Name: Ayurveda & The Elements Retreat & Yoga Teacher Training
Start: 2024-08-23T00:00:00.000Z
End: 2024-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Hardwick Estate, South Oxfordshire.

Sadhama Rewild Retreats

Email address verified

98 reviews

Aug 23 - 26, 2024

Group size: 1 - 75

Ayurveda & The Elements Retreat & Yoga Teacher Training

Hardwick Estate, South Oxfordshire.

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Sadhama Rewild Retreats

Email address verified

98 reviews

Aug 23 - 26, 2024

Group size: 1 - 75

4 days of full immersion into nature & the practice of life science!

Ayurveda and the Elements Retreat & Yoga Teacher Training Course is an enlightening deep dive into how Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga, can inform and enhance your own yoga practice and take your teaching skills to the next level. A retreat in the heart of gorgeous nature with like-minded people to discover and practically learn the life science of self-caring and healing framed as a short teacher course delivered over the weekend, with room for learning, discussion, practical embodied techniques, and joyful community connection.

Discover this fascinating personalised approach to asana practice which will help you guide your students towards the yoga that really works for them. Learn how to bring out the best from your students within the class time you have, by adapting and tailoring your approach using some simple modification techniques that can be quickly and easily communicated in the studio and on the mat. Applicable to any form of yoga you may teach, from kundalini to vinyasa, this holistic approach will elevate your classes and imbue true transformative power.

This retreat is for those who want to deepen their knowledge and practically try Ayurvedic nutrition, massage, and yoga for their self-care or Yoga teachers, facilitators and space holders who want to be confident in the choices they are making for their students. Knowing that you are able to provide the best style of learning to bring out students' innate strength and unique vitality. Keep classes engaged by introducing them to yoga which is naturally suited to their temperament and tendencies - playing to their strengths and targeting their weaknesses in a way that they feel intuitively drawn to.

Most yoga teacher training courses touch on Ayurveda as a component of their courses - but do you really know how to apply this knowledge in your classes? Come with us as we show you how the theory becomes a reality and bring a profound depth to your teaching.

Do you need to be a yoga teacher to attend? No! This course is suitable for anyone who wants to add dimension to their own yoga and learn how Ayurveda can support you in finding a practice that serves your ultimate goals.

Over the weekend we will look at how you can tailor asana practice for each of the three main elemental types, Vata (air), Pitta (fire) and Kapha (earth and water). Practice in each style and feel the difference for yourself. Learn how to identify each of these three types by taking a general appraisal of physical, mental and emotional characteristics, so you can spot each student as they walk through your classroom door and know what will be best for them.

Discover the therapeutic practice of ayurvedic massage and how you can bring in some techniques to enhance your class offering. And it's not just asana, we explore the mantra, pranayama and meditations you can teach to pacify each elemental type and diversify your workshops - perfect for teaching day retreats and longer classes.

Enjoy ayurvedic food over the whole weekend and explore the sensory therapy of elemental eating so you feel equipped with the knowledge to make the best choices for your own holistic health and wellbeing, ensuring you are in top teaching condition and able to make recommendations to students depending on their constitutions and the seasons. In our guided voice activation workshop drop into a space of centred heart and reveal your true voice as a guide and conduit of yoga. There will be plenty of opportunity for personalised learning during our open Q&A sessions with our ayurvedic experts where you can get the answers to the questions that really matter to you.

All this against a backdrop of the gorgeous nature of the Thames Valley, with wild swimming in the refreshing river waters each morning, free time to walk in the glorious green of the forested hills and impeccable campfire vibes with kirtan, music and song.

This year we are bringing our newly built mobile sauna by the river so you can deeply relax in the warmth of the sauna with a spectacular view of the river Thames.

We will be eating fresh, organic, locally grown plant based meals lovingly prepared according to Ayurvedic principles. As much as possible of our gorgeous fruit and veg will come from Tolhurst Organic farm, based on site, who use stock free farming to produce the lowest possible carbon footprint, cruelty free food. Their work is truly inspiring and aligned with our ethos of re-connecting and re-aligning with mother nature to live in more harmony.

The retreat begins on Friday evening 23rd August and ends on bank holiday Monday morning 26th August 2024.

The retreat is held in a secluded rural camping field next to the shores of the river with composting toilets, hot shower and fresh water. Tents available to rent if you can not bring your own.

Camper vans & caravans are welcome, dogs must stay at home!

This retreat is free from drugs, alcohol or intoxicants which cloud the mind.

Surround yourself with hundreds of year old trees, wild flower meadows, stunning scenery, magical sunset views, wonderful wildlife & your community.

We hope to be able to accommodate all who are interested & feel drawn to come together as a community.

We have tickets available for the Full YTTC: Friday evening - Monday morning which are limited in numbers to facilitate personalised learning, inner inquiry and reconnection as a community.

Your Tickets include:

4 Day immersion into sacred lands and your beautiful self!

✔️ All 4 days of the course.

✔️ All activities, classes and workshops.

✔️ Certificate of Completion for the Ayurveda and the Elements YTTC

✔️ Delicious Ayurvedic food: Friday dinner, 3 meals a day on Saturday and Sunday and breakfast on Monday. A selection of hot drinks will be available throughout the day.

✔️ Ground for your own tent.

We have a limited number of Super Early Bird Tickets at £249 available until they sell out, secured with a £50 deposit and payable in instalments.

If you miss those, our Early Bird Tickets at £275 are available until they sell out, also on a payment plan if you choose to spread the cost.

Our full price Ayurveda & The Elements Yoga Teacher Training Package at £299 will be available right up until the course start date or until we sell out!

For those who would like to combine the fun of the retreat and karma of the service we have few Seva Tickets. These tickets are designed for those who enjoy getting involved in the running of the retreat by giving the core crew a hand with whatever is needed to be done on the day, or those who can't afford the full price of the tickets but still want to come. If you’re keen to be involved, please click here to complete our online application.

The tickets can be booked in the Available Packages section below.

Hardwick estate is only 40 minutes by train from London (Paddington), and just 20 minutes by car from Junction 12 on the M4. Easily accessible from the main transport hubs at Reading, yet set in the rolling countryside of the Chilterns AONB, Hardwick is ideally located for a weekend getaway of peace and tranquility.

If you have a spare seat in your car and are happy to share a ride, or if you need a lift to the gathering, join the link to the our retreat community WhatsApp group.

Certification
Receive a Certificate of Completion for this short course YTTC to add to your yoga qualifications
Daily Ayurvedic Yoga
Each session tailored towards balancing different elemental types for true embodied and experiential learning.
Identifying Doshas
Learn how to identify the different ayurvedic types or 'doshas' by exploring generalised physical, emotional and mental characteristics attributed to each one.
Ayurvedic Meditation
A great opportunity to learn effective methods of meditation for each ayurvedic type, ensuring profound results and deep inner stillness.
Ayurvedic Pranayama
A transformational workshop with experienced teachers will show you how to breath new life into your classes and create a lasting connection to a sense of inner contentment.
Ayurvedic Mantra
Learn the power of sound to revitalise the internal elements - calm fire, steady air and uplift earth through chanting sacred mantra.
Elemental Eating
Discover the basis for an ayurvedic diet as we reveal the six ayurvedic tastes and how to balance them for ultimate daily wellbeing. Be able to make informed choices for yourself & advise students.
Ayurvedic Massage
Get some hands-on experience of therapeutic techniques which can be incorporated into your asana classes - giving your students a truly re-energising time in your sessions.
Voice Activation
Discover your authentic voice and become a powerful conduit of the wisdom of yoga through activating your throat chakra and empowering your sound.
Teacher Q&A
Bring all your burning questions to our ayurvedic experts who will be able to give you in depth answers and guidance in areas of specific interest to you.
Kirtan
Led by talented devotional musicians, offer your prayers to the night sky around the campfire as we sing over the flames.
Ayurvedic Meals and Teas
All our food is organic and locally sourced and lovingly prepared with your health and satisfaction in mind. We are so lucky to be surrounded by passionate and ethical growers!
Ayurvedic Assessment
Ayurvedic assessment of your own constitution will be offered. Understanding of your own nature provides enhanced tool set for self healing and wellbeing.
Nature Connection
Connect to the sacred land around you through immersion into the generous wild.
Wild Swimming
We are blessed to have a clean and pure section of the Thames on our doorstep. Listed as one of the best wild swimming spots in UK.
Ground Rent
Accommodation is provided on a secluded camping field next to the shores of the river. Bring a tent with you or hire one at checkout.
Riverside Sauna
Deeply relax in the warmth of the sauna with a spectacular view of the river Thames.
Luxury Indoor Showers
Indoor showers and toilets are conveniently located next to the campsite. There are additional toilets, an outdoor hot shower cabin, sinks and fresh running water also available in the campsite.
Boat Rides
We will have some boats and kayaks available at our campsite throughout the gathering for you to enjoy the river Thames.
Massage/Healing
There will be professional therapists on site offering rejuvenating massage and deeply healing bodywork. This will be offered at a reduced rate but is not included in the package price.

Glamping Bell Tent - Complete Snoozing

£240

Bell Matting

2 Single camping beds or a double bed

Bedding, Linen, Blankets for beds

Quilts, Cushions

Table, Light & Mirror

Fairy lights

Rugs

Fully Furnished Canvas 5M Bell Tent

£150

Pre-erected, spacious, cotton canvas bell tent for your private accommodation. Equipped with double mattress, rug, table and lamp.

Canvas Bell Tent

£100

Pre-erected, spacious, cotton canvas bell tent for your private accommodation during your stay. Comes unfurnished.

Medium Tent

£60

Pre-erected, unfurnished tent for your private accommodation during your stay. Sleeps 3-4 people or provides spacious accommodation for one.

Small tent

£40

Pre-erected, unfurnished tent for your private accommodation during your stay. Provides decent space for solo travellers.

Ayurveda & The Elements
Ayurveda & The Elements
Friday Arrivals
We will welcome you to our beautiful location between 3-5pm. There will be time to settle and orientate, put up your tents and relax into your space before we gather.

On the first evening we will talk a little bit about your ayurvedic self, and how that will help shape your practice over the retreat. We will then enjoy our first meal together before holding the opening circle around the camp fire.

As we settle in, grounding deeper into ourselves and the land surrounding us we will take the opportunity to embrace the earth element through song around the evening fire. Offering a musical space for connection with the trees that fuel the fire and produce the seeds for growth and life’s cycle of endings and beginnings.
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Ayurveda & The Elements
Ayurveda & The Elements
Saturday
Dive straight in with a refreshing wild swim in the river Thames as we wake.

Revived from the waters we will flow into a morning yoga practice, focusing first on pacifying Vata, the element of Air.

After breakfast we will discover how to spot the different elements present in people based on some physical, emotional and mental tendencies associated with each type.

We will break for some lunch and then spend the afternoon with our talented therapist learning all about ayurvedic massage techniques, and how you can easily incorporate them into your classes.

Following on from dinner we gather by the campfire to chant mantras for each dosha, deeply embodying the diverse vibrations of each element.

Our evening around the campfire continues and we lift our prayers to the sky in a devotional kirtan led by gifted musicians.
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Ayurveda & The Elements
Ayurveda & The Elements
Sunday
Another unique opportunity to experience the cleansing water of the Thames, as we wild swim when we wake.

Sunday's yoga asana practice will look at embodying peaceful Pitta, the element of fire.

After breakfast we will gather to look at how you can bring the elements within into balance using differing pranayama techniques, and ways of meditating that best suit each constitutional type.

We rest and relax over a shared ayurvedic lunch, lovingly comprised of carefully chosen sattvic ingredients.

In the afternoon we will delve into a guided eating meditation - exploring the six ayurvedic tastes and how they effect each of the elements within the body. We learn how to build meals for each dosha along with the eating habits which enable long lasting holistic health for each individual.

After dinner our ayurvedic experts circle in an open Q&A session with you - answering all of your questions and queries on the topics that you feel most drawn to expanding on.

Our talented vocal coach joins us on Sunday evening to lead a voice activation workshop. Discover your authentic voice as a teacher, guide and conduit for yogic knowledge.
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Ayurveda & The Elements
Ayurveda & The Elements
Monday Departures
We start the day with the third morning swim of the retreat to wash away the layers you have shed during this cleansing weekend.

Our final morning yoga asana session will bring our awareness into energising and balancing Kapha, the element of earth and water.

After breakfast we will gather for our closing circle to bring complete fullness to the retreat weekend. Our final day and we reflect on our experience and intentions going full circle back to our daily lives.

We expect the closing circle to end around 11.30am, after which time you will be invited to pack down your belongings and begin your journeys back to your homes, resting in the freshness of your new self.

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Your Hosts
Your Hosts
Meet the Team
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Ayurveda & The Elements

Friday Arrivals

We will welcome you to our beautiful location between 3-5pm. There will be time to settle and orientate, put up your tents and relax into your space before we gather.

On the first evening we will talk a little bit about your ayurvedic self, and how that will help shape your practice over the retreat. We will then enjoy our first meal together before holding the opening circle around the camp fire.

As we settle in, grounding deeper into ourselves and the land surrounding us we will take the opportunity to embrace the earth element through song around the evening fire. Offering a musical space for connection with the trees that fuel the fire and produce the seeds for growth and life’s cycle of endings and beginnings.

Sadhama Rewild Retreats

98 reviews

A space to connect with nature, community and your natural self. Our retreats are crafted to offer the experience of rest, grounding and self-realisation. We share the unparalleled beauty and healing nature of Hardwick Estate, tuning into the living wisdom of the ancient oaks and sacred waters. We bring a profoundly nurturing connection, rewilding the biorhythm of the body within, and bringing ourselves into harmony with nature's elements and rhythms. The experience of connection, joy and oneness is our natural birthright.

It was an incredible weekend , loved every minute of it . Can’t recommend this enough. And can’t wait to go again next year. Love to everyone involved who created it.regards Tim

By Timothy F for Natural Flow ༄ Yoga Retreat 2025 on Jul 30, 2025

The retreat was wonderful! Beautiful location, swimming in the river, sauna, delicious food, nice agenda of practices and classes you could choose to participate or not, loved the relaxed vibe. Met lovely people, musicians singing by the fire every evening. I thought it was curated with a lot of care, thoughtfulness and love. Highly recommend. Clare

By Clare D for Natural Flow ༄ Yoga Retreat 2025 on Jul 29, 2025

What a wonderful afternoon! Calming yoga by the river, lead by Dimitry followed by a relaxing sauna (except for the cold bucket of water beforehand!) and the chance to dip in the river. All this rounded off with a delicious vegetarian meal crafted by Karen. We we blessed with super weather, but Dimitry and Karen made sure that every part of the experience was attended to with care and consideration for their guests. I would definitely recommend this short retreat to anyone looking for a few hours of calm in the grounds of the wonderful Hardwick House on the banks of the Thames.

By Sue R for Reset and Restore ༄ Monthly Wellbeing Club on Jul 22, 2025

I had an amazing time at the retreat. So much good is coming out of it. I felt very welcomed. The kindness of the host was amazing feeling. I felt safe there. The food was different but lovely. And the place is beautiful. Highly recommend thank you

By Corinne C for Insight Vipassana Silent Meditation Retreat May on Jun 10, 2025

Great program, great people, one is a life time experience x

By Eulalie O for Insight Vipassana Silent Meditation Retreat May on Jun 10, 2025

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I took part in the 7-day silent retreat with Sadhama, and it was a truly life changing experience. Vipassana is a Pali word that stands for 'clear-seeing' or 'insight'. Having previously heard about the 7 to 10-day meditation challenge, I never seriously considered that this would be something I'd ever venture into. Life has different plans. When my partner accidentally stumbled upon one right at our doorstep, with an element of yoga and sauna (!) incorporated into it, I began to feel the calling, and my excuses started to gently evaporate. After all, for the first time in over three years, I could go offline for a week without the sky falling, so what was stopping me? So, for the entirety of last week, I spent on a field, in silence, with 50 others who had made this strange commitment to their own evolution. The days began at 4.30 in the morning with the gong, and continued until 9 pm in the evening paced with 45-minute segments of both sitting and walking meditation. The instructions were plain, and the outcome clear: understand the nature of the mind and, as a result, the reality you live in, or, the reality you create for yourself as a result of your relationship to your mind. There was no dinner, and the first two days rained pretty much constantly. At the point where nearly all my essential items were starting to be pretty soaked, the sun made an appearance. "See, your vision is clearing, and as a result, the weather!" - we were told. Funnily, this was true. The first few days were hard. Once we passed the halfway mark, things started to feel lighter. The meditations finally began to feel like "they should." I wouldn't have been able to do this without the amazing lead of the incredible dharma teacher Dmitry, whose stoic wisdom truly drilled into our superficially suffering minds why this knowledge is so essential. --- Who do you want to run your life? For the first three days, I found my thoughts to be utterly insufferable; superficial, gimmicky, frantic, and judgmental. After three days, I began to notice the impact of the meditations where my thoughts began to rise at a slower pace and became easier to tame. By the completion of the retreat, I found myself to be in a foreign space of peaceful contentment. After finally being able to speak for the first time in seven days, I found a deep kinship with my fellow meditators. We had already shared so much, albeit without words. The retreat organizers incorporated a sharing session to the last night, and I cannot describe the feeling of seeing your mute fellow beings come into light and share their reasons for stepping onto the path of such deep self-inquiry and discipline. We laughed, and we cried hearing each other's shares. Traditional Vipassana is arranged in an exactly same way as Buddhist monks would practice in a monastery. The practice is simple, elegant, and challenging. In the West, we build our lives around our wishes and desires, our comforts and pleasantries. Unfortunately, as a result, we become evermore trapped in cycles of dependency when we no longer reign our own beings, but rather are pulled by our minds along like helpless children. Most people don't ever even consider doing anything to overcome the madness of their own minds, but as the Buddhist know so well, what results is an endless cycle of suffering. Vipassana invites us to first witness our internal havoc, and secondly, take charge by quieting the mind and repeatedly bringing ones' awareness to the present moment. Most importantly, there are no shortcuts, no tricks one can pull to make the process any easier. Belief in your own capacity and your constant commitment to the practice are the main tools on your path to lighter reality. After returning home, I've felt an amazing sense of calm stability, gratitude, and focus. I feel that my time has been extended, my mind is at rest, and I've experienced a long needed reset, which put me right back on my tracks. I feel called to learn more and to find a way to give back, now that I've had the opportunity to receive this knowledge that so many people go without for all their lives. We all can alleviate suffering, in our own lives, and in the lives of others, and I'd warmly recommend starting with the mess of your own mind. God knows we need more sane people in this insane world. Sadhamayoga, you've helped me more than I can express 🙏🙏🙏 The care that went into the food, space holding, and the treatments was palpable, and I left with my heart full of gratitude that people like you exist. May all beings be safe, free, and happy.

By Johanna S on 04 Jun, 2025

This is the real deal. If you are looking for a true expression of the essence of Yoga you don't need to look further. I have had the warmest of genuine welcome, been nurtured, eaten amazing food which is prepared and served with love. The teachings and course leadership are authentic and based in deep understanding of yoga. The setting is perfect, an oasis of nature unspoilt on the bank of the splendid Thames. The sweat lodge is authentic and transformative. I can't recommend this any more highly.

By Bob S on 03 Jun, 2023

I have left deeply transformed at the end of the retreat - at peace, empowered and joyful. I shall share with you a poem I penned at the end on Sunday after most people had set off. What brought me to this point? Was it just being at the right place at the right time? Was it just the practices, the setting, the energy, the company, the food? It was all of the above, and beyond! First of all, all the organisers and teachers at the Sadhama ReWild retreat I have just attended at the Hardwick Estate in South Oxforshire live and breathe what they teach. It came across strongly and informed the ethos, the energy and the vibration of the whole experience for everybody. People gelled and I made many new connections with some like-minded and like-hearted people which I am relishing. There was an all-embracing welcoming of everybody with no judgement. We practised yoga, danced around the fire, swam in the Thames, did forest bathing and much much more, all within a very safe and sustaining space magically magnified by the idyllic setting. I have sadly lost an old sangha due to various reasons, but have now got a new one - a new yoga family who has taken me in to walk alongside and with me and I with them. Second of all, the practices sometimes reminded of what I already know but have forgotten, at others I learnt new things. But, I found that perhaps we always experience things anew, as we are moment by moment changing. Practices were delivered and shared with joy. The structure of the day was honoured. It all was flowing without too much ado! Thirdly, the food, freshly prepared, vegan, organic, was very nourishing and absolutely delicious. I was sustained not just by the food itself, but by the ambience, the loving, compassionate, all-embracing energy and people. Now for the poem inspired by this experience, as promised earlier is called: JOY What does joy look like? What does joy feel like? What does joy smell like? What does joy sound like? Where does joy live? What dance does it dance? What song does it sing? Joy is seen on children's faces Joy turns up in some unexpected places. Joy sometimes surprises, takes you unawares Joy whispers sweet nothings, when it seems nobody cares. Joy's fairy-like nature can be felt in a tree Joy speaks to the heart when there's nothing to see Joy shines throughout our beings divine Joy reassures it is now and forever fine. Joy constant like a steady, strong mountain springs forth like a wild water fountain refreshingly fresh, always anew washing away all unwanted residue. Joy wakes up the dormant, heavy heart and the whole body, each and every part of our whole being sacred, infinite our spirits and souls dance happily within it. Joy is multiplied when shared Joy comes in when its summons are heard Joy sings and twirls sweetly around when it hears that most welcome sound of our inner being emptied of waste - in it comes, with its sweet-smelling taste hurriedly enters with an enthusiastic haste filling our heart, mind, body and soul with love so that our being is below as it is is above! Joy is when a sangha is sadly lost, but a new one is found Joy is when compassion, generosity and freedom abound Joy's gifts abundant as it is overflowing Joy brings us back to our own inner knowing. Written by (me) Mary Mallia "JOY" on Sunday 12th September 2021 after the Sadhama ReWild Retreat at The Hardwick Estate, South Oxfordshire and inspired by my experience there and at that time.

By Mary M on 14 Sep, 2021

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