Wearing a large gold bracelet studded with gems and a gold chain around his neck, Siddha Akshar eschews the stereotypes usually associated with yoga gurus.
Akshar Yoga founder and yogi Akshar (41), has trained sports personalities like Sunil Gavaskar, the Phogat sisters and many Bollywood celebrities.
How did Akshar, born in a humble army family, start training celebrities and expats in luxurious retreats?
The yoga guru traces his roots to Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh and has been training in the Siddha tradition since the age of seven from widely respected sages and traveling saints. After completing his schooling in an army school and a BA in economics, Akshar took a different path than his peers who were looking at the 9-to-5 corporate grind all their lives.
Meeting with Guru
When you first see Akshar, his charisma and aura help you understand his ability to influence people to some extent.
“Every morning when you see him it’s like meeting him for the first time, when he sees you or you see your master, you are happy, it energizes you,” says Anthony, a resident of Cyprus, who was familiar with Akshar. His existing mentor.
Like Anthony, many of Akshar’s students learned about him from their existing mentors. Akshar traces his spiritual education from Siddha Baba Balak Nath, a revered deity of Himachal Pradesh, to the path of yogic lifestyle and Siddha training.
Earlier this month, Siddha Akshar led a 10-day retreat for her international students at the Taj Rishikesh Spa and Resort, half an hour from Rishikesh. This land has been home to yogic lifestyle, meditation and Vedantic philosophy. its relationship with penance Goes back to mythology with Lord Vishnu’s penance.
During the retreat, the hotel had strict instructions not to serve tea or coffee to any student. Food, A ayurveda-Inspired sattvic The menu was an international mix consisting of Indian, Asian and continental dishes, often paired with hot ginger water in the cooler weather.
The retreat for the teacher training course – a mix of physical, mental, and spiritual experiences – included hiking across the Garhwal range of Uttarakhand, and meditation on key energy points on the mountain. Owning to his global reach, such retreats are held in places like Himachal Pradesh, Bangalore, Rishikesh, Puri, and Coorg, Taiwan, Singapore, Dubai, London, and the United States.
Akshar Yoga charges around Rs 4 to 10 lakhs for teacher training courses in Rishikesh.
The Ganges played a central role in the retreat as students lined up early in the morning to do yoga on its banks. Then they got closer to nature by taking a dip and rafting in the refreshing cold water.
Talked to London resident Preeti and a student YS life After finishing her hour-long yoga session with Akshar.
Sitting on the terrace, she discussed why she was on retreat. “I’ve got a master here. I can contact him. He can train me. He can guide me. You know, he can tell me. But the point is that he exists for me, and he’s my relationship with the universe. You are connected,” says Preeti.
Preeti is among the 80 students who have traveled from Kenya, America, Taiwan, Japan, Dubai, Iran and France to receive training from her Guru or Grandmaster as she is called.
Akshar, who believes in the importance of a certain place to do certain things, sees time spent in the lap of the Himalayas as a blessing against those boxy yoga studios in cities where some people must settle.
As far as luxury goes, Akshar firmly believes that access to vitality or Prana Vayu The true luxury available amidst the Himalayas is something to strive and work for.
“Think of it as a luxury amenity. Prana Vayu. There are trees, rivers and clear water. There is no noise to disturb you,” says Akshar YS life.
When you live in the mountains, they prepare you for life. this penance To increase your vitality, there is a way to create change back in your life.
“Your path as a Yogi is to be successful in whatever you do, through which you can provide livelihood to some people. We are living in a remote estate, an estate that provides employment opportunities to many people. hilly region, perhaps this is how we give back to society and our fellow human beings through the yogic lifestyle,” explains Akshar.
While Akshara Yoga traces its roots back to Siddha Akshara hilly Mool, Community has opened its outlets in two areas of Bengaluru – Yelahanka and Sadashivnagar
Along with taking online and in-person training at these centers, Akshar organizes and leads several such retreats throughout the year, often focusing on nature-rich and spiritually significant hotspots like Rishikesh. According to the sources, the fee for this is between 9 to 10 lakh rupees.
The institute has trained around 50,000 students and around 400-500 new yoga enthusiasts enroll in its courses every month.
Teacher training courses, which come in basic, advanced and master’s levels, last from one to six months depending on commitment. These online-cum-offline sessions start from Rs 30,000 to Rs 2.50 lakh depending on location, facility and intensity.
YS Life was invited to interact at Himalayan Siddha Akshar’s Teachers Training Retreat.