Ashram Lifestyle

The word Ashram can bring different images to mind. For some people, it means a place where spiritual seekers live with a Guru. For others, it may suggest meditation, simple food, early mornings, Yoga and a disciplined way of life.

The Sanskrit word āśrama has a deeper meaning. It is related to śrama, meaning effort, exertion or disciplined endeavour. In the context of spiritual life, this effort is not only physical. It is also the effort we make to understand ourselves, to refine our habits and to become more aware of the way we live.

There is another use of the word āśrama in Indian philosophy. The four āśramas describe the traditional stages of human life: Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha and Sannyasa. The word therefore has both a connection with stages of life and with places dedicated to spiritual practice. Although these are different meanings, both point towards the idea of a life lived with awareness and purpose.

What Is Ashram Life?

An ashram is not simply a place where people go to practise Yoga.

Traditionally, an ashram provides an environment in which the whole rhythm of daily life can become part of the practice. Waking, eating, working, practising, resting, studying and interacting with other people are all opportunities to develop awareness.

This is quite different from attending a Yoga class for ninety minutes and then immediately returning to the usual rhythm of life.

There is nothing wrong with a Yoga class, of course. It can be extremely valuable. But when we stay in a residential Yoga ashram or retreat centre for several days or weeks, something different becomes possible. We begin to experience what happens when the practices of Yoga are supported by a regular daily routine.

The body begins to understand when it is time to wake, eat, practise and rest. The mind gradually becomes familiar with a simpler rhythm. We may discover that some of the restlessness we normally consider unavoidable is partly created by the way we organise our lives.

Discipline Does Not Mean Rigidity

The word discipline sometimes makes people uncomfortable.

It can sound as though discipline means rules, restrictions and somebody constantly telling us what we should and should not do. Ashram discipline has a different purpose.

A daily routine creates a framework.

When the mind does not have to make hundreds of small decisions every day, there is more space to observe what is happening within us. Regular times for Yoga, meditation, meals, rest and study can gradually bring a certain steadiness to the body and mind.

This does not mean that an ashram lifestyle is meant to suppress individuality. Quite the opposite. The purpose of discipline is to help us become less controlled by our impulses and more capable of making conscious choices.

In Yoga, this is an important distinction.

Discipline is not punishment. It is a form of self care.

The Four Paths of Yoga

Many traditional ashrams place emphasis on one particular approach to Yoga, while others bring together several paths.

The four commonly discussed paths are Jnana Yoga, the path of knowledge and enquiry; Bhakti Yoga, the path of devotion; Karma Yoga, the path of selfless action; and Raja Yoga, concerned with the discipline and exploration of the mind.

These paths are not necessarily competing systems.

They can complement one another.

The teachings associated with Swami Sivananda became particularly well known for presenting Yoga through the harmonious development of what is sometimes described as Head, Heart and Hand. Jnana Yoga represents the cultivation of understanding, Bhakti Yoga the refinement of the heart through devotion, and Karma Yoga the purification of action through selfless service.

This integrated approach is particularly relevant to residential life because an ashram is not only about what happens during meditation.

How we speak to another person is part of the practice. How we respond when something does not go our way is part of the practice. How willingly we perform an ordinary task is part of the practice.

The Yoga mat is only one place where Yoga happens.

Karma Yoga and Everyday Work

One of the most distinctive aspects of ashram life is Karma Yoga.

Karma Yoga does not simply mean doing voluntary work. Its deeper principle is learning to act without being completely dominated by personal reward, recognition or expectation.

In an ashram, this can be expressed through very ordinary activities.

Cooking, cleaning, gardening, maintaining the campus, helping in the kitchen, preparing a Yoga shala or assisting another person may not appear particularly spiritual. Yet when performed with awareness and without unnecessary attachment to recognition, ordinary work can become a practice.

This is one of the reasons ashram life can be both rewarding and challenging.

It does not allow us to remain spiritual only when everything is comfortable.

The Head, Heart and Hand

A balanced life requires more than intellectual understanding.

We can read hundreds of books about Yoga and still become irritated when someone moves our favourite chair. We can understand the philosophy of non attachment and still become very attached to our breakfast.

This is where practical living becomes important.

Knowledge needs to be applied. Emotions need to be understood. Actions need to become more conscious.

The combination of Jnana, Bhakti and Karma Yoga provides a useful framework for this integration. The head, heart and hand need not be treated as separate aspects of life. They can support one another.

A person may study Yoga philosophy, practise meditation, participate in chanting and then spend an hour working in the garden. These are not necessarily four unrelated activities. Together they can become part of a more integrated way of living.

Ashram Life in a Modern World

Modern life has given us extraordinary convenience, communication and access to information. At the same time, many people find themselves constantly occupied.

There is always another message to answer, another email to read, another appointment to attend or another piece of information demanding attention.

The problem is not technology itself. The difficulty arises when we lose the ability to step away from constant stimulation.

This is where an ashram environment can be valuable.

A simple daily routine, regular Yoga practice, periods of quiet, wholesome food, time in nature and fewer unnecessary distractions can create an opportunity to observe the mind more clearly.

We may discover that the mind does not actually become quiet simply because we have gone somewhere quiet. We carry our habits, expectations and worries with us.

That discovery itself is useful.

An ashram does not magically remove our problems. It gives us a different environment in which to understand them.

The Influence of the Bihar School of Yoga

Our own understanding of residential Yoga at SWAN has been deeply influenced by the Bihar School of Yoga and the teachings of our Guru Paramahamsa Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati.

The tradition established by Swami Satyananda Saraswati drew deeply from the teachings of his Guru, Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh, while developing an integrated approach to Yoga that included asana, pranayama, meditation, Yoga Nidra, yogic kriyas, philosophy, Karma Yoga and other dimensions of practice.

The emphasis is not on practising one technique in isolation, but on understanding Yoga as a complete system for the development of the human personality.

This understanding has influenced the way we conduct residential programmes at SWAN.

Ashram Life at SWAN

SWAN is a residential Yoga and Ayurveda centre in Assagao, Goa, and our way of running the centre is inspired by the rhythm and principles of an ashram.

There is a daily routine. Participants are encouraged to follow the schedule because regularity is an important part of residential practice. The day may include Hatha Yoga, pranayama, meditation, Yoga Nidra, study, meals, rest and other activities depending on the programme.

There is also a simple expectation that people participate in the life of the centre rather than treating it simply as a hotel.

This does not mean that everyone who comes to SWAN has to become a renunciate or spend the rest of their life meditating under a tree. Most people are here for a limited period and will return to their families, professions and ordinary responsibilities.

The purpose of an ashram experience is not to escape ordinary life permanently.

It is to learn something that can be taken back into ordinary life.

A Place to Work on Ourselves

Perhaps this is the simplest way to understand ashram lifestyle. We come to an ashram not because the outside world has disappeared, but because we want to understand our relationship with it.

The discipline of daily routine can teach us steadiness. Karma Yoga can teach us about our relationship with work and recognition. Meditation can show us something about the nature of the mind. Hatha Yoga can help us become more aware of the body and breath. Living with other people can reveal aspects of ourselves that are easy to overlook when we are alone.

Sometimes the most valuable lessons come through the most ordinary parts of the day. We learn to wait, to listen and to perform a task without immediately asking what we will receive in return. We may discover that being uncomfortable does not necessarily mean that something is wrong, and that many of our habitual reactions become visible when we are living outside our familiar environment.

Gradually, we may begin to understand that Yoga is not simply something we practise for an hour each morning. It is something we are learning to bring into the way we live.

That, perhaps, is the real spirit of ashram life. It is not about perfection, nor is it about escaping from the world. It is an opportunity to make the effort to know ourselves a little better and to carry that understanding back into everyday life.