Interoceptive Yoga & High-Altitude Trekking Expedition: Shaolin, Great Wall & Tibetan Plateau

The expedition is divided into five phases. Phase I (Dec 26–28) is urban grounding in Shanghai: private biometric assessments and introductory Interoceptive Yoga sessions, with the aim of establishing a baseline before heading inland. Phase II (Dec 29 – Jan 1) moves to the Shaolin Monastery, where Chinese monks guide training in the Shaolin warrior discipline. On December 31 the group ascends Mount Song for a private vigil; as a total lunar eclipse peaks at midnight, Dr. Buldeo leads what the page describes as a specialised neurological reset to mark the start of 2029.

Phase III (Jan 2–4) is the Great Wall section — trekking unrestored stretches, with the focus on breath mechanics and skeletal alignment to move efficiently over steep terrain. Phase IV (Jan 5–8) is the high-altitude segment: a flight to the Tibetan Plateau to track snow leopards, working on physiological regulation in thin air. Phase V (Jan 9) returns to Shanghai for a closing debrief and a plan for maintaining the practices afterwards.

What separates this from a standard yoga retreat is the combination of monastic access and altitude work. Private sessions and rituals with the Shaolin monks aren't something you can book independently, and the snow leopard tracking on the Tibetan Plateau puts the group above 4,000 metres for several days. The yoga taught here is specifically interoceptive — internal-sensation-based — rather than a general vinyasa or hatha programme, and it's paired with biometric measurement throughout.

Dr. Nitasha Buldeo leads the whole trip. She's a Doctor of Natural Medicine, a research scientist and a yogi, and the page notes her expertise in interoceptive neuroscience. She runs the programme through iYogaa, her UK-based practice in Bedford, which also teaches Yoga Nidra, chakra consciousness and a performance programme.

The logistics are handled almost entirely in-house: high-speed rail, internal flights, 4x4 mountain transport and high-altitude basecamps are all included, along with professional liability insurance and high-altitude medical evacuation cover. Meals throughout are organic and adjusted to match the day's physical demands, and accommodation is described as luxury boutique hotels plus basecamps at altitude.

The page frames the whole thing around two ideas it calls core pillars: "biological harmony" (measuring rather than just moving) and "authority of form" (learning to command your body in a way that carries into work and daily life). Whether that language lands for you or not, the schedule behind it is concrete — yoga most days, monk-led sessions at Shaolin, multiple trekking days on the Wall, and snow leopard tracking at altitude.

What's included

- 15 days of instruction from Dr. Nitasha Buldeo - Private sessions and rituals with the Shaolin monks - High-speed rail transfers - Internal flights within China - 4x4 mountain transport - Luxury boutique accommodation - High-altitude basecamps - All organic meals - Private biometric assessments - Professional liability insurance - High-altitude medical evacuation coverage

What's not included

- International flights to and from Shanghai - Personal travel insurance - China visa costs - Personal expenses - Optional extras not listed