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Our Teachings

Our teachings form a living mandala of timeless wisdom and time-tested practices from the traditions of yoga, advaita, and tantra.
Our aim is to present these ancient teachings and practices in a way that retains their authenticity while also making them accessible and relevant within the context of modern life.

Authentic & Relevant

True to the spirit of the traditions of yoga, advaita and tantra, our emphasis is on practice and direct experience more than on theory and intellectual understanding.

While deeply rooted in tradition, our style of teaching, our approach, and our range of courses are uniquely our own, having crystalised out of over 35 years of experience teaching authentic spiritual practices to a modern Western audience.

Our goal is to present an integrated body of teachings that embrace and enhance the full spectrum of human experience which in turn supports the realisation of our essential nature.

Yoga

We teach yoga as an integrated system of practice and philosophy designed to help develop the physical, psychological, and spiritual aspects of our being, and ultimately awaken us to our innermost essence.

More about our yoga teachings

Advaita

Advaita, the Indian mystical-philosophical system of non-duality, is a core strand of our teachings, infusing our approach to spiritual practice with a recognition of underlying wholeness and fundamental unity.

More about our advaita teachings

Tantra

Tantra, which literally means ‘to stretch and liberate’, is a transformative system of practice and philosophy which expands the mind and liberates potential energy that can lead to spiritual awakening.

More about our tantra teachings

Yoga

The Path Of Union

For many in the West, their yoga practice consists of mainly asana (physical postures) and sometimes some pranayama (breathing practices). Whilst profound practices and essential facets of the Yogic path, these are only parts of a much deeper well of yogic practices.

Yoga is a system which evolved over thousands of years on the Indian subcontinent. It encapsulates the findings of sages and yogis as they explored human potential, the nature of the mind and our place in existence. Most importantly, yoga evolved as a practical science which can awaken us to the realisation of the very depths of our being.

One of the joys of yoga is that different paths and techniques have evolved to make the process of transformation and realisation accessible to all of us regardless of our differing temperaments and personality types – no one is excluded from the possibilities contained within yoga.

In essence, yoga as a spiritual practice offers us a pathway to the discovery and realisation of our fundamental unity with the sacred ground of existence.

This is the Yoga that you will experience here at the Ashram.

Advaita

Non-Duality

The core of advaita philosophy is radical unity, expressed in the doctrine which says that nothing that exists, or at least appears to, is separate from the one fundamental Reality. The implication of this doctrine is that all sense of individual separateness and the separateness of the things which form the world is illusory –an 'optical delusion of the mind', as Einstein aptly put it.

But Advaita is more than just philosophy. It attempts to describe the potential realisation or insight that lies dormant in all of us - that despite appearances, ‘we’ are never in fact separate from this fundamental reality – ‘we’ and this fundamental Wholeness are not two (a - not, dvaita - two).

But accepting this view intellectually and realising it at the in the very core of our being are two very different things.

Advaita is a core strand of our teachings here at the Ashram. It challenges us to question what we perceive through the 5 senses and what we have been conditioned to believe is ‘reality’. In this challenge lies the potential for the most profound healing – of our understanding of who and what we are and our place in the mystery of Life.

Tantra

The Path Of Wholeness

The system of tantra is a vast and very practical system which views the whole of existence as irreducibly sacred. It says that no part of life is to be excluded or rejected, but instead everything - absolutely everything- can be experienced as a direct expression of the underlying intelligence playing out in manifest form.

Its focus is on the skilful expansion and fulfilment of our individual capacities, as the means to developing a fundamental realisation of our essential nature and our inseparable unity with the sacred ground of all Being.

In this way, tantra does not seek to transcend the ego or the world of individuality - as yoga has traditionally done - nor label it as mere illusion - as advaita is often, mistakenly, thought to do - but rather to recognise the sacred nature of duality itself and to embrace every aspect of our lives as a potential doorway into the infinite.

In this way the ancient system of tantra goes far beyond the common association with sacred sexuality, encompassing a wide range of practices aimed at developing our full human potential while revealing our innermost essence.

The Ultimate Goal

The basic premise of all the world's great spiritual traditions is:

1. There is a fundamental Reality underlying and pervading the manifest universe that is hidden from the view of our 5 senses,

2. Our essential nature as a human being is not different from That underlying Reality,

3. We can come to fully realise our inseparable unity with It, and

4. The potential of this realisation is inherent within each and every one of us.

This premise is at the heart of yoga, advaita, and tantra, which each offer a slightly different approach to the goal of realisation.

Through our teachings we aim to support those seeking to walk the path towards this ultimate goal, providing an authentic and integrated approach suited to a 21st century context.

Residential Retreats

Our residential retreats are rare opportunities to go deep into the mysteries of yoga in an environment of great natural beauty and focused spiritual energy. Set in 25 acres of lush gardens and grounds, nestling amidst beautiful, remote hill-country in Southwest Wales, UK, the Ashram has been a hub of spiritual practice for over 35 years. During that time it has been a place of profound learning and transformation for thousands of people from all walks of life. We currently offer fully residential retreat courses of between 2 and 10 days in length, as well as longer sadhana courses combining multiple residential retreats with guided home-study.

Explore our residential retreats

Other Online Offerings

Mandala Yoga Ashram Online Satsang

Online Satsang

Join Swami Nishchalananda on Zoom for one-hour satsang sessions. These free sessions usually take place twice per month. Register below to receive invites.

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Mandala Yoga Ashram Online Community

Ashram Sangha

The Ashram Sangha is our new online hub, a space for us to support all those who feel a connection with the Ashram, its teachings, and its vibrant yoga community.

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Mandala Yoga Ashram Online Shop

Online Courses

We offer two kinds of online course: live courses broadcast via Zoom, and self-study courses provided through our own online portal.

Browse our online courses

Our Founder

Mandala Yoga Ashram was founded in 1986 by Swami Nishchalananda on his return from India after spending 14 years with his Guru, Swami Satyananda, studying all aspects of yoga and imbibing the true essence of this ancient tradition. Swami Nishchalanda ('Swamiji') is recognised as a genuine Yoga Acharya - a Master of Yoga.
More about Swamiji

Charitable Status

The Ashram is a registered charity whose mission is to uplift humanity through the teachings of yoga, advaita and tantra. As an independent institution not affiliated to any set of religious beliefs, the purpose of the Ashram is simply to help people to remember their own sacredness and the sacredness of all that exists.
Registered Charity No. 1195209
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Our Address

Mandala Yoga Ashram
Pantypistyll, Llansadwrn, Llanwrda,
Carmarthenshire,
Wales, UK, 
SA19 8NR
Tel: +44 (0)1558 685358
Email: [email protected]
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