Yoga and Ayurveda Retreats / Varkala, India

Yoga and Ayurveda Retreats
Varkala, India
22.02. - 3.03. 2025
5.03. - 14.03.2025

India holds a special place in my heart, its deep sincerity and innate power never cease to amaze me.
Whenever I am there, my mind and body harmoniously align themselves with all energies in balance. A unique land of vibrant colors, breathtaking landscapes and rich history, India is unlike any other. It stole my heart a few years ago when I spent several weeks in Rishikesh, studying the philosophy and anatomy of hatha yoga, practicing asanas every day for several hours and discovering the neighborhood of the ashram I stayed at. Few years later, I went to Kerala and stayed at the Green Garden Ayurveda Resort. And I went back again in March this year. This time, to host a Yoga and Ayurveda Retreat for a group of wonderful people. Can't wait to do this again. In 2025, I will have two retreats, two dates for you to choose from.I invite you to travel with me in 2025, where together we will discover the beauty, culture and rejuvenation that Kerala has to offer. Ayurvedic treatments, beaches, temples, colors, yoga, nature… This all is waiting for us. 

‍HELLO

‍I'm Guka, and I'm honored to accompany you in this experience. After several years of sharing my yoga practice in group and individual classes - I discovered that also yoga retreats bring me so much fulfillment. I believe in this concept of spending time focusing on your practice, being close to nature and exploring new places while staying very mindful and committed to the process, as part of this temporary retreat tribe.You can find more information about me here‍

‍RHYTHM THE DAY IN VARKALA

‍This retreat will give you many opportunities to practice yoga with me. While creating the program - I really wanted to give you a chance to learn more about Yoga and Ayurveda at their source and origins. Together with the team at Green Garden Resort, we've put together a program for you that includes a variety of activities, as well as some free time for you to relax or explore Varkala on your own.

This experience is a self-care journey.

Let me give you a feeling of what your days will look like. We will start our stay with a consultation with an experienced Ayurvedic doctor. He will explain to us the main principles of Ayurveda and take us through assessment of our doshas. With that, each of us will attend an individual consultation where the doctor will discuss your health condition, he will prescribe medication and plan of treatments. On top of that, our daily meals will also follow the principles of Ayurveda. This will be your Ayurveda program throughout the stay at Green Garden. We will start each day with a morning yoga class on the rooftop, with a beautiful view over the palm trees and sound of the ocean waves. You will have your treatment scheduled once a day. After dinner, I will hold an evening meditation or yoga nidra practice before bedtime. Sun goes down quite early in Varkala and rises up early. This will guide us and give the rhythm to our days.

Therefore, a morning yoga practice will start at 6:30 am and evening meditation will take place around 8:30 pm.I truly encourage you to give it a chance and really follow the rhythm of this retreat, join the yoga classes, follow the prescribed diet and medication, attend your treatments. We will also have a few additions to the program that will take you closer to the local culture: a trip to Backwaters (Group 1) or kayaking (Group 2), ceremony of puja and a visit to the temple followed by a morning class on the beach. I have also invited a guest teacher Shiva- to share his class with us on Sunday morning. Shiva is a wonderful teacher running his school in Varkala, and I find his classes very special, with strong energy. I would love for you to meet him too.

‍ACTIVITIES

- Lecture with an Ayurvedic Doctor on principles of Ayurveda
- Individual consultations with the doctor
- 8 ayurvedic massages/treatments 
- Daily morning yoga practice and evening meditation with Guka
- One day trip to Kerala: Backwaters Munroe Island or Kayaking
- Pooja (traditional ceremony)
- Visit to a Janardanaswamy Temple in Varkala
- Kerala food tasting on last evening (Sadhya), a traditional multi-course dish served on a banana leaf
- 1 extra yoga class with Shiva

WHAT IS AYURVEDA?

We wholeheartedly recommend all participants to trust this process, to follow the guidelines, diet and meals, to show up to yoga classes and meditation sessions, to take necessary rest, follow the medication and treatments.
‍
Ayurveda is a natural system of medicine, originated in India thousands of years ago. The term Ayurveda is derived from the Sanskrit words ayur (life) and veda (science or knowledge).

Thus, Ayurveda translates to knowledge of life. Based on the idea that disease is due to an imbalance or stress in a person’s consciousness, Ayurveda encourages certain lifestyle interventions and natural therapies to regain a balance between the body, mind, spirit, and the environment.Ayurveda treatment starts with an internal purification process, followed by a special diet, herbal remedies, massage therapy, yoga, and meditation.You will start your stay with a consultation with an Ayurveda doctor.
‍
He will prescribe medicines and treatments for everyone individually. Green Garden Team of Ayurvedic Therapists makes a selection of best quality oils and medication they use for the treatments.
They also often prepare Medicated Ayurvedic oils by themselves according to the tradition and take care that you get the best quality of Ayurvedic massages and treatments.
‍

WHERE DO WE STAY

About Green Garden Ayurvedic Resort (Google Maps)

‍Greengarden Ayurvedic Resort is located in the heart of Varkala, with the beach only a few minutes from the resort's doorstep. You can hear the ocean waves from there and as it's a closed road, there is not much traffic around. It is a very quiet place for yogis and Ayurveda lovers. There are two buildings within walking distance from each other. Dining area is in one of them and a yoga shala on the rooftop of the second building.Depending on availability, you will have a chance to choose a single or double room. All rooms have private bathrooms and a ceiling fan. 

‍About Varkala

‍Varkala is located about 50 km north of Thiruvananthapuram city in Thiruvananthapuram region and 37 km south of Kollam, south Kerala.It has several tourist attractions that include a beautiful beach, a 2000-year-old Vishnu Temple and the Ashramam - Sivagiri Mutt a little distance from the beach.

The Papanasam Beach (also called as Varkala Beach), which is 10 km away from Varkala, is well known for its natural spring, considered to have medicinal and curative qualities. A dip in the holy waters at this beach is believed to purge the body of impurities and the soul of all sins; hence the name 'Papanasam Beach'.A two thousand-year-old shrine, the Janardhana Swamy Temple stands on the cliffs overlooking the beach, a short distance away. The Sivagiri Mutt, founded by the great religious reformer and philosopher Sree Narayana Guru (1856 - 1928) is also close by. The Samadhi (the final resting place) of the Guru here attracts thousands of devotees every year during the Sivagiri Pilgrimage days - 30th December to 1st January. Sree Narayana Guru propagated the ideology: "one caste, one religion and one God'', in a society torn by the taboos of caste system.


‍TRAVEL
‍
‍As we will have participants joining us from different locations, travel arrangements and bookings will be on your side. However, as I have been in Varkala several times - I am happy to advise on travel arrangements so please feel free to connect with me before you make a decision on final flight booking. In addition, I will create a WhatsApp chat for each retreat group so we can all stay in touch and see - who is traveling, how and when.

The closest airport to Verkala is Thiruvananthapuram (TRV: Trivandrum). Airport transfers are on us - we will organize a pick up and drop off for you (once you have your flights booked, please send your reservation to me). While booking your travels, please be mindful of the program dates and times (when do we start and finish the retreat).

I also encourage you to check the visa requirements of the country you are the passport holder of. Important: please make sure that your passport is valid for a min. 6 months from your planned arrival date to India!

// My flights

I will be flying with Qatar Airways from Zurich via Doha to Trivandrum, arriving on Saturday 22. February 2:20 am. My return flight is also with Qatar Airways, on Saturday 15. March at 3:50 am, same route: Trivandrum - Doha - Zurich. I'm happy to share the details of my booking with you and advise on flight connections.


‍PRICES AND RESERVATION

‍Varkala holds a special place in my heart as I've met wonderful people there, Ayurveda is healing my body and soul, the nature is stunning, food is yummy and the ocean is so beautiful. So if this resonates with you and you see yourself joining me in one of Yoga and Ayurveda Retreats next year, please reach out! To make a reservation, please contact me so we can arrange that together.

‍PRICES:

‍Single Room / 1390 CHF + 500 USD
‍Double Room / 990 CHF + 500 USD (per person)
‍
‍PAYMENT PLAN:
- Deposit required to confirm a reservation: 390 CHF
- Outstanding amount in CHF (depending on the accommodation you select) to be paid by the end of Nov 2024
- 500 USD in cash paid onsite upon arrival to Varkala
‍

WANT TO JOIN A RETREAT  WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP?

‍Yay! First let me express my excitement. Here's what you need to do next:

1) Select a Single or Double Room (see the prices above)
2) Choose the date that suits you best (I opened two dates, two retreats next year)
3) Contact me to proceed with the reservation - yogawithguka@gmail.com
4) Follow the guidelines from the email you'll receive from me 
‍
‍
‍Price includes:

- Accommodation at Green Garden Ayurvedic Resort (9 nights)
- Meals (breakfasts and dinners)
- Daily yoga and meditation with Guka (morning class and evening meditation each day)
- Yoga class with a guest teacher: Shiva
- One day trip (Group 1 / Munroe Island; Group 2 / Kayaking in Backwaters)
- Kerala food tasting: ceremonial dinner with traditional local dishes
- Pooja Ceremony
- Visit to a temple
- Airport transfers
- Consultation with an ayurvedic doctor
- Ayurvedic medicines throughout your stay

Your additional costs
(not included in the booking fee)
‍
- Travel costs (excl. Trivandrum-Varkala transfers arranged by us)
- Visa fee
- Insurance, vaccines etc.
- Additional yoga classes and ayurvedic treatments not listed in the above program
- Additional meals or trips

‍Cancellation policy: the “Just so you knows” and “just in cases”

‍Please note that because Yoga in Varkala with me is limited to a certain number of attendees, to allow for a more personable experience, my cancellation policy is in place to help you and me alike work together sharing expenses that may arise from unexpected cancellations.

1. Deposit (390 CHF) is non-refundable.
2. Full balance due following the agreed payment plan and completed latest by end of November 2024 (unless otherwise noted).
3. Cancellation requests submitted within 60 days of retreat date, sorry but no refunds given due to costs I will need to proceed with at that point of time.

‍CONTACT ME!

‍I would love to hear from you if you have any questions, please get in touch. 

Can't wait to spend these days with you all in Varkala 🙂

Hari Om,
Guka

‍