4 Destination Ashrams for an Authentic Yoga Experience

Ready to explore your yoga practice in a big way?  Visiting an ashram is more accessible than ever. In recent years, the following centers of serious study and spiritual sanctuaries have made the experience more inclusive by offering personalized retreats and rolling admittance dates.

The yoga ashrams listed below are located in North America near large cities or major airports, making travel more accessible, too.

Yoga Ashram Rules

If you’re considering a stay at an ashram, it’s worth noting that each center  tends to have a distinctive rhythm and protocol. Although some have stricter rules than others, most still have mandatory daily schedules, often requiring you to rise before dawn. If you are fairly new to yoga, a day consisting of four compulsory yoga and meditation sessions could be overwhelming.

Also, visitors are often asked to practice karma yoga (selfless service) by contributing to the upkeep of the facility in the form of kitchen duties, gardening, cleaning, and other chores. In short, you should be comfortable with communal living to fully benefit from the ashram experience.

Know Before You Go…

Most ashrams serve only vegetarian or vegan food. Alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco are not permitted. Don’t try sneaking in a bottle of wine—you’ll be asked to leave if the contraband is discovered. Guests typically stay in dormitories with shared bathrooms.

To find the right ashram for you, explore each center’s website, study its daily schedule, and reach out with any questions before you book your stay.

1. Mount Madonna Center | Watsonville, California

The Mount Madonna Center is located on 355 acres of meadows and redwood forests in the Santa Cruz Mountains, with views of Monterey Bay. It is guided by the teachings of Baba Hari Dass, who died in 2018, and sponsored by the Hanuman Fellowship, a community “designed to nurture the creative arts and the health sciences within a context of personal and spiritual growth.” The primary goal here is to attain peace.

Highlights: Community life is guided by the spiritual discipline of Ashtanga yoga and karma yoga. Weekend programs with visiting teachers are offered throughout the year. The center hosts nearly a hundred workshops, seminars, and intensives each year, attracting top teachers such as Judith Hanson Lasater and Amelia Barili.  The center hosts both personal and group retreats.

Amenities: When not in yoga class, guests can hike, swim, relax in a hot tub, and play tennis, volleyball, and basketball. The on-site Kaya Kalpa Wellness Center provides massage, Ayurvedic treatments, facials, and acupuncture.

Nearest Airport: San Jose, California

2. Shoshoni Yoga Retreat | Rollinsville, Colorado

A residential yoga ashram and spiritual retreat center, Shoshoni is 35 minutes west of Boulder, Colorado, and not far from Denver.  Shoshoni’s founder is Sri Shambhavananda Yogi, a meditation master, and the weekend retreats and day-long workshops emphasize spiritual awareness through “yoga classes, guided meditations, and sacred art.” The center offers family-focused options with separate but related activities for children.

Highlights: Daily classes include hatha yoga, pranayama (breathwork), meditation, and chanting. Weekend retreats include three meals daily, accommodations, one yoga class, and two meditation sessions. Participation in the daily schedule is not mandatory, and guests can attend as many or as few classes as they like.

Amenities: Therapies offered include massage, facials, and Ayurvedic treatments such as shirodhara, in which warm oil is continually poured onto the middle of the forehead to quiet the mind and soothe the senses.

Hiking trails pass right outside your front door and traverse forests of pine and aspen. If you’re looking for high-country vistas and mountain air, this is the place for you. The lodge and cabins are surrounded by wildflowers in spring and summer. In colder months, you’ll more than likely spot deer and elk.

Nearest Airport: Denver, Colorado

3. Ananda Ashram | Monroe, New York

Since Ananda Ashram was founded in 1964 by Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati, teachers specializing in different styles of yoga have been holding retreats here. The ashram is on 85 acres of woods, orchards, and meadows in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains, just over an hour from New York City.

Highlights: Guests can take part in daily meditation programs and ongoing classes in Hatha yoga, Sanskrit, and classical Indian dance, as well as weekend workshops, retreats, and cultural performances. A typical day includes three meals, three hours of yoga, and three meditation sessions.

The facilities include accommodations for guests and residents, including a vegetarian kitchen. Three guest houses provide simple dormitories (six people per room) and semi-private rooms (two people per room). All bathrooms are shared.

Amenities: The site also offers a book and gift shop, natural healing center, swimming pool, and a publication center. Camping is available in season.

The ashram is closely linked with Jivamukti Yoga Center, which hosts events and retreats there.

Nearest Airport: La Guardia, New York

4. The Salt Spring Centre of Yoga | Salt Spring Island, British Columbia

Situated on 70 acres off Canada’s western coast, the Salt Spring Centre was established in 1981 by the Dharmasara Satsang Society, a group guided by the common practice of classical Ashtanga yoga as taught by Baba Hari Dass. The center, located between Vancouver and Victoria, holds yoga workshops and classes in the creative and healing arts.

It’s also home to a small residential community and the Salt Spring Centre School. Although the majority of members and center residents were students of Dass, no commitment to a spiritual tradition or teacher is required to participate in any of the activities.

Highlights: Accommodations are available to those who are registered for a workshop or weekend getaway. The public may attend daily yoga classes or book a health treatment at the Healing Arts Studio without being an overnight guest.

Amenities: Unlike at most other ashrams, participation in the daily schedule is not mandatory. It also includes an on-site spa that offers Ayurvedic treatments, massage, and reflexology.

—Additional reporting by Kyle Houseworth

This article has been updated. Originally published August 28, 2007.