Yoga in Koh Samui
10 March 2017
Thailand has become an increasingly popular place to practice yoga and the island of Koh Samui is no exception and is top of the list for yoga retreats. Many travellers pick Thailand -for a destination to come and relax, rejuvenate, meditate and get in touch with their spiritual side - the land of smiles and a true tropical paradise.
It is the ideal place to perfect your yoga practice, relax the mind, reignite your spirit and regain balance - or the perfect place to start, at least.
Yoga as a practice can help you become more flexible and move more freely. It can also help you bring awareness to the relationship you have with your body and help bring more clarity to your thoughts. You will find all sorts of yoga practice in Thailand from Hatha to Vinyasa and Iyengar to Ashtanga. Both relaxed and active methods of yoga are practiced on the islands.
Whilst Thailand Retreats holidays don’t necessarily include yoga practice, there are many ways to practice yoga in Koh Samui.
Your own personal yoga instructor at your private Koh Samui villa
Many health, wellness and spirital seeking visitors choose to rent a private villa in Koh Samui and either choose to go to participate in the many daily yoga classes found in centres around the island or prefer to have their own personal private instructors to practice in the familiar surroundings of their rental villa.
If you choose to stay at one of our Koh Samui villas the villa managers can arrange for a yoga instructor to visit you as many times as you require during your stay.
Some of the villas have a dedicated space to practise such as a cool sala, lawn or decking. This is a completely convenient option for those that are travelling with family and friends who may or may not share their interest in yoga and will teach individually or with the other members of your group.
You can combine your yoga practice with other activities throughout the day and book at times that will suit you, whether you prefer sunrise or sunset.
At the beautiful Villa Celadon it can be arranged for private yoga classes to take place on the terrace by the pool with a stunning sea view and the backdrop of the island of Koh Phangan This beautiful 4 bedroom villa is located in Bang Por between the exclusive Four Seasons Hotel and ‘W’ Hotel.
For the bigger groups staying at the larger villas who wish to practice yoga the 9 bedroom Upni Duniya has it’s own beachfront platform and the stunning Villa Koh Koon set in the hills above Chaweng that sleeps up to 16 has a dedicated platform with an amazing sea view.
Private yoga classes are a great way to receive instruction and hands-on adjustments to your postures.
The Yogarden is a gem of a place and one of our favourites. It’s a peaceful haven based in Fisherman’s Village. It’s possible to buy a pass for several classes to take throughout your holiday stay. All types of yoga are available as well as detox programmes and therapy treatments. The Yogarden is a relaxed, welcoming and happy community - they are very family friendly and children have their own reading and creative area to play in.
They have several yoga teachers and types of classes. Try a challenging dynamic flow class with the aim of achieving maximum flexibility or some Yin Yoga with owner Bonnie, a slow-paced style of yoga with postures or asanas that are held for a comparatively long period of time - five minutes or longer per pose is typical.
The Yogarden is open Monday to Friday 10.30 to 5.30 and 9am to 1pm on a Saturday, closed on Sundays.
The Vikasa Yoga Retreat is located in Chaweng Noi beach. Their teaching methods are rooted in the ancient traditions of Hatha and the foundation of their philosophy is to use yoga for personal growth and evolution.
There are 3 beautiful openair yoga pavilions here with breath-taking sea views and hard wooden floors. Two of the pavilions take up to 60 mats and the third small sala takes 20. There is also a wide and varied range of classes.
Classes take place every day and include flow, ashtanga, yin yoga and pilates, as well as special experiences like Gong and candle gazing. You can drop into classes here and buy classes in groups of 1,3 or 10 passes.
There is a huge range of drop in yoga classes on offer here and you can buy passes in batches of 1,3,10 or 20 or buy a 1 week or 1 month pass.
They have created their own style of yoga called Absolute Fit, it's a yoga series that raises your heart rate to give you a cardio workout similar to circuit training, but working with the basic fundamentals of yoga.
They also have more traditional classes including Hatha, Vinyasa and Ashtanga.
Absolute Sanctuary is located in Bophut and they have classes every day of the week throughout the day - you’ll need to book in advance.
Take a Mat to the Beach!
We are serious…… if you already practice yoga and are happy to practice alone, find a spot on one of the many beautiful beaches around Koh Samui. The best times are at sunrise or sunset. Simply beautiful.
Don’t worry if you forget to pack your mat as they sell them in Tesco Lotus!
Need a relaxing fix of yoga before you go? Try a downward dog, chair pose or Warrior II, with yoga trainer Niki Perry, whose clients include Kate Winslet.
