Yogaville–Satchidananda Ashram in
Buckingham (VA)

It is a great sanctuary for peace and quiet. Everyone working there is kind and respectful. They have many cool spaces to meditate. There are a bunch of hiking trails that seem well maintained. If you are into yoga philosophy, this is the place to be. The Lotus Temple is amazing.

Loved, loved the staff, the programme, the food. Krishna Das, his band and chat were wonderful.

I had a positive experience. I did not know the hours and accidentally went there. They were beyond accommodating to the fact I showed up at closing, they stayed open for me to visit and pray alone in the lotus and explore respectfully. No one was pushy and they were welcoming and clearly explained the facility. Learning about Swami Satchidananda has been an uplifting experience and I am glad the community is working hard to continue to share the work that was done by him. Do not skip the video (It’s only six minutes ) I meet several different people visiting at the facility that were there in search of the same tranquility and having a place to share our experiences as strangers and brothers and sisters was very powerful. Though I may not currently have the opportunity to participate one of the retreats , I would highly suggest visiting this place, even if you’re just passing through. Also, don’t forget to stop and leave something for Saint Francis On your way to the lotus.

I did a spring silent retreat this past weekend. Yogaville is my sanctuary and spiritual home. I have been here every year for the past 8 years and every time I have new growth and epiphany. Whenever I need to rejuvenate and recharge from my busy life, I come to Yogaville. I am so grateful for guru dev vision and all the supporting staff over the years. I think I am graduated from the silent retreat and will be doing the Light program next. Hari Om.

This was in our bucket list for a long time and finally we visited this weekend. The setting is beautiful and serene, we were privileged to have joined the meditation session, it was sublime to say the least. The lotus shrine is a must visit. The lunch was delicious. We also went hiking afterwards, a must visit.

very secluded, beautiful and peaceful

My 3 night stay was the perfect place to retreat from election news. The daily hatha yoga classes (suitable for any level, excellent teachers) and meditations are the best reason to visit Yogaville. The resident staff is welcoming and the beds are comfortable.The only downside was the food, vats of often overcooked, plain vegetables, separate vats of plain tofu and plain lentils. There were almost flavorless soups with the exception of a carrot ginger soup. I love vegan/vegetarian food and it can be delicious even on a budget. The saving grace was the salad bar. Breakfast starts at 8, but if you prefer an early hike before a warm day, bring your own breakfast food so you can eat first.

If you are a yogi or someone wanting to experience that lifestyle, Yogaville is a safe bet. The unsettling part of the 60s/70s hippie culture is gone, replaced by solid dharma study and an open loving kindness that I have experienced in very few places. It has a great vibe without the weed and alcohol, as it should. Quiet and calmness abide. No TV, but here is WiFi. Calls home are encouraged, doing business while on retreat, not so much. The campus is clean and comfortable, but no frills. Understand that this is a traditional ashram. Meditation is at 5:00 am and noon, choice of yoga practices, fresh vegetarian food only, shoes off in buildings, followed by various dharma education classes, lights out at 10:00 pm. The accommodations are clean and sufficient for yogic practice. A good bed, a desk, a chair, and a bathroom. The campers have showers and laundry facilities. Staff members and volunteers wear white. Look Up Linda (great human being) and ParaShakti (Satsang leader and my annual summer crush). The swaminis wear that odd orange color and are exceedingly supportive. They even mingle and chat at meal times. It's a great experience if you've never spoken with a master teacher. I go every summer to revisit the yamas and niyamas and reset my journey. km

Amazing place! I can’t even begin to describe how amazing this past weekend was. Krishna Das was mind blowing. The yoga classes were amazing. The staff were unbelievably kind…Truly, there just are enough words so I’ll stop trying, but I can’t wait to come back!

12 out of 10! What an amazing place! I went for Krishna Das and fell in love. Amazing staff who went above and beyond, amazing vibes, amazing yoga, amazing programs, amazing food and a soul cleansing weekend of chants and concerts! It was so good that I actually started crying when I was leaving and had to call my wife so we could laugh at the situation. Thank you, Yogaville. Thank you Krishna Das. I will be back ASAP. You are all beautiful, kind souls.

I booked this location thinking this will be a cool experience at a yoga ashram to attend a Krishna Das "retreat"... Chanting and yoga!!! What could be better...? Well my experience here was pretty poor, the staff was Not welcoming, friendly or helpful after my initial check in. The rooms are very dated with small, uncomfortable beds and noisy ac. The "younger" staff is more into flirting with other staff or outside guests than taking with a newbie to the ashram. I changed my flight to leave Sunday morning instead of Monday because the ashram environment just sucks!!! KD and band was great but I'm not even getting half the time with them. I'll see KD at another venue in the future (KD stay away from here!!) BEWARE This is a grooming facility not an ashram! This was such a poor experience I'm writing off the Bahamas ashram as well Namaste and please do better

What an incredible week. And I could talk all about the beautiful scenery, the lovely organic food, and the amazing classes. But the energy there is what really makes it so special and so different from regular yoga retreats. The energy of Swami sivananda, and Swami Satchidananda permeate throughout the Ashram. Being here brought me great clarity about questions I had in a transition period of my life the Swami’s there were wonderful, and our truly embodying the teachings. This is the real deal! Stay for as long as you can.

I went this weekend for my 2nd time. I took my S.O. The energy of this place is so peaceful. The people are so warm, loving, and receptive. The grounds are nice, everything is well kept and clean. The residents are warm and friendly and the best part - hearing about their paths. The view from Kailasha is breathtaking. The hiking trails are nice. The stair hike if you choose to do it is fun. The talks, meditation, and yoga classes plus all meals are included in the price. I wish I could go every weekend. If you are thinking of going, just do it!

Great place, great location and most of all great people running the place. Please note this is not a vacation resort but a place to practice Yoga and spirituality. Did a gentle somatic yoga retreat by James Knight and helped a lot with my lower back pain. Liked the meditation and hatha yoga sessions. Best was the Kirtan and talk on Saturday. Will definitely visit again.

Yogaville is in a beautiful location in the foothills of the blue ridge mountains. I've been wanting to visit for years. As an avid yogi practitioner I enjoyed the yoga classes, especially the yoga nidra offered after the asanas, very relaxing and blissful. The staff are very friendly and welcoming. The vegetarian meals were good, although I felt like some sort of baked goods would be a great addition. Coffee is not served at yogaville and the closet cup of java may be a 30 minute drive. I knew this in advance and brought a hot water kettle and instant coffee. There is a small market, the Mandala Cafe, that was open briefly during my stay. They didn't offer any meals or baked goods at the time I was there, which is understandable as I think maybe they were understaffed and the end of winter season, although I did buy a chocolate bar. As an atheist, I felt that the whole spiritual mindset was a little overwhelming, but being raised in the south, I'm accustomed to indoctrinations of religion. Other than the religious aspect of Yogaville, I enjoyed my stay and I plan on returning. Big shout out to beautiful Aimee who helped me with my check-in, and taught two of the three yoga classes I attended. I plan on returning to Yogaville one day now that I know what to expect from stay.

Yogaville is perfect for a personal retreat! Where you can recharge by doing some yoga, meditation, hiking, and feeding your body with fresh, vegan meals! The facility is very clean, they offer lots of activities on the weekends, and everyone makes you feel welcome! Highly recommended!

I visited for the first time this weekend, and I had a positive experience. I am interested in returning, but I am leaving some constructive critique in the hope that there will be some improvement in the future for guests like myself and others. Positive elements: 1) The spiritual teachers create a really welcoming, uplifting, and kind environment. I was treated with an immense amount of respect. 2) The gift shop is very well-organized. 3) The food offered during meal times is fabulous and healthy. 4) The accommodations are sufficiently modern, and I wouldn’t expect a higher standard for an ashram. The wifi was easily accessible inside of buildings. Critique: 1) The reception is patchy throughout the community. If I experienced an emergency and needed to call 911, it would be impossible to call due to Verizon being the only carrier whose range is accessible consistently on Yogaville campus. 2) The covid testing adds expense and delay, and I bear the cost, although I was informed that people in the community test positive, regardless. I think that it would be far more safe for people to simply mask just like I did if they are concerned about higher exposure, since the rapid tests are not even effective when a person doesn’t have symptoms. 3) Schedules should be mailed out to guests, in advance, to ensure that guests can actually plan their arrival in the most optimal way since check-in time is between 3 and 5 pm. A yoga session was scheduled during check in time, so I didn’t even have the ability to participate in a yoga class on the day of arrival. If I I had known that a yoga class was scheduled at 4 pm, I would have arrived at exactly 3 pm and hit the road earlier. 4) I think that it would be fabulous if yoga classes were scheduled later after rather than before breakfast, but I understand that ashram members are very early risers. I don’t expect them to make this change for guests if the residing members prefer a 7 am yoga class, but most people aren’t accustomed to rising quite that early. The scheduling prevented me from even being able to participate in any yoga class while I was there, and the name of this community is Yogaville. 5) I hope that the campus opens up so that I can drive here more regularly, being that I live not too far away. Needing to be able to spend the night with a 3 pm check in and a 12 pm check out didn’t give me enough time to really enjoy what the campus has to offer. I am not able to stay multiple nights consecutively due to the fact that I can’t leave my pets alone for extensive periods of time, and bringing pets is not allowed. So, although I am not leaving a really high rating, I really DID love the location, events, speakers, musicians, accommodations, dining, and atmosphere. The post-pandemic scheduling just creates a lot of barriers for people who don’t even live far away to truly enjoy what the community has to offer. Obviously, I am just one person, and no changes should be made simply in response to just my opinion. If my perspective resonates and echoes the concerns of others, then, I am glad that I could be vocal.

This is one of my favorite get-away retreats and the an awesome environment for going deeper in your yoga practice. You won't find a more caring staff to ensure your visit goes well and the food is plentiful and delicious. If you decide to take a workshop, you will learn from the best. The Swamis who have dedicated their lives to creating this peaceful environment and sharing their hard won wisdom make a visit to Yogaville something that will benefit you for a long time after you have left.

One of my favorite places in the whole world. It has been some time since I have been back and I would certainly enjoy Yogaville in the spring. Great yoga classes, both for visitors and those wanting to study yoga at any level, clean comfortable rooms (although I enjoy the camping platforms in the forest), Good clean healthy meals, mid-day meditation, and real camaraderie. Looking forward to returning.

Beautiful place to visit. Free and open to the public to come and explore, meditate, and relax. Bookstore is very interesting along with a intro video. Lots of programs to try also.

A nice day trip, A religious theme Yoga and farming. Set near the James River and a Mountain backdrop, they welcome everyone. The people are very friendly and helpful.

This place is very rustic. Our room had tons of lady bugs and stink bugs. The food is all vegan and not many choices. There are meditation and yoga classes offered but we were too turned off by the food and room that we left after 1 night. They did offer us a full refund which was nice. If you are a really crunchy, nature lover, you might enjoy it. Not for us!

This place is amazing. My wife and I just did a 5 day retreat here for the New Year. The experience was beautiful and enlightening. Everything from the talks to the yoga, breathing and meditation sessions, meals and hiking was perfect. A wonderful place to escape from the go go go of everyday life, to reset and recenter. Thanks to the amazing people of Yogaville for creating such a beautiful space for gathering, contemplation and the spirit.

Found a deal on groupon and went with a few girl friends for a weekend getaway and it turned out to be one of my best weekend retreat ever. People are extremely friendly and there is a reason after knowing the history of the founder and the place. This place has an energy that make people feel love and peace. The community is a paradise to me that I can throw away all worries from real world. No wonder I see many people come back many times. They provide many yoga and meditation classes with different levels, spiritual talks, and bus tour. Meals are organic vegetarian buffet style and very delicious. After staying a weekend I feel both my mind and physical body are cleansed.

Yogaville is a quiet retreat in central VA, near historic Appomattox. The LOTUS temple houses artifacts and teachings from around 10 religions and is a good place for meditation. Many tourists stay here for weeks doing meditation courses offered. I have visited Yogavile mainly for the dance programs organized by Smt. Padmarani Rasaiah Cantu and her students, a prominent exponent of Bharatanatyam. There is a huge Nataraja statue, which depicts the Hindu god of dance. Guru Poornima (during July every year) is one of the most celebrated festivals here, rife with various programs to commemorate it. The view of the James river and railroad running here are just calming and beautiful. One tiny downside is that you will not receive cellular signal unless you are a Verizon customer.

I recently attended a 3-day workshop to celebrate my birthday weekend. I met so many wonderful people - and so many fellow Libras! - this will definitely be an annual destination for rest, renewal and Spiritual growth. While it is a full day's drive from Cincinnati, the trek is beautiful with minimal traffic. The vegetarian food was delicious, accommodations clean, and staff and volunteers were kind, helpful, and truly filled with the light and love their peaceful lifestyle promotes.

I went there in September as I got a Groupon deal for welcome weekend. I just wanted to get away from DC to a peaceful place. The place is exactly what I expected , calm and peaceful. Three organic meals a day are included along with your stay, the food is great.I was able to attend 2 yoga classes and 1 mediation class. Only downside is all the programs are scheduled between 6 am to 5 pm so you will not be able to attend all of them because most of them are scheduled at same time.You have to pick one which is important to you.