Lens

The house in light

Dawn terrace, teak shala, banana-leaf kitchen, arati fire. Click a frame to open it.

Surya Namaskar on the terrace — Chamundi still in mistRed roofs, coconut palms, the well of the housePadmasana under the old banyanLotus pond beyond the kitchen gardenMysore-style morning in the teak shalaA senior hand on a warrior hipCopper Om, oil lamps, sittingPranayama circle as the hill wakesDusk arati — trays of fire in the courtyardCourtyard at golden hourFirst tea before speech returnsBreakfast folded into a banana leafMidday line — rice, rasam, silenceSeva among jasmine and bananaThe cell after 21:00Wood-fire kitchen before dawnThe dining hall, floor seatingCamphor and bells at the shrineCarved door to the shalaMonsoon on red tilesA student room facing palmsEmpty shala, garden wind

Groups

Shared classes — one breath

Each group has a teacher and an assistant. Bring a mat or use ours. Mixed levels with intelligent variations.

• Ashtanga Mysore

  5:15 – 7:30

  Self-paced sequence under gurukula eyes. Led, primary, intermediate.

• Hatha & alignment

  8:00 – 9:15

  Slower asana, hand detail, belts and blocks, spine work.

• Pranayama + dharana

  16:30 – 17:30

  Nadi shodhana, bhramari, quiet sitting by the shrine.

• Evening arati

  18:45

  Lamps, Om Namah Shivaya, shared namaskaram. Guests welcome.

• Saturday satsang

  19:15

  Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Sutra, questions. Tulsi tea.

• Sunday rest

  no shala

  Devaraja market, Chamundi, garden silence.

Gurukula

Individual teaching

For injury return, therapeutic sequence, or teacher preparation. An hour with a senior, not an app.

Seasons

Immersion dates 2026–27

We receive the whole world. A deposit holds the bed. Fly to Bengaluru (BLR), 3.5 h transfer.

• Winter light2–29 November 202612 places
• Deep winter4 January – 31 January 202716 places
• Pre-monsoon8 March – 4 April 202714 places
• Monsoon silence12 July – 8 August 202710 places
• Three months4 January – 28 March 20276 gurukula places

Rhythm

One day in Nilaya

The same spine every day. Photos below are from this house — not a brochure set. Sunday: no shala, market or garden silence.

1. 

   4:40

   Tulsi tea, silence, well water

   The kitchen lamp is the first light. Ginger-tulsi in steel tumblers. No talking until after asana. Cool well-water on the face, then the terrace toward Chamundi.

2. 

   5:15

   Shala — Mysore asana

   Primary and intermediate under gurukula eyes. The teak hall opens to the garden. Adjustments are quiet. Sweat, breath, the hill still dark. Led class twice a week.

3. 

   7:45

   Breakfast on banana leaf

   Idli or rice, sambar, coconut chutney, buttermilk. Seated on the floor. The leaf is folded and offered back. Tea if the body asks — not as a café.

4. 

   9:30

   Seva, study, or rest

   Watering jasmine, kitchen prep, copying a sutra, or sleep. The ashram is not a spa — the house needs hands. Beginners rest; residents take a duty.

5. 

   12:30

   Sattvic lunch

   Rice, two vegetables, rasam or sambar, pickle, curd. No onion, no garlic, no leftover night food. Then a short rest — not a screen. Phones stay in the office box.

6. 

   16:30

   Pranayama and sitting

   Nadi shodhana, bhramari, then twenty minutes of stillness by the copper Om. A mudra chosen with the teacher. This hour is the heart of the day.

7. 

   18:45

   Arati at the shrine

   Lamps, camphor, Om Namah Shivaya. The courtyard fills. Guests who wrote ahead may stand at the back. The fire is not a show — it closes the work.

8. 

   19:15

   Light supper

   Khichdi or fruit and milk. Saturday: Gita or Yoga Sutra satsang and tulsi tea. Conversation is allowed, raised voices are not.

9. 

   21:00

   Silence in the cells

   Oil lamp, mosquito net, palms at the window. Sleep is part of the practice. The gate is shut. Dawn will come again at 4:40.

Dana & keep

Plans and what is included

Euro prices, twin room, three meals, basic laundry, BLR transfer in season. Single room +180 € / week.