Rishikul Yogshala has once again been successful in its endeavour to bring an awakening among that section of the society which had a different perspective on the concept of yoga and increasing their faith in yogic science. We have recently had a batch of 28 young yoga enthusiast ladies from the Middle East all set to experience and explore a whole new world of spiritualism and holistic healing through our 7 day retreat program at Rishikesh this May. We arranged an AC bus which picked up the batch from Delhi and finally arrived here by evening. They were offered the arranged rooms which they appreciated and found it comfortable to stay. The students were looking forward to what was next in store for them as they started the morning with the morning yoga followed by Ayurvedic massage which they found to be similar to the ones back in their nation, yet with a difference in the oils used. It was indeed a great rejuvenation for a start to the retreat program. This was followed by an evening yoga and the “Ganga Arati” (world famous ceremony at Ganges) , which they felt was enchanting and divine.

The 7 day yoga retreat also covered some interesting excursions to Muni Baba Cave and night camping in the Himalayas. A morning session on Yoga in the Himalayas was also conducted where the students witnessed the sunrise at 4 a.m. This program also introduced them to the concept of Ayurveda and gave them ample opportunity to practice Pranayama and experience its benefits. The lessons during the retreat included Yoga philosophy.

Another interesting aspect of the program was the Ayurvedic cooking classes which was thoroughly enjoyed by the students as a new kind of experience to learn. They learned about the various Indian spices used in the different recipes and their nutritional value along with cleansing properties. They relished the taste of the Indian Halwa, paneer(cottage cheese), aloo matar, salads and herbal tea and chapatti (Indian pita bread) which they found to be different and fulfilling.

Our teachers have gained much appreciation by the students who shared a friendly relationship with each other and they also felt that they were very humble and easy to approach with a fantastic knowledge base. They were happy to see the love, care and dedication being showered upon them. They were taught skills in Hatha Yoga, Yoga philosophy and Pranayama. They were amazed by the hospitality shown by our staff during their entire stay at the school premises.

Yoga, particularly in the Middle East has been perceived as a religious belief. Our students from Saudi Arabia after having attended our retreat program realised that the concept of yoga is not limited to religion but is much wider. This program has helped them realise their inner being as they felt peaceful and calm from within.

After the end of the course they plan to go back to their home country and spread this important message of the actual concept of yoga from a practical point of view to their friends and others who are unaware of yoga and its holistic healing.

Testimonial By A Student:

“Before attending this retreat, we didn’t really know the benefit of yoga especially since we never had the opportunity to try it out or practice it. However, after visiting Rishikul Yogshala, we started learning many different things. Yoga has taught us how our bodies are sensitive to many movements on account of our weaknesses. As a result of practicing yoga, we’re getting our fitness back on the right track. At Rishikul Yogshala, we learned a lot. We found many challenging moves of yoga which taught us to be patient with learning. We also realized how this wonderful art changed our whole mindset and reduced our stress by bringing in more relaxation and inner peace.’’

-Shoag Al-Naser,
Yoga Retreat Student,
Saudi Arabia