Rishikesh: The Gateway to the Himalayas

Your retreat begins in Rishikesh on February 9th, the world’s yoga capital - a vibrant town nestled on the banks of the sacred Ganges River. Here, saffron-robed sadhus walk beside travellers, temples hum with evening chants, and the air itself feels charged with devotion. 

You will spend three nights at the beautiful Yog Niketan by Sanskriti. During this time, participants will experience three daily sessions of yoga, meditation, and breathwork, guided by facilitators Lisa, Sonia, and Chardin. Beyond the practices, there will be time to enjoy in-house Ayurvedic spa treatments and to explore the vibrant city of Rishikesh, immersing in its sacred atmosphere, ancient temples, and the rhythmic flow of life along the Ganges River.

You’ll experience the nightly Ganga Aarti, a riverside ceremony of fire, song, and prayer that celebrates life and the eternal flow of the river. Rishikesh is a doorway into the yogic way of life -  a place where practice, culture, and spirit meet in perfect harmony.

Himalayan Hiking

We then join up with master teacher and guide Kuldeep Bisht Ji and step into the sacred Himalayan landscape with a 9-Days Himalayan Hiking Yoga Retreat, a journey designed to reconnect you with nature, spirit, and your own inner path. Nestled in Uttarakhand, India, this retreat blends mountain trekking, yoga, meditation, and pilgrimage to sacred sites in an immersive experience that calms the mind and strengthens the body. Here, your soul finds rest, your awareness sharpens, and your breath flows naturally amidst towering peaks and whispering forests.

 Over nine transformative days and eight nights, you’ll spend half your time in the ashram nestled just outside Rishikesh, and the rest lodged in mountain hotels. Each day is a balance of vigor and relaxation, with practices beginning in the stillness of morning, hikes through pristine terrain by day, and restorative yoga, meditation, or energy work in the evenings. It’s a retreat that honours both the journey inward and the path underfoot.

 Hikes, Trails & Sacred Sites

The Himalayan mountain trails become classroom, temple, and sanctuary. You’ll trek to high-vistas such as Tungnath Temple and Chandrashila Peak, stroll around Deoria Tal, visit Kartik Swami Temple, and journey through spiritual places like Devprayag and Dhari Devi Temple. Each trek is paired with opportunities for contemplative pause - breathwork, observation, or silent walking so the journey becomes more than distance.

The Sacred Heart of the Himalayas 

The Himalayas are living temples. Along the journey, you’ll visit ancient shrines and sacred spaces that have echoed with mantras for centuries. From the serene waters of Devprayag, where two holy rivers meet, to the high-altitude sanctum of Tungnath, the highest Shiva temple in the world - each stop is a meeting point of earth and spirit. The scent of incense, the sound of bells, and the sight of prayer flags fluttering in the mountain wind remind you that this land has long been a bridge between the human and the divine.

Expect moderate physical challenge: day hikes of 3-5 hours on varied terrain, sometimes steep or rocky; elevation changes; carrying only a light daypack. But this is balanced with gentle yoga, meditative breathwork, restful evenings, and soothing natural surroundings. Whether you’re a beginner or more experienced, each pace is honoured, every participant encouraged.

A Sacred Yoga Retreat 

Yoga, Meditation, Breath & Purification

Guided by experienced instructors, the retreat offers a blend of Hatha, Vinyasa, Pranayama, Meditation and cleansing practices. Each morning begins with yoga to stretch, open, and align, followed by meditation and breathing exercises. You’ll also be introduced to yogic cleansing methods (shat karma, etc.) designed to purify body and mind, preparing you for deeper connection with nature and self.

Itinerary Snapshot: What Each Day Looks Like

From the initial start  in Rishikesh with welcome and orientation, through temple visits and Himalayan treks, to restorative return and closing ceremony, the schedule is designed to gradually deepen your connection, to nature, to others, and to yourself. Highlights include sunrise yoga with mountain vistas, trekking to peaks and lakes, spiritual pilgrimages, and cleansing practices. Expect structure and routine to support your journey, but also flexibility for rest, reflection, and rediscovery.

This retreat emphasizes intentional living: simplicity in daily schedule, removal of excess stimuli, and focus on presence. You’ll participate in rituals like a fire ceremony, Ganga Aarti, group sharing, and reflective nights under the stars. With only 14 participants, the group size is small enough to receive individualised support yet large enough to share companionship, stories, and collective energy.

Accommodation:

Nestled along the banks of the Ganges, your first three nights stay will be at the luxurious riverside Yog Niketan by Sanskriti in Rishikesh offering a peaceful retreat with all amenities carefully catered for. Then for the first half of the Himalayan trekking journey, you'll stay at Atharv Yogshala, offering ashram-style accommodation with clean, comfortable rooms, private or shared, with attached bathrooms, hot & cold water, WiFi, and essentials provided. Then you'll move into a hotel in the mountains where the fresh air, views, and simpler lifestyle support rest and reconnection. Whether you choose private or shared rooms, the environment is designed to support your inner journey.

Nourishment: Food for Body & Soul 

The Himalayan trekking includes three sattvic vegetarian meals daily, prepared fresh with locally-sourced, pure ingredients. Meals are crafted to be prana-rich (life-force enhancing), light yet nourishing, supporting physical exertions like trekking and yoga, while aiding digestion and inner clarity. Filtered drinking water, herbal teas, and snack options help maintain your energy without heaviness.

Transformations & What You’ll Take Home

Leave this retreat renewed, peaceful, stronger, and clearer. Expect more ease in daily life, reduced stress, greater physical stamina, deeper capacity to sit with stillness, and a fresh appreciation for simplicity. The mountains tend to mirror our inner heights and depths; in traversing them, we often discover parts of ourselves we didn’t know were there. If you come with openness, you will leave changed.

 Our team is a blend of teachers, guides and friends who hold the space together. Here's who you will be journeying with - companions walking beside you on this pilgrimage into the heart of the Himalayas

Chardin’s path began in the vineyards of New Zealand and France, where he earned degrees in Oenology and Viticulture and spent years immersed in the rhythms of the land. Over time, his journey turned inward, drawing him toward the world of meditation, yoga, mantra and healing. For the past 15 years, he has been walking the path guided by teachers, mystics, alchemists, seers, shamans, traditions and practices that continue to shape his understanding and devotion.

His meditation journey began under the guidance of a Master Buddhist Monk, where he was introduced to the Theravāda lineage and the profound stillness of vipassanā practice. This foundation naturally evolved into a deep exploration of the Himalayan Tantric Hatha Yoga tradition, where he completed a 500-hour training and received initiation into mantra, pranayama, and meditative practices rooted in the Sri Vidya lineage, a path revered for its wisdom, beauty, and pursuit of Self-realisation. Along the way, he also immersed himself in the study of alchemy and was initiated into Kriya Yoga in the tradition of Paramahansa Yogananda, a meditation practice akin to the Himalayan Raja Yoga taught at Soul Room. In addition, years of study with two Bhakti masters deepened his understanding of devotion and sacred sound, opening the heart through the power of love and mantra.

Chardin’s exploration of healing emerged through direct experience - first through plant medicines, then through subtle energy work. His work with master teacher plants unfolded over several years, bringing him into deeper relationship with nature as a healer. Later, under the guidance of a Chi Master, he began to work with the subtle frequencies of prāṇa/chi and the healing intelligence of energy. These experiences, alongside Reiki training, helped awaken an inner sensitivity and a calling to be of service and a guide to others on their own paths of healing and awakening.

Lisa is a breathwork facilitator, yoga practitioner, and bodyworker with a deep love for nature, presence, and the magic of being human. Her yoga journey began in 2013 with a curious and seeking heart, a knowing that life couldn’t just be what we see on the surface. She longed to understand the deeper meaning behind both its beauty and its messiness, the joy and the ache of being alive.

Originally from Germany, she left her old life behind to follow an inner calling that carried her across continents and into the sacred practices of Yoga, Meditation and Breathwork. Deeply dedicated to her own practice, Lisa continues to explore the subtle layers of body, mind, and spirit, not just as a teacher, but as a lifelong student.

Lisa’s way of holding space is intuitive, heart-led, and rooted in presence. Her sessions invite all parts of you to be seen - the messy, the magical, the laughter, and the tears. She weaves softness with steadiness and a good dose of humor when needed, because healing can go deep, but it doesn’t have to be heavy.

For Lisa, healing isn’t about fixing, it’s about remembering who we truly are. With warmth and humility, she walks beside others, breathing and listening with reverence for each unique path.

Kuldeep Bisht started his journey at a young age an unknown sense of karma yoga was within him from his schooling days; coming from a nuclear family Kuldeep is the elder child for which he had great responsibilities on him. after completing his schooling when everyone of his friends was moving to earn money and getting good jobs he was curious about spirituality and purpose of life, so he traveled towards the Himalayas and after visiting many temples, places and communicating with Gurus he moved towards the south and started his yogi journey.

Ashtanga Vinyasa, and Pranayama and completed 500 YTTC (Yoga Teacher Training) in an Ashrama in Kerala under the highly qualified Acharya. After getting a deep knowledge and core yoga practice.

He started teaching others. He believes yoga can be understood only if one is ready to accept the disciplinary rules and regulations. How to leave balanced life with yoga, he has been training people from all over the world in 200 & 300 Hours TTC in different yoga schools in India and Nepal for the last couple of years. His goal is to spread awareness, show the spiritual aspect and life-changing power of yoga in balancing life, and find simplicity in human beings to live life in peace.

Originally from Italy, Sonia’s journey has led her to London, where she has been immersed in the practice of yoga for over a decade, a path of reconnection to joy, presence, and inner stillness. Through her years of study and dedication, she has embodied the teachings of the Himalayan masters within the Tantric tradition, Hatha Yoga, and the sacred Sri Vidya lineage. Her practice is rooted in the breath, a sacred bridge that guides each soul back to its authentic essence and union with the Infinite.

In 2021 and 2022, Sonia completed over 500 hours of advanced teacher trainings, transformative experiences that profoundly reshaped her relationship with life itself. Through them, she came to understand the subtle language of energy and the immense power that arises from true, embodied presence.

Since then, she has devoted herself to creating sacred spaces where all beings are honored and guided toward their innate radiance. Her mission is to share this path of Self-discovery across the world with seekers ready to dive deeply into their Dharma and the timeless wisdom of the yogic tradition. For Sonia, yoga is more than a practice it is a sacred path of devotion and awareness, a continual unfolding, and a dance with life in all its stages.

Cost of Retreat

Retreat Cost: $4,200 NZD Early Bird Price

(Excludes international airfares)

Airfares

Participants are responsible for arranging their own flights to and from New Delhi, India.

Transport

A complimentary air-conditioned coach will depart from New Delhi Airport on a specified date and time for those wishing to travel together to Rishikesh; participants are also welcome to make their own way and meet us directly at the hotel. The same arrangement will apply for the return journey from Rishikesh to New Delhi Airport, with a scheduled coach transfer provided at no additional cost for those departing with the group.

Accommodation

Includes 3 nights accomodation in Rishikesh at the luxurious Yog Niketan by Sanskriti and 8 nights of accommodation in the Himalayas. Accomodation in Rishikesh subject to change, with something of similar high standard if needed.

Meals

Three meals daily will be catered for throughout the entire trip.

Yoga, Meditation and Reiki

Daily yoga, meditation and a complementary reiki session will be provided by the facilitators presented above. 

Organisation & Facilitation Fee

This fee covers all planning, coordination, and facilitation for the 12 day retreat.

Total Investment - Early Bird Price $4,200 NZD + Airfares

How the Booking Process Works

Reserve Your Space:

Complete the short form below with your name, email, and a brief message about yourself and what draws you to this retreat. (SEE FORM BELOW)

Receive Confirmation:

Within 24–48 hours, you will receive an email confirming availability and outlining the next steps.

Secure with Deposit:

A 30% deposit of $1,260 NZD is required within 7 days to secure your booking.

Final Payment:

The remaining balance is due 60 days prior to the retreat start date.

Welcome Pack:

Once full payment is received, you’ll receive a detailed Welcome Pack including travel information, meet-up location, what to bring, and pre-retreat preparation guidance.

 Only 14 participants will join this exclusive sacred journey, guided by the facilitators introduced above. Reserve your place today - spaces are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.