The Victoria Folly Shala
The largest on the estate, with 270-degree views over Victoria Lake and the Knuckles. The one guests photograph and then give up on photographing.
Up to 26 · 270-degree views
Knuckles Mountain Range · Sri Lanka
Daily yoga, for every level
We take yoga seriously so you don't have to.
One of the most common questions we get is whether you need to be 'good' at yoga to come on a retreat with us. The short answer is: of course not.
The long answer is that we know yoga well enough to know there is no good or bad. Yoga is an entirely personal journey. So whether you are a seasoned practitioner or you have never stepped foot on a mat, our teachers are trained to meet you wherever you are.
A lot of our guests come here to restart a practice that had fallen by the wayside. Our teachers have trained in multiple styles at some of the oldest schools in India. Yoga is a practice to be taken seriously, but there is no need to feel serious on the mat. We all move differently, and yoga looks different on every body.
Where you practise
Two shalas, and a spot at the top of the hill
Two daily classes: one in the morning to energise, hatha and vinyasa flow; one in the evening to cool down, yin, yoga nidra and guided meditation.
The Yin Shala
Open to the valley, with the lake below and a Buddha at its edge. The room for the slower evening practice: yin, nidra, restorative.
Up to 22
The meditation spot
Not a shala, but the highest point of the estate. A small open pavilion at the top of the hill, looking over everything. Where people go to sit before the day starts, and to watch it end.
At the top of the estateYour practice
Two classes a day, and what they are for
Every class leans heavily on mindfulness, present-time awareness and meditation. Yoga is more than flexibility and physical strength, and it is taught that way here.
7.30am
The morning class
You walk down the estate to an open-air shala overlooking Victoria Lake, and are guided through an energising sequence. Hatha and vinyasa flow.
5.30pm
The evening class
As the day becomes night, a restorative practice of deep stretches, yin, yoga nidra and guided meditation.
One full day, on requestGoing deeper
Yoga immersion
What is yoga beyond the mat?
During your stay you can sign up for a full immersion led by the two resident teachers.
- Before lunchThe origins of yogaYogic philosophyPosture alignment
- LunchAn extra special yogic lunch to support the day
- After lunchMeditationBreath workTea ceremonyYin class
Equipment
Every prop is made for the practice
All of the equipment here is bespoke.
Our mats
Sourced locally, made with natural rubber. Slip-proof and durable for flowing yogis.
Our blocks
Blocks to support your practice, made of wood from the estate.
Our bolsters
Hand-made and upholstered with natural linen. With just the right amount of squish.
A day at Welikande
Your day, from first light to the last plate
Nothing is compulsory. This is the rhythm, not a timetable.
6.30am
Quiet time
The sky brightens over the rolling hills of the jungle, as far as the eye can see.
7.30am
Morning yoga and meditation
You walk down the estate to an open-air shala overlooking Victoria Lake, and are guided through an energising sequence. Hatha and vinyasa flow.
9am
Kola Kanda, then breakfast
A traditional Sri Lankan herbal drink that warms you through, followed by a communal breakfast on the mountain-view terrace.
10.30am
A daily activity, or nothing at all
A tea factory, a waterfall, a village market, a Buddhist temple. Transport, lunch and a guide are included. Or stay for the pool and a massage.
5.30pm
Sunset yoga
As the day becomes night, a restorative practice of deep stretches, yin, yoga nidra and guided meditation.
7pm
A Sri Lankan feast
Grown on the estate where we can, cooked that afternoon, eaten together.
