The oldest technology for quieting the mind
Mantra is the original mindfulness practice — five thousand years older than the word "mindfulness." Seven days of japa, kirtan, bija-mantra and silent sitting with Swami Ananda, at 1,320 metres in the Himalayan foothills.
A retreat built around sound
Where most meditation retreats ask you to watch the breath, the mantra tradition gives you a second object — a syllable, a name, a sound that travels with you when the mind wanders. For many students, it is the most accessible door into real concentration.
Over seven days you will learn the full architecture of the classical mantra practice: japa (repetition with beads), likhita (written mantra), manasika (silent mental repetition), and kirtan (devotional chanting in group). You'll also spend two nights in noble silence, so the repetition has time to settle deep.
From first bija to night arati
- 5:30Wake & warm waterWash, herbal tea on the veranda, eyes on the Annapurna.
- 6:00Japa & pranayamaSixty minutes of mala-bead japa with a personal mantra, followed by nadi shodhana and bhramari.
- 7:30Gentle asanaSlow Hatha designed to open the spine and pelvis for long sitting.
- 9:00Breakfast in silenceWarm porridge, fruit, farm honey. No talking until 10am.
- 10:30Mantra theoryLecture + discussion — the mechanics, the lineage, the six forms of japa.
- 12:30Lunch & restThe full meal. Two quiet hours afterwards for walking or journaling.
- 15:30Silent sittingSixty minutes mental japa. No movement, no interruption.
- 17:00Kirtan & bhajanGroup chant with harmonium and tablas — the heart of the day.
- 18:30Arati & supperFire ceremony on the rooftop, followed by a light supper.
- 20:00Closing mantra & restOne round of Gayatri, then into silence for the night.
Beyond the week itself
Seven days is short; a mantra practice built well is for life. These are the concrete things you'll leave with — not the ephemeral kind you mention in a text home, but the kind that survive the airport.
A personal mantra
Transmitted privately by Swami Ananda on day two, chosen for your temperament and current practice. Yours to keep.
A rudraksha japa mala
A traditional 108-bead mala strung in the ashram. Use it for daily japa for the next forty years.
Silent mental practice
The skill of repeating a mantra internally during a commute, a meeting, a sleepless hour at 3am — the most portable form of meditation.
A pronunciation audio pack
Fifteen core Sanskrit mantras recorded by Swami Ananda, so your chant stays honest once you're home.
A likhita workbook
Written mantra — 50 pages to fill over the next three months, returning the practice to paper.
Online kirtan access
Monthly livestreamed chanting circle with the ashram community. Free for retreat alumni, for life.
Taught by practitioners, not performers.
Simple rooms. Quiet by design
Hand-built in local stone and Himalayan pine. Every room has a south-facing window, a low desk, hot water around the clock and a small shrine. No televisions, no minibars, no phone signal by choice.
Rooms open onto a shared veranda facing the Annapurna. The library down the hall holds the only Wi-Fi router — deliberately.
- Shared twin, en-suite bathStandard
- Private room, valley view+€20–40 / night
- Hot water & solar heating24/7
- Daily linen & towel changeIncluded
- Herbal tea station each floorAnytime
- Wi-Fi in the library onlyIntentional
Three meals. From our own farm
Sattvic vegetarian cooking the way the old texts describe it — not a Western reinterpretation. No onion, no garlic, no caffeine on practice days. Plenty of flavour from ginger, turmeric, wild greens, cumin and mountain honey.
Most of the rice, dal, seasonal vegetables and honey comes from our own kitchen garden or from the farmers in Ghachowk village.
- Organic vegetarian, mostly veganDefault
- Gluten-free optionOn request
- Ayurvedic meal planOn request
- Our rice, dal, greens & honeyIn season
- Noble silence at breakfastObserved
- Cooking class with our chefWeekly
A quiet place at 1,320 metres
Photographs from an ordinary week — the shala at sunrise, the kitchen garden, the trail to the river.
Read before you come
Seven days in. The part nobody warns you about
How to choose your first teacher training
Nepal or Rishikesh? An honest comparison
Three sattvic meals, mostly from the farm.
All meals at Bodhidham are organic, freshly prepared and vegetarian, following Sattvic (yogic) dietary principles. Breakfast includes oats, fruits and herbal teas. Lunch is the main meal, dal bhat with seasonal vegetables.
Dinner is lighter with soups, bread or rice with vegetables. Special dietary requirements (vegan, gluten-free, allergies), accommodated with advance notice.
- Herbal Tea: Provided With Each Meal.
- Source: Mostly own organic farm
- Meals: Three a day, included
- Special diets: Vegan & gluten-free on request
Ashram premises and Accommodation
We offer you both private and twin sharing rooms by allowing you to choose what best suits for your comfort and budget.
Guided by the principle that cleanliness is next to godliness, our rooms are kept clean, simple, and comfortable with all basic amenities provided.
- Hot Water: 24/7 hot water is available in the bathrooms.
- Beds: Bedsheets and towels are changed regularly.
- Toiletreies: Basic toiletries are provided by the Ashram.
- Room: Rooms are cleaned routinely to maintain a peaceful and hygienic living space.
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Reviews from our students
Sound is the shortcut
Twelve seats per retreat, five or six retreats a year. Message us with your preferred month and we'll hold a seat.