Your home in the Himalayas
Vrikshalaya translates to “a sanctuary of trees” – a beautiful nature-held space in the Himalayas where you can find peace and quiet. Over the years, Vrikshalaya has become a second home for those who wish to commit focused time and energy to developing their own practice for increased Inner Resilience.
Vrikshalaya is not a religious ashram, nor a hotel, nor a spa centre. There are no dogmas, dress codes, or fixed methods here. Our only motto is that “Noone is free until we are all free” – we welcome BIPOC, Q-POC, LGBTQ+ disabled, etc. and aim to make this a safe space for those who care deeply about social and climate justice issues and who are genuinely keen to deepen their connection with themselves through their own regular practice.
We have only three guest rooms, and a dedicated yet relaxed schedule. Each person receives guidance – and space – as needed. Group practice circles are held once or twice a day with our resident mentor; ecologist and yoga and meditation practioner, Ajay Rastogi. Thre is space to camp and you can also stay with homestays to immerse yourself in village life.
The schedule depends on your needs and on the retreat flow, with no requirement to share. The emphasis remains on direct experience, personalised practice, and the steady unfolding of one’s own path. Most visitors come to practice meditation, nature immersion, yoga, Tai Chi, or just to find space to read, or explore their own creative practices such as writing, dance or painting. Local cultural gatherings, music circles, and traditions bring community and warmth.
Teachers often come with their own small groups for extended residential retreats. We have an additional fourth room beside the Yoga Hall for teachers. Many of our retreat offerings have emerged through co-creation with guests and our in-residence mentor and ecologist Ajay Rastogi, and this spirit of mutual learning continues to guide our work.
At Vrikshalaya, we believe that an ounce of practice is worth tons of theory. Peace and quiet is our primary teacher, and the natural rhythm of the Himalayan countryside supports this learning in a profound yet simple way. This is not a place for partying or loud music!
For more than twenty-five years, The Vrikshalaya Centre has followed the principle of “small is beautiful.” We maintain Sattvik (Ayurvedic) vegetarian food practices, grow our own seasonal vegetables, source organic grains, and keep one happy cow for our own milk supply.
Your guide and practitioner-in-residence; Ajay Rastogi
See more in About Us.
Rest is resilience
While there is no denying the value of learning from a teacher, Ajay feels that insight and transformation come most naturally during self-driven solo, silent or quiet retreats. Rest is also resilience, and having time to explore one’s own personal form of practice has a more transformative effect.
In this way, Ajay’s guides his guests to weave together different accessible practices that they can sustain over time. This is precisely the reason why these retreats and residencies are tailormade. Everyone has different needs when exploring the potential of direct experience.
Ajay leads by example. His personal lifestyle enables lay and secular practitioners to follow a middle path of simple yet comfortable life with decently furnished room to stay, neat and fairly modern attached toilet & bath. There is sufficient privacy between one room to another, access to common outdoors with sufficient spaces to be on one’s own.
At the Vrikshalaya we offer:
Solo retreats
Silent retreats
Wilderness & Wellbeing retreats
Healthy Group retreats
Yoga & Nature Retreats
Nature Contemplation Retreats & Sessions
Walking journeys
Resilient Leadership Courses
Solo Retreats
A solo retreat is where you have space to to rest, reflect, and reconnect with yourself. You get distance from the hustle and bustle of your life where is can be hard to hear your own thoughts.
People come on solo retreats for many reasons. A solo retreat gives you uninterrupted space to reflect on your life direction and decisions, to live healthily, with deep restful sleep, and healthy food, to process emotions or recent events, to have a digital detox, or simply to reconnect with yourself and your personal values and goals.
For creative people solo retreats are great opportunities to spark creativity and insight. Writers, artists, and spiritual seekers use solo or group retreats to meditate, journal or create freely, and tap into inspiration they find from the place.
Solo retreats can be powerful for reconnecting with your inner peace. Being away from your life also builds trust in yourself. You can make decisions without external validation, enjoy your own company and feel more grounded.
Solo retreats are tailored to individual needs and Ajay can lead trips to the forests, mountains, or near water to simply walk, sit and meditate, or practice yoga: Nature calms the mind and body and helps us remember what really matters.
Silent Retreats
Silent retreats are periods of time spent in intentional silence, and this can be done alone or together as a couple of in a group. Some people need to be online to work, and silence helps them to focus but also to rest. A full silent retreat means taking a vow of silence for a period of time; you write instead of speaking. Your meals can even be delivered. This practice is fairly common in monastic orders where work routines are set and responsibilities are clear.
A silent retreat can include:
Noble silence – a set time to refrain from speaking, writing, using devices, or even making eye contact
Meditation – often guided or self-practice (e.g., Vipassana, mindfulness, contemplative prayer)
Nature immersion – walking or sitting quietly outdoors
Simple living – simple vegetarian meals, avoiding digital entertainment
Structured schedule – set periods of sitting and walking meditation, rest, and meals
Spiritual (monastic or religious) – rooted in meditation, prayer, or devotion
Mindfulness or Vipassana – focus on practice, with an observation of breath, sensations, thoughts
Nature or eco-retreats – silence combined with environmental awareness and reflection
Personal solo retreats – self-guided periods of silence and reflection, artists’ and writers’ residencies.
Wilderness and Wellbeing Retreats
Nature is our one true home and in it we find oneness and a sense of connection. Nature is not external but integral to all of us; we are all children of nature, no exceptions. Touching this truth is an important practice at Vrikshalaya. Our Wilderness and Wellbeing retreat is an attempt to share our collective understanding, kinship and urgent need to reconnect and restore our relationship with nature.
The program is designed with three core elements
– Reconnecting with nature through contemplative exercises, silent playfulness and forest meditations
– Wellbeing practices and its relationship with wilderness. Yoga and nature
– Learning about landscape and its importance in nourishment. Agriculture, food and communities.
Our goal is to come together to share our love, respect and understanding of nature, its role in our collective wellbeing and ways towards it.
See PDF: Example of a Wilderness and Wellbeing retreat schedule.
Healthy Group Retreats
This concept is a borrowing from Swami Vishnu Devananda’s idea of a Yoga Vacation. Yoga, nature walks, hikes, contemplation of nature, solo time, guided silence are incorporated in the plan for this group depending on the duration of stay and inclination of all the members of the group.
There is all the flexibility for the group to design the stay; within some of these parameters.
– No alcohol and only vegetarian food.
– Last minute menu change is sometimes difficult to provide; happy to discuss a day ahead.
– The meal timings are fixed as per the circadian rhythm i.e. sunlight hours.
– The kitchen will be closed after one hour of sunset.
– Shared meals and chai time to meet and share plans with Ajay
– Schedule decided in advance as there are costs involved; Additional costs can be incurred on day trips and other activities, so these should be booked prior to the arrival of the group.
– Planning in advance for camping equipment, etc.
Yoga and Nature Retreats
The ancient systems of wellbeing that evolved over gradual phases of time and social change are more relevant today than ever before and Yoga as a practice and philosophy is one which has found resonance with people from all parts of the globe and all walks of life. In these sessions we will explore the core elements of Yoga that enable us to find collective wellbeing through such structured systems as also their interconnectedness to nature and how that learning has been manifested in certain practices which now need an urgent reconnection with nature.
– Asana session to activate the body every day followed by simple pranayama and meditation
– Discourse and discussion on Yoga philosophy and its role in holistic wellbeing
Nature Contemplation Retreats & Sessions
Many of us are deeply concerned about loss—both in the natural world around us and within our own inner landscape. We long to see a profound shift in society toward more nourishing and compassionate ways of living. But true transformation begins within. To change the world, we must first heal ourselves: addressing our traumas, managing stress, and learning how to actively support the healing of nature and others.
On this retreat, Ajay will guide you in reconnecting with the natural world and experiencing the profound truth of interconnectedness. You will observe the rhythms and practices of village life, witnessing dignity in simplicity and sustainable living. Together, we will explore the concept of inner resilience—what it means, why it’s essential, and the unique challenges modern life presents.
You will learn to connect with the five elements—Earth, Water, Air, Fire, and Space—and use them as living reminders that we are part of an intricate, beautiful web of life. Through specific nature-based contemplative practices, you’ll deepen your inner resilience and gain tools to navigate life’s challenges with greater ease and strength.
The retreat will also explore the vital role of food in both planetary and personal wellbeing. This includes understanding the connections between land, water, air, and how they influence our internal and external landscapes. Sessions will cover topics such as biocultural heritage, the relationship between ecology, culture, food, diversity, and nutrition, as well as the importance of traditional seeds and community seed banks.
You will have the opportunity to witness firsthand how local communities live in harmony with their environment, gaining insight into sustainable practices and the celebration of life’s diversity.
Walking Journeys
Day hikes and camping treks in and around Majkhali can be organised for any of the stays and visitors staying nearby. We are working with dedicated local young professionals who help to lead and curate this experience for you. We can give some examples of hikes and treks upon request. Its available to anyone irrespective of whether they are living in Vrikshalaya or not, and of all hiking levels. This platform provides work opportunities for very motivated trained local youth and we are very popular with our visitors. Please write to us for more information. Tell us how many people, what experience and physical ability, and other needs including dietary needs.
Resilient Leadership Course & Homestay
We offer a residential experiential program in Resilient Leadership that has been designed to foster Critical Awareness and provide opportunities for Edgework; new experiences of place-based learning.
We are proud that our Schools & University Programme started in 2011 and has been taken by many groups of students including Princeton University, Pittsburgh University, Western State Colorado University, NOLS, Where There be Dragons, Lakeside, and Menlo School. Most of our partners send students every year. The students’ attendence gains credits for their courses. Each group is no larger than 25 students at a time.
Critical Awareness is an educational theory that builds a holistic view of awareness based on social, emotive, psyche, spiritual, intellectual, somatic and environmental learning. Edgework involves experiences out of one’s comfort zone. Edgework is easier when students leave their usual environment and experience place-based learning.
Our course offers physical, experiential and contemplative ways of learning 3 principles of resilience; the Dignity of Physical Work, Interdependence in society, and Inter connectedness with nature.
These principles form the undercurrent for an experiential programme based on learning the 5 Community Framework, an established, systemic approach to Environmental Leadership.
Download PDF: RESILIENT LEADERSHIP_gd
The Residential courses are run out of the village home-stays, hosted by 8 families in Majkhali village. The women of these families have created an association and self-help group.
Through experience of traditional life in a sustenance community, our visitors learn collaboration, co-creation, mindfulness, communication, and resourcefulness.
Resilient Thinking can be used in organisations to consider the impact of all activities in an integrated way to result in sustainable outcomes and avoid ‘trade-offs.’ We also believe that Deep Ecology helps visitors change their thinking about their relationship to the planet.
Together with an introduction to the village bio-cultural management and everyday life, we teach a simple 3-step mindfulness meditation technique connected to focussing on Nature. Mindfulness is proven to have significant benefits on our psychological, mental and cognitive well-being.
We believe that the experience of Resilient Thinking and The Contemplation of Nature are powerful tools for transformation.
Please download our tariff list here: VRIKSHALAYA_COSTS