22 November - 29 November 2009 (7 nights)

Yoga Holiday with optional Indian Cooking classes

Teachers: Jodi Boone (Yoga) and Mani Shivadas (Chef)

29 November - 6 December (7 nights)

Yoga Holiday with Detox

Teachers: Jodi Boone and Sue Pendlebury

The courses above can be taken as a 7 or 14 day retreat

Cost: from £450 for 7 days or £850 for 14 nights

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. This 7 night holiday can be taken on its own or why not stay for 14 nights and include the Yoga Detox to really feel the benefits of retreating away from the stresses of normal life.

Goa is beautiful in November. We've planned a special holiday at Satsanga Retreat Centre where you'll enjoy a morning and afternoon yoga practice, with Indian Cooking Classes with Mani in the first week and Mani's special Ayurvedic detox juices in the second week. There will be plenty of time for taking in Goa's beautiful beaches, vibrant and colourful bazaars or simply relaxing in a hammock by the pool with a good book.

Practise daily asanas and meditation both morning and evening.  Enjoy inspiring talks and workshops on such topics as: nutrition, health, spirituality, yogic philosophy, personal development and creative expression.

Each day will start with early morning pranayama and meditation from 7am to 7.45am. This will be followed by a tea break. Between 8.15 and 10.15 each morning we will practice asanas. Breakfast will be served after this with an array of tropical fruits, yoghurt, muesli, smoothies, and freshly baked breads and has been known to go on for a long time. This is undeniably the best breakfast you will find in Goa.

There will be yoga in the late afternoon/ evening between 6 and 7.30 and there will be time to allow you to explore the vast array of different things on offer in Goa, from beaches to temples, performances to markets.

For those who would like to learn about vegetarian Indian cooking from Mani there will be four organised classes during the week a couple of hours before the evening yoga class.  It will be possible to organise private classes with Mani for those of you coming only on the detox week.

The holiday can be taken either as a 7 or a 14 night retreat. We would like guests to arrive on the 22nd November at 2 pm. We can pick you up from airport if you let us know your time of arrival and flight number (taxi fare not included and approximately 900rp which is about £15). 

We will start the retreat with our first yoga session at 5.30 - 7pm followed by dinner at 7.30pm.

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 its 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).