Kerala retreats
Leave the lanes. Take the practice with you.
Small residential retreats built around two practices a day, meditation, sattvic food and long hours in Kerala’s green quiet. Dates are set through the year around the seasons — join the notice list to hear first.
- Residential
- Small group
- Two practices daily
- Vegetarian food
- Nature and culture
What a retreat holds
Six things, unhurried
A retreat here is not a hotel with yoga attached. It is the practice of the school carried out of town, with Kerala allowed to do half of the teaching.
Practice, twice a day
A long morning class at first light and a slower one as the heat breaks — the same traditional Hatha as Fort Kochi, with more room to go deep.
Water
Backwater mornings, a river to swim in, the sound of rain on a tiled roof if the monsoon is with us.
Paths and forest
A trek, a walk through plantation or jungle edge, time on your own feet away from roads.
Food that lets you practise
Vegetarian Kerala cooking — rice, coconut, vegetables, fruit — eaten slowly, often on a banana leaf.
Kerala, as it is
A temple at lamp-lighting, a market, a performance, a conversation — culture where it belongs, never as a bus tour.
Real quiet
Silent mornings, phones away, afternoons with nothing scheduled. Most people discover how rarely they rest.
The rhythm
A retreat day, roughly
Each retreat is shaped by its place and season; this is the spine they share.
- 01
Dawn
Silence until after practice. Pranayama, then a full Hatha class.
- 02
Morning
A long breakfast, then a philosophy session or a walk.
- 03
Midday
Lunch and a long rest — read, sleep, swim, sit.
- 04
Afternoon
An excursion: water, forest, village, temple.
- 05
Dusk
Slow practice, deep relaxation, meditation.
- 06
Night
Dinner together, then early sleep.
When to go
Kerala has three moods
October – March
Dry, warm, clear skies. The classic retreat season and the most requested.
June – August
The south-west monsoon. Cooler, impossibly green, traditionally the season for Ayurveda and inward practice.
April – May
Hot and still. Best for those who love early mornings and long afternoon rests.
Next dates
Hear about the next retreat first
Groups are small and dates are shared with the notice list before they are published. Tell us roughly when you could travel — nothing is committed until you say yes.
Prefer the full booking form? Use the four-step enquiry
Join the notice list
One personal message when dates in your window are set. Nothing else.
Good to know
Retreat questions
Something not covered here? Ask on WhatsApp — someone who teaches the class will answer, usually within the day.
When are the next Kerala retreats?
Retreat dates are announced through the year rather than fixed to a rigid calendar, because they are built around the seasons, the tides and the size of the group. Ask to be put on the notice list and you will hear before the dates go public.
What happens on a Santhi retreat?
Two practices a day, pranayama and meditation, sessions on philosophy, and long unhurried hours in Kerala: water, trees, a trek, a swim in a river, a temple or a market when it belongs. Food is vegetarian and local. Nothing is rushed and nothing is compulsory.
Do I need retreat experience, or a strong practice?
Neither. Retreats suit first-timers and long-time practitioners because the practice is taught in layers. What helps is arriving willing to slow down — including putting your phone away for long stretches.
Are retreats residential, and what is the group size?
Yes, you stay together for the duration, and the group is kept small on purpose. Small groups are the whole point: the teaching stays personal and the days stay quiet.
What is the best time of year for a yoga retreat in Kerala?
October to March is dry, warm and clear — the season most visitors choose. June to August brings the south-west monsoon: humid, green, cooler, and extraordinary if you like rain on a tiled roof while you practise. April and May are hot and best suited to early-morning practice.
Stay longer than a class.
If a retreat date does not fit, come to Fort Kochi for a week of daily classes — it is the same practice, with the town as your retreat house.