Yoga Sadhana for Self-Healing Retreat

Yoga Sadhana for Self-Healing Retreat is a healing retreat at Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm in Grass Valley, California, in the Sierra Nevada foothills. It is for anyone who wants a stretch of structured yoga practice, rest and Ayurvedic care in a working ashram. The retreat draws on the classical Sivananda yoga tradition and is led by the ashram's resident teachers, including Swami Adiparashaktiananda, who teaches the Hatha Yoga Sadhana Retreat.

What to Expect

The programs listed here are optional add-ons to the basic yoga vacation or to a personalized self-healing retreat. You can join a program for the weekend only, or choose whichever days fit your calendar.

Sadhana is conscious, systematic spiritual practice meant to elevate the mind and help you see the Self. In the Hatha Yoga Sadhana Retreat, the "ha" and "tha" of Hatha Yoga point to a balance of sun and moon energy, of the right and left brain, and of the active and passive sides of practice.

Other week-long programs sit alongside it:

- Meditation in Daily Life, on observing the mind, recognizing the energies within and around you, and listening to an inner intuitive voice.
- Stress Relief and Relaxation: From Stress to Strength, on understanding your personal stress profile, including triggers and conditioned reactions, and building resilience.
- Ayurveda for a Good Life, on the science of life and how it works with yoga toward healthy living and sustained wellbeing. It is meant for everyone, wherever they are on their path.
- Explore the Foundations of Yoga Life, built on five aspects of a balanced life: proper exercise, breathing, relaxation, diet and positive thinking.

For deeper rest, the Ayurvedic Massage Rejuvenation Retreat runs over a weekend. It offers body treatments, consultations and daily workshops with specialists trained in Ayurveda, in a place suited to relaxing and detoxifying from daily life.

Evening kirtan and classical Indian music concerts run from 7:30 to 9 pm. On select Sundays, an Ashram Sacred Tour introduces Sivananda yoga with a guided walk, an asana and pranayama class, and an organic vegetarian meal. Guests are welcome to stay for satsang, which includes silent meditation, chanting and a lecture.

Who Teaches

Swami Adiparashaktiananda leads the Hatha Yoga Sadhana Retreat and also teaches in the ashram's four-week Yoga Teachers Training Course.

Nitya (Hoa Tran) leads the Ayurvedic Massage Rejuvenation Retreat and co-teaches the Ayurveda, stress relief and Four Paths of Yoga programs with Omkara. Omkara also leads Meditation in Daily Life.

Atmajyoti Chaitanya leads Explore the Foundations of Yoga Life. Acharya Mangalananda, a direct disciple of the woman saint Anandamayi Ma, appears in concert with Ramana Erickson.

The Setting

Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm is in Grass Valley, California. The ashram is described as an ideal place to relax, rejuvenate and step away from the pace of everyday life. Meals are organic and vegetarian.

Before You Go

Programs are open to everyone, wherever they are on their path, and you can choose the days that suit you. Because the Ayurvedic massage weekend involves treatments and consultations, it is worth calling the ashram ahead to arrange your stay.