The Purple Valley Retreat
Goa, India this January & February
Last February we completed another retreat at Purple Valley in Goa, India. I have been conducting retreats there for over 10 years. It has easily become one of my most demanding and rewarding teaching experiences. We do a full schedule. With that said, it is for those who want not only an intensive experience, but also an immersive experience. A time to dig deep.
Our retreat theme was— Extraction.
When formulating the retreat schedule a theme will pop into my mind, and for whatever reason this is the word that came up. So, I went with it. I like to think in practice we are squeezing the juice, or nectar, that we can get nowhere else, but inside of ourselves.
We start the day with morning Mysore practice, ending the week with led Primary series. Then we have a break and reconvene with chanting, meditation and philosophy class. Afterwards, there is lunch and a break, and for the later afternoon, a more technical asana workshop depending on the day, split into experience levels. I find it important to make the workshops specific to the experience level of each person to make sure everyone gets everything they need in the learning process.
Next season, I will be teaching a total of 6 weeks at Purple Valley Yoga Centre. The first two weeks will be devoted to experienced Ashtanga Yoga practitioners who are well into Intermediate series and/or Advanced series. Whereas, the remaining four weeks will be my usual one month program for all levels — from new beginners, all the way to the most experienced. It’s always a good time, because it’s a transformative undertaking. No matter what, you will come out of it different in ways that might surprise you, and garner the tools to look at life in a expansive way.
The theme for the 2026 season — Sankalpa.
Sankalpa, means, your heartfelt intention.
San = an idea that is formed in the heart.
Kalpa = “This is the rule I will follow above all other rules.”
Through the vehicle of daily practice and mindful attention we begin to navigate the core of our inner truth, and through the heart, we get there. This is not cliché language. This is part of the exploration that takes place when we start to sincerely look inside.
In my retreats it is always my hope that participants and students learn how to trust themselves. However, often we only need to let go of hang-ups, conditioning, and thought loops that no longer serve our natural being. We already have everything we need to fully embody the truth of who we are, as we remove the fog of our own delusions.
In the end, it is about bringing what is unconscious — conscious.
We have to see better to do better. It begins and ends with awareness.
Personally, I deeply appreciate the craft of teaching. It has made me a better communicator as well as an educator. At the heart and soul of it, experiences such as this cultivates immense growth as I too sit in the trenches with all the students as well. I like to get my hands dirty, so to speak, and walk through the experience just as much as all the participants do. It is deeply moving seeing the true work of the yoga practice transform those who lean into it on a more conscious level. It often feel like magic, but it’s not. It’s our true birthright as human beings to lead with our hearts and be more alive.
Often times friendships are formed as people come from all over the world and from various walks of life. It can be rare to form bonds like this in the day to day, and to be surrounded by those who share the practice always gives a connecting point. Yoga can be a solitary path, but to share it with others brings another element to it all.
I understand carving out time like this can feel like a luxury. However, in a world of many distractions, and loads of information pulling at our attention, I feel becoming more centered through the vehicle of yoga practice gives essential context to the times. Space to unplug to plug into what is in the core of our internal self brings deep rewards that transcends the transient world.
Of course, this can be done without a retreat as what yoga gives us is available at all moments of our lives. We only need to make space for it to arise by being still. What I have learned is the most healing thing is often the most obvious. Usually being directly under our noses.
“The one you are looking for, is the one who is looking.”
For more information the links are down below:
31 January — 28 February 2026
One Month Ashtanga Yoga Intensive
(two week option available)
