While the sweet spot in Sri Lanka tends to be around three to four days, it’s entirely possible to find longer retreats if you really want to disconnect from the daily grind. Although today most yogis or yoginis (male and female yoga practitioners) do not fully study all eight limbs in depth, even a superficial appreciation of yoga through a gym class can offer countless benefits. Through the practice of yoga you are likely to not only experience an increase in your physical strength and flexibility, but also a sense of clarity and calmness in your conscious mind. Yoga is referred to as a practice rather than an aim or a mission, because of the growth of our awareness, rather than our completion or attainment of a goal. Kundalini yoga has both a physical and spiritual focus, derived from the practise of activating the body’s kundalini energy, which lies at the base of the spine. This practice combines invigorating physical postures (similar to Hatha yoga), with the chanting of mantras and meditation. Classes can be an intense experience and are suitable for beginners and advanced students alike. Any form of exercise that gets your heart pumping, including yoga, can improve cardiovascular health. More strenuous aerobic exercise, which includes some more vigorous forms of yoga (see later), is well documented in its ability to reduce risk of heart disease. But studies have shown that even yoga practices such as restorative yoga or meditation (see later), that don’t raise your heart rate significantly, can lower your resting heart rate and reduce blood pressure.

Vinyasa styles can vary depending on the teacher and the sequence of postures can be varied from a wide range, unlike Ashtanga, which is the same sequence every time. This class is suitable for students with some experience who enjoy a physically challenging practice.

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I noticed that Ayurvedic yoga is extremely popular in Sri Lanka, with virtually all retreats offering both Ayurveda-style yoga and massages. When browsing through retreats, I would suggest that you consider the distance between your accommodation and the attractions that you want to visit. After all, what’s the point of winding down with a relaxing yoga session if you’re just going to spend endless hours on the road afterward? Practices Meditation and relaxation can lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which has benefits such as the relief of stress, anxiety and depression, better immune function, downtime for the nervous system, improved sleep, reduced blood pressure and even, reportedly, the retention of bone calcium levels (reducing the risk of osteoporosis).

Pranayama (the fourth limb) is the practice of breath control, which is the source of our prana, or vital life force. The synchronisation of the breath with asana is integral to all physical yoga practice, but pranayama is also a distinct breathing practice on its own. It has the power to sooth and calm a busy or stressed mind and to revitalise and relax a tired or tense body. Almost every type of yoga class taught in the West is therefore technically a form of Hatha yoga, but often you will come across classes described specifically as ‘Hatha Yoga’. This usually means that it is a more classic style of class taught around the fundamental postures, varying from the most basic and gentle to the more challenging. The postures are usually static, held for a period of time with the breath, and then released. These classes do not usually include the more physically demanding elements of dynamic flow styles of yoga, but may include, for example, ‘salutation to the sun’, which is a short series of repeated postures often used in class to warm the body up. These classes are appropriate for beginners and while the classes may sometimes include more advanced postures, a good teacher should provide two or three alternative options of varying complexity, so a student can choose to challenge themselves if they wish.Day & Time: Mondays at 10.15am for The Bishop’s Palace. Saturdays at 9.30am for Yeo Valley Organic Gardens. Longer retreats can vary from 15 days to a whole month. These retreats tend to offer more in terms of perks like sightseeing expeditions to nearby towns and points of interest. However, yoga reaches far beyond physical exercise, not just because asana is only one of the eight limbs of yoga, but also because the physical practice is not simply ‘stretching and fitness’. Yoga connects the movement and flow of the mind and body with the rhythm and control of the breath. This causes us to focus inwards, increasing our physical and mental awareness. Sri Lanka’s cuisine is legendary – which is probably why you’ll see several retreats offering live cooking demonstrations as well. Excursions to nearby towns and hiking trips are other perks that you can expect. Vinyasa yoga is one the most strenuous and vigorous dynamic yoga styles. Similar to Ashtanga, movement and breath are synchronised as you transition in a fluid motion from one pose to the next, often holding the pose for a period of time.