Visiting the spirits of Altai
Spring in Katon is a time of awakening after a long winter sleep. Such contrast is almost impossible to experience anywhere else. The air is filled with the scent of fir trees. The first wild flowers bloom underfoot. Snow still rests on the ridge tops, and during hikes you feel the freshness of the mountain breeze, carrying the aroma of a new life cycle. A yoga journey is not just a program. It is deep restoration of the nervous system, inner clarity, renewal of the body, and encounters with inspiring people. You will return different — calm, energized, filled, and truly alive.
panoramic views
guardians of Katon
to the Kerzhak traditions
cream, butter,
cottage cheese and milk
forest berries
and jam
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A unique experience of practices in places of power
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Encounter with the living nature of Altai that awakens
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A sense of freedom and release from urban routine
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Living through “great silence”
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A true return to yourself
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A healthy, strong, grateful body
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Aesthetic pleasure and taste of life
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Restoration of emotional and physical balance
Meeting the participants at the airport, gathering the group, and departure toward the Bukhtarma Reservoir. We stop at a scenic viewpoint, enjoy a small picnic. Snacks and a briefing on the program.
We meet the sunset on the road at one of the panoramic viewpoints. At dusk, we arrive at a guest house located on the shore of the Bukhtarma Reservoir, in a quiet and secluded bay.
The first evening practice will be a gentle immersion into the atmosphere of our journey. We will get acquainted, feel the space and each other, and create a shared field of trust and presence. Through breathing, movement, and circle meditation, we tune into a single rhythm and set a collective intention for the entire trip.
This will be the beginning of the path — quiet, full, and connecting.
After the practice, we enjoy dinner together at a large table.
Morning is considered the most auspicious time for yoga practice — when the mind is clear, the breath is soft, and the world is still calm. Each morning, through asanas and pranayama, we awaken inner energy and fill the body with mindful awareness. Every morning practice becomes a personal ritual of meeting yourself away from work stress and daily rush.
Breakfast with a beautiful view of the reservoir. After breakfast — quick packing and departure toward Katon. A stop at a wild beach, where we hold a daytime practice and enjoy a light picnic.
Mantra chanting — OM, 108 repetitions.
Sound is the most powerful vibration. It penetrates the body and mind, cleansing your entire field from tension.
We continue our journey. The landscapes change, the mountains outside the window seem to “grow,” and the sky becomes so blue it feels unreal. Gradually, we sink into the embrace of Katon. Along the way, we make several short stops and by evening arrive at a guest house, where a village sauna and a delicious dinner cooked in a traditional Russian oven await us.
Dinner, sauna / shower, rest.
Breathing practice for awakening + strengthening asanas + Shavasana for total relaxation.
Breakfast in the best village traditions and warm conversations with Vera Pavlovna about life and how simply everything is truly arranged.
After breakfast, we head out for a hiking trip to a nearby panoramic summit. The route is easy: part by car, part on foot. Approximately 7 km one way.
Reaching the summit, we settle in for a break and enjoy a small picnic with a 360° panoramic view and, if we’re lucky, see the highest mountain of Altai and Siberia — Mount Belukha. We will literally “eat the air and space with a spoon.” By sunset, we return to the guest house. Sauna, dinner, rest.
Breathing practice for awakening + strengthening asanas + beloved Shavasana for total relaxation.
Breakfast and farewell words from Vera Pavlovna.
A long journey awaits us through dense taiga forest, where not everyone dares to drive in spring. Muddy roads, old bridges, a hidden roaring waterfall, moose and bear tracks, and silence saturated with the scent of pine needles. By lunchtime, we arrive at Yazovoye Lake. We settle at one of the spots, grill BBQ, and enjoy peace and silence.
Partner yoga and partner meditation.
Partner yoga is a practice of trust, openness, and living interaction. When performing asanas in pairs, we learn to feel another person, synchronize with their breath, release control, and allow the body to flow. It is both deep and light — a little trance, a little play, lots of joy and laughter.
In the afternoon, we descend to the village of Uryl, where we stay in an authentic guest house. Upon arrival — dinner and rest.
Breakfast at the guest house. After that — a short walk to nearby natural sights. In a scenic place by the river or overlooking the valley, we enjoy a picnic with herbal tea and local treats: pancakes with jam and honey, homemade buns with sour cream. A short meditation follows.
By lunchtime, we return to the guest house, have lunch, and rest.
In the afternoon, we head to the sauna, where a full “mind and body cleansing” program awaits — releasing accumulated stress, tension, and urban noise. We recharge with the power of Katon’s nature and the strength of the Umay spirit.
After the sauna — dinner and an evening campfire.
Breakfast in the best traditions of Katon’s multicultural cuisine. Packing and departure.
On the way back, we visit a small rural market where you can purchase eco-products from local farmers and foragers.
We stop at a wild sandy beach, where we hold a daytime practice and picnic.
OSHO Dynamic Meditation — a powerful final practice for cleansing and releasing old patterns. A catharsis, rebirth, and return to naturalness. You will not be the same afterward. The most resilient participants may take a refreshing swim in the waters of the Bukhtarma “Sea.”
We then cross the reservoir by ferry and continue along the winding road of the Kalba Range, where the high-mountain landscapes of Katon give way to gentle rolling hills and pine groves. By evening, we arrive in Ust-Kamenogorsk.
Dinner at a cozy wine bar. Sharing impressions and enjoying the company.
Breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the airport, departure home.
