The Complete Yoga Community

Retreat Yourself

What could be more perfect than holidaying in a place that’s been designed especially with yoga in mind? When you need to recharge, take your spirit to one of these soulful spots that’ll help you retreat yourself – body, mind and soul…

Compiled By Hayley Alexander

MAGICAL INDIA
Satvik Sadan – Vedic Retreat Centre, Himalayas
LOCATION: Located in India just outside the lake town of Bhimtal within the beautiful lake district of Nainital, Satvik Sadan is an idyllic Vedic retreat perched 4,700 feet above sea level in the majestic Himalayas.
SURROUNDINGS: Satvik Sadan is built on part of the legendary Chyawan Rishi Ashram and revered as one of the holiest places in India. The retreat centre offers breathtaking panoramic views of the mountains of Karkotak in the North, the ancient Gargi River in the South, and the majestic pyramid Mount Haidakhand Kailash in the East.
COMFORT: The retreat’s position is further accentuated by its distinctive design, comprising of seven step-terraces built high into the mountain slope. The terrace levels represent the seven levels of consciousness, and are named after the seven chakras in the human body. There are 12 ethnically decorated en-suite guest rooms featuring modern amenities, all with large open-plan balconies. The top level, Sahasrara, showcases the library and hall for yoga/pranayama sessions and seminars as well as a classic meditation chamber.
THE FOOD: Based on Ayurvedic guidelines, all cuisine served at Satvik Sadan is specially prepared considering individual disposition and nature’s seasons, using vegetarian foods to increase the elements which are less, and decrease the elements in excess for each guest.
YOGA RETREATS: As founders and hosts of the region’s leading authentic Ayurvedic retreat, Shukla Acharya and Samrita offer several uniquely tailored packages to ensure that guests leave feeling renewed and gleaming with health. Packages include: Satvik Holiday, Satvik Detox, Therapeutic Yoga, Yoga Retreat, Spiritual Retreat and Teacher Training.
REST ASSURED: Whether resting on a bench to take in the hillside scenery, doing yoga in the rose garden with eagles flying overhead or simply admiring the sunrise as its golden rays pour into your room, a satvik lifestyle experience at Satvik Sadan is sure to leave you recharged with optimism. The centre also offers Ayurvedic massage treatments (snehana) as well as lifestyle management counselling (paraamarsh).
COST: The 10-day-yoga retreat and training recommended for beginners costs approximately R7 699 per person, all inclusive. TO BOOK: Phone +91 976 009 5451, email bliss@thesatvik.com or visit www.thesatvik.com

UNDER AFRICAN SKIES
Ngare Sero Mountain Retreat, Tanzania
LOCATION: Nestled at the southern base of Tanzania’s Mount Meru, in an 100-acre forest reserve, Ngare Sero is a remote hide-away conveniently located 20 kilometres from Mount Kilimanjaro and Arusha city.
SURROUNDINGS: The cold-water Ngare Sero springs, after which the retreat is named, come up from the forested slopes of the 15,000 foot Mount Meru and collect in a crystal-clear lake, just beyond the sweeping lawns of the lodge. The setting of this lake perimeter is breathtaking, surrounded by elegant, longstemmed arum and calla lilies, deliciously fragrant frangipani and large moonflowers. The heritage of the property, built in 1905, is part of its charm and the 100-year-old flagstone pathway curiously meanders around the lake, offering a beautiful place for meditative strolls.
COMFORT: Ngare Sero is an intimate lodge offering a variety of accommodation options. There’s a self-contained yogi cottage with its own yogi shala, 10 outlying garden suites as well as two suites in the original lodge, where the dining room, kitchen, and living room are also located. All the rooms and suites are spacious, filled with traditional hand carved Zanzibar furniture, tiles, fabrics and luxurious cotton towels.
THE FOOD: Vegan, vegetarian, and organic meals are available and all meals are served family-style. Cultivated foods served fresh are grown in the rich, dark volcanic soil in or surrounding Ngare Sero and an organic orchard supplies papaya, mango, avocado and banana, while organic vegetable and herb gardens are seamlessly woven into the natural environment.
YOGA RETREATS: Practice Hatha, Kundalini, Ashtanga, or Power Yoga with resident yogini Stacia Leach on the platform overlooking the lake beneath a canopy of  Loliondo trees where troops of Colobus and Sykes monkeys watch curiously. If you are interested in taking your yoga to other parts of Tanzania, Ngare Sero will tailor a private yoga safari to suite you, be it to the beaches of Zanzibar, Lake Natron, the crater of Mount Meru or the depths of the Serengeti.
REST ASSURED: In addition to yoga, guests may meditate in any of the meditation gardens where the air is punctuated with the fragrance of lemon grass, lavender and rosemary. A lovely swimming pool is discretely nestled in the garden and a vast veranda supplants the front of the lodge, where you can sip refreshing, iced ginger tea or organic coffee while taking in the sweeping views of Tanzania’s majestic Kilimanjaro to the east. Ngare Sero also offers a full range of services including therapeutic massage, body scrubs, ear candling, Homeopathy, horseback riding, and boating on the tranquil waters of its private lake.
COST: Approximately R1 055 per night – including all meals, drinking water and teas.
TO BOOK: For private or group visits contact Stacia Leach on +255-769-54-8787 or +255-785-133-707, visit www.ecotz.com or email yogasafari@ecotz.com

LOCAL AND LOVELY
The Buddhist Retreat Centre, KZN
LOCATION: Near the village of Ixopo in KwaZulu-Natal, the Buddhist Retreat Centre is a National Heritage Site where people of all religious and philosophic persuasions, and none, can come to experience peace and tranquillity.
SURROUNDINGS: Perched on a ridge at the head of one of the spectacular valleys in the Umkomaas river system, the Buddhist Retreat Centre overlooks a vista of indigenous valleys, forests and rolling hills and is surrounded by manicured lawns, Zen-sand gardens, a traditional stupa (pagoda) and the largest hand-sculpted Buddha image outside the Buddhist East. The area is a birder’s paradise with more than 160 different species including the endangered Blue Swallow.
COMFORT: Integrated into the spectacular surroundings are the centre’s buildings consisting of accommodation lodges and cottages, a dining room, office, shop, a lecture and art studio, a library and the meditation hall.
THE FOOD: The Buddhist Retreat Centre is famous for its tasty lacto-ovo-vegetarian cuisine and organically grown vegetables, freshly ground maize porridge and warm-baked bread. They even have their own cookbook Quiet Food – a Recipe for Sanity.
YOGA RETREATS: Various retreat options are available to suit both beginners and more seasoned practitioners led by various local and international teachers. The primary focus is to study Buddhist philosophy and meditation, but yoga, Tai Chi, Japanese brush painting, creative writing and sketching are routinely part of the retreat schedule. There are also “self retreats” available that are unstructured where you can do as much or as little as you like.
COST: Prices range from R265 per person per day sharing in an ashram-style lodge to just over R500 for the en-suite accommodation in a chalet or bungalow. Rates include all meals, lectures and teas.
TO BOOK: Call the administrator on (039) 834 1863 or the Durban office on (031) 209 5995. Email brcixopo@futurenet.co.za or visit www.brcixopo.co.za.

Drakensberg Mountain Retreat Centre, KZN
LOCATION: Situated high up on the Natal/Free State escarpment overlooking the Northern Drakensberg, The Drakensberg Mountain Retreat Centre is well located for group gatherings, lying midway between Johannesburg and Durban.
SURROUNDINGS: Spectacular views that stretch from Champagne Castle in the south east, across the entire Central and Northern Drakensberg past the Amphitheatre, to the north eastern end of the Maluties near Golden Gate.
COMFORT: Country charm abounds with choices of accommodation in the more upmarket Vergezient Lodge or the Zonderntwyfel Barnhouse. Both buildings operate as guest houses which are also open for group bookings.
YOGA RETREATS: The Zonderntwyfel Barnhouse is generally the first choice for retreat groups of up to 20 people as firstly it is cheaper, and secondly its lovely large function room is ideal for group meetings, yoga, meditation,Pilates and other retreat options.
REST ASSURED: With its wonderful views, wild winds, breathtaking sunrises and sunsets, mists as thick a pea soup, cosy fireplaces, heated pools, flower-filled conservatories and an atmosphere of deep peace and quiet – this is an ideal spot to relax, unwind and take stock.
COSTS: Rates at the lodge vary from R495 to R800 per person and at the Barnhouse from R350 to R400 per person, depending on the season. Specials are offered regularly.
TO BOOK: Contact Dolly Warburton on 082 716 9404, visit www.drakensbergretreat.co.za or email dolly@drakensbergretreat.co.za

Sat Chit Anand Retreat Centre, Western Cape
LOCATION: Situated in Plettenberg Bay, minutes from Robberg Beach, is a holistic centre that offers one-week Healing Holidays and Mindfulness Meditation Courses.
SURROUNDINGS: A picturesque coastal scene where you can watch the dolphins surf the waves or the whales frolicking in the bay.
COMFORT: Sat Chit Anand has three luxury self-catering cottages in a serene and spacious garden setting.
YOGA RETREATS: The retreat programme consists of teachings, meditation, yoga and nature outings. Retreats follow a daily schedule from 9am – 4pm, with an evening session from 7.30 – 9pm.
REST ASSURED: You will no doubt feel connected to the flow of life when you take a walking meditation in the beautiful indigenous state forest and stop to sit silently next to a small stream. The healing centre also offers therapeutic massage, a variety of bodywork treatments and healing therapies.
COST: Retreat prices vary from R3 000 for shared to R4 000 for single accommodation. This includes 6 nights accommodation in luxury self-catering garden cottages and delicious healthy vegetarian lunches.
TO BOOK: Phone (044) 533 0453, email satchitanand@global.co.za or visit www.satchitanand.co.za.

Little Samadhi B&B, Western Cape
LOCATION: Situated on a hilltop overlooking the village of Barrydale in the Little Karoo, approximately 250km from Cape Town.
SURROUNDINGS: The area offers half or full-day hikes of unsurpassed beauty within close proximity. The hot springs of Warmwaterberg are a 20 minute drive away and a visit to the Labyrinth and Peace Pagoda at The Manger is also very worthwhile.
COMFORT: Little Samadhi offers comfortable accommodation in understated elegance. There are two luxury en-suite bedrooms, a comfortable living/dining area with fireplace and ample indoor and outdoor space for you to relax and feel at home in. There is no television or DSTV, although Internet access is available and mobile phone reception is good.
THE FOOD: During your stay you will be served delicious, healthy, wholesome and, wherever possible, organic vegetarian meals.
YOGA RETREATS: Besides offering regular yoga classes, including Hatha (Vinyasa and Free Flow) and Kundalini Yoga, Little Samadhi organises retreats at beautiful locations for up to 10 people sharing. Retreats are tailored to your requirements and you can choose to go for a weekend or extended stay undergoing a detoxification program or a YogaMeditation intensive, or simply take time out. Special retreats are also available for couples, mothers and daughters and parents-to-be.
REST ASSURED: A range of treatments are available including Kahuna massage, Reiki, detoxification programmes and standard beauty treatments such as manicures, pedicures, facials and waxing.
COST: R680 per person per day including accommodation, dinner, breakfast and two sessions of yoga.
TO BOOK: Phone Atma on 028 572 1002 or 082 823 3179, email atma@littlesamadhi.co.za or visit www.littlesamadhi.co.za.