Himalayan Yoga, Ayurveda & Sound Healing Retreat in Pokhara, Nepal

The retreat takes place in Pokhara, Nepal's second city, sitting on the shore of Phewa Lake with the Annapurna range visible on clear days. Pick-up and drop-off are in Pokhara Lakeside, so you're based close to the lake for the whole stay. The property is Adishakti Yogashala's own Nepal retreat accommodation, with a yoga space used for the twice-daily classes and the singing bowl and kirtan sessions in the evening.

A typical full day (Days 2-9) runs like this: 6:30am wake-up, 7:00am cleansing ritual, 7:30-9:00am Hatha yoga and pranayama, 9:00am breakfast. From 10:00am to 12:30pm you have Ayurveda sessions on two of the days and Indo-Thai massage on two others, with the remaining mornings free. Lunch is at 1pm, afternoons from 2-5pm are yours, evening yoga runs 5:00-6:30pm, dinner is at 7pm, and meditation or chanting closes the day at 8pm before lights out at 9pm. Day 1 is shorter: check-in at 2pm, orientation and opening ceremony at 4pm, evening yoga at 5pm, dinner at 7pm, singing bowl meditation at 8pm. Day 10 finishes after breakfast with check-out at noon.

What separates this from a standard yoga week is the Ayurveda content. You get two Ayurveda massage sessions and two Indo-Thai massage sessions built into the schedule, plus a morning block on Ayurveda and Indo-Thai massage theory and practice. There's also a trek with an overnight stay at Australian Camp in the Himalayan foothills, and a sunrise yoga session at the World Peace Pagoda, practicing as the sun comes up over the Annapurna range and Phewa Lake. A boat ride to Tal Barahi temple and a Pokhara and village visit round out the off-mat side of the trip.

The yoga teaching covers Hatha (rooted in the Nath tradition and Patanjali), Ashtanga (the first series, with the tools to build a daily practice), pranayama, meditation, kriyas including Jalaneti nasal cleansing, mantra yoga, and yoga nidra. Evening sessions include singing bowl sound healing, where you lie down while bowls, gongs, chimes and drums are played, and kirtan chanting.

Adishakti Yogashala is based in Varkala, Kerala, and runs yoga teacher trainings and retreats in India and Nepal. The teaching team listed on their site includes Pranaji Sunil Kumar, Dr. Salini Padmaja, Yogi Abhishek and Dr. Anish Ajayan. The retreat is open to all experience levels and runs at each person's own pace. The October 2026 departure runs 18-27 October, with single accommodation at €1199 and shared at €999.

What's included

- 9 nights accommodation - 3 vegetarian meals per day - Morning and evening yoga, pranayama and meditation sessions - Kriya, sound healing and kirtan sessions - 2 Ayurveda massage sessions - 2 Indo-Thai massage sessions - Trekking and overnight stay at Australian Camp - Sunrise Yoga Trek to World Peace Pagoda - Tal Barahi temple visit and boat ride - Pokhara and village visit - Laundry service - Internet WiFi - Pick-up and drop-off in Pokhara Lakeside

What's not included

- International and domestic flights - Nepal visa fees - Travel insurance - Transport to Pokhara Lakeside at the start and end - Personal expenses and shopping - Additional spa or massage treatments beyond the four included sessions - Alcoholic drinks - Tips and gratuities