Yogi Ganesh
Yogi Ganesh ( Ganesh Thakurr )
Ganesh Thakur is a Himalayan-born and raised yoga practitioner and instructor from the beautiful village of Vashisht, near Manali. With a deep connection to the mountains and the traditional yogic culture of the Himalayas, Ganesh brings authenticity, experience, and devotion to his teaching.
He is an experienced yoga instructor trained in Traditional Hatha Yoga, with experience in Hatha and Vinyasa Yoga, and teaches Asana, Pranayama, Meditation, and Mantra. He received traditional teachings from his Guru and has learned from many experienced teachers in Vashisht and Rishikesh, including his father.
Ganesh currently works as a yoga instructor with Open Lotus Yoga Retreats, where he regularly conducts yoga, pranayama, and meditation retreats. He has a particular passion for Mantra practice and for sharing his understanding of how mantra, breath, and meditation can influence the body and mind.
Alongside yoga, Ganesh is also an experienced mountain guide, giving him a natural understanding of the Himalayan environment and its connection with movement, mindfulness, and inner well-being. His retreats often combine yoga and meditation with the peaceful surroundings of the Himalayas.
A forever student, Ganesh remains deeply grateful to the teachers and traditions that have guided his journey. His love and belief in the practices of yoga are reflected not only in his teaching but also in his everyday life.
For Ganesh, yoga is not simply a practice on the mat—it is a way of living, learning, and connecting with oneself and the natural world.
Chhape Ram
My Himalayan Dream
My name is Chhape Ram, and I was born into a farming family in the Indian Himalayas. For more than 57 years, my family has cared for our apple orchards. Growing up among the mountains, forests and orchards gave me a deep love for nature and the simple Himalayan way of life.
At the age of 20, I began my journey in Himalayan tourism as a high-altitude trekking guide. In 2011, I organised my first Yoga Retreat in the Himalayas, combining Yoga, Meditation, Trekking and Camping.
Since then, I have continued working in tourism and yoga. I started my own small travel agency in 2016 and completed Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh in 2017. I later founded Open Lotus Yoga Retreat, together with my son Ganesh, who is also a yoga teacher.
Now I have a dream close to my heart: to create a small Yoga & Retreat Centre in our family apple orchard near Manali.
I want to create a peaceful place where people from India and around the world can experience Yoga, Meditation, Himalayan nature, trekking, local culture, village life and traditional home-cooked food—not simply as tourists, but as guests of a Himalayan family.
The Himalayas have been home to yogis and meditation practitioners for centuries. I want to share this beautiful tradition and the natural, cultural and spiritual richness of the mountains with people from around the world.
I am now raising funds to complete this dream.
Every contribution, large or small, will help us build this centre and create a place where people can come to slow down, reconnect with nature, practice yoga and experience the Himalayas in a simple and authentic way.
As a thank-you, supporters will receive special offers for future stays, Yoga Retreats and Himalayan hiking experiences once the centre is ready.
Help me turn our family apple orchard into a place where people from around the world can experience the heart of the Himalayas
Giana
Gianna dove into yoga and a dedicated practice as a means to get out of chronic pain and mental instability. Once the journey began, the benefits were undeniable. Realizing the power of practice, she went full time studying under BikramChoudhury for the 26 + 2 series, Mary Jarvis the backbend guru, Leslie Kaminoff for yoga anatomy, and Sarasvati for ashtanga. Gianna is a Bikram certified teacher, a 500-hour Yoga alliance certified teacher, and teaches bikram yoga, meditation, rocket yoga, yin and vinyasa.
Gianna has competed in international asana championships, placing first regionally and nationally and second internationally. She currently judges for the USA Yoga Asana Championships, and continues to train to improve both her practice and her teaching. “My goal in practice is to better my teaching and my goal in teaching is to hold space for those to better themselves. In this communal process of progressing, we further the realization of unity and acceptance in this world.”
You may find Gianna all around the world leading teacher training’s, continuing education, and yoga classes and workshops for all walk of life.