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There are three meanings of Aashram:

1 - Aashram means hermitage. Here sages live along with other sages. They build their huts, small or large, and do their daily chores of Tap, worship, Yagya etc. When somebody goes to Van, since he is not supposed to live in bricks houses, he builds a Kutiyaa (made of leaves, twigs, straws, trees, trees' branches etc) for himself to live and to do his worship etc. When several people live nearby in such Kutiyaa, that is also called Aashram.

2 - That place was also called Aashram where disciples used to go to get educated. This is the place where they used to spend their "Brahmcharya" period of their lives. (see No 3 meaning). It was also called Gurukul. Thus Guru, his wife and disciples were considered as a family where Guru and his wife were like parents of the disciple. Guru's wife use to make arrangements for disciples' food etc and was usually called Guru Maataa (mother). They used to live in huts, work for Aashram, get alms, and learn.

3 - Its another meaning is life's four stages of human life. In Hindu Dharm a person lives his life under four Aashram - Brahmcharya Aashram, Grihasth Aashram, Vaanprasth Aashram, Sanyaas Aashram. A person's age is supposed to be 100 years and each Aashram span is about 25 years of age.. 

(A) - Brahmcharya Aashram. The first 25 years have been assigned for study. And this period is called Brahmcharya Aashram. During this period one is supposed to sleep on floor, to eat minimum and whatever is available food, to observe celibacy, to serve Guru (teacher), and to acquire knowledge. 

(B) - Grihasth Aashram. The second 25 years (26-50) have been assigned for Grihasth Aashram. In this period a person marries, has children and fulfills all his duties towards God (Yagya, charity, alms, fasts etc). Grihasth Aashram has been considered the most important period of the life as it is the only period when a man can repay his all Rin (loans - Brahm Rin, Dev Rin, Pitra Rin) by producing children, imparting knowledge, and doing Yagya and other religious duties. 

(C) - Vaanprasth Aashram. The third part, the next 25 years (51-75), are assigned to Vaanprasth Aashram. In this Aashram, a person may live in the house or in forest but detaches himself from materialism and prepares himself for Sanyaas. 

(D) - Sanyaas Aashram. The fourth and last 25 years are assigned to Sanyaas Aashram. In this one a person is supposed to leave the world, all kinds of worldly pleasures, all materialism and all worldly involvement and spend his time in all kinds of spiritual activities, keeping minimum things with him, eating only whatever he gets in alms etc.

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