āhlāda — pure, uncaused bliss
Ahlaad Alive
a sober meditation party
Nightlife energy without the alcohol. Meditation depth without the intimidation. Real connection without the awkward networking.
Healthy Nepali snacks & tea afterwards · white, casual, comfortable.
An afternoon that feels like a party
and lands like a retreat.
Kathmandu has plenty of places to drink, scroll, work and perform. This is none of those. It's an alcohol-free afternoon of active meditation, music and movement — finishing with tea, healthy Nepali snacks and real time to meet the people in the room.
Come by yourself or bring a friend. You don't need meditation experience. You don't need to know how to dance. You only need curiosity and a willingness to be present.
Guided enough to feel safe. Alive enough to feel free. Warm enough to meet people beyond small talk.
- Not a nightclub with meditation bolted on the end.
- Not a class where you sit still and are talked at.
- Not a sermon — no conversion, no guru, no performance.
- Not therapy or medical treatment of any kind.
See it for yourself.
Moments and reflections from the Ahlaad Alive afternoons we've already held in Kathmandu.
More on Instagram — @ahlaadretreat and @kneerub
Nothing here is random.
The whole thing is built as one arc — it opens gently, builds to something joyful, and brings you back down before you step outside.
Arrive
A warm welcome, and no pressure to be anyone in particular.
Ground
We settle, breathe, and set the tone together. You'll know exactly what's coming.
Connect
Simple guided prompts in pairs and small groups, so nobody is left standing awkwardly at the edge.
Move
Active meditation — breath, shaking, sound. This is where people find out meditation isn't only sitting still.
Dance
The room comes alive. Soft lighting, good sound, and full permission to move however you move.
Stillness
Lying down, sound, silence. The nervous system comes back down before you go anywhere.
Share
Small circles. Say as much or as little as you want — nothing is compulsory.
Tea & eat together
Tea and a mix of healthy Nepali snacks to finish — including satu from our sponsor Poshilo Foods. Real food with real protein in it, not a bowl of crisps. This is where the friendships actually start.
Snacks in partnership with Poshilo Foods — Nepali satu, an old grain kept alive for the way people eat now.
"I'm not a guru — I'm a friend, and what we share are tools anybody can use."
Neerav was born in Kathmandu and entered an ashram in the hills around the city at sixteen. Twenty-one years later he's guided meditation across more than fifteen countries — and came home to build the room he felt this city was missing.
He holds the afternoon himself: the opening, the practice, the music, the close. Warm, unpretentious, and entirely un-precious about it.
Swami Aatmo Neerav · Founder, Ahlaad Retreats
The questions everybody has.
Do I need to have meditated before?
No. A lot of people arrive having never meditated in their lives. Everything is guided step by step, and nothing assumes prior experience.
Do I have to dance?
No. You can sit, rest, watch, or step outside at any point — no one will make it a thing. Most people who ask this end up dancing anyway, but that's entirely your call.
Can I come on my own?
Most people do — that's rather the point. The afternoon is structured so that solo arrivals are talking to someone within the first twenty minutes. You will not be left standing on your own.
Are there really no intoxicants?
None — no alcohol, and nothing else either. That isn't a restriction we've bolted on, it's the entire point: the lift comes from the music, the movement, the breath and the people in the room, and it's a better one. This isn't about judging anyone who drinks. It's simply a different kind of room, and you'll wake up clear the next morning.
Is there food?
Yes, and we care about it. A mix of healthy Nepali snacks and tea at the end — real food with real protein in it, not a bowl of crisps.
Some of it comes from Poshilo Foods, who make satu — the roasted grain and chickpea flour Nepali families have run on for generations. Their name means nourishing, and they're doing to an old grain roughly what we're trying to do with an old practice: keep what's good in it, drop what isn't, and make it something you'd genuinely choose on a Saturday afternoon.
It's part of the afternoon rather than an afterthought — and it's when most of the talking happens.
What should I wear?
White, and something casual you can move comfortably in. Nothing formal, nothing fancy — the whole room wears white together, which is part of why it feels the way it does.
Will I be filmed or photographed?
We photograph the room — arrivals, dancing, the shared moments — and never private or vulnerable ones. Tell us on the day if you'd rather not appear in anything, and we'll make sure you don't.
How much does it cost?
Pricing for the next afternoon is announced together with the date. Say hello to Neerav on WhatsApp for details.
Is this suitable if I'm dealing with something difficult?
Ahlaad Alive is a celebration and a community space — it isn't therapy, treatment, or a substitute for professional care. Every intense practice is optional, and there are people on the floor whose whole job is to look after anyone who needs it. If you have a medical or psychological concern, please choose the gentler options and speak to a professional as well.
Just say hello.
Want to join the next Ahlaad Alive? Say hello to Neerav on WhatsApp for the latest dates, venue and booking details.
Say Hello to Neerav on WhatsApp