Swami Samarpan Ashram — Attraction in Uttarakhand

Course (Content, Organization, Teachers): On the first day of the course Swami Samarpan was not in the Ashram. He came a few days later. There was no real opening/ Introduction for the course. We were only asked to be in the Yogashala at 7am. No one told us about the way the weeks would be scheduled. Between teachers even very unclear what happens when. We were given three very helpful books to study and a manual which no one ever referred to (even Swami S. said he wouldn’t use it). There was no clear syllabus, or if there was we were not aware of it. Same content of lessons was presented by three different teachers - no gain. Only repetition. Some taught things different than others which resulted in confusion. Scheduled lessons changed every couple of days. As did many of the teachers (ended up with four different asana-teachers, two for philosophy, two for pranayama and also two for anatomy). Some teachers were very good, others very inexperienced or with only little knowledge of the English language. Around ten lessons (theory and practice) did not happen bc no teacher came (whatever the reasons were). Some lessons were more or less substituted. Samarpan arranged a substitute asana teacher with little teaching experience, who wasn’t to his liking (as he mentioned after three classes). A week later he asked the same teacher to come to teach again. In the last week we had three hrs Asanas in a row. Too much. Just because there was no real structure/ no working schedule.

Karma yoga was expected every day (as part of the 200hrs) but explained only after a few days into the course (doing chores like cleaning, chopping wood, garden work etc. for at least one hour daily).

What we learned: about Tantra in general, the chakras, relation to anatomy, parts of the Patanjali-Sutras. Most of the input was coming through self study of reading related books.

What we did not learn: Shatkarmas (took part in two shatkarmas but no explanation of any of them), Kriyas, Meditation-techniques (took part in Yoga Nidra twice, without explanation), Bandhas, Mudras. No didactic input. No info or training on how to teach. Most things we have just taken part, no introduction or real explanation, far from being able to teach others esp. Newbies. In the last week we were asked to teach lessons five mins before the start of the lesson.

All in all a very unorganized course. And I am certain that we have not actually gathered experience of 200 hours teacher training.

Ashram (Location, Facilities, Staff, Food & Swami Samarpan): Nice setting up the hills north of the touristy areas of Rishikesh’s Laxman Jula. Many different birds, innumerable Banana-trees. Quiet during the day and at night, not much traffic, a small stream nearby, all in all a good location for study and meditation. But don’t expect too much comfort, since it is “not a hotel” (as Swami Samarpan highlights as often as possible).

For the first few days Swami Samarpan was not present. When he then was, he did not take time for the students to welcome them or introduce himself. Interactions only happened when one “caught him” on his way from or to the Ashram. After four days into the TTC he went silent for three months, which made interaction even more difficult. He interrupts almost every lesson (for various reasons such as “supervision” (although there are cameras in almost every room in the Ashram), lighting incense, putting the teachers on a “hot seat”, giving them orders, or doing other things that disturb the lessons).

Swami S. asked another guest in the Ashram to explicitly write a positive online review under his surveillance. He already typed in the “five stars” and also gave some notes to positively mention. Which reflects how interested he is in the actual opinion of the guests of his Ashram. It does not feel as if you are a guest, but rather „just there“ and not of importance. The general feeling towards the guests (by Swami) was not very welcoming (others were more interested, open). In the future I will look for a setting which transports a more...

I stayed at Swami Samarpan Ashram for 25 days in June during a 200hr Vedanta YTT.

Given the many positive reviews and the description on the website I believed I would come to an authentic yoga school and ashram - but my experience was, sadly, very different and as it turned out, I was not the only one but people are afraid to leave negative reviews. I strongly recommend that anyone considering a stay or training here visit first before paying in advance.

Location: 1/5 The ashram is in upper Tapovan, right next to the main, busy street (bedrooms are 2 meters away from street). Traffic noise (honking, loud music, shouting) was constant - day and night. During my stay, there was also major construction on-site with rock drilling from 9am to 5pm. This, combined with neighborhood construction, made it far from the serene, meditative place I expected.

Food & Staff: 4/5 Bhavana-ji, the cook, prepared delicious sattvic meals, and the helpers were kind and caring 🤍. I just wished for more fresh fruits and salad.

Facilities & Cleanliness: 3.5/5 It’s a basic ashram setup. My room was simple but comfortable. However, hygiene around the sink and water filter could be improved.

YTT Program: 1/5 The training lacked depth, structure, and quality. As a certified teacher and long-term practitioner, I found it poorly organized with unqualified teachers for key subjects like Asana and Philosophy. It doesn’t meet Yoga Alliance standards and will not prepare anyone to teach confidently.

Atmosphere: 1/5 Last but not least Swamijis behaviour towards us students and his staff raised serious doubts about his real intentions and character. While he has profound spiritual knowledge, he seemed more focused on money than his students. Conversations often included money and self-praise (“I’m an enlightened master”) while speaking poorly about other schools, cultures and religions. He was often stressed or unavailable, and the environment was not open for genuine learning or questions.

Lucky are those who got to meet him on different terms in the past🙏🏼. He seemed to be entangled by ‘worldly’ duties which he unfortunately doesn’t manage well. But running YTTs brings money, so he can finance his costly, annual international travels and finally, after over 20 years starts building a second building on the premises. Think about it… 🙈

There were also inappropriate incidents, like unannounced construction in my room with workers entering without notice while my belongings were there including my underwear hung up to dry (lol 😅) - unacceptable by any standard.

While I’m grateful for the personal growth that came from this experience and the wonderful people I met 🫶, I wouldn’t recommend this ashram for YTT or spiritual retreat. There are more peaceful and professionally run schools or Ashrams in Rishikesh. I wish I had known that before committing.

Om, Shanti,...

The 200h Kundalini YTTC and Tantra Kriya course were absolutely transformative for me. I stayed for 21 days with Swamiji Samarpan in the most authentic, real, and calm ashram. The ashram is located on the upper hill of Tapovan in Rishikesh, surrounded by serene nature, a stream, and a beautiful temple on the property. Yet, you have one of the best bakeries, cafés, and shops within a 5-10 minute walking distance. You can walk to the city center or Ganga Ma in 15-25 minutes.

Everything is very clean, and the food is a very healthy and tasty vegetarian/vegan diet. Harish provides a devotional Arati in the morning at the temple and in the evening at the Shiva Lingam temple.

Staying here is not meant to be pure luxury or a holiday. You have clean rooms with comfortable beds, but only the basics—bed, chair, table, and curtains. The bathroom is shared and not stylish, but it is very clean and has a good smell—which is not always the case in India. The WiFi works perfectly, though sometimes during the day, the electricity turns on and off, but that is an issue throughout Rishikesh. The yoga hall is calm, clean, and warm since Swamiji recently installed AC/heating. I stayed in the ashram in late February, and the mornings were quite cold.

Swamiji does not teach every class himself; rather, he steps in if an external teacher is unavailable. All the teachers were great. There was a lovely lady who taught Hatha Vinyasa Yoga—I loved her classes. Rajeev taught Kundalini Meditation and Philosophy, which was very powerful. He has many years of devotional meditation experience. Yusuf was the dedicated Yoga Anatomy teacher, and he always finished theoretical classes with a meditation or mantra chanting, which I really liked. Lastly, Kapil taught me Kundalini Pranayama, and it was absolutely special and transformative for my own practice.

Swamiji has a very special Sadhana (spiritual practice). For me, it was incredible and elusive to meditate next to his Pancha Agni fire ceremony. He is a true Himalayan Tantric and Vedic master, full of devotion, love, and kindness. He took very good care of me - for example, when I was sick once, he had his doctor from his charity hospital come and treat me free of charge. He is also fully trained in Thai Massage, and I received three professional massages from him for my chronic back pain.

I can wholeheartedly recommend staying in this ashram if you are looking for a real ashram experience and want to retreat from a busy life for some time in nature while concentrating on yourself and...