Sri Lanka Yoga holidays

The retreat is run as a self-sustained village, where the vast majority of staff are from immediately surrounding local villages and who live in and largely run the property themselves. Our resident Ayurveda doctor provides training in Ayurvedic massage and therapies for the treatment centre staff, who are also from either within the complex or from neighbouring villages. Nearly all the food consumed is grown on site. In addition to growing rice, fruits, vegetables and timber trees, we have recently started growing medicinal plants and trees used for making Ayurvedic medicines. We source many of our other supplies and building materials from the immediate locality. Similarly, all the Ayurvedic medicines used in our treatment center are made especially for us locally.

We regularly invest in services and amenities for the local community (rebuilding and maintaining the reservoir that is central to local agriculture, creation of a free Ayurveda clinic for the surrounding villages, donations to the local hospitals and temples, all which are done in the lowest profile way possible – ie. without acknowledgements, notices, quid pro quo demands, plaques, etc). The Ayurvedic treatment center on site, which serves paying guests, is used to fund the year-round Free Clinic for the surrounding villages. Only local products and services are made available to guests.

Before their arrival, guests are given an introduction as to what to expect through information provided via our website and a guest information pack. Once on site, we encourage guests to learn more about the local culture and customs through immersion and interaction with the local villagers.

Guest participation is encouraged in local ceremonies and traditional gatherings, while keeping them informed of locally acceptable behaviour and appropriate dress. We encourage our guests to visit social projects within the community (such as the Free Clinic) or in surrounding villages (schools for handicapped children, etc) and to support such projects. We regularly hold meetings with and seek feedback from local community leaders. The property is run by a committee of villagers with help from one of the owners, himself a local. NGOs have participated in the project for the benefit of the local community (e.g. stocking the lake with fish for the local fishermen). The most fundamental of our environmental policies is to limit the number of guests it accepts (no more than 19 paying guests at a time) and to do so for a limited period in any given year (a maximum of 26 weeks).

Only natural materials are used in the construction of guest and villagers’ accommodation, the Ayurvedic treatment centre and Free Clinic (wattle and daub huts with palm roofing). Much use has been made of clay, stone, wood, pottery and fabrics which reflect traditional village practices and aesthetics. We also protect the native vegetation within the property (by replanting thousands of local species of trees, replanting of heritage strains of rice, vegetables, rare medicinal plants, etc) We only use organic farming practices that follow the lunar cycle and use no mechanical means.

Furthermore, all crops are hand planted and harvested, while the fields are ploughed and the rice is threshed by buffalo. We also protect the local wildlife by ensuring that their natural habitat is in the least possible way altered and that poachers and hunters are kept away.

The local environment is also protected by maintaining the lake and sluice and natural water flows. No cars are allowed within the area and guests are encouraged to use bicycles when exploring the surrounding areas. By design there is no electricity on site and life is lived by the rhythm of the day. Paths and accommodation are lit by lamps and lanterns. A small solar power panel provides electricity for recharging hand held devices. Food is cooked on open fires and there are no fridges (which were deemed by one of the retreats founders as simply being a means of eating un-fresh food)and water comes from spring-fed wells and guests are encouraged to use it sparingly. Sewage is treated onsite and no raw sewage is released directly into the environment. Waste is separated and sorted and recyclables (metals and glass) are removed. Guests are encouraged not to bring plastic waste onsite, or to take back what they might bring to their home country when they leave.