Join John and Julia for two weeks of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, pranayama, meditation and exploration through sound at Purple Valley, Goa.
Deepen your understanding of Ashtanga, receive individual guidance within a supportive group, and make space for the practice you want to carry into everyday life. Come back to your root.
John has shared Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga with students across Europe and around the world. This November, he returns to India, where he began studying directly with Guruji, Shri K. Pattabhi Jois, at his shala in Mysore in 1989. His teaching draws on that relationship and decades of personal practice and enquiry.
John and Julia share a particular gift for hands-on adjustments, combining skill with care and sensitivity. Their individual approaches invite you to explore the postures with greater awareness — deepening your connection with the physical practice, and with yourself.
In a world of continuous change, I keep returning to one thing: the practice.
Over the years, I have come to understand my yoga practice as a root. The deeper that root grows, the further I can extend my branches, and the more gracefully I can meet the complexity of life.
Julia and I have been returning to Purple Valley for many years. Each time, our invitation is the same: come back to your root.
These two weeks are an opportunity to meet yourself on the mat again. To listen to your breath, give your attention to what is happening now, and explore what the practice means to you at this moment in your life.
For us, yoga is more than the postures. It is a practice of attention, a way of bringing heart and mind into closer relationship. It asks us to consider how we want to live and how we might act with greater awareness, clarity and compassion.
We invite you to explore this together: supported by your teachers, encouraged by the group, and met as an individual.
— John
The Ashtanga Vinyasa system is the ground of our time together. From there, we explore the relationship between body, breath, attention, and the way we move through life.
Work with the relationship between movement, breath and drishti — the point of focus — to explore the practice beyond the shape of a posture.
Make time to notice how the breath relates to your physical and emotional experience — and how, in listening, it begins to change.
Explore Patañjali's Yoga Sūtras and consider how their teachings relate to your own questions, intentions and everyday choices.
Experience chanting and exploration through sound as shared practices of attention — and create space to question familiar patterns with curiosity.
Not simply to do more, but to become more attentive to how you practise.
Mornings — return to the practice. Practice mornings begin with stillness: a short silent meditation, an awakening of the breath, and gentle movement to prepare the spine before asana. We begin with teacher-led counted practice, establishing a shared rhythm before progressing towards assisted self-practice — time to explore the method while receiving guidance within the group.
Afternoons — explore beyond the sequence. Three afternoon workshops each week create space for questions and deeper exploration, bringing together technique, philosophy, pranayama, chanting and meditation, with room for sound, movement and play.
Between sessions — let the experience settle. Not every moment needs to be filled. There is time to rest, reflect, share a meal, and enjoy conversations that begin in the practice room and continue beyond it. The space between sessions is part of the retreat, too.
A rest day falls between the two practice weeks. Timings and session content may be adjusted to support the group.
From the first day, John and Julia make a point of learning everyone's names and encouraging genuine conversation. That simple attention helps create a space where you can ask questions, share your experience, and feel part of the group.
You will practise together, but you will not be expected to have the same practice. Each person arrives with their own history, questions and intentions. Here, there is room for both: the independence of your own enquiry, and the encouragement of practising together.
John has practised Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga since 1987. Introduced to the practice by Derek Ireland and Radha Warrell, he later travelled to Mysore to study with Shri K. Pattabhi Jois, returning annually and receiving his teaching certification in 1995.
His teaching brings together technical enquiry, metaphor and humour, with a particular interest in the counted method and the relationship between breath, movement and attention. He approaches yoga as an ongoing exploration, inviting students to remain curious about both the practice and themselves.
Julia brings a background in dance, acting, yoga and meditation to her teaching. Her approach draws on these disciplines to support awareness, expression and connection.
Through her teaching and hands-on adjustments, she places particular importance on helping students feel met and supported as individuals — creating space for their own experience of the practice to unfold.
This retreat is an invitation to give your practice time and attention. Perhaps you have an established practice and would welcome fresh perspective. Perhaps you have spent a long time practising alone, or are finding your way back after a period away.
You may be drawn to the physical practice, curious about philosophy and meditation, or looking for a closer connection between what happens on your mat and how you live.
You do not need to arrive with everything figured out. Bring your questions, your curiosity, and a willingness to explore. New to Ashtanga, or unsure whether the format is right for you? Contact the Purple Valley team before booking so we can discuss your experience and the programme.
Purple Valley offers a garden setting, comfortable rooms, a swimming pool and vegetarian meals — a place to settle into the rhythm of practice without filling every hour.
Between sessions, spend time by the pool, find a quiet place to read, or linger over a conversation.
Accommodation includes single and shared options, and you can request shared accommodation when travelling alone. Room choices are subject to availability.
Wooden shutters, cool ochre walls, and a balcony onto the palms — a quiet place to return to at the end of each practice day.
Rooms and prices — single or shared — are shown on Purple Valley's booking page. Explore the accommodation options, choose the room that suits you, and review the full details before booking.
Your stay includes accommodation, all teaching with John & Julia, and daily meals (brunch, chai & fruit, and dinner). Flights and airport transfers are arranged separately with Purple Valley. Prices, inclusions and current availability are confirmed at booking.
Yes. You can book a single room, or request a shared room without bringing a roommate — Purple Valley can arrange room sharing, subject to availability.
Arrival is Saturday, 21 November 2026. Rooms are available from 2:00 pm, with a welcome meeting at 6:00 pm followed by dinner. Please plan your journey so you can join us for the opening gathering.
Yes. The sample programme leaves several afternoons free and includes a rest day between the two practice weeks. You will have space to rest and enjoy time outside the sessions.
Purple Valley can help organise airport transfers, which are paid separately. Contact the team with your flight details to discuss arrangements and costs.
Payment and cancellation terms are handled by Purple Valley — see the booking page or contact the team with any questions about your stay.
These two weeks are an invitation to reconnect with your teachers, become part of a shared practice, and explore what helps you feel rooted in your own life. The intention is not to leave with everything resolved — it is to return home with a practice you understand more deeply, and a renewed sense of why it matters.
Join John and Julia at Purple Valley.