Laos Retreat | Sacred Root

SACRED ROOT

LAOS

Quieten your mind, re-inhabit your body & awaken your true potential

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Expand & Explore

Expand & explore with Sacred Root in Laos

Join us for a week of yoga, meditation and self-enquiry designed to help you quieten your mind, re-inhabit your body and awaken your true potential.

We’ll stay in an exclusive, eco-friendly lodge set in the heart of the Lao countryside, just outside Luang Prabang. Set in a tropical garden, the resort is surrounded by mountains, waterfalls, farmland and rice paddies, providing an idyllic paradise for you to nourish yourself in nature.

You’ll have the chance to explore the beguiling UNESCO world heritage site of Luang Prabang, located on the Mekong and the Nam Khan rivers. This beautiful city is resplendent with French colonial architecture, golden Buddhist temples and traditional wooden Lao buildings. Soak up the fascinating history, experience the charm of the local markets and sample Laos' incredible culinary delights.

Location

Our retreat venue is located in the mountains approximately 10km outside of beautiful Luang Prabang, a UNESCO heritage site. It is situated next to a National Park and is surrounded by tropical vegetation, waterfalls, hiking trails and rice paddies. It’s the perfect place to reset in nature and explore the Lao countryside.

The ancient capital of Luang Prabang is considered by many to be the spiritual centre of Buddhism and one of the most interesting places to visit in south East Asia. You can explore golden temples, experience traditional Buddhist rituals and appreciate a fusion of Lao and French architecture. Old Luang Prabang (where the main attractions lie) is on a small peninsula where the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers converge so you are never too far from water, a cool breeze and lush vegetation.

Getting to the retreat

Luang Prabang International Airport is a 40 minute drive away from the retreat venue (15 km).

Luang Prabang is easily accessible from all over the world. We usually fly from the UK with Thai Airways via Bangkok, but it is also well serviced by a number of other major airlines. Make sure you get a window seat because the scenery is breathtaking with a view of lush green forests and endless mountains.

We can arrange negotiated set-rate transfers from the airport to and from the retreat for you (just let us know a few weeks in advance).

Venue

The venue comprises 9 secluded bungalows set on a forested hill with striking views of the mountains. Each bungalow is beautifully decorated with bamboo ceilings and polished wooden floors, and comes with its own balcony and ensuite bathroom.

We’ll practise yoga outside in nature by the pool and meditate in the beautiful outdoor shala. Relax with a book in a leafy corner, soak up the rays by the pool and explore one of the many hiking trails amongst the rice paddies and mountains around the venue.

Yoga & Activities

We’ll start each day with a guided meditation followed by a 90 minute dynamic yoga practice in the morning and a 90 minute restorative or yin yoga practice at sunset. As part of these sessions, we’ll also explore a range of pranayama techniques.

Workshops

We’ll come together as a group to explore the theme of the day through a variety of group exercises, pair-work and self-enquiry in a daily workshop. These sessions are designed to challenge you to consider yourself and your life with a sense of fresh perspective. We’ll provide you with tips and life lessons to help you lead a happier, healthier and more connected life.

Other activities

Rest day and trip to Luang Prabang

We’ll have a free day mid-week without any yoga classes or workshops to give you the chance to have a lie-in and explore the surrounding area. We’ll head into Luang Prabang in the afternoon so that you can wander around this enchanting UNESCO heritage site with its picturesque river-front cafes, temples, boutique shops and markets.

We’ll enjoy sun-downers on the Mekong and dine in one of Luang Prabang’s tastiest restaurants that evening.

Cultural activities

Traditional basi ceremony (Lao blessing)

We’ll visit the local village and participate in a traditional basi ceremony. “Basi” means calling of the soul and is an important spiritual ceremony in Lao culture, which has been performed for hundreds of years.

Lao people believe that a human being is a union of 32 organs and that each organ has a spirit or “khuan” to protect them. These spirits often wander outside of the body which causes an imbalance of the soul. The basi ceremony encourages the 32 spirits to return to the body, regaining harmony and bringing good luck and prosperity.

Lao cooking class

We’ve arranged a Lao cooking class for you nearby in Nahm Dong Park. You’ll learn how to prepare a range of delicious Lao dishes with fresh natural ingredients in a stunning outdoor bamboo kitchen and then sample your tasty creations after for lunch.

Sacred Root Laos Team

Freddie Valente-Perfeito

Sacred Root Laos Yoga Teacher

A natural teacher, Freddie’s yoga classes are strong, powerful and soulful. A self-confessed anatomy and alignment geek, you’ll learn how to deepen your practice safely under her expert guidance. No two classes are ever the same; her teaching style draws on her training in Hatha, Vinyasa, Sivananda, Ashtanga and Yin Yoga. She has an uncanny knack of supporting beginners while challenging more experienced students. Her classes are infused with spiritual soundbites, a deep understanding of yoga philosophy and beautiful playlists.

Freddie will be leading the yoga and meditation sessions during the retreat.

“Freddie’s teaching is at a level that is hard to describe”.

To find out more about Freddie click here

Sophie Colyer

Sacred Root Founder & Laos Retreat Host

Sacred Root’s retreat host, Sophie, will look after you from the minute you decide to book a Sacred Root retreat until you return home with your post-retreat glow. Friendly, vivacious and caring, you can rely on her to make you feel immediately at ease. Her infectious enthusiasm for travel, yoga and supporting local communities, allows her to create unique retreats which immerse you in the heart and soul of each country.

A qualified yoga teacher and human rights lawyer with a passion for Buddhism, spiritual development and learning, Sophie is a keen observer of life. She’ll be leading the workshops during the retreat.

“Sophie you really did the most incredible job bringing us all together, and giving us such an all-rounded local, spiritual, mind and body experience … you nailed it! And Freddie, the symbiotic relationship you two have makes a perfect team. Thank you both”.

To find out more about Sophie click here

Food & Drink

We’ll be serving delicious vegetarian food during our retreat, sourced from the retreat venue’s organic garden and local producers. You can expect a range of mouth-watering delights, including traditional Lao and Asian fusion dishes.

Let us know in advance if you have any allergies or food intolerances and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.

All meals are included in the cost of the retreat and served at the property with the exception of one dinner at a stunning river-front location in Luang Prabang.

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Lao cuisine

Very little is known about Lao food compared to the cuisine of its more prominent neighbours and it’s often mistakenly considered to be the same as Thai. However, Lao dishes do not traditionally include green curries, fried rice or sweet and sour flavours. Instead, Laos meals usually include sticky rice (a Lao staple!) with jeow (spicy dipping sauce) to add flavour. Meals often consist of soup, sticky rice, meat or fish and a vegetable dish. Expect delicious, fresh flavours and plenty of galangal, lemongrass and chilies.

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Rooms

The venue is comprised of 9 secluded bungalows set on a forested hill with striking views of the mountains. Each bungalow is beautifully decorated with bamboo ceilings and polished wooden floors, and comes with its own balcony overlooking the garden and ensuite bathroom.

The bungalows have ceiling fans and mosquito nets (air con isn’t required due to the altitude and the refreshing mountain breeze).

Prices

To find out more about costs, please send an enquiry including potential number of people

What’s included:

7 nights’ accommodation in an exclusive eco-resort near Luang Prabang
Daily guided meditation sessions
11 x 1.5 hour yoga sessions
5 workshops
1 Lao cooking class in Nahm Dong Park
Traditional basi ceremony
Breakfast, lunch and dinner each day (except for dinner in Luang Prabang)
Afternoon trip to Luang Prabang
Unlimited herbal teas and filtered water
Welcome gift upon arrival
Use of yoga mats, blocks and straps
Use of the retreat venue’s steam bath

Optional extras:

Airport transfer (negotiated set-rate transfer, available upon request)

What’s not included:

Flights to and from Luang Prabang
Entry visa for Laos (available online or on arrival at Luang Prabang airport)
Travel insurance (required to join the retreat)
Massages (can be arranged at the property upon request for USD 9 per hour)
Dinner in Luang Prabang at Tamarind restaurant

How to Book

Contact us by email, phone or using our contact form on this website for more information.
We’ll give you a call to answer any of your questions and to confirm room availability.
Once you’ve decided to book, let us know what type of room you’d like and we’ll email you with payment details.
A non-refundable deposit of 20% of the retreat cost is required to secure your spot.
Your booking is secured once we’ve received your payment and sent you written confirmation of your payment.
The full balance is payable 60 days before the start of the retreat.

"I had the absolute pleasure of experiencing Sacred Root in Cambodia last month. Not only was it restorative from a spiritual perspective but also such an education into the country itself, one that would not have been possible had I been travelling alone. For someone who is not naturally drawn to the joys of yoga, the wonderful Freddie could not have made it a better experience for me - challenging in just the right ways. As a nutritionist, I was fascinated by the food offering and intrigued how they would introduce variety into an all vegetarian menu - they did not disappoint, every meal was DELICIOUS. I feel truly grateful to have had this experience and will definitely be back in 2020 - Sophie & Freddie you have created something magical, thank you for sharing it with us all :)"

Juliette, Phuket

“The Cambodia retreat was exhilarating and incredibly rewarding. The mix of Sophie and Freddie was perfect – a great complement to each other. The yoga was lovely – structured and balanced; each class was varied with a different tempo. The food was delicious – fresh, healthy and presented beautifully. Being in the presence of the Buddhist monks for the blessing and being able to ask questions was amazing and culturally enlightening.”

Olivia, London

“What a beautiful, relaxing spot with fantastic ambience. The yoga was perfect. Sophie you really did the most incredible job bringing us all together, and giving us such an all-rounded local, spiritual, mind and body experience. I know it takes a lot of hard work to organize – you nailed it! And Freddie, the symbiotic relationship you two have makes a perfect team. Thank you both.”

Clare, Cornwall

“The Cambodia retreat was an amazing experience, personally enlightening and a real privilege to share with others. The workshops were great, challenging but allowed people to get to know each other. The yoga was excellent. Freddie managed to keep a group of people with vastly different yoga skills entertained and moving. Excellent! Keep doing the retreats! I really liked the fact that we got to see Cambodia as well as having a beautiful yogic experience.”

Sue, Glasgow

“10/10 for everything!”

Joana, Porto

“Freddie’s teaching is at a level that is hard to describe. The yoga was excellent. The workshops were enlightening and very important. The monk blessing was informative and gave us a real insight into Buddhism and its importance to the people. The food was excellent.”

Sally & Iain, Sydney

Experience, embody & explore

with Sacred Root in Laos