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Join Susanna and Todd Tesen at the beautiful Ashiyana Retreat Center in Goa, India.

Engage in practices to empower yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Jan 21-28, 2024

Kama means desire.

Rupa means shape.

Kamarupa means the shape of your desire.

Join us in the jungles and oceans of Goa this January 2024 for our annual Kamarupa Retreat with Susanna and Todd at the beautiful Ashiyana Retreat Center. We will spend the week diving deeply into the many practices of yoga from the overt to the sublime, from yoga asana to meditation, pranayama, mantra, mudra, and puja.

Todd and Susanna have been spending time together in India since 2008, and are delighted to celebrate this deep connection by sharing their experience and love of India with you. We all engage in our yogic practices to empower ourselves physically, mentally, and spiritually. Learn new practices that will shift your yoga and your life. Practice your yoga in the company of an amazing community in an equally exquisite setting. Learn tools to manifest your life’s desire.

 

Read the Details

A Look At Your Day

We will meet for early morning meditation and asana practice. As we finish our savasana, Ashiyana’s buffet brunch will be set up and we can enjoy our breakfast together. After breakfast, you can go to the beach, stay by the pool, arrange a spa treatment, go into town for shopping, or simply relax.

In the late afternoon we will gather again for an asana practice filled with myths, mantra, mudra, and pranayama. By the time the sun begins to set, we will be finishing our evening meditation and will join together for Ashiyana’s spectacular dinner buffet. After dinner, we can spend time together, rest, or participate in Ashiyana’s free evening events, ranging from live music to Yoga Nidra and meditation, from cinema to kirtan.

Todd Tesen

Todd has been a student of yoga and meditation for his entire adult life.

He began his contemplative practices while still at university with daily meditation that created in him the dedication for continued practice and the space to reflect and question. From his seated practice to participating in mindfulness walking groups around campus, meditation became the cornerstone of his undergraduate experience.
Yoga āsana came to Todd, post graduation. At first, his practice was simply moving through yoga forms to explore their effect on the body. His first two years of practice consisted of a ninety-minute daily experience. Without fail, he diligently practiced. By his mid twenties, being rooted in meditation and āsana, Todd started to explore the different schools of yoga instruction. This quest would take him from the practices of Hatha Yoga and Sivananda Yoga to Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. Still present in his practice and teaching today, one can find the roots of and his love for Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga.

In 2001, Todd stumbled upon the fledgling school of Anusara Yoga. He recognized the clear sophistication and efficacy of its practice and methodology and immediately commenced studying the school’s system and instruction. His evolving practice led him to the most important introduction of his journey; meeting his teacher and friend, world renowned tantric scholar, Dr. Douglas Brooks with whom he continues regular study today.

Combining Ashtanga Yoga & Anusara Yoga’s āsana technology and the revolutionary philosophic teachings of Brooks’ Rajanaka Yoga, Todd discovered the potency of scientific sophistication paired with artistic expression. Body, breath, mind and spirit blended perfectly to uncover their synergetic evolutionary relationship.
By 2003, Todd was teaching under the auspices of Anusara Yoga, and by 2007, he was traveling the world as a respected Certified Anusara Yoga instructor. Currently based in the United States, Todd is a Licensed E-RYT500 Certified Yoga Instructor, who continues to practice daily and teach throughout the U.S as well as internationally crisscrossing Europe including, Turkey and India.

Known for his sense of humor, steadiness and the easy manner of his teaching style, Todd is also respected as the teacher who will challenge the student to linger in the depths and edges of each posture while guiding them to cultivated subtle refinements of breath and body. His favorite question, “Now, what are you prepared to do?” rings out regularly coupled with his favorite reminder that depth of practice comes little by little, again and again! Embodying serious support with detailed instruction, Todd’s teaching extends a constant invitation to the underlying philosophy, art and science that is Yoga.

Susanna

Susanna is the author of Yoga 365: Daily Wisdom for Life On and Off the Mat, published by Chronicle Books, and Looking at Matisse and Picasso, published by The Museum of Modern Art. Combining her life as a writer, yoga teacher, and artist, Susanna delights in helping her students access their self-expression, guiding them on their personal creative journeys to produce new work, introducing practices and rituals to support their growth. Based in NYC, Susanna teaches internationally and was a pioneer in online courses for both writers and yogis, introducing Writing Your Practice in 2010. She created the first art and writing courses for The Museum of Modern Art in the late 90s and early 2000s, and has written for numerous art and yoga publications. Susanna believes in the power of art and creativity to heal and to inspire and believes that everyone has a story waiting to be told.

Our Itinerary:

 

  •  Welcoming Puja or Ceremony by a local Hindu Priest
  • Two daily Yoga Asana practices led by Todd and Susanna
  • Daily Meditation and Pranayama
  • Daily Stories of the Gods and their accompanying mantras and mudras
  • Visit to a local town and amazing marketplace
  • One minute walk to Mandrem Beach and the Arabian Sea
  • Natural Swimming Pool
  • Copious Breakfast and Dinner buffets included
  • Wifi in one of the many common lounge areas
  • Chai and ginger lemon tea available free all day
  • A special South Indian gift package from Todd and Susanna!

Jan 21-28, 2024

Earlybird pricing through October 1st

Accommodation
Persons per Room
Cost
Earlybird
Eco Lodge Single
1 person
$2375
$2175
Eco Lodge Shared
2 people
$2040
$1840
Palm Grove Shared
1-3 people
$2120
$1920

Additionally, luxury rooms are available if you sign up early – contact us for more info

$500 deposit is submitted via credit card payment. Our preferred method of payment for balance is by Zelle or by check.
*For foreign payment, we prefer Wise (formerly Transferwise). For Zelle and Paypal and other options contact us for more info.

(Participants are responsible for any additional payment system fees-domestic and international)

Reserve your space now!

SAVE $50 off early bird price! Sign up before July 31st
I'm Coming to Goa!
A non-refundable $500 deposit holds your place.
Full payment insures the housing of your choice now.
(Full Payment due by Nov 1)

Photo by photojournalist and 2020 retreat participant Elizabeth Conley

FAQ

Optional Free-Time Activities

•Easy walking access to Arambol and Ashvem, towns for exploring, shopping, and food

•Available trips to spice farms and waterfalls
•Visits to the famous Goan Flea Market in nearby Anjuna on Wed and on Sat night

•Access to Ashiyana’s evening musical performances, Kirtan, or meditation sessions.
•A menu of Ashiyana’s on-site spa treatments

What’s Not Included?

•Lunch: food is easily available on the beach and in town, but Ashiyana’s HUGE buffet brunches take care of most people
•Airfare & transportation from airport (but we will advise and connect you with the right people)
•Yoga mat – people are encouraged to bring their own

Night Market

Spa

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RETREAT? Contact us here