"be here now"
Yoga + Ayurveda retreat
Kerala, South India
Post-poned due to covid-19
Retreat Details
Dates: TBA due to Covid-19
Cost: $2,590.00 USD Double Occupancy, $2,990.00 USD Single Occupancy
About this Retreat
Join me and Los Angeles massage therapist Houston Heller for a 12 night trip to Varkala, Kerala, staying at Akhil Beach Resort.
Take part in 10 Yoga classes in the mornings and optional Yoga in the afternoons that will be more restorative. All classes include breathwork and meditation. Then relax on the Varkala beach or at Akhil's pool! Yoga teachers can also receive Yoga Alliance CEUs if desired.
The Yoga includes guided asana of a little yang (MOVEMENT), a little yin (STILLNESS), freeform movement (INTUITION), Yoga Nidra, and Meditation.
Ayurveda is the sister science of Yoga and is practiced in its original form in Kerala such as body massage, oil treatments, and herbal cleansing techniques. It is my experience that even Yoga people are unsure about diving into full-scale Ayurveda treatments. That is why I offer only one traditional Ayurvedic massage and find it best to let people decide whether they want medical Ayurveda. One consultation with the Ayurvedic doctor is included to help with your decision. Please see the video at the end of this page for information on Ayurveda at Akhil.
My teaching style is an intuitive approach to Yoga, cultivating the felt awareness and embodiment of one's instinctual nature. It is not a strenuous practice but can be considered an advanced one not because of any pretzel shapes but because it requires you to follow your intuition about what feels right and what doesn’t, listening to your breath and body, but quieting the mind. I believe if you can breathe you can do Yoga because Real Yoga is for Every Body.
Included in this Retreat
Welcome to Varkala dinner on the first night with traditional Keralan food - veggie & fish.
All lodging, your choice of Garden View or Pool View cottages.
Arrival and departure transport from/to Trivandrum airport.
A half-day cruise to the famous Golden Island.
A full-day cruise on the Kerala backwaters with a meal.
One traditional Ayurvedic massage.
One consultation by Akhil's Ayurvedic doctor.
Daily continental breakfast.
One massage by Houston Heller.
Preliminary itinerary
November 4: Decompress from travel and hang out at Akhil. No Yoga but there is a Welcome dinner in typical Kerala style that night.
November 6: Trip to Golden Island.
November 13: All-day backwaters cruise to Kollam, food included.
November 15: Fly home late that night or very early morning of November 16 -- NOTE: If you stay past Midnight on November 15th you must pay Akhil directly for an extra night.
There will be AM yoga classes every day except on the backwaters trip day of November 13.
Options at extra cost
Additional Ayurvedic treatments at Akhil resort as recommended by the doctor; Kerala cuisine cooking class; surfing, paragliding; Integrated Energy Therapy or Reflexology by Linda or extra massage by Houston.
NOT INCLUDED in this retreat
International airfare to and from India; vaccinations (not required, but your choice); your bank's wire transfer fee for payment; any airport tax; passport, and India visa fees; any your private transport in Varkala; items of personal nature like liquor, laundry, telephone calls, tips, travel insurance, etc.; lunch and dinner all days; any entrance fees; any other services/items/activities not mentioned in quote including any expenses arising due to circumstances beyond our control such as flight delays or cancellations, natural calamities, etc.; any increase in costs beyond my control such as fuel and airfare increase, additional Government levies and taxes, etc. Travel insurance is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED. I recommend World Nomads. (commissioned link.)
Accommodations & Cost
Choose DELUXE GARDEN VIEW or DELUXE POOL VIEW cottages when paying--both are great!
Double Occupancy Room: $2,590.00 USD
Single Occupancy Room: $2,990.00 USD-LIMITED AVAILABILITY
Spouse/Partner
Does your spouse/partner want to be with you in India but is not into Yoga or Ayurveda? They can share a cottage with you and pay $1,990.00 USD. No Yoga, massage, or Ayurveda but Welcome Dinner, daily breakfast, airport transport, and trips are included in that price.
NOTE: THIS TRIP REQUIRES 6 PEOPLE TO PROCEED AND IS LIMITED TO 16
Roommates
A ROOMMATE WILL BE ASSIGNED IF YOU TRAVEL SOLO OR YOU MUST PAY A SINGLE OCCUPANCY RATE IF NONE IS AVAILABLE FULL PAYMENT OR $500 NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT REQUIRED BY JUNE 1, 2019. BALANCE DUE AUGUST 15, 2019
REFUNDS AND CANCELLATION DATES:
Cancellations and refund requests MUST BE MADE IN WRITING and emailed to Linda. If you cancel in writing before AUGUST 1st you will receive a refund of any payment made minus the $500 deposit. Due to payment requirements in India, NO REFUNDS will be made after AUGUST 15, 2019. Travel insurance is strongly recommended. The cost is based on group participation so no refunds can be made for any features not taken. If cancellation occurs while the retreat is in progress there is no refund for any unused portion. The deposit and trip price are not transferable to another person.
Things to Know
You will travel home the late evening of November 15 (or early morning of November 16.) Please pick your return flight accordingly -- I can help you with that. Spend the day relaxing by the pool before you go home! Please remember if you stay past Midnight on November 15th you must pay Akhil directly for an extra night.
On this trip I want to keep your expenses reasonable but your stay very comfortable. Daily breakfast is included but lunch and dinner are on your own – eating in India is very inexpensive compared to the West! There will be plenty of time to sight-see and explore Varkala but also an adequate amount of down time. Take time to "BE HERE NOW" to be present to experience what this beautiful part of India has to offer. This is an organic, free form trip so you can return home relaxed, not exhausted, as many do from India. A perfect trip for those who have never been to India -- not too much and not too little! This will be my 14th trip to India so you will be with a very seasoned traveler.
You must have a visa to enter India.
If you do not have a multi-year India visa in your passport, you can apply for an "E-Visa" . Apply within two weeks of the trip. You can also use this commissioned link that is easier and less confusing than the Indian government's link.
Confused about international flights, immunizations, appropriate clothing? Want suggestions for on-going travel if you want to stay longer? Call 630-677-4501 with any questions, I am happy to help!
ABOUT HOUSTON HELLER
Houston Heller has been one of Los Angeles, California's premier massage therapists for 8 years. He first studied Hawaiian Lomilomi with Auntie Nerita Machado, daughter of the famous Auntie Margaret Machado whose name is synonymous with Lomilomi on the big island of Hawaii. Houston has returned to Hawaii several times to continue his education and attend the annual Lomilomi conference in Kailua Kona. He received additional Lomilomi training from Tom Cochran whose teaching focuses on Temple Style or Kahuna Lomilomi.
Lomilomi massage is a beautiful organic and fluid style of body work centered around the philosophy of Aloha - loving respect for the divine breath all living things possess. It is characterized by long, gentle sweeping strokes that can soothe or penetrate deeply, depending on what is required.
Besides Lomilomi, Houston will also be available for deep tissue massage. On this retreat you will receive one traditional Ayurvedic massage at the Akhil Ayurveda center and one massage by Houston. Additional Ayurvedic treatments or massages will be at extra cost paid directly to Akhil or Houston.
about Linda Karl
A global Yoga teacher and long-time activist, I’ve been called a maverick, an innovator, and a facilitator of deep holistic healing. Seeking a paradigm shift in the local Yoga scene I take students beyond asana into the deeper dimensions of traditional Yoga. I teach “mindful yoga“, a vehicle for transformation. I believe authentic Yoga is not only what you do on the mat but is a lifestyle.
The words of my teachers in India are the cornerstone of my teaching: teach to people where they are and how they are and whatever happens, happens. I believe in the therapeutic benefits of Yoga+breathwork+meditation properly applied to the individual. I am a lineage holder for the teachings of TKV Desikachar and his father Sri T Krishnamacharya -- Yoga for everyone, Yoga for every BODY. Find out more about Linda.
