Yoga Retreat in Rishikesh, India
An Immersion into the Heart of Yoga
January 19 - 26, 2026
with Saraswati Clere & Carlos Pomeda
Step out of the momentum of daily life and enter a place where the yogic journey has been nurtured for millennia. Nestled at the foot of the Himalayas, along the crystalline waters of the sacred Ganges, Rishikesh has long been a valley of seekers—a sanctuary where countless practitioners have devoted their lives to sadhana, contemplation, and awakening. It is here, in this potent cradle of practice, that we gather for a week-long retreat designed to help you reconnect with the healing power of yoga in its purest and most transformative form.
This immersion is crafted for dedicated students, teachers, and spiritual seekers longing for depth, clarity, and renewal. Held at a peaceful yoga center just north of Rishikesh, surrounded by lush forest and sweeping Himalayan vistas, the retreat offers a supportive environment where practice becomes effortless, inquiry becomes natural, and inner shifts arise with grace.
Each of your guides—Saraswati and Carlos—brings decades of teaching, leadership and scholarship. Together they create a spacious, grounded, and insightful experience that honors the full breadth of the yogic path: embodiment, breath, meditation, subtle anatomy, philosophy, and awakened awareness.
Why This Retreat Is Unique
Our shared intention is to offer a deeply supportive environment where you can experience yoga not merely as a set of techniques, but as a living path of healing, wholeness, and awakening. Practicing in a place where thousands of yogis and sages have walked before you invites a profound inner opening—there is a sense of stepping into a current of timeless wisdom that naturally carries you inward. The atmosphere becomes an active participant in your journey: the quiet presence of the river steadying your breath, the mountains reminding you of your own inner strength, and the sacred land itself gently softening the layers that keep you from your deepest truth.
Here, practice is not confined to the mat. It weaves through your days—into the way you breathe, listen, rest, and relate. The simplicity of life at Anand Lok helps untangle the distractions of daily living so your innate clarity and intuition can rise to the surface. Your nervous system unwinds, your senses refine, and your heart becomes more receptive to insight and inspiration.
This is more than a retreat. It is an invitation to deepen your devotion, reconnect with your purpose, and immerse yourself in the subtle power that lives at the heart of yoga. In this sacred setting, supported by community, nature, and ancient teachings, you touch a level of stillness and presence that continues to guide you long after you return home.
Your Daily Journey
Hatha Yoga & Pranayama with Saraswati Clere
Morning and afternoon practices rooted in classical hatha yoga, woven with pranayama, restorative relaxation, and functional alignment. Saraswati guides you into a steady, embodied relationship with breath, movement, and inner presence—cultivating vitality, stability, and a grounded sense of calm.
Spanda Kārikās Immersion with Carlos Pomeda (Online Daily Sessions)
Carlos leads a transformative study of the Spanda Kārikās, offering practical insight into the pulsation of consciousness—the subtle rhythm that animates body, mind, and heart. Through guided contemplation and accessible teachings, you’ll explore:
• How energy moves through thoughts, emotions & perception
• Doorways into the infinite woven into daily experience
• Aligning with the deeper rhythm behind challenge & change
• Transforming patterns by engaging their underlying energy
• The “still point” within movement—the fullness of the Self
Carlos brings rare clarity, warmth, and depth, making ancient wisdom immediately relevant and alive.
What You’ll Experience
• Daily asana, pranayama, and meditative practices
• Guided Yoga Nidra and somatic-based meditations for clarity and inner regulation
• Yogic philosophy, subtle-body teachings, and meaningful discussion
• Study of ancient texts through modern, embodied understanding
• Journaling, contemplation, and group sharing
• Time for rest, integration, and quiet riverside reflection
• Excursions to sacred sites in the Rishikesh area
• A supportive community that honors your inner journey
This retreat is ideal for practitioners seeking a deeper, more holistic experience of yoga—beyond posture, beyond theory, and into direct insight.
The Retreat Center
The retreat center is a sanctuary of stillness and beauty, nestled along the sacred banks of the Ganges River and embraced by the gentle rise of the Himalayan foothills. From the moment you arrive, there is a palpable sense of spaciousness—an invitation to exhale deeply, slow down, and reconnect with what matters most. The land itself feels blessed: quiet forest pathways wind through the property, birdsong echoes through the early mornings, and the river’s steady flow becomes a constant reminder of presence and renewal.
The center sits on a working organic farm where nearly all of the food is lovingly grown on-site. Fresh vegetables, herbs, and grains are harvested directly from the earth and prepared into nourishing vegetarian meals that support clarity, vitality, and lightness of being. Every meal feels like an offering from the land—simple, wholesome, and deeply satisfying.
Comfortable single and double cottages are spaced throughout the property to preserve privacy and quietude. Many offer stunning river views or glimpses of the surrounding mountains, allowing nature’s rhythm to gently guide your days. From each cottage, it’s only a short walk to the yoga shala and meditation spaces, where the warm Himalayan light fills the rooms and practice unfolds naturally.
This is a place where time slows down. Where the mind settles, the body softens, and the heart remembers its innate peace. The retreat center is a refuge for deep spiritual immersion, a home for inner transformation, and a reminder of the profound grace that arises when we live close to nature, simplicity, and our own true essence.
Schedule Overview
Monday: Arrival, check-in, gentle yoga practice, dinner
Tuesday–Sunday:
• Morning hatha yoga & pranayama
• Daily study sessions with Carlos
• Afternoon practice, meditation, or Yoga Nidra
• Excursions to sacred sites (scheduled between sessions)
Monday: Early practice, breakfast, departure
Pricing
All prices include lodging, vegetarian meals, and all retreat sessions.
Double room:
• $1550 per person before Dec 5
• $1750 after Dec 5
Private room:
• $1950 before Dec 5
• $2150 after Dec 5
If you’re traveling with a friend, let us know—we’ll do our best to place you together.
Meet Your Teachers
Saraswati Clere, ERYT-500
Saraswati is a San Francisco Bay Area–based yoga teacher, award-winning filmmaker, and founder of Yoga Kula. With more than two decades of teaching experience, she offers an approach to hatha yoga that is both deeply embodied and refreshingly accessible. Her teaching integrates functional alignment, mindful movement, and breath-centered awareness, supporting students in cultivating vitality, clarity, and inner steadiness. Saraswati’s dedication to the yogic path, her years of training, and her commitment to authentic practice infuse her classes with warmth, intelligence, and heart. www.yogakula.com
Carlos Pomeda
Carlos brings more than 40 years of devoted study, practice, and teaching in the yoga tradition. Trained as a monk in the Saraswati order for 18 years, he immersed himself in the deep study of Indian philosophy and yogic practice. He holds master’s degrees in Sanskrit from the University of California, Berkeley, and in Religious Studies from UC Santa Barbara. Known for his ability to make profound teachings clear, engaging, and immediately applicable, Carlos draws on both his scholarly mastery and his lived experience of the tradition. His teachings illuminate the heart of yoga with precision, humor, and a rare depth of understanding.
Website: www.pomeda.com
A Return to the Source
To practice yoga in Rishikesh is to step into a living stream of wisdom that has flowed for centuries. This retreat is an invitation to reconnect with the essence of your practice, to listen deeply, and to rediscover the quiet fullness of your own being.
We welcome you to join us on this extraordinary journey into the heart of yoga—and into the heart of yourself.
Travel: Our recommendations.
We recommend that you arrive in India a few days earlier to rest and recover from jetlag.
You can fly to Delhi. (approx $850 from SFO)
We recommend you stay in a hotel in Delhi, (comfortable hotels by the airport).
Then fly to Dehradun. (approx $50 from Delhi) 45 mins
We will coordinate with everyone to organize similar arrival times so we can help organize transport to the retreat center. Airfare and transport from the airport is not included in the package price. We are happy to talk about other travel ideas if you wish to travel in India before or after the Retreat. During the retreat we will stay together as a group as we immerse ourselves in the practices.
Visa: You will need a valid passport and, depending on your country of origin, a Visa to travel to India. All US citizens do need a Visa to enter India at this time. It is very easy to get an online visa. It takes approximately 7 days. $25 for 30 days or $40 1 year e-visa (ask us for the steps) https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/
Booking, payment options, cancelation policy
To reserve your spot, please email us info@yogakula.com
Deposit per person: $500 paid upon registration will secure your space.
Payment options: Paypal, Venmo, or Credit Card
Cancelation policy:
Full refund until December 5, 2025
No refunds of any kind after December 5, 2025.
In the unlikely event of us canceling the retreat, we will provide a full refund, including deposit.
We look forward to welcoming you to Rishikesh
