The Intention

There is an ancient tradition of pilgrimage where people return to the same place, year after year. Not to seek something new, but to discover what has quietly changed within themselves.

In many traditions, pilgrimage is understood as a movement towards a sacred place. Yet there is another understanding: that the deepest pilgrimage is the one that unfolds within the body itself.

We spend so much of our lives moving outwards — towards the next place, experience, idea or possibility. The inner pilgrimage asks something different of us. To stop. To return. To stay with the practices long enough for another kind of movement to begin. As the body becomes quieter and the breath more subtle, we begin to enter a different kind of space and time; one in which the deeper movements of our own life can be felt.

The Place

Ulpotha is a living village in the heart of Sri Lanka, created more than thirty years ago around a simple experiment: what might it mean to live in close relationship with the land?

Traditional homes were rebuilt, trees planted, ancient irrigation tanks restored and the land returned to organic farming. Today, life at Ulpotha continues to move with the seasons, shaped by nature, community and a slower rhythm of living.

Here, practice doesn't sit apart from life. It becomes part of how we live.

Your Home

Your home will be one of Ulpotha's eleven traditional wattle-and-daub huts, handmade from natural materials and open to the surrounding jungle.

The huts are simple and airy, with comfortable beds beneath large mosquito nets, fresh water, towels and everything you need to settle in. There is no electricity in the huts; evenings are lit by lanterns and life begins to follow the natural rhythm of daylight.

Bathrooms sit separately from the sleeping huts and are sometimes shared with neighbouring guests. Showers are open-air and built from stone, with fresh cool water - you may find yourself bathing beneath the stars before walking back to your hut by lantern light.

Huts are usually shared between two people, reflecting Ulpotha's emphasis on community and village life. A limited number can be taken for private use for an additional supplement.

The luxury here is not what has been added, but what has been taken away.

Food

Meals at Ulpotha are vegetarian and prepared with fresh, organic ingredients, with food grown on the land around us.

Here, eating becomes part of the same relationship with nature that shapes the rest of life at Ulpotha — simple, nourishing and closely connected to the place in which we are living.

Ayurveda

Traditional Ayurveda is an integral part of life at Ulpotha, with treatments and consultations available through the resident Ayurvedic doctor and clinic. These are entirely optional and can be booked separately through Ulpotha for those who would like to explore them alongside the retreat.

Ulpotha also runs a free Ayurveda clinic for the surrounding villages, funded entirely by the revenue from guests' Ayurvedic treatments. The clinic provides free treatment and medicines to local people, continuing an older tradition of Ayurveda in which care was offered as part of community life.

A Different Rhythm

The rhythm of the retreat is intentionally simple. Rather than filling each day with activity, we return to a steady rhythm of practice and spaciousness, allowing the days themselves to deepen.

Across the two weeks we will draw from Hatha Yoga, Daoist movement, Yin Yoga, pranayama and meditation. Although these practices come through different traditions, our inquiry remains the same: what does the practice awaken within us?

Each day we explore a particular territory of the body through movement, breath and stillness. At times the practice may be slower and precise; at others more dynamic and free. We build strength, stamina and vitality not for the sake of effort itself, but to enliven rather than deplete - learning to feel when something needs to move, when something needs nourishing, and when it is time simply to stop and listen.

Morning
Each day begins in stillness with meditation and pranayama. After a short pause, we move into the physical practice, drawing from classical Hatha Yoga, Sun Salutations and Daoist flows. Some days we may stay closely with one tradition; on others, one form of practice may naturally open into another.

Afternoon
There is nothing you need to do with the space between. Swim, walk, read, rest, sit beside the lake or simply be here. Let yourself become quiet enough to feel the place you are in.

Evening
As late afternoon approaches, we return through Yin Yoga and meditation. Rather than a separate practice, this becomes another way of exploring what we awakened earlier — staying long enough to feel what remains when movement becomes stillness.

Thursday is left completely free, with no scheduled practices.

Practical Details

Dates
12th - 26th March 2028

Location
Ulpotha, Sri Lanka

Length
Join me for one week or the full two weeks.

Accommodation
Traditional twin-share wattle-and-daub huts, with limited private occupancy available at an additional cost.

Meals
Fresh organic vegetarian meals, with much of the produce grown at Ulpotha.

Weekly Rhythm
The retreat begins on Sunday evening. Thursday is a complete day of rest.

Ayurveda
Traditional Ayurvedic consultations and treatments are available separately through Ulpotha.

Price & Booking

You are welcome to join me at Ulpotha for one week or the full two weeks.

Two Weeks
12th – 26th March 2028
$3,150 per person with a 10% early-bird discount when booked at least 90 days in advance
Full price: $3,500

One Week
12th – 19th March or 19th – 26th March 2028
$1,890 per person with a 10% early-bird discount when booked at least 90 days in advance
Full price: $2,100

If you would like to talk to me about the retreat before deciding, you are very welcome to get in touch.

When you are ready to reserve your place, bookings are made directly with Ulpotha. When contacting the Ulpotha team, please mention that you are coming through me so they know you are joining my retreat group.