14-Day Ashtanga Yoga Immersion in Phuket, Thailand

For two weeks, your whole day revolves around yoga. Mornings start early with pranayama — you'll work on a consistent set of techniques to build breath control and deepen your understanding of this ancient practice. Then comes the main asana session, where you build up a practice based on the vinyasa system, using bandhas, drishti, and Ujayi breath. You'll work through the Primary Series (or Intermediate, depending on your level) as a meditation in motion.

Afternoons are filled with workshops that target the specific things that hold most practitioners back: upper body strength, core work, backbends, hip opening, jumps, alignment, and spine therapy. There are also sessions on yoga philosophy and anatomy, so you understand not just how to do the poses, but why they work. The day winds down with Yoga Nidra or meditation, which helps reset your mind just as much as your body.

One thing that makes this course different is the shatkarmas — the traditional purification practices you rarely find outside India. You'll learn these cleansing techniques with basic equipment provided, which prepare the body for deeper practice. It's this completeness — the blend of asana, pranayama, cleansing, philosophy, and meditation — that makes it feel like a proper Ashtanga education rather than just a fitness bootcamp.

Rich, who leads the course with Sofya, is a qualified doctor as well as a yoga teacher, so he brings a serious understanding of anatomy and injury rehabilitation to his teaching. He trained at the Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Institute in Mysore, the global heart of Ashtanga, and studied yoga therapy in St Petersburg. Sofya, who has a background in theology and a decade of practice in India, is known for a warm, clear teaching style with hands-on adjustments. Together they've created a program that's demanding, respectful of individual bodies, and rooted in the traditional eight-limbed path.

Chalong, where you'll stay, is a great base — it's a low-key neighborhood in the south of Phuket with jungle hills behind and Chalong Bay in front. You're away from Patong's chaos but close enough to beaches and local life. The small group size means you'll get to know the other students well, and the schedule's intensity creates a real sense of shared purpose.

What's included

- 14 nights accommodation in a private double room - 2 daily delicious vegan meals (lunch and dinner) as well as afternoon tea and a snack - All classes and trainings: pranayama, asana, workshops, philosophy, meditation - Course materials - Optional colon cleanse training - Airport transfer from Phuket International Airport

What's not included

- Flights - Travel insurance - Spa treatments - Tours and excursions - Personal expenses