For students who want to go beyond retreats. A sustained, structured relationship with the teaching over time.
A retreat gives you a taste of what practice can be. Mentorship is for students who want to go further – who have experienced enough to know they are serious, and who want the support of an ongoing relationship with a teacher rather than periodic exposure to different voices.
Mentorship with Mani Raman is not a structured curriculum with fixed modules. It is a relationship. The shape of the work is determined by who the student is, where they are in practice, and what questions they are actually sitting with.
A small number of mentorship places are available each year. Entry is by conversation, not application form.
Mentorship students spend a minimum of 2 weeks at Vana Farm each year – or in other retreats personally taught by Mani Raman. Presence in the teaching environment is not optional; it is where the work takes root.
Between periods at the farm, students remain in regular contact with Mani Raman – through written correspondence, updates, monthly calls, and the steady work of maintaining a serious daily practice at home.
Students are given texts to read and practice sequences to work with between visits. Each period at the farm or retreat builds on what came before – the work is cumulative by design.
Mentorship is not a short programme. The minimum commitment is 6 months to 1 year. Students who are looking for a quick certification or credential are not the right fit for this.
Mentorship is for students who have been practising seriously for several years, who have attended at least one retreat at Vana Farm or a retreat or teacher training personally taught by Mani Raman, and who sense that what they are looking for cannot be found in occasional workshops or online courses.
It is not for beginners. It is not for people who are still deciding whether yoga is something they want to go deeper with. It is for people who already know – and who are ready to be held to that knowing.
The first step is a conversation. Write to us.
If mentorship feels like the right direction, write to Mani Raman directly at mani@yogavana.in. Say something about your practice background, what drew you to this teaching, and what you are looking for. There is no form to fill in.
Vana Farm, Kambam Valley
Melagudalur, Tamilnadu – 625516. India