Agnihotra Yoga Retreat Varkala

I had a wonderful stay at here. The place is serene and beautiful, I felt totally relaxed and at ease. Syamji is a kind and considerate host and teacher who made sure I got everything I wanted out of my stay and more! The food is simple but delicious and the surround area beautiful. If you are looking for a refreshing and inspiring retreat I highly recommend this.

My stay here was nothing short of amazing. Although I did picture the retreat in my mind quite differently, I was pleasantly surprised how much more better it actually turned out to be. This experience to me was more than just the delicious food and in-depth understanding of yoga and meditation; it was a way of life. I got to learn so much from this one week stay at Agnihotra and Syamji Rakesh was wonderful. He is a simple and understated person, filled with knowledge. He just seemed to have an answer to all my questions (& I had a lot). The energy in the property is unmatched, which accentuates your learning process. My recommendation is to come for this retreat with an open mind and you can feel a true difference in your energy. Additionally, Varkala is such a beautiful place to visit. Arrangements are usually done for guests to visit some local spots. The property is only a 5 minute walk from the beach and the famous Varkala cliff. The number of guests was less at the time I visited. Although initially anxious, very soon I felt relaxed and comfortable there. Overall, I highly recommend this place!

The evening Agnihotra fire meditation we attended was nothing short of extraordinary ! Rakesh generates an all embracing aura of peace and the same applies to the purified Ashram in its woodland setting. The fire meditation was an amazing immersive experience and a joy to be a part of. Time elapsed so quickly that one and a half hours felt like 10 minutes when we concluded. A complete energy recharge and overall sense of well-being was experienced. A spirituality uplifting place and a beautiful guide

It’s been a perfect retreat in a little paradise on earth, full of positive energy! Thank you so much for this week and these shared moments! Rakesh is a real golden heart and benevolent person, eager to share his knowledge and to teach you both yoga and meditation and help you reconnect to yourself and to the essential. We discovered Ayurveda food which is also really good and tasty and Sujatha is a perfect chef that kindly taught us how to cook some recipes! Forever in our mind and in our heart, with love xxx

I have just come back from Agnihotra Yoga Retreat where I had a lovely time. I booked a shared room with no AC which was comfortable and clean and I slept very well. I have to disagree with a previous reviewer who said it was over priced, it seemed similar to other local retreats that I looked at. It would be possible to go to a cheaper one but for me the location was important as well as having everything in one place. If you get a retreat on the sea it is more expensive but this retreat is literally 5 minutes walk from the beach. You could stay in an ashram which are much cheaper but I did not wan to do service as I was on a two week holiday and wanted to rest and enjoy the sea and surrounding area. Rakesh seemed very knowledgeable on ayurvedic tradition and hatha yoga and made a lot of effort to ensure I was happy. I visited in January 2020 when the protests were taking place regarding the status of non Indian muslims in the country. In Kerela these were peaceful protests which I saw nothing of while I was there however they impacted on the tourist industry, including the local shops, beach brolleys and tuk tuk drivers. Because of this numbers were also down at Agnihotra and I was the only guest at Agnohitra for most of the time I was there, which was a shame, but I appreciated Rakesh and Shughida's company. This is a very traditional authentic Indian ayurvedic retreat and if that is what you want then I would definitely recommend.