The day starts early. Morning yoga at 06:30 is a gentle session focused on alignment and breath, followed by pranayama at 08:00 — breathing exercises the teachers introduce from scratch, so you are not expected to know kapalabhati or neti on day one. Breakfast is at 09:30 in the open-air dining area. Late morning is free: rest, read, or join a guided walk in the Himalayan foothills around the resort.

After lunch and a rest, the main asana class runs at 16:30, slower and more detailed than the morning session. Guided meditation follows at 18:15, often by the river or in the meditation hall, and dinner is at 19:30. On selected evenings the group attends the Ganga aarti, the evening lamp ceremony on the riverbank.

What separates this from a generic yoga week is the school behind it. Rishikesh Yog Retreat is a Yoga Alliance registered school that has taught 1,700+ students from more than 41 countries over 15 years, mostly through teacher trainings. The retreat uses the same teachers and the same traditional Hatha and Vinyasa material, just paced for people who have never done it before.

The five- and seven-day versions add the wellness sessions: a sound healing session with Tibetan and crystal bowls, and a therapeutic Ayurvedic massage. The seven-day version also includes group activities and games, art and journaling sessions, music and dance workshops, and a guided rafting trip on the Ganga rapids.

Senegalia Resort sits in a quiet green valley near Neelkanth Mahadev Mandir, about 6 km away, with almost no traffic noise. The school keeps silence hours in the early morning and after the evening meditation. Neelkanth Road, Maral, is the address; Laxman Jhula is roughly 40 minutes by car and Dehradun's Jolly Grant airport about an hour and 20 minutes.

Retreats run every month of the year. October to March is the most comfortable weather, and September to April are the busiest months. April to June is hot and dry before the monsoon; July to September is monsoon, when the foothills are at their greenest. The daily schedule and meals stay the same whatever month you pick.

What's included

- Accommodation at Senegalia Resort for your chosen retreat length - Three sattvic vegetarian meals daily (breakfast, lunch, dinner) - Daily yoga, pranayama and meditation sessions for all levels - Shatkarma cleansing techniques (neti, kapalabhati) - Ganga aarti ceremony - Guided nature walks - Local sightseeing - Group transportation during retreat activities - Sound healing session (5- and 7-day retreats) - Ayurvedic massage (5- and 7-day retreats) - Group activities, creative sessions, music and dance (7-day retreat) - Guided river rafting on the Ganga (7-day retreat)

What's not included

- Travel to and from Rishikesh (flight, train or bus) - Airport pickup and drop (available at additional cost) - Personal or additional activities not listed in the itinerary - Anything not specifically mentioned under what's included

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