Yoga retreat in Ladakh – My experience teaching Classical Hatha Yoga in Leh

Ladakh. How do I even begin talking about it.

I had been there since June. Teaching. Living. And even after all that time, every morning I would look up at those mountains and feel exactly the same thing I felt the first time. I am in awe of the stillness of Ladakh. It reminds me of Shiva, of Dhyanalinga(a temple at Isha Yoga Centre, Coimbatore). Just being there charges me up in ways I cannot put into words. Some places never stop doing that to you. As you can see, it is that love for the place which led me to conduct yoga retreat in Ladakh.

The retreat begins

It was on the 24th of July the yoga retreat began. People started arriving from Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and one participant was even from Israel. As I stood there, I watched each one step out into that thin Ladakhi air for the first time, look up, and go quiet in a particular way that Ladakh makes you go quiet.

I had prepared and had arranged everything..from where we would stay, where we would practice, to how the days would move. But the moment the first person arrived and just stood there, looking at those mountains, not saying anything..I remembered why I chose this place.

Since Leh-Ladakh is not like usual mountains, and is at a high altitude, first thing I told everyone was to drink at least two litres of warm water, rest, and not move around much. Ladakh is at 11,000 feet. It doesn’t care how fit you are or where you flew in from. Here, the mountain sets the pace.

That afternoon, those of us who weren’t resting, sat together over tea. Seabuckthorn herbal tea to be precise. Participants introduced themselves, and soon enough, everyone started talking like they had known each other. I have seen this before. When people go out of their cities, their routines, their noise – something in them just opens. Without any effort.

The first evening

The first session that evening was an introductory yoga session, with guided meditation. The memory of that evening is still vivid in my head. Participants were still, meditating, and the sun was setting outside. There were flowerpots with flowers of all colours around the hall windows. The wooden ceiling was dimly lit, and it created a scenic view. A view so serene that I as a teacher, could not be but grateful for the privilege to be able to do what I love the most. 

After dinner, nobody wanted to go inside. The resort had a river adjoining it, and everyone just drifted outside. We found a quiet spot and sat together under Ladakh sky. That’s when we discovered Amit, one of the participants is actually a musician. He just started singing, and nobody moved.

yoga, Monasteries and the magic of ladakh

The mornings that followed had their own rhythm. I had planned to teach Yogasanas at this yoga retreat in Ladakh. It’s a classical hatha yoga practice that works towards the evolution of the body and mind towards a higher possibility.  Every morning, the session would start at 6 am, and would go on till 8.30 am.

Between morning and evening sessions, we visited places that I personally feel everyone should see if they go to Ladakh. Shanti Stupa. Tsemu Monastery. Thiksey Monastery. Gurudwara Patthar Sahib. Sindhu Ghat where the Indus river flows with a quiet power that makes you want to sit there and not move. 

At Shanti Stupa, Dan – one of our participants – started having a conversation about the murals that cover the stupa, about what they depict. Life, death, karma, the cycle of it all. Nobody pulled out their phones. Everyone just listened, and participated in the conversation. While travelling from one place to another, some participants wondered why they never visited it before.

We all enjoyed spending time at each place. Including Thiksey Monastery(also called Thikse). I had been there thrice before, and each time, I was stunned by the scenery. It sits on top of a hill, and offers a panoramic view of nearby villages with Indus River in backdrop. It is also noted for its resemblance to Patola Palace in Tibet, His Holiness The Dalai Lama’s abode, before he came to India. People sat there, meditated, and soaked in the history of the monastery.

One of these days, we went to Sindhu Ghat, where we sat by Indus River towards evening. We stepped into the river, and sat by it for about an hour, with our feet dipped in, soaking in the beauty of the river that originates in China, and also goes in Pakistan. Participants placed the pebbles on top of another and clicked some pictures together. 

Pangong lake – the surprise

And then there was Pangong lake, which was a surprise. Nobody knew I would take them there. The itinerary was a secret. And I had kept it as a surprise. But when I did mention that we would go to Pangong, everyone was overjoyed. The drive itself, winding through mountain passes, past landscapes that look like they belong on another planet was surreal.

And then suddenly. This lake. 134 kilometres of water. Turquoise, cobalt, midnight blue, all at once. Straddling the border between India and China. One participant stood at the edge, in tears, and said she had never seen a place so beautiful. That says everything about Pangong Lake.

Then, after our afternoon sadhana by the lake, someone suggested we “get in”. The locals showed us where it was safe. And so there we were – a group of yoga students, and a teacher, from different parts of the world, jumping into Pangong lake at 4,350 metres above sea level. The water was cold, clean and completely alive. We stayed in for maybe ten minutes. 

Afterwards we went to another spot. 3 idiots movie point. Yes, that 3 idiots. The Bollywood film was shot right here, along with Jab tak hai jaan movie. Just when we arrived at the point, the sky changed without any warning. Rain swept across the lake. But the group, cheered. People jumped on scooters, took photographs, laughed in the rain, and everyone felt completely free. 

what we carried home

In the weeks after the retreat, messages started coming in. From Delhi. From Hyderabad. From Tel Aviv. From Bengaluru. People who had travelled the world writing to say they had never missed a place the way they missed Ladakh. One participant wrote – I have been abroad many times, and seen many countries including Switzerland. But I have never missed being somewhere the way I miss this.

That is what a retreat in classical hatha yoga in the mountains does. It is not just about the asanas. It is about what happens when you take the practice somewhere that silences everything else. Somewhere that reminds you without saying a word, of what actually matters.

Everytime I conduct a yoga retreat, I am reminded of why I do this. Watching people from across the country, across the world, become family over a few days is a reason why I would always continue to conduct them. If reading this, something stirred in you, maybe it’s about time you should attend the next Ladakh retreat with me 🙂

If you wish to read about my experience teaching yoga in a remote village Saspochey in Ladakh, click here, and follow me on Instagram and YouTube for more from my teaching journey.