For those of you who would like to take time out from our somewhat stressful festive season, here's a chance for you to do your own thing this xmas. Fly out to the warmth and beauty of North Goa to soak up some Indian sunshine and relax into a week of daily yoga practice.

This yoga retreat with Helen Noakes will combine asana and pranayama in two classes a day at the idyllic Satsanga Centre with plenty of time spare to take in the beautiful beaches, colourful markets or just relax by the pool.

Each day will begin with an hour of breathing exercises and pranayamas. Exploring and expanding our awareness of how breath work can invigorate and deepen our understanding of our bodies. We will spend some time preparing for sitting postures so we can breath together with ease, comfort and stability. This will lead to a vinyasa flow class where you will experience a new sequence everyday choregraphed to music. Each day you will be invited to play with a specific theme for the flow class e.g. hip, shoulder, foot openers or back bending. These classes will be fun, light and tailored to your level of experience.

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.

Evening sessions will be more focused on a workshop style where you will have the opportunity to explore and experiment with postures and specific poses that you personally would like to work with. Partner work will play a strong role in these classes where you will have the chance to go deeper into your experience of yoga posture. Joy and lightness will be encouraged in all classes and deep relaxation will be a strong theme throughout the week. The evening yoga class will be followed by dinner.

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.

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).