Lakshmi Voelker Chair Yoga Teacher Training

A Spiritual Sanctuary

As one of the few authentic ashrams to be found outside of India, we provide a vibrant link between the spiritual teachings of the yogic sages and sincere seekers of the modern world. Founded in 1986, the Ashram has over the years been a source of profound learning and transformation for thousands of people from all walks of life.

The Ashram is a natural sanctuary, a peaceful haven nestled in the green hills of Wales, UK.

This setting provides a quiet, safe, nurturing environment in which to go deep into the teachings and practices of yoga.

More about the ashram >>

All our courses are guided and taught by our senior teachers, who have nearly 100 years of yoga teaching experience between them.

In addition, the ashram is staffed by a resident team of yogis working in the spirit of enquiry and service, many of whom are trained yoga teachers or in the process of training.

More about our teachers and team >>

Below is our standard retreat timetable, the basic format that most of our retreats follow. Please be aware that this may vary slightly from retreat to retreat, but rarely by very much.

General Retreat Timetable

5.30 Morning Bell
6:15 Hatha class
7:50 Chanting & Meditation
8:45 Breakfast
9:30 Karma Yoga
11:00 Break
11:30 Morning Session
13:00 Lunch & Rest
15:30 Afternoon Session 1 / Yoga Nidra
17:00 Afternoon Session 2
18:15 Supper
19:45 Evening Session / Satsang / Kirtan
21:00 Mouna

Mouna

Mouna is periods of silence where we continue our yoga practice and daily lives without speaking. It is a key part of ashram life.

At the ashram we practice mouna every day from 9pm until breakfast the following morning, for the first half of lunch and supper and for longer periods during some of our courses and residents retreats.

Karma Yoga

An invaluable part of our retreats and ashram life in general is the practice of karma yoga, which is doing work with the attitude of service and with Awareness. It is an essential aspect of yoga but we tend to think that work has nothing to do with yoga and don't realise that it could be transformative.

On a mundane level, it is work around the ashram, such as gardening, cooking, housework, maintaining our buildings - whatever needs doing at a particular time. On a deeper level, karma yoga implies that we are fully engaged in doing the work in hand whilst simultaneously being in touch with our inner being.

Some of our visitors come to the Ashram for the first time having already spent time in other ashrams or spiritual communities. For others it is a completely new experience. In either case, we recommend arriving with an open mind and a willingness to make the most of your time here.

At the same time, there are some things you might like to know about the Ashram and the way of life here, if you are thinking about attanding a retreat.

You'll find some relevant info here >>

And here >>

If you're thinking of visiting the Ashram there are various practical details you'll want to know about, such as how to get here, what to bring, food and drink, Ashram rules and regulations, and more.

Find out all about planning your trip >>

While every care is taken to make the ashram as safe as possible and our retreats accessible to as many people as possible, by taking part in one of our retreats you accept responsibility for your own health and safety.

Please ensure that you are fit and well enough to take part in yoga practice. If necessary, you should obtain medical advice before undertaking any yoga practice including asana (physical postures), meditation, pranayama, Yoga Nidra etc.

As part of the booking process we will ask that you make us aware of any circumstances affecting your mental or physical health which may be exacerbated by the practices offered in your chosen course. We, Mandala Yoga Ashram, accept no responsibility for any injury arising from failure to follow instructions from the teacher or due to non-disclosure of medical conditions (physical or mental), injury or physical impairment.

Obtain specialist or professional advice from your doctor before participating if you are in any doubt, as we are not qualified to express an opinion that you are fit to safely participate in any sessions.

To book a space on one of our retreats you will need to pay a non-refundable deposit at the time of booking and then the balance before the start of your retreat or on arrival.

  All deposits are non-refundable and, as such, any cancellation of a course or stay booking will result in the loss of any deposit paid. Cancellations can be made via phone, email or in writing.

At their discretion the course director/operations manager may waive this policy in exceptional circumstances. Details and reasons must be given with this regard at the time of cancellation and these will then be given due consideration.

We are offering 3 payment options for our courses, to ensure we meet our costs and thrive whilst still remaining accessible to you. We are relying on the honesty of our visitors to choose the tier which is most appropriate to them.

• Benefactor – this tier allows those people who have the financial means and generosity of spirit, to pay a little extra for a retreat as a way of supporting others who are in a lesser financial position.
• Standard – as the name suggests, this is the standard tier, calculated to ensure the Ashram meets the essential costs of running the institution year or year.
• Supported – this tier is for those who genuinely need support to attend a retreat, and hence pay a lower cost.

This is a new change in 2024/2025. If you would like to read more about our rationale, you can do so >>here<<.