Our Team

Ram Gautam

A Paragliding Company & Retreat Owner

Ram Gautam is one of Nepal’s early paragliders and someone who has always felt a deep connection with the sky. He grew up near Sarangkot Hill in Pokhara, now one of the world’s most famous paragliding spots. As a young boy, he loved watching paragliders take off from the hill and glide across the sky. Standing outside his home, he would look up in wonder and dream of flying one day. In 2004, that dream became real. Ramraj started solo paragliding, learning everything from scratch at a time when there were very few local pilots. He quickly fell in love with the freedom of flying—the quiet, the fresh air, and the beautiful views of the valley below. In 2006, he began tandem paragliding, flying with people from all over the world. With his calm and friendly nature, Ramraj became a well- respected pilot in the Pokhara paragliding community. In 2014, Ramraj discovered yoga and it brought a new kind of peace into his life. Although he doesn’t teach yoga, it has become an important part of his daily routine. Through yoga, he found a deeper connection with himself—something that balanced the thrill of flying with quiet moments of stillness. Inspired by the calm and healing he experienced, Ramraj founded Yogaban Retreat—a peaceful, family-run space for people to explore yoga, wellness, and simple living in nature. Today, Ramraj continues to fly from the same hill that sparked his dreams as a child. And while the sky is where he feels most free, yoga has helped him feel more grounded and at peace. For Ramraj, both flying and stillness are part of the same journey.

Rijesh Tripathi

Retreat Manager

Rijesh Tripathi grew up in a yoga retreat, surrounded by peace, nature, and the calming sounds of music. From a young age, he was drawn to musical instruments. Whether it was the harmonium, tabla, flute, or singing bowls, he loved picking them up and playing around with the sounds. Music became a part of his everyday life, something that made him feel happy, calm, and connected. As he grew older, Rijesh’s love for music only grew stronger. He enjoyed learning new instruments and often played during yoga sessions, helping create a soothing and spiritual atmosphere. For him, music isn’t just something to listen to, it’s something to feel, to share, and to express from the heart. At the same time, Rijesh also became interested in technology. He’s now studying Software Engineering, excited by the world of coding and building new things. While it might seem different from music, he sees it as another way to be creative. One day, he hopes to combine both passions, maybe by creating apps or tools that help people learn music, relax, or connect through sound. Rijesh is someone who walks between two worlds: one of peaceful melodies and another of digital innovation. With his heart in music and his mind in tech, he’s carving a path that’s truly his own.

Sr.Maheshwarman Shrestha

Senior Yoga Teacher & Trekking Guide

Maheswar took up the practice of yoga at the age of fifteen and from 1993 to 1996 he underwent 3 years of formal yoga training after which he started to work as a yoga instructor in Kathmandu. He received his advanced yoga training at Arogya Dham Yoga in Nepal in 2000 and was consequently invited to work in Singapore for two years to pass on his extensive knowledge and profound understanding of yoga. Maheswar completed his diploma in Yoga Teacher training at Yoga Vidya Gurukul in India in 2007 and has been a keen promoter of the benefits of yoga since he first started his own practice, vividly remembering his immune system as being very poor, making him suffer from high fever, stomach pain and tonsil problems two or three times a year before he became involved in yoga. Through his diligent daily practice he noticed major improvements to his health and once he realized the benefits, yoga became a major part of his life. Maheswar firmly believes that everybody who practices yoga regularly will definitely see improvements in their health and wellbeing.

Sr.Amrita Ghimire

Senior Yoga Teacher & PhD Scholar

She is Amrita Ghimire and she began her yoga journey in 2007, making it a profound and cherished part of her life. Growing up in a family deeply rooted in yoga and ayurveda traditions she was fortunate to have her uncle who is a renowned naturopathy practitioner in guiding her on this path.

Mrs Ghimire completed her M. Sc. Yoga Therapy from Swami Vivekananda University, School of Yoga and Research Centre in India: The first Yoga Research University in the world, where she completed an extensive course in Yogic Science and their therapeutic applications. She added up her qualification in Yoga Teacher Training Course from Yoga Alliance (USA) 200 hours and Yoga Alliance (Australia) 500 hours, which is another top institute in the world. To give more health effect and value added service to the people, she further completed her Master's Degree in Food and Nutrition from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Continuing to develop her spiritual growth and healing arts, she has completed diploma course in singing bowl.

Mrs Ghimire has given sound healing therapy to treat different types of stress borne illness. She has given many teacher’s training classes for foreigners and done welfare in Yoga and Diet Therapy program for Children, Old Aged Home, Orphanage, Schools, Community Hospitals for awareness of Yoga and Meditation.

Sr.Yogesh Karki

Instructor (M.Sc Yoga), Trekking Guide & Music Practitioner

Yogesh is from Nepal with a professional qualification in yoga (meditation, Reiki healing, singing bowl therapy as well as yoga therapy) and classical music. He is very passionate about what he does, which has been inspiring to others. He is friendly, very approachable and with a very good sense of humour.

His passion for yoga started in his childhood and has become his lifestyle since then. Out of sincere interest and in search of himself, he started his further yogic practices such as pranayama (breathing technique) and meditation while still attending his school. Inspired by his own spiritual experiences, as a teenager he started teaching yoga and meditation to many students of all ages, which became one of his wonderful and fruitful sharings. This led him further to teach the magic of yogic science so that one could grow healthily, blissfully and beyond.

He completed his Yoga for Wellbeing Training in Gujarat, India in 2007, Yoga Teacher Training Course in Bangalore, India in 2014 and finished Science of Yoga Therapy (MSc) from the SVYASA University in Bangalore, India in 2019. He started practising Reiki for further physical, mental as well as spiritual growth since 2006 in Nepal and completed level 2 in 2012.

He has served working at Purna Yoga Retreat Center, Pokhara, Nepal for 11 years as a senior Yoga Instructor, teaching different aspects and levels of yoga – meditation, pranayama, asanas (postures), kriyas (cleansing techniques) and singing bowl sound meditation since 2012 and has started giving singing bowl therapy/course as well as theraputic yoga for various complications. From 2022 April, he worked as a lecturer for Yoga and Philosophy at Gandaki Universitly, Pokhara, Nepal In addition, he’s been working as a professional guide leading yoga treks on the Himalayan Mountains. He has been our leading yoga teacher at our retreat (Yogaban) center at the moment

Sr.Dinesh Gurung

Senior Yoga Teacher & Trekking Guide

Dinesh hails from a small village in the Makwanpur district of Nepal. In 2012, he started working with us demonstrating remarkable dedication and a strong desire to learn and grow furter. From improving his English to mastering various skills, Dinesh’s journey is marked by his perseverance and commitment.

In 2013, he completed his trekking guide training and earned his professional trekking guide licence in 2014, issued by the government of Nepal. The same year, Dinesh took a pre-teacher training course at Purna Yoga, where he trained under both Nepali and international instructors. It was during this period that he discovered his passion for yoga and decided to make it an integral part of his life.

Since 2016, Dinesh now has been working as a yoga teacher during yoga treks and at our retreat center. His dedication led him to complete the 200-hour Yoga Alliance-Certified Yoga Teacher Training at Rishikul Yogshala in 2018. This training deepened his knowledge and equipped him to take on greater responsibilities as a yoga teacher.

Dinesh currently teaches at our retreat and at Purna Yoga (our another retreat), where he also practises as a Singing Bowl Sound Therapist. His goal is to continuously expand his knowledge and skills, leading yoga treks and sharing the transformative practice of yoga across Nepal.

Maya Basnet

Housekeeping Manager

Maya Didi comes from Sindhuli in the south of Nepal and she has moved to Pokhara with her family in 2014. Maya has three children and she lives with her husband and mother in law in the neighbouring village. Her children attend the local school and pop in to the retreat center on their way to school almost every day. Maya is quiet, dedicated, dependable and hardworking and she always has a smile for everyone. Outside of our center, she looks after some livestock, grows vegetables and sells them in the local neighbourhood and in her free time she enjoys knitting and watching Bollywood and Nepalese movies.

Raj Kumar Moktan

Chef

Raj Kumar comes from a village in the area of Agra in Makwanpur district. He is the eldest of five siblings so he helps his parents to look after his younger brother and sisters. Few years ago his cousin encouraged him to travel to India where he started working as kitchen help. With time he learned how to cook at a seafood restaurant and he stayed in Goa for over a year. After coming back to Nepal he joined Purna Yoga and now he is in Yogaban Retreat – it’s hard to picture our kitchen without him. Raj Kumar loves music and singing almost as much as cooking and our guests often hear his renditions of Nepali songs while he prepares the meals.

Kumar Muskan

Chef

Kumar comes from a large family in one of the villages in Makwanpur district. He is one of eight siblings so he left home in his early teens to find himself a job and a vocation. He travelled to India where he started working as kitchen help first and then learned cooking. He first started working as a cook in “Shanu’s Restaurant” in Goa for 2 years and then at “Manu Guest House” in Manali for 3 years. After returning to Nepal he joined Purna Yoga and now he is in Yogaban Retreat – we cannot imagine our center without him. Kumar is very dedicated and he simply enjoys cooking so his meals are infused with his enthusiasm and taste extra special. Kumar also enjoys listening to Nepali folk music.