Adhyatma Vidya Peetham, Bangalore is the International Institute of Spirituality where the Discalced Carmelites (OCD) of the Malabar Province conduct every year a diploma course on Christian Spirituality. It was started in the year 1976, with a view of promoting spirituality and spiritual renewal in the Church in India and Abroad. The Institute is affiliated to the Pontifical Institute of Spirituality “Teresianum”, Rome. The residential spirituality course is open to Religious Sisters.  At its inception, it was the first of its kind in the whole of Asia.Ever since its beginning, the diploma course has been well attended to by participants hailing not only from all over India but also from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Tanzania, Australia, Spain, Scotland and Mexico.

The spirituality course conducted in AVP is holistic in its approach. It aims at imparting a lived experience of Christian prayer with a stress on its contemplative dimension, experience of Christian fellowship in community life. The course is coupled with an academic programme which includes courses and seminars on the various aspects of Christian Spirituality from its scriptural, dogmatic, moral, pastoral, historical, psychological, social, missiological and dialogal perspectives. Throughout the past years, the Institute has been making substantial contribution towards the missionary and apostolic rejuvenation of the Catholic Church in India and in many other parts of the world. It contributes also to the preparation of prospective formators and animators of different Religious Congregations. The alumni of this Institute today serve the Church in various capacities, such as spiritual directors in seminars, Bishops, Superior Generals, Provincials, Animators of various religious communities, Diocesan officials and missionaries.