retreat review - Purple Valley Goa India

As my taxi pulled up at Purple Valley Yoga Retreat in Goa, India, I knew instantly that I was taking my first step towards some kind of bliss. Purple Valley, with its citronella scent, pinkish hues and lush greenery, opened its arms and took me in…’so this is what well-being feels like?’

Practitioners ranged from the relatively new to advanced teachers. I didn’t even know the Ashtanga sequence beyond Suraynamaskar B!! To my relief, beginners are made to feel very welcome with choices of daily led classes or the traditional Mysore style.

I learned that Purple Valley draws some of the biggest names in Ashtanga yoga like Sharath Rangaswamy, Nancy Gilgoff and David Swenson. It is incredibly competitive priced, with 3 delicious vegetarian meals per day, tranquil infinity pool added to the sleep-inducing massages in the ayurvedic centre set within beautiful tropical gardens and Chill out areas.

Therein lies the key to what makes Purple Valley so magical, a beautifully, well run and world renowned retreat set within Goa with its Portuguese heritage, laid-back lifestyle and stunning beaches.

The result was that when the end of my two weeks arrived, I did not feel devastated about my impending return to ‘real’ life. Instead I felt renewed of energy and like my fellow practitioners, determined to remember the words of Ashtanga's recently departed Guru Sri K Pattabhi Jois “Breath-all is coming”.