and heightened focus on inner and physical wellbeing.

Just me feeling happy and relaxed