Reserve your place
Hold your room at Sharanam.
Some journeys you take once. This is not one of them. In more than two hundred retreats over twenty-five years, I have learned that not a single one repeats itself — each opens a different gateway, teaches a different lesson, and gives back a different kind of joy. Sharanam is the next of these, and it is waiting for you.
For seven days, from 29 November to 5 December, a small circle of likeminded souls will gather in the first snow of the Dhauladhar Himalaya — to move, to breathe, to sit in silence, and to rest deeply. I will guide every session myself, from the first sunrise practice to the closing blessing, and everything is taken care of: six nights, all meals, every experience, all-inclusive from AED 6,250. You need only bring yourself.
Limited places, held on a first-come basis. Come and build your refuge.
Twenty places only, held on a first-come basis. Share a few details and our Dubai team will be in touch personally to confirm your room and answer anything you need.
- 29 November – 5 December 2026 · Dharamshala, India
- From AED 6,250 per person · all-inclusive
- A short flight from Dubai to the Himalaya
- Every session led by Sumit Manav
Moments from Our Retreats
Real faces, real stillness — a glimpse of the journeys that came before yours.
The meaning of the name
A dharamshala is a shelter — the rest-house where a pilgrim pauses on a long road. Sharanam is that same word for refuge, spoken in the Himalaya where it has always belonged.
For seven days you will not travel to a place of rest. A short flight from Dubai, yet a world away, you will learn to build one within — a refuge you carry home long after the snow has melted from the Dhauladhar. This is the quiet turning-inward the yogis call pratyahara, taught the way late autumn teaches it: as the light shortens and the mountains withdraw into stillness.
A rare convergence you can only meet here, in early December.
i.
The season turns inward
The year folds into winter. The peaks withdraw under their first snow and nature itself enters pratyahara. The landscape is doing the practice with you — there is no better moment to learn to rest.
ii.
Classical Himalayan yoga
Sunrise sadhana, pranayama, deep meditation and yoga nidra, drawn from the classical Himalayan lineage and woven around Patanjali’s eight limbs — taught by Sumit Manav in the mountains the practice came from.
iii.
The Buddhist heart of Dharamshala
A full day among the monasteries of McLeod Ganj — the Tsuglagkhang complex, Namgyal Monastery and Norbulingka — with the chance to sit in living Tibetan meditation. Two paths to stillness, one valley.
Sumit Manav
Founder- 25 years of teaching
For twenty-five years, Sumit has taught in the classical Himalayan lineage — guiding practitioners from first breath to teacher, across Dubai, the UK and the mountains of India. His teaching blends classical yoga, Ayurveda and modern understanding of the nervous system into something both deeply traditional and quietly practical.
At Sharanam he teaches every session himself: each sunrise practice, every pranayama and meditation, the opening and closing ceremonies. A small group, one guide, the whole arc held by a single steady hand — the way a retreat is meant to be.
— Sumit Manav
A path that descends gently inward.
Each day balances practice, exploration and deep rest — moving outward into the mountains and the monasteries, then home again to stillness. Mornings open on the breath; evenings close in silence.
This Itinerary just sample and program and class subject to change.
Arrive · Exhale · Begin
Grounding & the Opening of the Refuge
Strength · Devotion · Nature
Sunrise Sadhana & the Sacred Hike
Expand outward · Return inward
The Buddhist Heart — Dharamshala & McLeod Ganj
Step beyond comfort
Courage & the Open Sky — Bir Billing
Cleanse · Soften · Receive
The Water Element & the Fire by Night
Integration · Completion
Gathering the Refuge Within
Carry the practice home
The Closing Blessing
Rakkh Resort, Dharamshala — in the lap of the Dhauladhar.
A serene mountain resort wrapped in pine forest and terraced fields in the Kangra Valley, a short journey from Dharamshala. Quiet, warm, and built to disappear into the landscape — exactly the kind of shelter the week is named for.
What's included in your retreat.
Not included
- International & domestic flights to Kangra (DHM)
- Lunch at a local restaurant on the excursion day
- Travel insurance (required for all guests)
- Indian visa, where applicable
- Optional spa treatments
- Personal expenses, gratuities & anything of a personal nature
Retreat investment
One price. Everything inside.
All meals, all teaching, all experiences and your transfers — held together for a single, intimate group of no more than twenty. Reserve early to secure the early-bird rate.
Early Bird
Single Occupancy
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Six nights at Rakkh Resort
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All meals, sessions & excursions
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Airport transfers included
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Complete privacy & quiet to retreat fully
Early Bird
Shared · double occupancy
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Six nights at Rakkh Resort
-
All meals, sessions & excursions
-
Airport transfers included
-
Complete privacy & quiet to retreat fully
Everyone — whether you have practised for years or are only beginning. Every session is taught so it can be softened or deepened to meet you, and the experiences (hikes, paragliding, biking) are all optional in intensity. What matters is a willingness to slow down. It’s especially loved by guests from the UK and Dubai looking for genuine rest and depth, but open to practitioners from anywhere.
The nearest airport is Kangra Airport (Gaggal · code DHM), around 45 minutes from Rakkh Resort, with return transfers included in your price. Most international guests fly into Delhi (DEL) and connect on a short domestic flight to Kangra. Once you book, we’ll send full guidance on the best routes and arrival timings for the first day.
Late autumn turning to winter in the Dhauladhar: crisp, clear days and cold mornings and nights, with a real chance of the first snow dusting the high peaks. Pack warm layers, a good jacket, comfortable walking shoes, and something for the natural spring pools. It is part of the magic of this season — the mountains at their most still.
Yes. The shared rate (from AED4825 per person early bird) is for a twin/double room, If you’d prefer your own space to retreat fully, the single-occupancy rate (from AED6250 early bird) gives you a private room throughout.
On the Dharamshala day you’ll visit the Tsuglagkhang complex, Namgyal Monastery and the Norbulingka Institute, with the opportunity to sit quietly in the living rhythm of Tibetan practice. The exact form depends on the monasteries’ own schedules on the day, but the intention is always to experience this tradition with respect, as guests — a beautiful counterpoint to the yogic stillness of the mornings.
Mornings open early with practice and breath as the sun rises over the range. Days move outward into the mountains, the monasteries or the water. Evenings return home to the resort for restorative practice, meditation or sound, a sattvic dinner, and quiet. Spacious, never rushed — with real rest built into every day.
Use any “Reserve” button or the enquiry below to get in touch. A deposit holds your room, and our team will confirm the balance schedule and answer anything else. With only twenty places, rooms are held on a first-come basis — so the sooner you reach out, the better your choice of room.
