4 Day Yoga Retreat in Kandy, Central Province, Sri Lanka
Yoga Retreat Sri Lanka
This is a special retreat organized by The Kandy Samadhi Centre, together with international yoga teacher, Paddy McGrath. Learn how to unbutton your spine, breathing techniques, and theory and practice on anatomy. Immerse yourself in daily asana and meditation practice with the beautiful Sri Lankan forest as the background. You will also have the chance to enjoy delicious and fully vegetarian Sri Lankan meals daily.
Meet the instructors
Read more
Highlights
- Theory and practice on anatomy
- Breathing and spine loosening practices
- Daily yoga asana and meditation practices
- Daily vegetarian and traditional Sri Lankan brunch and dinner
- Tea, coffee, snacks, and fruit
- 3 nights accommodation
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Yoga styles
Accommodation
Facilities
- Terrace
During this retreat, you will be accommodated at one of The Kandy Samadhi Centre's many pavilions and suites. The thirteen pavilions, which lean out of the hillside, are veritable temples of tranquility. They are designed to make you feel you are the only person staying here. Privacy is everything, yet there are no unnecessary walls. This results in a truly serene environment surrounded by urns, art, and treasures dating back to a time when Kandy was a royal realm. Everything is king-sized. The Indonesian teak bed in a double room is spacious enough to sleep three people comfortably.
Even the smallest suite provides a four-poster bed to dream in. The spacious verandas of each room overlook the paddy fields, nearby mountains, and bench terraces filled with herb gardens or pineapples. Bamboos reach out with their four-fingered leaves to fan a breeze at you. In the surrounding natural forest, mango, toddy palm, mahogany, and jak trees rub necks with giant bamboo, avocado, and Chinese guava.
Program
Day 1
- 15:00 Welcome tea and coffee
- 15:30 Asana class
- 17:30 Dinner
- 19:30 Meditation
Day 2
- 06:30 Breathing and spine loosening
- 07:30 Morning tea and coffee with biscuits or fruits
- 08:30 Asana (back bends)
- 10:45 Big brunch followed by free time
- 14:00 Tea and snack with discussion on "Anatomy Revisited: Practice and Theory"
- 15:30 Asana (inversion)
- 17:30 Dinner
- 19:30 Meditation
Day 3
- 06:30 Breathing and spine loosening
- 07:30 Morning tea and coffee with biscuits or fruits
- 08:30 Asana (back bends)
- 10:45 Big brunch followed by free time
- 14:00 Tea and snack with discussion on "Anatomy Revisited: Practice and Theory"
- 15:30 Asana (inversion)
- 17:30 Dinner
- 19:30 Meditation
Day 4
- 06:30 Breathing and spine loosening
- 07:30 Tea, coffee, and snacks
- 08:30 Asana
- 10:45 Brunch and then farewell
Instructors
Paddy McGrath
Paddy teaches with deep passion and humor with her ever evolving quest to “unbutton the spine - so it can dance“ by assimilating decades of studies, initially under back bend master V. Venketesh (Mysore India) and senior Iyengar and Ashtanga teachers in India and Australia. Diane Long, Angela Farmer, and John Stirk had the greatest impact on her teaching. Paddy revolutionizes free movement in what she calls the spinal revolution. Using back bends as her thread, she brings her insight to students of all levels through playful poses and light-hearted language and imagery.
Retreat location
This retreat will be held in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Fifty minutes northeast of Kandy, the fertile landscape becomes a mass of lush vegetation reverberating with unfamiliar birdsong. The human populace too seems a different breed, profligate with smiles and allowing their abundant good sat sung to spill over and cloak the visitor. Go past the triangular ambalama and up the steps where you squeeze past the statue of a giant Hindu goddess - half-woman, half-horse.
There you will find the beautiful Samadhi Retreat Centre. The Kukul-Oya River meets the Hulu-Ganga, conveniently creating several spots for river bathing among the rocks and baby rapids. There, Plumbago (graphite) was found in lumps among the pebbles, but the locals had since been driven to eke out a meager living selling fruit and vegetables off roadside stalls.
Distances
- Kandy, 23 kilometers
- Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB), 123 kilometers
Features
Activities
- Cooking classes
- Golf course nearby
- Massage
- Reiki
- Spa
- Swimming
General
- Environmentally friendly
- Garden
- Picnic area
- Restaurant
- River nearby
Services
- Library
- Tour assistance
This Yoga Retreat is vegetarian-friendly
Click to see more vegetarian-friendly Yoga Retreats
Food
Included in the total cost of this retreat are daily vegetarian and traditional Sri Lankan brunch and dinner. Fruits, snacks, fruit juice, tea, and coffee will also be served during the retreat.
The following meals are included:
- Brunch
- Dinner
- Snacks
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Coffee
- Tea
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
Things to do (optional)
A wellness spa facility is available at The Kandy Samadhi Centre. Those who would like to book Ayurveda treatments can inform the management after arrival and the treatment will be arranged for you during your free time for an additional cost.
Full Ayurvedic body massage and steam bath
This is a very old traditional therapy by two therapists, who work in tandem, synchronizing their strokes and massages according to the circulatory and marma points for one hour. This is the most rejuvenating treatment of Ayurveda. This can be treated for various ages and for common disorders. The benefits are:
- Beautifies skin and slows down aging
- Eliminate toxins in the body
- Increase efficiency of athletic performance and improve sportive vitality
- Improves blood circulation
- Promotes vitality, reduces stress, and stimulates sound sleep
- Relieve pains and relax stiff muscles
- Rejuvenates the entire body
- Reduces obesity, diabetics gangrene, and so on
Shirodhara
In this treatment, medicated oil is poured slowly over the forehead. Shirodhara is highly beneficial in treating headaches, mental tension, insomnia, stress, and disorders of the central nervous system. Medicated oil is also poured onto the body, which is beneficial in curing neuromuscular disorders, rheumatism, and general debility.
Shirodhara gives the best results when taken after an Abhyangam. Dhara is good for all ailments. Changing the liquid as per the dosha condition with necessary alterations in the procedure is useful to alleviate any dosha. The benefits are:
- Effective for mental diseases, headaches, nervous disorders, insomnia, blood pressure, general weakness, and urinary disorders
- Eliminates stress and anxiety
- Helps to have a sound sleep
- Prescribed in clinical conditions like epilepsy, diabetes, neuropathy, and paralysis
- Strengthens central nervous system
- Strengthens sensible organs
- Reduces hypertension
Ela Kizhi (Pathrapotali Swedam)
This is a common treatment for various diseases, including inflammatory conditions of the bones and joints, arthritis, spinal problems, and sports injuries. Herbs, leaves, or powders with warm oil are applied over the affected areas of the body for massaging. The benefits are:
- Controls vitiated vata
- Effective in the cases of spondylitis, sports injuries, muscular pains, back pains
- Improves central blood supply
- Relieves pain, numbness, and edema
- Stimulates the nerve endings
What's included
- Daily yoga, asana, and meditation class
- Breathing and spine-loosening class
- Practice and theory on anatomy
- 3 nights accommodation
- Daily vegetarian brunch and dinner
- Fruits, snacks, fruit juice, tea, and coffee
- All taxes
What's not included
- Airfare
- Airport transfers
- Personal expenses
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Bandaranaike International Airport
96 km
Transfer not provided
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 14% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookYogaRetreats.com. All major credit cards supported.