Mountainyoga: retreating to the fragrant hills (4)

He pauses before he brings up yoga-in-action or action with a meditative awareness. "Everything I do is karma yoga." There's no question that, with his long tousles of hair and grizzled beard, he does have the air of a holy man about him.

Fittingly, profit is clearly not his aim in running Mountainyoga. "Up to now, [Mountainyoga's] been running a deficit," he openly admits. "I've been accumulating my personal debts, but things financially are getting better and better because more and more people are coming."

The retreats are popular in part due to their good value. Whereas a single yoga session in the city can cost 150 yuan, packages at Mountainyoga reasonably start at 200 yuan per day.

Gyangiri notes that increasingly more Chinese and foreigners alike are in need of a retreat, a "lifestyle where you can get away from the city, at least for a few days. Where you live a simple lifestyle and get yourself recharged. It's not like going sightseeing. People can take off the masks that they have to wear in the workplace. It's more relaxed and open."

And what about Gyangiri's swimming pool? It was completed, though it already lies now buried underground. "I'm not disappointed," he smiles sincerely. "That idea of having a house and pool with no money brought me to more fun, more meaningful things, such as organizing people doing yoga."

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