Yasodhara Ashram : Yoga Retreat and Study Centre

  • Community
  • 2 followers

About the Community

  • Established
  • Rural

What we do

Etablished in 1963 by Swami Radha, a female disciple of Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh, Yasodhara Ashram is an enduring Yoga Retreat and Study Centre and vibrant spiritual community. Set in the beautiful mountains of southeastern British Columbia, the Ashram invites people of all ages, faiths and backgrounds to pursue their self-development and discover the promise of yoga. Our aim is to instill quality, care and awareness in all that we do, so that Yasodhara can truly be a spiritual home to all who come.

Yasodhara Ashram is a residential community, with a number of full-time residents who make our home here. We welcome others to help with this work of being stewards of Swami Radha’s teachings and the caretakers of this sacred space. We are grateful to be joined in our efforts by many long and short-term Karma Yoga (Selfless Service) practitioners, as well as teachers-in-training, course participants, and retreat guests.

There are pathways to becoming a long-term resident at the Ashram. The first step is to become familiar with the Ashram by taking a longer program such as the Two-month Karma Yoga Introduction, a Learning Residency, or the Yoga Development Course. After completion of a program, long-term residential options can be explored.

Our Vision

As a Canadian charity and active learning centre, the Ashram helps people bring quality into their lives through yogic tools and experiential learning. Spiritually we offer a focus on Light and the Divine Feminine, much-needed in our world right now. We offer a wide range of yoga programs year round – from a three-month intensive, to private restorative retreats, teacher certifications and introductions to yoga. Our popular Service and Study programs are for those interested in learning about Karma Yoga, or the yoga of selfless service, our main spiritual practice.

Living with awareness in both the inner and outer worlds, Yasodhara Ashram is deeply committed to participating in sustainable environmental practices. We consider environmental action an important part of our social responsibility and ecological integrity, a practice of the Ashram’s yogic principle of non-violence.

With a lineage of leadership guided by women, our spiritual tradition emphasizes the nurturing and devotional qualities of the Divine Feminine. We are also home to the Temple of Light, which recognizes the Light in all traditions and the divine spark in each person. It symbolizes peace, hope and unity – and is open to all.

Our Mission

As a Canadian charity and active learning centre, the Ashram helps people bring quality into their lives through yogic tools and experiential learning. Spiritually we offer a focus on Light and the Divine Feminine, much-needed in our world right now. We offer a wide range of yoga programs year round – from a three-month intensive, to private restorative retreats, teacher certifications and introductions to yoga. Our popular Service and Study programs are for those interested in learning about Karma Yoga, or the yoga of selfless service, our main spiritual practice.

Living with awareness in both the inner and outer worlds, Yasodhara Ashram is deeply committed to participating in sustainable environmental practices. We consider environmental action an important part of our social responsibility and ecological integrity, a practice of the Ashram’s yogic principle of non-violence.

With a lineage of leadership guided by women, our spiritual tradition emphasizes the nurturing and devotional qualities of the Divine Feminine. We are also home to the Temple of Light, which recognizes the Light in all traditions and the divine spark in each person. It symbolizes peace, hope and unity – and is open to all.

  • Community type
  • Spiritual Retreat Centers

Gallery

  • 20 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
  • Open to volunteers
Total
20

How to join

The first step would be to become familiar with the Ashram by taking a course or offering Karma Yoga. See all our offerings on https://www.yasodhara.org.

Basic expectations or agreements for members

We offer a 3-month intensive course every Winter, guided retreats, self-led restorative retreats, as well as online offerings. There are also opportunities to come to the Ashram to offer Karma Yoga, the Yoga of Selfless Service.

Visit https://www.yasodhara.org for all the ways you can join us.

Primary decision-making authority

  • Single Leader or Founding Couple

One person or partnership has ultimate authority.

Economic model

  • Independent Finances

Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • There is a labor obligation
  • Members typically need to have their own job or other personal source of income to cover their expenses while living in the community?

Additional economic information

Labor required: Yes

Shared resources and amenities that are accessible to everyone in the community

Common House, Garden(s), Greenhouse(s), Vehicle Share, Library, Workshop, Large Scale Kitchen, Tractor & Farm Equipment, Fire pit, Recreational vehicles, Waterfront access, Internet

Frequency of communal meals

  • Approximately all meals

Substance use culture

  • Substance use occurs in peripheral / discrete / only in personal or private spaces

Property status

  • Privately owned

Setting

  • Rural

Countryside locations with significant distance from urban centers.

Energy sources used

  • Photovoltaic Solar
  • Hydro

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%
  • Land area size
    115 acres

Reviews

Location

  • British Columbia, Canada

Yasodhara Ashram : Yoga Retreat and Study Centre

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