Yoga & Wellness Escape in Brazil's Chapada dos Veadeiros

The yoga holiday runs at Ashiyana Brazil in Alto Paraíso, Goiás, about 230 km from Brasília. The centre sits on six hectares of forest with two rivers running through the land. You can walk the main trail down to several swimming holes, or follow smaller paths to the point where the rivers join. The town is 1.5 km away, close enough to walk in for lunch, though the property itself feels fully removed from it.

Mornings start with yoga led by Karí Váss, who has taught for over 25 years and blends Hatha, flow, breathwork and relaxation. Brunch follows the practice — a buffet of vegetarian Brazilian food. Afternoons are open: swim in the river, book a massage or integrative therapy, read on the deck of your chalet, or take a guided excursion to one of the region's waterfalls. Evening sessions vary between gentler restorative practice and more active workshops, often with a shamanic angle. Dinner is served family-style in the main house, which has a wrap-around deck looking over the valley.

The centre's vegetarian menu is one of the things guests consistently mention. Meals are buffet-style and built around fresh, local and organic ingredients where possible — home-made granola, cereal bars, tofu and quinoa bakes, pão de queijo, gluten-free pizza and home-made rice cakes with pesto. Fresh water, teas and coffee are available all day.

Accommodation is in ten rustic chalé rooms arranged around the shala, plus two larger rooms in the main house. Every room has an en-suite bathroom split into shower, toilet and vanity areas, and each opens onto its own deck with a small garden and a view. The rooms are designed to stay cool without air conditioning or fans because of how they're built into the surrounding trees. Total capacity across the property is between 24 and 30 guests.

There are two yoga spaces: the main shala in the forest, which fits 35 people comfortably (40 at a push) and comes with mats, props, wall ropes and aerial yoga equipment, and a second shala on the main house deck. The main shala looks out over the hills. Between classes you'll hear birds, cicadas and the river. Massages and spa treatments are available depending on which therapists are in residence — ask at reception when you arrive. Private one-to-one yoga, meditation and pranayama sessions can be booked with the teachers.

What separates this from a standard yoga retreat is the setting. Alto Paraíso sits on one of the largest quartz crystal deposits in the world — NASA has called it Earth's brightest point — and the region has over 400 waterfalls within reach. The centre runs its own excursions to waterfalls, Kalunga quilombola communities and hot air balloon flights over the Chapada, all bookable separately.

What's included

- Accommodation in chalé rooms or main house rooms - 2 vegetarian buffet meals per day (brunch and dinner) - Daily yoga classes with Karí Váss and guest teachers - Evening activities, often with a shamanic element - Additional workshops (nutrition talks, asana workshops, chakra rebalancing) - Herbal teas, hot lemon-ginger and filtered water available 24 hours - Use of yoga mats, props, wall ropes and aerial yoga equipment - Daily housekeeping of rooms and shared spaces - Wi-Fi throughout the property

What's not included

- Flights to and from Brasília - Airport transfers (can be arranged separately) - Additional meals outside the two included per day - Massages and spa treatments - Integrative therapies - Private yoga, meditation or pranayama sessions - Guided excursions and tours - Hot air ballooning - Travel insurance - Personal expenses