14/01/2026
This time last year 🇮🇳
Just days before hosting our Goa retreat, Clare and I travelled north to Rishikesh, in the foothills of the Himalayas where the river Ganges first emerges.
I had long dreamed of staying at , the home of .yogrishi Although Dr. Yogrishi was away when we visited his wonderful wife was there holding space and sharing wisdom.
Also by pure grace, we were there on 14th January for Makar Sankranti — the moment the Sun enters Makara (Capricorn), symbolising the shift from darkness toward light, from inwardness to expansion.
The five days we were there flowed by with meditation, chanting, yoga and daily fire puja, while the riverbanks buzzed with ceremony, colour and celebration — all of Rishikesh marking the cosmic turning together.
We joined in ritual bathing in the Ganges, offering prayers and gratitude to Surya, the Sun god — honouring life force, clarity and the steady return of light. The cold, sacred water, combined with mantra and offerings, felt both humbling and electrifying.
Rishikesh is worlds away from the laid-back beach life of Goa. It was colder (I lived in my one big fleece jumper) and far more intense. Known as a sacred, spiritual centre and the yoga capital of the world, the riverbanks are lined with ashrams, and the days are alive with movement: horns blaring, cows in the road, mopeds weaving through crowds, monkeys eating biscuits whilst leaping overhead!
At times it felt like a sensory overload, and after a few days we found ourselves deeply grateful to be returning to the warmth and spacious calm of Goa.
Within our smaller ashram, though, there was deep peace. Life was simple and structured — silence after 9pm until breakfast, and a 5am morning bell calling us awake.
This March, we host our second retreat in Goa, and we’ll be there this time for Holi festival — hopefully sharing in the joy and colour of the celebrations with our guests ✨🏝️
