Swami Nishchalananda in the Ashram grounds.

Though there is nothing inherently wrong with these things, we tend to use them to avoid looking at ourselves.Being in the middle of nowhere also allows us to see the constantly changing face of nature in the raw - this gives us a sense of respect for Nature, the environment and our relationship with the world at large.
An Ashram is designed not for luxurious comfort, but rather for simplicity. The food is vegetarian and nourishing, allowing us to purify the physical body and encourage Yogic practice and Meditation, as well as engendering good health.
In an Ashram, dogma, narrow-mindedness and rigidity should have no place, or at the very least be minimised.
There is an open-ended attitude towards spirituality. No doubt, the main teaching is Yoga, which is still a ‘system’, but one that is open and receptive to life's mysteries without the need for blind belief or unquestioning acceptance of some 'ism'.

Mandala Yoga Ashram in Wales is an experiment. It is one of only a few Ashrams in the west. Since its founding 21 years ago it has been through enormous changes - and is still changing and finding its feet. It has welcomed visitors and residents from all over the world - some staying for 3 days and others for 3 years. Since its opening, the Ashram has offered a wide range of courses covering the different paths of Yoga: Hatha, Mantra, Nada, Raja, Gyana, Bhakti, Kundalini and Kriya Yoga, as well as, among others, more specialised seminars on Meditation, Yoga Nidra, the Chakras, Facing Death - a Practical Yogic Approach, Prana Vidya, Tattwa Shuddhi, and the Pancha Kosha.
The Ashram also gives seminars on classical Yogic and Tantric texts such as the Vigyana Bhairava Tantra, the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads.

A Typical Day in the Ashram. Every day in an Ashram has unexpected surprises and, sometimes, even disappointments for us to cope with. In this way, we start to see clearly the quirks of the ego and our conditioned reflexes to certain situations.

While there is a daily timetable it can change from day to day; each day, however, usually starts between five thirty and six o'clock. Early morning is spent doing Hatha Yoga, Meditation and Chanting Mantras until breakfast at eight thirty. Karma Yoga is an important part of the Ashram life with a great variety of things to be done: gardening, cooking, housework, office work and the usual maintenance jobs, carpentry, painting etc. A major work at the moment is establishing a Library specialising in Yoga and related topics. Often in the early morning there are periods of cleaning in silence, which encourages us to become more Aware, both internally and externally.
Lunch is at one o'clock and typically consists of a grain, legumes and vegetables, many of which are grown in the Ashram gardens. Then in the afternoon there is more Karma Yoga, followed by the practice of Yoga Nidra (Yogic Deep Relaxation).
Evening meal is at six thirty, after which, at eight o'clock, there is Chanting, followed by Satsang (Questions and Answers), or discussion and reflection on one of the Yogic texts, such as the Bhagavad Gita, culminating in a short Meditation.
After this, there is time to do whatever we want before going to bed, which is usually before ten o'clock. Without distractions such as television and newspapers to shut out reality, this is the ideal time for reflection. Some people read or write; others prefer to do more sadhana (Yogic practice), finish off some Karma Yoga task, or go for a walk.
The people who come to an Ashram bring with them a variety of creative talents; if they don't bring them, there is a good chance that their dormant creativity will surface while they are here and give them a healthy outlet for energies that could otherwise be destructive.

Each day in the Ashram is different. One learns to cope with change and the unexpected. Ashram life brings out both the worst in us - recognition of our negative mental traits and emotional blockages, and the best - deep Joy and a glimmer, or a glimpse, or even perhaps a deeper realisation, of our deeper, unchanging Nature.