The guidelines at Navayuga are not intended to make a stay austere for its own sake, nor to impose arbitrary restrictions on visitors. They serve a precise purpose: for a few days, they create conditions that are markedly different from those of ordinary life.
Coming to an ashram involves a measure of trust. People generally come because they want to experience something that everyday life does not easily allow: to slow down, become more available, practise, observe the mind and make room for an inner experience. That requires temporarily changing some familiar habits.
We therefore ask visitors to trust us on this point: these guidelines are not separate from the experience Navayuga offers. They are among the conditions that make it possible, both for you and for everyone sharing the ashram at the same time.
THE RULES OF A STAY
a clear framework respected by everyone
Some rules are strict throughout the stay. They do not require you to have already transformed your habits or thoughts; they simply define the shared framework that everyone agrees to respect while at Navayuga.
- A fully vegetarian environment The ashram is entirely vegetarian. Meat, fish and other non-vegetarian food must not be brought onto or consumed anywhere on the property, including personal snacks or food. We do not ask visitors to be vegetarian in their everyday lives, but we do ask them to respect this completely while they are at Navayuga.
- No alcohol, drugs or intoxicants The ashram is a place of complete sobriety. Alcohol, recreational drugs and other intoxicating substances must not be brought in or consumed during a stay.
- No smoking or vaping on the property Smoking and vaping are not permitted anywhere on the ashram grounds, including outdoors. Smokers are welcome to use the stay as an opportunity to reduce their consumption if they wish; when they need to smoke, they must leave the ashram property entirely.
- No sexual activity during a stay The ashram is not a place for sexual relationships or for seeking partners. Sexual activity is not part of a stay at Navayuga, including between people who have come together as a couple.
- Do not steal Do not steal. The belongings of other visitors and of the ashram are to be respected and must not be taken or used without permission.
- Electronic devices are set aside As a rule, electronic devices are not used during a stay. Connected devices — phones, smartwatches, tablets, computers and similar devices — are set aside and are not kept with you. A non-connected device, such as a camera, audio recorder or MP3 player, may be used only as an agreed exception with the ashram. If you think you will need one, please discuss it with us before your stay. Phones remain accessible when it is genuinely necessary to contact loved ones, make an important call or deal with an emergency.
- Noble silence in designated areas Certain areas, especially the temple area, are kept in noble silence. There is no casual conversation or social chatter there. Speech is used only when genuinely necessary and, when it is, always in a low voice and as briefly and unobtrusively as possible.
- Take part in the rhythm of the ashram A stay includes shared times in which everyone takes part: meditation, practices, satsangs when they are offered, as well as seva and work in service of the ashram. An ashram is not accommodation where each person simply chooses an à-la-carte programme.
- Respect people and the place Aggression, intimidation, harassment, intrusive behaviour and degrading conduct have no place at the ashram. Everyone is expected to help preserve the safety, peace and dignity of the people around them.
A DISCIPLINE TO CULTIVATE
habits to transform through practice
Other things cannot be demanded in the same way as a rule. They require attention, practice and sometimes time. During your stay, we simply ask you to take them seriously and make a sincere effort to practise them.
- Truthful speech We ask visitors to practise not lying, including in small matters: convenient falsehoods, invented excuses, exaggerations or “white lies” used to make a situation easier. This does not mean that everything must always be said. When speech is neither necessary nor right, silence is often preferable to untruth.
- Reduce unnecessary speech Even outside areas of strict silence, we try to speak less and with greater care. Notice the habit of commenting, telling stories, filling silence or constantly seeking interaction. Silence is not a punishment; it is a practice that allows us to notice what ordinary noise tends to cover.
- Ahiṃsā: seek to cause as little harm as possible We encourage real attention to the way our actions affect living beings: do not act out of cruelty, anger or carelessness; avoid harm when another solution is available; and first choose the course that causes the least damage. Visitors are not being asked to take an absolute vow of non-violence. Such a vow belongs to a stricter renunciant discipline and is not the dharma of every person living in the world.
- Care for the shared experience Your discipline does not affect only your own stay. A restless, talkative or distracted presence also changes the experience of others. We therefore ask everyone to cultivate discretion, attention and responsibility towards the group and the place.
TRUSTING THE PROCESS
the framework is part of what you have come for
This framework may sound demanding when read from within ordinary life. It feels different when it is lived. Fewer demands and distractions, silence, sobriety, simplicity and participation in a shared rhythm gradually create a different inner space.
That is why we ask visitors not to renegotiate each rule according to their usual habits. For a few days, the invitation is to try something different and genuinely allow the experience to do its work.
Respecting the framework is also a way of caring for the other visitors. One person’s silence supports another’s; everyone’s sobriety, discretion and attention contribute to the quality of the place shared by all.