Guest Stories

"I came to Nepal during a professional crossroads, not knowing what I was looking for. Pt. Krishnamurthy's birth chart reading gave me more clarity in two hours than five years of therapy. And the morning meditations with Swami Ananda at sunrise — looking out over the valley — are simply beyond words. I left with a completely different relationship to silence."

"As a skeptic and engineer, I approached this retreat with plenty of doubt. By day three, something cracked open that I'd been carrying for thirty years. The combination of Vipassana practice, individual guidance from Swami Ananda, and the setting — waking to mist in the mountains every morning — is extraordinary. The post-retreat coaching calls have also been invaluable. I've recommended this to everyone I know."

"Being Indian, I thought I already understood meditation. This retreat showed me how much more there is to explore. Dr. Maya Devi's Ayurvedic approach to yoga — understanding my Pitta dosha and adjusting practice accordingly — was a revelation. The food was exceptional, every meal felt like medicine. I've already booked the 7-day retreat for October."

"We came as a couple at a difficult moment in our relationship. The compatibility reading with Pt. Krishnamurthy gave us a whole new language for understanding each other — not as problems to fix, but as complementary forces. The retreat allowed us to simply be, without distractions, and reconnect on a level we hadn't in years. Truly life-changing for us as a couple."

"The 7-day silent Vipassana within the 14-day program was the hardest thing I've ever done — and the most rewarding. I processed grief I'd been running from for two years. Tenzin Rinpoche's singing bowl ceremonies became my favorite part of every day. The kindness of every single person at the retreat — from the kitchen staff to the teachers — was palpable. I cannot recommend this enough."

"I had done meditation courses before, but nothing prepared me for the depth of practice here. The physical setting of the retreat — surrounded by mountains, with prayer flags and the scent of incense — supports practice in a way no urban center can. Saraswati Devi's Kundalini session was particularly powerful. I came home feeling like I was finally living in my body."

"I came for the Panchakarma program after a burnout that left me exhausted for over a year. Dr. Maya Devi designed a completely personalized program for my Vata imbalance. After five days of treatments and Ayurvedic meals, I felt like a completely new person — sleeping deeply for the first time in months. The herbal steam and Shirodhara are experiences I'll never forget."

"A perfect introduction to meditation retreat life. I was nervous as a complete beginner, but Swami Ananda's guidance was extraordinarily accessible — no prior experience required at all. I learned a Yoga Nidra practice I now do every night before sleep. The retreat center itself is beautiful and immaculately maintained. Arrived stressed, left genuinely peaceful."

"I took a sabbatical after 20 years in banking and found myself here by what felt like fate. The astrology reading on day two revealed patterns in my life I couldn't explain — career cycles, relationship patterns, even health tendencies — with an accuracy that was frankly astonishing. I left with a completely different life plan and the inner capacity to follow through with it."