About Founders

Mandala Yoga Retreat is run by a sweet Nepali couple, Mr. Biren and Guru Kriti, husband and wife. Biren is a famous Nepali actor who fell in love with a yogini Kriti a great yoga teacher (ask them about the story of dialing the wrong phone number). Maybe even sign your DVD copy of his movie :)

Biren, a former Nepali actor, followed a deeper calling toward yoga and healing after meeting Kriti. Today, he is actively involved in the retreat as a manager and sound healer, supporting daily operations and helping create a welcoming and well-organized environment for students from around the world.

Biren and Kriti both live within the retreat compound in separate residences, maintaining a close connection to the daily life of the school. Their presence helps create a grounded and supportive atmosphere throughout the retreat.

Their intention is to offer a space where every guest feels comfortable, respected, and at ease while experiencing the depth of Himalayan yoga and healing traditions.

Thanks to them, their big hearts and sweet smiles, you will never miss home and your family – you will be treated with all the love and respect a Nepali family can give.

Biren and Kriti both lives in the Yoga school in a separate building with a same compound together with their wonderful daughter. They truly make the Mandala feel like your own home. 

Thanks to them, their big hearts and sweet smiles, you will never miss home and your family – you will be treated with all the love and respect a Nepali family can give. 

About the School

Mandala Yoga Retreat is located in Chandragiri Hill, about 2,000 meters above sea level, surrounded by peaceful nature and stunning Himalayan views. The school is just 30–40 minutes from the airport, offering a quiet escape from the city while remaining easily accessible.

With over 20 years of experience, Mandala Yoga Retreat has become one of Nepal's established centres for integrated wellness learning, bringing together yoga, meditation, Reiki, sound healing, massage, spa therapy, and Ayurveda under one roof. This approach was introduced at a time when these disciplines were typically taught separately, creating a more complete and balanced system of education and practice, and making Mandala one of the first wellness academies in Nepal to offer this integration with professional teachers.

The school is designed as a dedicated space for yoga, meditation, and holistic healing, featuring a spacious yoga hall for group practice and a private healing room for Reiki, sound healing, and therapeutic sessions, creating an environment for relaxation, focus, and inner balance.

We also offer yoga teacher training, massage therapy, Reiki healing, sound healing, and other holistic wellness programs and retreats within the same peaceful compound, allowing students to learn and experience multiple healing traditions in one integrated space.

Life at the retreat is simple, calm, and closely connected with nature. Guests can explore nearby walking trails, visit temples and monasteries, or enjoy the natural beauty of the hills. On clear days, Himalayan views—including distant glimpses of Mount Everest—can be seen from higher trails. Nearby facilities such as a gym, mini-mart, and swimming pool are also available within walking or short driving distance, and private transport can be arranged at an additional cost.

The environment is peaceful, supportive, and welcoming, allowing guests to step away from daily stress and focus on rest, learning, and well-being. Each morning begins with birdsong and soft sunlight through the trees, creating a sense of calm and presence.

We believe in learning that is rooted in tradition, guided by experience, and inspired by mindful living—offering both personal and professional pathways in yoga and holistic wellness.

Our Teachers

Mandala Yoga Retreat has a devoted team of experienced teachers, gurus, and holistic practitioners working together with a shared commitment to authentic yoga and holistic wellness education.

Each instructor is carefully chosen for their depth of knowledge, discipline, and years of lived experience in yoga, meditation, bodywork, and traditional Himalayan healing practices. With strong backgrounds in both traditional wisdom and modern yoga education, they guide students with clarity, patience, and personal attention, honoring each individual journey with respect and awareness.

We are blessed with a stable and dedicated teaching team, many of whom have been part of Mandala Yoga Retreat for many years, some for over a decade. This continuity creates trust, familiarity, and a deeper connection between teacher, student, and the learning space.

Our approach combines structured learning with mindful guidance, making classes accessible for beginners while still offering depth for advanced practitioners. Every program is designed to support steady progress in strength, awareness, and inner understanding.

We believe in a supportive, community-based learning environment where students feel safe, comfortable, and encouraged to grow with confidence through practice and inquiry.

At Mandala Yoga Retreat, our teachers are not only instructors but dedicated practitioners who embody the essence of yoga and healing in their daily lives, sharing their knowledge with sincerity, discipline, and compassion.

Every program is designed with a commitment to authenticity, safety, and quality, helping students build a strong and grounded foundation in yoga and holistic wellness.

Kriti Karki

Yogi  Karki is the owner and a yoga teacher of Mandala Yoga Retreat. Her story of dedication and love for yoga and how she came to this field is truly inspiring. As a five-year-old girl, Kriti became ill with very serious asthma – an illness (asthma) to which her grandparents eventually died. Her father, Dr. SB Karki decided to teach her yoga, meditation,  breathing exercises and started her on a healthy yogic food routine.  Dr. SB Karki specializes in Naturopathy and is a great yogic of Nepal.

With all the efforts and determination of both Kriti and her father, Kriti started recovering at the age of 10. Yoga not only saved her life but she eventually fell in love with yoga and it became her daily routine. At the age of 14, she was sent to a Yoga Ashram  where she spent 2 years of her life doing yoga sadhana. She also went to yoga university for her master degree in yoga where she achieved  the knowledge and skills to lead a yogic life. She believes in both scientific and spiritual yoga practices as she has experience in both. She is also a master in reiki healing, sound healing and diploma holder in massage therapy.

Note:  Yogi Kriti is not  offering any sessions until further notice. However, her skilled teachers  and team will lead the professional classes. Living at the school, Kriti is happy to answer any questions about her programs and she is always eager to share her knowledge during your free time  as she will be  around you.

Vishnu Joshi

Yoga Guru Vishnu was Born at Dev Bhumi Uttarakhand and he Completed His study and learned Yoga from Rishikesh (word capital of Yoga) and he had a deep-rooted passion In Indian Vedic Philosophies, Occult Sciences and more particularly in the disciplines of yoga and Naturopathy from his childhood Day’s.He has study and trained with Yogiraj Dr. Vishvapal Jayant Ji at Vedic Gurukul MahavidhyalayaKanvashram, Kotdwar and reached of full understanding of Yoga Science of Body and Mind.?

As a professional yoga devotee, he holds the renowned Yoga Master 200/300/500hr E-RYTcertification and is registered at Yoga Alliance USA And he brings his own unique and dynamic yoga Teaching Program. He Has 1 Year Experience in Ayurveda & Panchakarma, 6 Month Certificate Course in Yoga, 1-year Diploma Course In yoga, 2 Year Master in Yogic Science and 3.5 Year Diploma in Yoga and Naturopathy.He has acquired an-in-depth knowledge in Yogic Philosophy, Breathing techniques, Yogasana and Spiritual element of yoga teaching.Yoga Guru Vishnu Joshi is an International Registered Yoga Teacher with More than 10 Years of professional experienced in Hatha Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Pranayama, Sat karma Etc.

?Through he is inspiring work, he leads people and students to experience a joyful connection to himself and their essential aliveness. Student’s tap into a reserve power, clarity and freedom like never before. His teaching style which is simple, logical with a knowledge of eastern techniques makes him one of the most highly sought - after mind and body- spirit teacher’s today

Swami Yog Abhinav (Shanta Shakya)

Swami Yog Abhinav (Shanta Shakya) was born in Kathmandu on February 10, 1967. He is his family rebellious and independent child who questions all social, religious, and philosophical ideas. As he grew older, he began reading and listening to Osho and other spiritual leaders who had inspired him. His desire to learn more about himself and how to solve difficulties prompted him to explore with various yoga, meditation, healing practices on reiki, sound healing therapy, which culminated to his ordination as a neo sannyasin at the age of 19 in 1986.

According to his knowledge and long experience on this spiritual path, he is teaching aura healing, Reiki healing, self healing , sound healing and meditation in mandala yoga retreat. Join him, you will not be disappointed; he is the most lovable, decent, and kind guru in Mandala.

Yogesh Pokharel

Yogesh Pokhrel is a yoga therapist and yoga instructor who has extensive training in yoga and a specialist in ashtanga principles. Enjoy motivating people to achieve long-term physical, mental, and spiritual fitness objectives. Yogesh Pokhrel is a sound healing therapist and yoga therapist who specializes in neurological illnesses, hypertension, cardiology, psychiatric

problems, arthritis, back pain, diabetes, and many other conditions. He will treat your physical and mental stress through yoga treatment, sound healing therapy, and other techniques.

Yogesh is the lead teacher of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, Yoga therapy, Yoga anatomy, and Yoga philosophy at Mandala. Yogesh is a skilled yoga instructor and sound healer with 7 years of experience teaching national and international students.

Manhal Tousis

Swami ji Manhal Tousis is not only a Reiki master, he is also an experienced Yoga instructor who has conducted many „Train the Trainer“ courses. Among many others, he is a certified Mantra, Nada yoga and singing bowls healer or numerology, tarot and crystal healer. He is trained and certified by a number institutions and schools in India, China and Nepal to conduct training in several other wellness healing techniques. 
 
Swami ji Manhal Tousis is from Jordan in the Middle East, his family however originally hailed from the Balkan Peninsula in the South East of Europe. He has been living in Nepal for almost 10 years, and considers Nepal to be his second home. Swami ji Manhal Tousis is a spiritual man who strongly believes in spirituality, and loves nothing more than to lead a life of total freedom. A strong personal trait of Swami ji Manhal is his limitless drive and passion for learning and mastering new skills and techniques, both for self development and to benefit others.

Biren

Namaste, this is Biren — a school owner, manager, actor from Nepal, and dedicated sound healing practitioner.

My professional journey began in the Nepali movie industry as an actor, but over time my path naturally evolved toward wellness, spirituality, and healing. Today, I am fully involved with the Mandala Yoga Retreat, where I guide people through the transformative experience of sound healing and therapeutic practices.

My healing journey began through my wife, who is a yoga teacher and introduced me to the world of yoga, meditation, and holistic wellbeing. Through sound healing, I personally experienced deep physical relaxation, mental peace, emotional balance, and freedom from daily stress. The impact was so powerful that I felt called to learn and share this healing method with others.

I completed my sound healing training with one of Nepal's oldest and most respected healing families, whose wisdom and therapeutic practices have been passed down for over 500 years through generations. I feel deeply grateful and honored to be a student of this authentic lineage and to continue learning and following this sacred healing path.

My teaching approach is deeply therapeutic and heart-centered. Before teaching, I believe in first listening to people's pain, emotional challenges, and life difficulties. My intention is always to help participants feel supported, relaxed, and healed before guiding them into deeper learning.

As sound healing has ancient roots connected to Himalayan and Nepali vibrational traditions, I focus on sharing original spiritual wisdom while also blending modern techniques that are accessible for both beginners and advanced practitioners.

Through my training and healing sessions, students learn how vibration, mindfulness, sound frequencies, and therapeutic techniques can help create peace, balance, emotional wellbeing, and inner transformation.

If you are looking to experience authentic therapeutic sound healing in Nepal and learn from traditional wisdom with a modern understanding, I warmly welcome you to join me on this healing journey.

Together, let us create peace, healing, balance, and mindful awareness through the power of sound and vibration.