About Us

Our Name

Shiva, a prominent Hindu god, is also known as “Adiyogi”, meaning “first yogi”. Shiva’s first disciple was Parvati, his wife, who also manifests as the fierce warrior goddess Durga.

Shankara is also a name for Shiva. At Shankara Yoga Ashram, we consider ourselves to ultimately be disciples of Shiva, just like Parvati.

So, we chose a name that both recognizes the lineage started by Shiva as well as Parvati’s fierce goddess manifestation as Durga who combats the evil forces that threaten peace in the world.

"Spreading Peace & Happiness Through Yoga"

Our Story

Ananda Yogi was always inclined towards living a spiritual life since childhood. He was seeking a meaningful connection with something bigger than himself and was attracted towards divine, sacred activities and ideas.

At an age of just 20 years, he left his home and stared his journey to the Himalayas. He knew that he would find the meaning of his existence in the Himalayas because the Himalayas have been a home to Yogis for centuries. The serenity, natural beauty and peace that the Himalayas offer acts as a driving force for Yogis to find the meaning of life. The Himalayas allows one to connect with nature and their inner self by providing ideal places for meditation and focus.

On his journey in the Himalayas, Ananda Yogi was looking for a Guru who won't say that he believes in God; but says that he can help anyone discover God. He was looking for a Siddh Guru who would help him explore his inner self and find the meaning in his existence. Ananda Yogi met a lot of Gurus on his journey and learnt everything that they could teach, but still he knew he had not found the Guru and knowledge he was looking for. He kept moving upwards in the Himalayas, making his way through harsh terrain and unforgiving weather conditions.

When Ananda Yogi reached one of the most isolated and serene areas of the Himalayas, he met the Siddh Guru he was looking for. On hearing his story, the Siddh Guru admired his curiosity and will to gain knowlege. The Siddh Guru decided to teach Ananda Yogi everything he had learnt and hoped that he would be able to quench Rishi Yogi's search for the knowledge he was looking for. The Siddh Guru and Ananda Yogi stayed in a cave deep in the Himalayas and they meditated for 50 years; trying to find the meaning of life. They survived on whatever little food nature could offer and kept their focus on gaining the knowledge buried deep within oneself.

Ananda Yogi attained Moksha with the knowledge that Siddh Guru imparted. The disciples of Ananda Yogi's disciples established a Yoga Ashram in the Himalayas and offered that Yoga Ashram as a piece of "Guru Dakshina". Yogis used to teach Yoga and imparted knowledge of how to find inner self in the Yoga Ashram.
Yogis say that you should share whatever little you have. If you have love, spread love; if you have knowledge, spread knowledge; if you know Yoga, spread Yoga. You should share without expecting any benefits in return because if you do that, the divine God will always look upon you and you will gain more of what you share.

"Calm Your Nerves & Mind Through Yoga."

Our Ashram

According to Indian tradition, an ashram is a place for practicing sadhana or spiritual practice. Ashrams are the primary institution for Hinduism and many spiritual practitioners go to live there. Parents also often send their children to ashrams to get religious education. Many people also live in an ashram to escape the stressors of daily life.

Although an ashram is made up of buildings, it is so much more than that. The primary purpose of an ashram is to provide spiritual aspirants a place to complete their spiritual practice without the worries of the outside world. It allows people to focus all of their energy into their internal spiritual practices. Additionally, an ashram is a community of like-minded people who can support each other to continue on their spiritual path.

When living in an ashram you can automatically feel a difference in your energy because it is a place where people go to practice meditation and tapasya, or advanced spiritual practices. The ashram is the traditional place for learning yoga, and in line with our commitment to following tradition, we felt that an ashram would be the best place for people to both learn and live yoga. However, coming to an ashram does not mean you will automatically become a yogi and many people come to our ashram just to enjoy the beautiful surrounding nature and find some temporary peace.

So come to our ashram and get the real traditional experience of learning yoga in India surrounded by the beautiful nature of the Himalayan Mountains.