Yoga RETREAT in Sri Lanka

This retreat will take place in Arugam Bay on the East coast of Sri Lanka. October is a perfect time to visit it with warm weather, great surf options and the relaxing calmness of shoulder season.

Our yoga retreat encompasses daily morning yoga classes, pranayama and meditation. In the afternoons you have time to explore the surrounding nature, take surf lessons, relax by the sea or pool, or sip a refreshing coconut at a beachside café. In the evenings you can join the group for dinner and restorative yin yoga or Reiki healing sessions.

On most days we are also offering an optional group programme, which you can join according to your interests. This includes a safari in Kumana national park, a lagoon safari, surfing lessons, the option to visit a local women-led social upcycling enterprise, or joining a cooking class.

The hotel Stay Golden is situated in a quiet area of Arugam Bay and has both a pool and direct beach access. It is run by a German-Sri Lankan couple who are knowledgeable about local culture, and available to chat about any questions that may come up regarding Sri Lanka, yoga or spirituality.

BALANCE REST & MOVEMENT IN PARADISE

PROGRAMME

You may wish to start your days watching sunrise over the ocean from the beach, take a morning dip or meditate around sunrise. As the hotel is located directly at the beach, this is a comfortable and convenient option.

We start our yoga programme at 7:30 am with pranayama. Of-course, all parts of the programme are optional and you may wish to sleep in a little longer until the vinyasa yoga class at 8:15 am. This class is dynamic and will be tailored to take account of all retreat participants, giving explanations for beginners to advanced options for experienced yogis, as well as support to everyone in between.

We will head to the breakfast/brunch buffet around 10 am. After breakfast you can take time to relax by the pool, you can always book a massage or wellness treatment, explore the area by foot, bike or scooter, or join an optional activity. We will be offering a safari at Kumana national park (known for its leopards - that is often a highlight), a lagoon safari and surfing lessons. All thes are optional and additional to the retreat package. We can also organise a trip to an upcycling enterprise for local women, which produces bags and other items from used rice bags, saris and fishing nets. If you are interested in a Sri Lankan cooking class, we can help you arrange that.

In the evenings you can watch sunset from the hotel roof - a spectacular sight nearly every night -, join a group dinner and then wind down in a yin yoga class or reiki (non-invasive energy healing) group session.

STAY GOLDEN HOTEL

Stay Golden Hotel is a beautiful, modern, quiet and tasteful hotel located right by the beach in Arugam Bay. It is a little outside of the small town's center, making it a wonderful place to clear the mind and feel at peace.

The hotel boasts a beautiful yoga shala with two walls of windows facing the sea, as well as an outdoor space towards the sea. There is a large pool, restaurant and massage/wellness facilities. The German-Sri Lankan couple running the place are very approachable with any questions, concerns or just for a friendly chat. They have a great attention to detail, making the hotel facilities high quality and the space tasteful and comfortable.

YOGA PROGRAMME DETAILS

Eignet sich mein Yoga-Level für das Retreat?
Grundsätzlich können wirklich komplette Anfänger bis sehr erfahrene, flexible oder sportliche Yogis teilnehmen; ich bin es nämlich gewohnt, Klassen mit gemischten Erfahrungsstufen zu lehren. Es sind in jeder Yogaklasse entspanntere, einfachere Elemente enthalten; sowie einige herausfordernde Posen oder Sequenzen, bei denen auch erfahrene Yogis an ihre Grenzen kommen. Dabei biete ich oft unterschiedliche Varianten an, damit jede/r auf dem eigenen Level üben kann. Aus meiner Erfahrung profitieren auch erfahrene Yogis davon, wenn gewisse Posen mit besonderem Bedacht und bewusst aufgebaut werden, und Anfängeryogis macht es oft Spaß, sich an schwierigeren Posen auszuprobieren oder dynamische Flows mitzumachen.

Wer lehrt die Yoga, Pranayama und Meditationseinheiten?
Katharina Kunze (ich) leite alle Yoga-, Pranayama- und Meditationsklassen. Meine Zertifizierung habe ich in Rishikesh, Indien, am Fuße des Himalayas, im traditionellen Hatha- und Ashtanga-Yoga erhalten. Die tiefgreifenden und authentischen Lehren in Yogaphilosophie und -Praktiken, die ich dort erlebt habe, versuche ich weiterzugeben, für ein entspanntes und zufriedenes Leben "im Fluss". Mein Yogaunterricht ist auch stark vom Jivamukti-Stil beeinflusst, der modernere Elemente wie Musik, Gesichts- und Nackenmassagen in Savasana, und ausführliche Hinweise bei der Ausrichtung der Posen integriert.

Was ist Pranayama?
Pranayama bezeichnet im Grunde Atemübungen, mit denen wir "Lebensenergie" ("Prana") im Körper bewegen. Sie wirken sowohl auf der physischen als auch auf der mentalen Ebene. Je nachdem, was unser Ziel ist, können bestimmte Pranayama-Praktiken uns aufwecken, uns beruhigen oder uns in Balance bringen. Einzelne Übungen sind kurz und können toll im Alltag integriert werden, zum Beispiel morgens zum Wachwerden; abends zum Herunterfahren oder tagsüber, um sich zu entspannen oder mentale Klarheit zu gewinnen.

ACTIVITY DETAILS

Surfing

Whether you're an experienced surfer or have never surfed before, Arugam Bay is a wonderful place to ride waves or learn to do so. In October you can use two surf points within walking distance - "Main Point" and "Baby Point" - or ride to other surf spots in the area such as "Elephant Rock", "Peanut Farm" or "Pottuvil Point".

Surf boards can be rented at the hotel, at various surf shops in town or at the surf spots themselves. Lessons can also be arranged directly at the hotel or at a surf school of your liking. The conditions are such that beginners can learn quickly; while the long waves at Main Point or Pottuvil Point are fun and challenging for experienced surfers. In October the waters are less busy than in peak season, the water and air being warm so you can easily surf without a wetsuit, and prices are very affordable with lessons at around €20, and board rental for just a few Euro. :)

If you wish there is time daily for surfing, e.g. at sunrise or in the afternoon.

Safari in Kumana National Park

Already on the roads just outside Arugam Bay, you can often spot elephants in the rice paddies around sunrise and sunset. There are also spots nearby where you can see crocodiles from a main road bridge. One of the special animals to spot in Kumana National Park is leopards. Kumana National Park has the second highest leopard density globally, and the highest in Sri Lanka. Of-course, a leopard sighting cannot be guaranteed.

A safari lasts around 6-7 hours and - subject to interest - I would organise it for a mid-week afternoon. The price depends on the group size, varying between about €35-100 per person. The activity is entirely optional. We will work with a safari host who we consider to be "ethical" in the sense of disrupting animals as little as possible

Lagoon safari

The lagoon safari is a relaxed 2-3 hour experience

MEALS

Breakfast/Brunch

AFter our morning yoga we can fill our reserves with an abundant breakfast/brunch buffet at the hotel restaurant. You will be able to taste local specialties such as sambol (grated coconut with spices), roti and dhosa, or Sri Lankan omelette; as well as a variety of Western breakfast options. These includes various egg dishes, smoothie bowls, fruits and granolas, sweet and savoury breads and toppings (think avocado, grilled vegetables, jams & nutella, peanut butter, hummus and more), pancakes and more.

Dinner

You can join us for a group dinner of rice and curry
... a la carte at the hotel restaurant or elsewhere. I recommend the local rice and curry, where you receive a variety of different local curries each time (often up to 5 curries in one meal) to taste and mix. The extensive menu covers seafood, salads, pasta and many other Western as well as local items, all excellently prepared with high quality ingredients and adapted to your preferred spice level. :)

EARLY BIRD PRICES until 4 August 2026

We have 5 different room types available. Please view the hotel website to understand the look and feel of each room: staygoldenarugam.com/accommodation

1 person:

• 1180€ in Double Cabana (single occupancy; after early bird: €1230), or

• 1420€ in Premium Double Room (single occupancy; after early bird: €1470)
  

2 people (e.g. a couple or friends sharing):

• 2240€ in Triple Room (€1120 per person; after early bird: €2340), or

• 2360€ in Premium Cabana (€1180 per person; after early bird: €2460)
  

3 people (e.g. friends sharing):

• 3180€ in Family Cabana (€1060 per person; after early bird: €3330)

If you would like to join as a couple or group sharing a room, with only one (or two) retreat participants, we can give you alternative offers that exclude the retreat price for the non-participating people. They would skip yoga practices but are welcome at all meals and optional excursions (such as safaris and others).

Additional nights: You can book additional nights at the hotel directly with the hotel or ask me to help you arrange it. I suggest mentioning that you are a retreat participant to make sure you can keep the same room.

Included:

• 6 nights accommodation at Stay Golden Hotel (4 - 10 October 2026)

• 7x 90-minute vinyasa yoga class

• 6x pranayama class in the morning

• 3x yin yoga class (or 2x yin yoga class & 1x reflexology self-massage workshop)

• 3x reiki group healing session (or 2x if you go on the Kumana safari)

• 6x breakfast/brunch

• 4x dinner ???? - 5 or 0 or included in kumana trip???

• anytime access to the pool

• 10% off all massages at the hotel???

Not included:

• Transfer to/from the hotel

• Additional optional activities, e.g.

  • Kumana National Park safari

  • lagoon safari

  • surf lessons

  • cooking classes

  • excursion to Rice & Carry

• meals and drinks other than brunch

• insurance of any kind

ENQUIRIES & BOOKING

Stelle mir gern deine Fragen oder buche ein Kennenlern-Telefonat mit mir. Du kannst mir hier eine Nachricht schicken, eine Email an katharina@0neyoga.com senden oder mich telefonisch/auf Chat-Apps unter +49 1523 8131 548 erreichen.
Ich freue mich darauf, von dir zu hören!

Um zu buchen, schreibe mir ebenfalls eine Nachricht oder Email mit deiner Zimmerwahl und ich bestätige sie dir so schnell wie möglich.

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