The Root: Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and the Path to Wholeness

Over this very special 2 week retreat we will explore the importance of our personal yoga practice. The practice which is our rock, our precious sword, which cuts through the drama and reactiveness and allow us to live intelligently, while transforming our outer environment and centring our inner environment.

Our immersion is designed to keep bringing us back to breath, back to mantra, back to self-responsibility, while teaching that these ancient techniques of yoga hold the secret to discovery –  the discovery that our only responsibility is the ability to respond to all situations in life with awareness, attention, inquiry and imagination. Together as a collective we will discover that from these key responses, the world around us blossoms into the mystical, magical miracle it is to be alive.

The true gift of this immersion is what you will take home, not just a holiday, but a memory that has feeling, a memory of knowledge, a memory that inspires you to continue on your personal path, renewed and empowered.

Rooted in experience. Guided with care.

John has shared Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga with students across Europe and around the world. This November, he returns to India, where he began studying directly with Guruji, Shri K. Pattabhi Jois, at his shala in Mysore in 1989. His teaching draws on that relationship and decades of personal practice and enquiry. JSY

John and Julia share a particular gift for hands-on adjustments, combining skill with care and sensitivity. Their individual approaches invite you to explore the postures with greater awareness, deepening your connection with the physical practice and with yourself.

An invitation from John

In a world of continuous change, I keep returning to one thing: the practice.

Over the years, I have come to understand my yoga practice as a root. The deeper that root grows, the further I can extend my branches, and the more gracefully I can meet the complexity of life.

Julia and I have been returning to Purple Valley for many years. Each time, our invitation is the same: come back to your root.

These two weeks are an opportunity to meet yourself on the mat again. To listen to your breath, give your attention to what is happening now, and explore what the practice means to you at this moment in your life.

For us, yoga is more than the postures. It is a practice of attention, a way of bringing heart and mind into closer relationship. It asks us to consider how we want to live and how we might act with greater awareness, clarity and compassion.

We invite you to explore this together: supported by your teachers, encouraged by the group, and met as an individual.

John

What you will explore

The Ashtanga Vinyasa system provides the foundation for our time together. From that foundation, we explore the relationship between body, breath, attention and the way we move through life.

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga as a dynamic meditation

Work with the relationship between movement, breath and drishti, the point of focus, to explore the practice beyond the shape of a posture.

Breathwork and pranayama

Make time to listen more closely to the breath and notice how it relates to your physical and emotional experience.

Philosophy in practice

Explore Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and consider how their teachings relate to your own questions, intentions and everyday choices.

Mantra, sound and self-enquiry

Experience chanting and exploration through sound as shared practices of attention, and create space to question familiar patterns with curiosity.

Throughout the retreat, the invitation is to deepen your understanding. Not simply to do more, but to become more attentive to how you practise.

The programme

Mornings: return to the practice

Practice mornings begin with stillness: a short silent meditation, an awakening of the breath, and gentle movement to prepare the spine before asana.

We begin with teacher-led counted practice, establishing a shared rhythm before progressing towards assisted self-practice. This gives you time to explore the method while receiving guidance within the group. JSY

Afternoons: explore beyond the sequence

Three afternoon workshops each week create space for questions and deeper exploration. Sessions bring together technique, philosophy, pranayama, chanting and meditation, with room for sound, movement and play. JSY

Between sessions: let the experience settle

Not every moment needs to be filled.

There is time to rest, reflect, share a meal and enjoy conversations that begin in the practice room and continue beyond it. The space between sessions is part of the retreat, too.

A typical practice day

The published sample schedule includes six practice mornings and three afternoon workshops per week. Timings and session content may be adjusted to support the group.

A shared practice. An individual journey.

One of the most important parts of this retreat is the group itself.

From the first day, John and Julia make a point of learning everyone’s names and encouraging genuine conversation. That simple attention helps create a space where you can ask questions, share your experience and feel part of the group.

You will practise together, but you will not be expected to have the same practice. Each person arrives with their own history, questions and intentions.

A home practice matters. So does the opportunity to return to your teachers and spend time with people who share your commitment.

Here, there is room for both: the independence of your own enquiry and the encouragement of practising together.

Meet your teachers

John Scott

John has practised Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga since 1987. Introduced to the practice by Derek Ireland and Radha Warrell, he later travelled to Mysore to study with Shri K. Pattabhi Jois, returning annually and receiving his teaching certification in 1995.

His teaching brings together technical enquiry, metaphor and humour, with a particular interest in the counted method and the relationship between breath, movement and attention. He approaches yoga as an ongoing exploration, inviting students to remain curious about both the practice and themselves. JSY

Julia Grant-Scott

Julia brings a background in dance, acting, yoga and meditation to her teaching. Her approach draws on these disciplines to support awareness, expression and connection.

Through her teaching and hands-on adjustments, she places particular importance on helping students feel met and supported as individuals, creating space for their own experience of the practice to unfold. JSY

Is this retreat for you?

This retreat is an invitation to give your practice time and attention.

Perhaps you have an established practice and would welcome fresh perspective. Perhaps you have spent a long time practising alone, or are finding your way back after a period away.

You may be drawn to the physical practice, curious about philosophy and meditation, or looking for a closer connection between what happens on your mat and how you live.

You do not need to arrive with everything figured out. Bring your questions, your curiosity and a willingness to explore.

New to Ashtanga or unsure whether the format is right for you? Contact us before booking so we can discuss your experience and the programme.

Your home in Goa

Purple Valley offers a garden setting, comfortable rooms, a swimming pool and vegetarian meals. It is a place to settle into the rhythm of practice without filling every hour.

Between sessions, spend time by the pool, find a quiet place to read, or linger over a conversation.

Before you book

Can I come on my own?

Yes. You can book a single room or request a shared room without bringing a roommate. Purple Valley can arrange room sharing, subject to availability.

When should I arrive?

Arrival is Saturday, 21 November 2026. Rooms are available from 2:00 pm, with a welcome meeting at 6:00 pm followed by dinner. Please plan your journey so you can join us for the opening gathering.

Will there be time outside the teaching sessions?

Yes. The sample programme leaves several afternoons free and includes a rest day between the two practice weeks. You will have space to rest and enjoy time outside the sessions. JSY

Can you help arrange an airport transfer?

Purple Valley can help organise airport transfers, which are paid separately. Contact the team with your flight details to discuss arrangements and costs.

Come to Goa. Make time for your practice.

Before the year turns, give yourself time to pause, listen and practise with intention.

These two weeks are an invitation to reconnect with your teachers, become part of a shared practice, and explore what helps you feel rooted in your own life.

The intention is not to leave with everything resolved. It is to return home with a practice you understand more deeply and a renewed sense of why it matters.

Join John and Julia at Purple Valley.

Booking Information

Please read the Terms & Conditions before booking a retreat.

Accommodation Options

Take a look at our accommodation options:

• Ganesh House
• Savasana House
• Cottages
• Dormitories (Please contact us to book a dorm room)