Nervous System Reset: 7-Day Stress Recovery & Gentle Yoga Retreat in Ahangama, Sri Lanka

The retreat runs for seven days at Villa My Way Yoga Retreat in Ahangama, a coastal town about 30 minutes east of Galle on Sri Lanka's southern coast. The property sits in jungle, close enough to the beach for a walk, and high-speed Wi-Fi runs throughout if you need to stay connected. Mornings typically start with a gentle movement practice — yoga, Qi Gong or light stretching — followed by breakfast and a workshop session with Dr. Mars. Afternoons leave room for pranayama and meditation, a massage, or time on your own, with a second workshop or practice session later in the day for those who want it.

What sets this apart from a standard yoga week is the leader. Dr. Michelle Mars is a psychotherapist with more than three decades of academic and clinical work behind her, and the programme is explicitly evidence-based, drawing on Carl Rogers' person-centred approach — the idea that people heal and grow given the right conditions and support. That means the workshops are structured around nervous system regulation and self-understanding, not vague intention-setting, and the movement practices are chosen to support that rather than to build fitness.

The setting does a lot of the work too. Ahangama is a low-key surf-and-cafe town, quieter than nearby Weligama or Mirissa, and Villa My Way is set back in the greenery rather than on a busy road. The room options are simple but comfortable: private single bungalows, seven fan-cooled rooms each with an en-suite bathroom, and one air-conditioned deluxe room available for a modest supplement. Meals are vegetarian, cooked with locally sourced produce and fresh seasonal fruit.

Because the schedule is flexible, the week works whether you want to attend everything or treat it more as a base with a few sessions woven in. The free airport pickup on arrival removes one of the usual stresses of getting to this part of Sri Lanka, and the retreat is open to all genders and welcoming to LGBTQ+ guests. Group composition varies by date, so it's worth asking about the mix when you enquire.

If you're used to hard training camps, this is the opposite end of the spectrum — a week of structured rest and clinical support rather than physical output. It's best suited to someone who is depleted and wants a genuine reset with someone qualified holding the space, not a fitness holiday with yoga bolted on.

What's included

- 7 nights accommodation at Villa My Way - Vegetarian meals with fresh seasonal fruit - Daily workshops with Dr. Michelle Mars - Daily yoga, Qi Gong, pranayama, meditation and light stretching - Free airport pickup - High-speed Wi-Fi throughout the property

What's not included

- International and domestic flights - Travel insurance - Massage treatments - Personal expenses - Optional upgrades and extras - Visas and entry fees