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Sorry if you are experiencing class booking issues. Whilst our engineers are fixing it please book via the Mindbody app or call us, or send an email.
Sorry if you are experiencing class booking issues. Whilst our engineers are fixing it please book via the Mindbody app or call us, or send an email.
Join Deborah Berryman for an authentic yoga retreat right on the beach in Goa. Energise and relax for 7 nights in this stunning natural setting.
An unforgettable experience with time to recharge and renew on an unspoilt tropical beach in southern Goa, with its wealth of culture and natural beauty.
Recently recognised by Conde Naste Traveller magazine as one of the Top 10 Yoga Retreat Centres in India, the retreat is a stunning beachfront Yoga resort with eco-friendly accommodation, in a prime location on one of Goa’s best beaches. The retreat is renowned for it’s friendly team and welcoming atmosphere, which will instantly make you feel at home. Built on fine, white sand the retreat is the perfect place for relaxing and watching the sea. There is always a gentle breeze and the ocean is warm but refreshing – ideal for regular dips. There are stunning local secluded beaches that can be reached by boat or on foot. Patnem is 15 minutes away by taxi.
We will be privileged to have wild dolphins as neighbours, and you can often spot these beauties during our morning practice. Those wanting to avoid the winter blues will find the retreat the ideal place to delight the senses and get into shape.
This retreat is perfect for anyone who’s looking to get away for some winter sun, to recharge their va-va-voom and to relax in paradise. All levels of practitioners are welcome and encouraged. Classes are all open level so there will be lots of options to tone down a posture, or take it to the next level. Every student is encouraged to work to their own ability and limits – just bring your heart and spirit!
Saturday 27th January to Saturday 3rd February 2024
Shared (price per person based on 2 people sharing):
Hut| Deposit £403 | Balance £494
Front Hut| Deposit £470 | Balance £587
Cabana| Deposit £430 | Balance £525
Front Cabana | Deposit £530 | Balance £661
Single:
Hut| Deposit £424 | Balance £655
Front Hut| Deposit £510 | Balance £778
Cabana| Deposit £460 | Balance £698
Front Cabana | Deposit £580 | Balance £883
* Please note: balance is paid direct to Bamboo in Euros 4 months before the first day of the trip. Please check with your bank about fees for international transfers. Our total cost and balance due are estimates, based on exchange rates in February 2023.
Book online or call 01908 566610. Spaces on this retreat are limited (and usually sells out quickly!) and so will need to be pre-booked and pre-paid. Bookings are all on a first come first served basis and confirmed on payment. Please make sure you have read and understood our Cancellation Policy before you book.
This retreat will give you a hands-on, fun and personal experience whether you are an experienced yogi, or have always wanted to learn. We will practice yoga, guided by the movement of the beautiful ocean – Mother Nature at her best. Yoga Flow, Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Breath Work, Meditation, Mantra and Yoga Nidra are taught in large, open air Yoga shalas overlooking the beach and with breathtaking views. These Yoga shalas are fully equipped with mats, bolsters, blocks and straps.
Deborah Berryman is known for her infectious passion for the practice and life. Drawing on 10yrs of teaching experience, she is passionate about yoga and meditation, and sharing the benefits of a regular practice. She’s has studied and trained in many traditions and brings these together in a unique and interesting way.
She is a ‘teacher of teachers’, running national and international Retreats, Workshops and Teacher Trainings which are always insightful and great fun. She strikes that balance of touching the deeper & more profound aspects of our practice and ourselves, while rediscovering a lightness and playful side – very life affirming!
Although she’s a thoroughly modern yogi – present to the challenges of contemporary life, her practice and teaching is deeply influenced by the beautiful philosophies and great mystical teachings of Yoga’s rich history. She teaches all levels – from beginners’ classes through to Teacher Training – and has plenty to offer everyone, regardless of age, size, gender, fitness, diet and lifestyle.
She is the founder of Whitespace Yoga & Wellbeing Studio in the UK and holds the highest level of certification from Yoga Alliance Senior Yoga Teacher (SYT) and British Wheel Diploma (BWY), as well as an accredited Mindfulness (MBSR) Teacher from Bangor University and Advanced Therapeutic Restorative teacher (Judith Lasater)
07:30 fresh power juices or herbal tea, chai, tropical fruits.
08:00 Morning energising Yoga practice (we will typically start with some meditation and/or pranayama and then move into a more dynamic asana practice)
10:30 Yummy vegetarian, Goan-inspired brunch
11:00 Free time – swimming, blissful massage, walking, exploring, or simply just relaxing!
15:00 Chai and cookies
16:30 Evening lunar Yoga practice (one a variety of styles; Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Breath Work, Meditation, Mantra and Yoga Nidra, with a backdrop of the ocean at sunset)
18:00 Sunset Meditation
19:00 Delicious Dinner – Goa-inspired vegetarian buffet with fresh salads.
Unlimited water, afternoon teas and cookies are available.
Optional extras are available from a mouth-watering a la carte menu.
Guests often choose to arrive a few days before the retreat starts and/or stay a few days later to make the most of their time in India. If you’d like to stay at the retreat, this can be arranged separately by contacting Bamboo.
ACCOMMODATION
You can book a private cabana or hut to yourself, or share with a partner or friend.
Elegantly designed glass-fronted cabanas have beautiful natural panoramic views or sea views overlooking the beach and surrounding countryside, and feature large bedrooms with roomy open-roofed ensuite bathrooms, A/C and ceiling fans and spacious comfortable balconies with hammocks and seating to relax on.
Cute and comfy huts located on the beach front, with sea and sunset views, large comfortable bedrooms, modern bathrooms, A/C and ceiling fans and balconies.
All cabanas and huts have one large double or two single (twin) beds with comfortable European-style mattresses, good linens and mosquito netting, set in a spacious airy room with plenty of space to hang your clothes and store your belongings, and en-suite open-roof bathrooms with western-style toilets. Constructed to make use of the natural ventilation from the cooling sea breeze, all cabanas and huts have A/C and ceiling fans for more tropical times of the year.
MEALS
The food is vegetarian, healthy, tasty and wherever possible organic. Using only the finest and freshest local produce, the amazing in-house chef, makes your meals fresh each day of the retreat, ensuring you’ll have a ‘taste sensation’. This delicious, nutritious food will help you enjoy maximum energy and buzzing vitality throughout your stay.
Each day will start with power juices, tropical fruits, chai, and special herbal teas for those wanting to detox or fresh coffee for those who don’t. After the revitalising morning Yoga class, you’ll have brunch in the sunshine – a feast of freshly squeezed juice, cleansing-energy booster smoothies, tasty fresh tropical fruit, homemade organic yoghurt, and a wide selection of delicious dishes with dhal, rice and salads – YUM!
Throughout the day you can order small snacks, vitamin and health-booster juices and fresh tropical fruit. You can have these at your hut, whilst relaxing in the beach lounge, or on the beach watching the ocean.
Each day draws to a close after Yoga with a scrumptious dinner of delicious dishes to choose from. Food allergies and other specific dietary requirements can be catered for. Please just let us know when booking. All meals are prepared using filtered water including mineral water to make ice cubes.
LOCATION
Bamboo Yoga Retreat is situated in Polem, South Goa, around 90 minutes’ drive from Goa International Airport.
Goa International Airport can be reached by direct international charter flights from the UK and other European countries, as well as by international scheduled flights via Delhi and Mumbai (Air India, Emirates, Oman Air, Qatar Airways).
Sky Scanner is an excellent service that takes the hassle out of booking flights.
Bamboo can arrange transfers to and from the airport for you. They will meet you at the airport (they’ll have a sign with Bamboo Retreat on it!) and bring you safely and directly to the retreat.
WHAT’S INCLUDED?
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?
Check In time
After 2pm Saturday 27 January
Check Out Time
Before 11am Saturday 3 February
First Class
We’ll meet at 4.30pm on Saturday 27 January for an orientation and short grounding practice followed by the first meal.
Last Class
Optional morning class & breakfast on Saturday 3 February if your travel plans allow
Some people do choose to arrive a few days before the retreat starts and/or stay a few days later to make the most of their time in India, this can be arranged separately by contacting Bamboo.
The retreat includes accommodation, yoga and meditation sessions and all meals including dinner on arrival and breakfast on the day of departure.
All classes will be mixed level, so we will make sure you get the attention and support you need.
You will always learn something, especially if you have been self-practicing. Our teachers are of very high standard and will give you the personal attention you need. There will be plenty of variations on offer for you to really challenge yourself and explore new dimensions to your practice.
Our resort is mainly for guests on retreats or yoga holidays but if we are not fully booked you are welcome to stay. Also if your partner/wife/daughter/mother/son is doing yoga you can stay without joining in the classes (although you might just get the bug!). Please contact Bamboo Yoga Retreat directly to make arrangements http://www.bamboo-yoga-retreat.com/.
No, we can match you with someone who is also travelling alone. Yoga retreats attract friendly people so we have never had any bad experiences with this. Also, the communal atmosphere and the warm weather means you will be spending most of your time outdoors in the chill-out areas or on the beach. If we cannot find someone to share your hut with, you will receive it for the sharing price even though you are alone.
You will be living on the beach so you’ll be surprised how little you actually need. Bring a beach towel or sarong, swimming costumes, vest tops, t-shirts, a jumper for the evening, loose fitting yoga pants, shorts etc. For shoes, see above. Early in the year the nights and early mornings can be cool so bring a jumper or something warm for the early practice. Goa is a liberal state and the locals are used to western tourists so clothes like shorts, vest tops and short skirts are completely acceptable. However due to the heat and strong sun you may feel more comfortable in long sleeved shirts and long, cotton pants. Leave some space in your bag for anything you might buy here. India has a wide array of cheap clothes, scarves, jewellery and blankets. There are plenty of local laundry services, including the one we have at the retreat.
You will be required to obtain an Indian tourist visa which can be done via an agency in advance of travelling to India (information subject to change).
The address and contact for the destination on your Visa is:
Heidi Taylor – Bamboo Yoga Retreat, Polem Beach, Goa, India
The retreat accepts Pounds, Euros, Dollars and most foreign currency, but you will need rupees for eating out, buses, rickshaws and buying small local items.
We recommend that you purchase currency at the airport when you arrive; it is not available in the UK. Otherwise you can purchase in Patnam high street.
The climate in Goa is the opposite of the European/North American winter. From October until May it is warm and dry. The daytime temperatures range from 28 to 32 degrees. At night the thermometer may sink to 20 degrees in December and January – but it will feel colder due to the humidity – so bring a jumper and long trousers for the early morning practice and the nights. Generally you will encounter blue skies every day from November to April.
Not at all. India is a safe country for Westerners and poses no problem for women travelling on their own. Especially Goa is very used to tourism and one of the only places in India where a woman can get away with wearing a short skirt or shorts, without being stared at.
Polem beach is around 1 hour and 40 mins drive from Goa’s Dabolim airport. It is possible to arrange a transfer via Bamboo Retreat Centre.
There are no compulsory vaccinations for India (unless you are arriving from certain African or South American countries with yellow fever) but it is best to consult your doctor about any personal vaccinations you may need for travelling. Goa is not a high-risk malaria area and most of the local internationals do not take malaria tablets as the side-effects are controversial.
Goa is possibly the cleanest state in India and there is a different attitude towards hygiene and food. We make sure the food in our restaurant is washed and prepared to Western standard, using filtered water rather than tap water. Our ice is made from mineral water. The restaurants in and around Patnem are frequented by tourists and thus ‘safe’. We can give you recommendations for locally tried and tested places.
There is a modern hospital just 10 minutes away by taxi which is of international standard and certainly cleaner than many NHS hospitals found in the UK. In fact an increasing number of people are coming to India to get medical treatment as it is of a high standard but much cheaper than in the West. We would still advise visitors to come with travel or medical insurance.
Yes, your phone will switch to the local network so you will be able to send text messages and receive and make calls easily. However, we strongly recommend that you check charges with your mobile phone provider.
Polem Beach is low-key and quiet – the nightlife generally consists of dressing for dinner and being in bed by midnight.
Bamboo Yoga is 15 minutes to Patnem by taxi so there is the option of an evening out should you wish to have some entertainment. There are in-house nights too; cinema, music and beach fires.
For those who want a bit more social life we have the advantage of being a beach down from Palolem. You can either walk along the beaches to get there take a rickshaw or rent a bike . An outdoor ‘silent noise’ party takes place every Saturday on Neptune’s point between Palolem and Patnem beach. Every so often there is a surprise get-together, usually on a beach you can only reach by boat.
You can also go running, jogging and walking along the endless beaches. Sailing courses, ocean kayaking and kite-surfing are offered and you can indulge in daily swimming of course. The sea is very clean; no jellyfish or other nasty surprises!
You can get most of what you might need on Patnem high street or in the nearby village of Chaudi . Things like toiletries, postcards, books and snacks can all be found in Patnem. The pharmacies in Chaudi and Palolem are well stocked and you can also find things like contact lens solution and tampons. Chaudi market is very colourful and great for fruit, vegetables, fish and trinkets. There are also many clothes and souvenir shops in Patnem and neighbouring Palolem. The markets in Anjuna and Arpora ( North Goa ) are very popular and we can organise market trips if you like. We also have a boutique on site stocking yoga clothes and special items by local designers.
