Yoga & Ayurveda Retreat in Kerala: 2 Weeks of Daily Scaravelli Yoga, Doctor-Led Panchakarma and Backwater Boat Trips

The yoga here is Scaravelli-inspired, a style that comes from the Italian teacher Vanda Scaravelli, who studied with Krishnamacharya in the 1960s. The practice is built around the breath, gravity and the spine rather than around getting into the deepest version of a pose, and long-time students of other styles tend to notice how fluid the transitions feel. Lara Stapleton teaches the two daily sessions, each two hours long, one in the morning and one in the late afternoon. Classes run at Ayurveda Cherai itself, in the garden setting of the property.

Ayurveda at this retreat is treated as a medical system, not a spa add-on. A doctor takes a full consultation on arrival — asking about your constitution, diet and history — and then writes your treatment plan. The three doshas (vata, pitta and kapha) are the framework: the aim is to work out which is dominant in you and where it has gone out of balance, then correct it through massage, cleansing treatments, herbal remedies and food. Treatments happen daily and are tailored, not shared. As Louise wrote after her stay: "As the days passed, I felt so much lighter and refreshed."

Food is a real part of the programme rather than an afterthought. Kerala cooking leans on chickpeas and gram flour, which is a problem if you have a legume allergy — Louise flagged this before arriving, and Shibu arranged for the kitchen to make her separate simple dishes, with fruit (watermelon, bananas, oranges) available throughout the day. If you have allergies or specific dietary requirements, say so when you book rather than on arrival.

The location is genuinely unusual. Ayurveda Cherai sits between two bodies of water: the Kerala backwaters on one side, a 560-mile network of lagoons and canals that runs down the coast, and the Arabian Sea beach on the other. The property is a few minutes' walk from the sand. Vembanad Lake, south of Kochi, is a Ramsar-designated wetland and one of the reasons this stretch of coast has the birdlife it does — terns, kingfishers, darters and cormorants all show up on the backwater cruise.

Outings are a set part of the stay rather than optional extras. On the sunrise backwater cruise you get up at 5.30am and go out in a small boat past the traditional wooden fishing platforms, where nets are still worked by pulley by hand. The temple festival trip takes in a procession with elephants and musicians — spectacular, though the chains on the elephants' legs are hard to ignore, and the retreat does not pretend otherwise. In Fort Kochi there is a day on foot through the old Portuguese, Dutch and British port, including St Francis Church where Vasco da Gama was originally buried, the Mattancherry Palace murals, the Jewish Synagogue and the Santa Cruz Basilica, ending with dinner at the Ginger House Museum Hotel overlooking the harbour.

This is a retreat for someone who wants yoga twice a day and is willing to be treated as an Ayurvedic patient for a fortnight — which means giving up alcohol, eating what the doctor suggests, and letting the schedule run the days. It is not a beach holiday with a yoga class bolted on. The group is typically small and made up of solo travellers and couples; people come from the UK and Europe mostly, and everything is run in English. If you want a first taste of South India with a structured routine, this is a good way to do it.

What's included

- Accommodation at Ayurveda Cherai for the length of your stay - Ayurvedic doctor consultation on arrival - Individually tailored daily Ayurvedic treatments (hot oil massage, medicinal water and steam baths) - Herbal supplements as prescribed (including turmeric and ashwagandha) - Two-hour Scaravelli-inspired yoga class each morning - Two-hour Scaravelli-inspired yoga class each late afternoon - Daily meals cooked at the retreat, with fresh fruit through the day - Sunrise boat cruise on the Kerala backwaters - Trip to the Kodungallur Bagavathi temple festival - Full day trip to Fort Kochi, including Kathakali performance and martial arts demonstration - Dinner at the Ginger House Museum Hotel

What's not included

- International flights - Travel insurance - Indian visa - Airport transfers unless arranged separately - Personal expenses and shopping - Additional treatments beyond your prescribed plan - Optional excursions (e.g. houseboat cruise on the backwaters) - Alcohol (not served at the retreat)