Friday 11 March - Friday 18 March 2011 (7 nights)

Yoga and Indian Cooking retreat

Teachers: Jodi Boone (Yoga), Peter Roussel (Yoga) and Mani Shivadas (Chef)

Cost: from £515

De-stress and deepen your yoga practise in the warmth and beauty of North Goa whilst learning the art of Indian cooking with master ayurvedic chef, Mani Shivadas from Kerala. Feel the benefits of retreating away from the stresses of normal life.

Goa is beautiful in November and December, and we've planned a special holiday at Satsanga Retreat Centre where you'll enjoy an extended morning practice, and in the afternoon, a cooking lesson with Mani (5 lessons in total).

We will begin the day at 8am with a 2-hour asana session, which will include pranayama and meditation. This will be followed by a beautiful breakfast of sweet tropical fruits, yoghurt, muesli, and freshly baked breads. You'll have the day to relax and read by the pool, take in Goa's beautiful beaches or explore the colourful bazaars.

At 4:30pm you'll join Mani in the kitchen where you'll learn the art of Indian vegetarian cooking, including how to prepare curries, masalas, spices, raitas, chapathis, chutney, sweets and more! You'll enjoy the fruits of your labour, as dinner will be served after the lesson, around 7pm.

This holiday is limited to six participants, giving each person a hands-on experience in the kitchen, as well as individual attention for the yoga sessions. Plan to arrive so you can check into Satsanga by 3pm. We'll have a yoga class at 5.15 pm, followed by dinner.

Mani Shivadas is the ayurvedic chef at Satsanga Retreat. In addition to managing the centre's meal planning and preparation, Mani offers ayurvedic cooking classes. Originally from Kerala, Mani grew up in an Ayurvedic household. Both her father and brother are ayurvedic doctors, and Mani has been cooking professionally as an ayurvedic chef for 16 years. In additional to cooking in the ayurvedic tradition, Mani has vast knowledge about the healing properties of different herbs and spices and how they can be used in medicinal ways to help alleviate many common health ailments.

"Mani's cooking is superb, and her knowledge of ayurveda is immense. She is not only an amazing cook, she is a beautiful, warm-hearted person." - Alissa Steiner, Switzerland

There will be plenty of opportunity for you to explore the beaches of Goa to swim in the warm ocean, sunbathe with a good book and fresh coconut milk and visit the bustling colourful markets of Mapsa and Anjuna with their hundreds of stalls, selling everything from clothes to statues, jewellery to cd's. The Saturday Night Bizarre is one of our favourite nights out, with it's live music, great food and wide array of stalls. (One of the largest markets in Asia).

There are plenty of places to eat out and plenty of places to enjoy being entertained with live music and performance. It's best to hire a scooter to get around (drive slowly and safely!) which can be organised at Satsanga. Many people however enjoy the quiet and relaxing nature of the retreat centre and spend their time hanging out by the pool in hammocks, drinking Mani's fabulous fruit juices and basically chilling out.

All rooms at the Satsanga Retreat Centre are all twinned with bathrooms attached. Beds are of good quality, the water flows readily, electricity is almost always there...so...this is India with most mod cons!

Please note that this holiday is mainly for twin rooms - there is some single accommodation but we cannot guarantee this.

The Satsanga Retreat is situated in Verla Canca, a small village located between Anjuna Beach and Mapusa. It really is a little paradise and we are blessed to be able to retreat in such a beautiful place!! The centre features an exquisite yoga shala (gorgeous soft wooden floor), a beautiful swimming pool with jacuzzi, shady terraces, hanging chairs and hammocks and a sunny courtyard for hanging out and eating fabulous vegetarian food.

Many guests say it feels like a "home-away-from-home" offering a relaxed community feel, one of the best yoga shala's in Goa and in close proximity to fabulous beaches and markets (5 - 10 mins on a scooter).