The Sheep, the Ashram, and I

A sheep and its little lambs in Wales

Time out, distance from everyday life, desire for peace, curiosity, enlightenment – there are many reasons to choose to visit and stay in an ashram. For me, it was mainly about leaving behind a difficult year and creating distance from everyday life so that I could decide on my next career steps without external influence. Additionally, I wanted to deepen my meditation practice. The fact that I was approaching my 40th birthday was probably no coincidence. ;)

To get straight to the point: it was the right decision.

I searched for ashrams in India because that was the first thing that came to mind. But internally, I resisted flying so far, especially since I didn't have a recommendation and had to search for an ashram blindly. Moreover, I wanted a program, not just a time-out in an ashram. The other option of an intensive 4-week training was also not right for me at the time. So I continued my search and found a beautiful ashram in Wales that sounded just perfect. The program was called “Developing Sadhana” (developing personal practice) and it was exactly what I was looking for: a bit of ashram life, lots of meditation, chanting, workshops, Hatha yoga, and delicious food. And the best part: it was just a three-hour drive from Birmingham, practically a stone's throw away.

From mid-June to mid-July 2023, I spent a whole month there and was greeted by the bleating of sheep as I drove up.

Mandala Yoga Ashram, Wales

The Daily Schedule:

5:30 AM Morning Bell (your analog wake-up call, someone actually walks around with a bell and wakes everyone up)

6:15 AM Hatha Yoga

7:50 AM Chanting & Meditation (this takes place daily for everyone in the ashram)

8:45 AM Breakfast (porridge with fruits, or cereals)

9:30 AM Karma Yoga (garden, maintenance, kitchen, household)

11:00 AM Tea Break

11:30 AM Course, Workshop, Meditation Techniques, etc.

1:00 PM Lunch and Break

3:30 PM Yoga Nidra

5:00 PM Course, Workshop, Meditation Techniques, etc.

6:15 PM Dinner

9:00 PM Mouna (silence until breakfast)

Ashram and Surroundings

It couldn't be more beautiful: located on a hill in southern Wales, adjacent to a small forest, surrounded by fields with many sheep, and far enough from the nearest town. Thanks to Karma Yoga, the property is very well maintained and everything is in top condition. Some residents have their own cabins spread out on the property. There are two viewpoints should the property ever feel too cramped. I took a walk outside the ashram every day after lunch (about an hour). Here, I saw a red kite, deer, and a hedgehog up close. If it rains too much, but you still want to be in nature, you can sit in one of the greenhouses.

I shared a room with another course participant. The rooms are very cozy with lots of wood. We had the best room with a private bathroom. All other rooms share bathrooms in the hallway. Everything is super organized and structured. As soon as you arrive, everything is shown to you. All necessary information is on the wall at the entrance and always kept up to date.

The special thing about this ashram is that it has no religious background, meaning no worship of deities with pictures or figures. LIFE is honored here.

Llanwrda, Wales

Food

For breakfast, there was lovingly prepared porridge. You could mix in fruit from the fruit basket. During the tea break, there was tea and biscuits. The nutritious lunch is the main meal with lots of legumes, vegetables, carbohydrates, salad, and good fats, everything the body needs. For dinner, there was a delicious soup with homemade bread, some cheese, and leftovers from lunch.

One Free Day Per Week

Once a week, there was a free day. Then you could go hiking, bathe in the creek, go on an excursion (although you need a car for that), or just stay at the ashram. On this day, there are two meals, but a rich brunch and an early dinner. It was amazing how the person assigned to that day always puts in a lot of effort. The residents put a lot of love and selflessness into their Karma Yoga.

Karma Yoga

There are four areas: maintenance, garden, kitchen, and household. The purpose is selfless work, giving up perfectionism, tolerance towards others who don’t ‘give it their all’ :D and stopping when the bell rings. This also provides a balance to meditating and all the sitting on the floor (although sitting on a chair is, of course, also possible).

It helped me to stop postponing things when I got home. Things that need to be done, I now do right after breakfast without much thought.

My favorite spot in the garden of Mandala Yoga Ashram, Wales

If you are down, you can only go up.

Other Participants and Residents

The participants couldn’t have been more different. Different ages, backgrounds, life stages, genders. Nevertheless, we all had something in common: we are searching… but for what exactly?

What was striking about our group was their musical talent. So on free days or evenings, there were informal Kirtans. The residents are always very nice and helpful if anything comes up.

Everyone in the ashram and beyond has their own story. This means that there is also potential for conflicts or misunderstandings in the ashram. It is not a complete escape from reality and should not be intended as such.

Do not hold on to emotions because they change every 10 minutes anyway.

Mouna

Every evening from 9 PM until breakfast and the first 15 minutes during lunch and dinner is silence. Additionally, there were 3 days of consecutive silence per week. Initially, I found it a shame because the other participants were so great, and we all got along very well. But later, I understood the purpose. In silence lies realization. Of course, it’s also nice to exchange ideas and gain new impulses and perspectives. However, it’s about balance. After the silence days, I also experienced how much energy and calm I felt. In hindsight, I have to say this was the best part. It is recommended not to read a book during this time. So really do nothing that distracts you but instead get along with yourself, your presence, and your thoughts. This trains incredible patience, and since then, I don’t get bored during long waiting times. It was more challenging to come out of the silence because some who didn’t enjoy it as much were particularly loud to release pent-up energy. If you wish you can retreat with a clear conscience.

View from the Mandala Yoga Ashram, Wales

Mentoring

Once a week, you have a mentoring session with one of the teachers. You can use this time to discuss your challenges or give feedback. It’s free-form. As I was in-between jobs, in one of my sessions, I received the following quote to meditate on: “Do not ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Howard Thurman.

Hatha Yoga

The asana practice is very mindful and simply wonderful. Especially for people with a lot of yoga practice, it’s good to decelerate. I already thought I practiced yoga mindfully because I don’t particularly like fast Vinyasa styles. But this is on a whole different level. You learn to feel individual body parts and their connections more. And above all, it SLOWS you down.

Yoga Nidra

Every afternoon, there was Yoga Nidra, a deep-rest exercise. Even after 4 weeks, I must say I didn’t experience a significant benefit. When I feel stressed in everyday life, it’s a very nice practice to relax. But after the long lunch break, it rather led to us having a snoring orchestra. Therefore, I would recommend taking a nap during the lunch break so as not to miss or fight against sleep during Yoga Nidra practice.

Chanting & Meditation

Every morning there was chanting (singing) followed by guided meditation. Additionally, there were 2-3 Kirtans with chanting or Satsangs for exchange in the evenings. Once a week, a fire ceremony with chanting was on the program, and occasionally a longer session with silent meditations. A very special experience was a 5.5-hour Japa meditation. We repeated a mantra the entire time, either sitting or walking, with the help of a mala (prayer beads). We had no view to a clock and thus lost all sense of time. The chanting helped me prepare for meditation and is simply a beautiful balance to silence.

“The spiritual process requires courage, will, and trust.”

Sadhana room (for yoga practice) at Mandala Yoga Ashram, Wales

Farewell

At the end, we had a very special Kirtan evening: an artistic gathering, mainly with singing but also some poems. It was great to see how many opened up. The farewell was, of course, very difficult after such a long, intense time.

I am very glad I chose this ashram and thus returned a year later. It felt like I had never left. More on that another time.

It is important with such an endeavor to have realistic expectations. If the expectation is enlightenment or healing, one might only put unnecessary pressure on oneself. The intention should be, as the program's name suggests, to build a personal practice and simply have a good time. Of course, the experience is very individual, and each participant would probably report something different. I have not gone into detail here because it is very personal and could influence your expectations.

H. Hesse in Siddhartha: “Knowledge can be transferred, but not wisdom. We gain wisdom through experience.”

If you have any questions, feel free to write to me or comment on the post. I look forward to the exchange.

All the best, Nilda