Though Ulpotha has come to be known as an eco-friendly, vegetarian yoga retreat that offers Ayurveda, the founders would like to emphasize that it was not established to be anything in particular.
The yoga, Ayurveda, and eco sensibilities are not central to its ethos - Ulpotha is there to be enjoyed as one wishes, and taken for what it is: an enchanting place that sprinkles its magic dust on those who pass through.
A magical yoga experience
Ulpotha's natural charms lend themselves readily to a deeply satisfying experience of yoga. If ever there was a place made for yoga, Ulpotha is it. Though Ulpotha was not planned at the outset as a Sri Lankan yoga centre, yoga very quickly took its central place in the Ulpotha experience through a series of serendipitous events. Having done so, it is hard to imagine a place better suited to the practise of this ageless discipline.
On your day of arrival, you will be transferred from the airport by one of Ulpotha's excellent drivers and welcomed in Ulpotha with coconut juice, herbal tea, fruits, and healthy snacks. The day begins with birdsong, as well as light tea and fruit before your dynamic morning class.
Ulpotha invites leading teachers from around the world to come and share their gift of yoga with its guests. A variety of yoga styles are on offer to suit a wide range of preferences.
Yoga is practised in the yoga shala, which is essentially an open-sided hall that lets in nature's charms, from gentle breezes to bird song. On occasion classes are conducted further afield: beneath the splaying branches of a Banyan tree, or on top of Monkey Rock, or below the neighboring temple - or wherever else takes the collective fancy of those present.
Many of the world's most respected yoga teachers come to Ulpotha. As the teachers change every fortnight, several types of yoga - usually Hatha, Vinyasa, Yoga Therapeutics, Yin, Iyengar and Ashtanga - are available at different times in the season.
Every morning there's an optional yoga class in a large, open-sided building with a palm leaf roof, or in the cool dappled shade of a banyan tree. Teachers who come to Ulpotha are very experienced and are open to teaching many levels of students within a class. Some may also guide dawn walks in the beautifully wooded surrounding hills for those who wish.
As Ulpotha attracts high-quality yoga instructors, some guests come mainly for yoga classes. But since Ulpotha was never intended to be primarily a yoga centre, there's no pressure to attend classes, and life doesn't hinge on classes of any kind. So you won't feel an outsider if yoga isn't for you.
This is a place to unwind, be gentle with yourself, live close to nature and simply be; or if you feel energetic, a wonderful place to exercise and rejuvenate. Ulpotha provides yoga mats, wooden blocks, belts, small flat cushions, and bolsters in the Yoga Sri Lanka Shala.
After breakfast, choose an Ayurveda detox package and enjoy the oil applications and herbal baths and steams under the supervision of the resident doctor, or simply go for a swim or relax on a swing bed.
Lunch is served in the Ambalama, where you can enjoy a delicious array of veggie dishes, juices, and teas while chatting with fellow guests. In the afternoon, have a massage with one of Ulpotha's outstanding international therapists, take a bike ride and visit the local village, roam the hills, visit the neighboring Buddhist temple, boat on the lake, or simply relax.
Afternoon classes held at sunset are restorative and include meditation and pranayama. Enjoy a sumptuous candlelit veggie dinner, borrow a book from the library, or chat with the owners. Head up to the lake and dance under the moonlight.
For your information, the holiday cost includes two daily yoga classes of one and a half to two hours per day: one class in the morning around 07:30 and the second class in the evening around 17:00.
Please note that the yoga starts on the first Sunday evening and finishes after class on the final Saturday night to allow guests to check out by 10:00. on the final Sunday. There is no yoga, on the afternoon of the half-day excursion trip (week one) nor on the day of the excursion trip of week two.
Typical day at Ulpotha
- 07:00 - 07:30 - Tea and fruit
- 07:30 - 09:00 - Yoga
- 09:00 - 09:30 - Breakfast
- 09:45 - 12:30 - Massages / Ayurveda / Swimming / Relaxing
- 12:30 - 13:30 - Lunch
- 14:00 - 16:00 - Massages / Ayurveda / Swimming / Relaxing
- 16:00 - 17:00 - Tea and snacks
- 17:00 - 18:30 - Yoga / Meditation / Sunset walks
- 19:00 - 20:00 - Dinner
