Yoga, Culture, & Adventure Retreat in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand

Thailand, “The Land of Smiles” is one of our favorite countries in the world, a place where spirituality and kindness are essentials in daily life. Chiang Mai, the largest city in Northern Thailand, is situated in the midst of lush green mountains and rice fields. The area is home to intricate Buddhist temples and is the cultural and spiritual hub of Thailand, a perfect place to dive into your yoga practice, adventure in nature, learn more about meditation, plus eat delicious Northern Thai food! We are so excited to guide you through both inner and outer journeys of exploration here!

Why YOU should join us on our Thailand yoga, culture, & adventure retreat!

Join us for a rejuvenating week-long yoga retreat at Mala Dhara Eco Resort near Chiang Mai, Thailand. Immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the area while deepening your yoga practice and connecting with a group of like-minded yogis. In addition to daily yoga classes, our retreat includes cultural immersion opportunities like a Buddhist philosophy class with a Thai monk, a night market, visits to local temples, and an opportunity to receive traditional, sacred, Sak Yant tattoos (more on this below). Our nature activities in Thailand are hikes, cave tours, and waterfall swimming, plus an unforgettable visit to the best ethical elephant sanctuary in Asia, Elephant Nature Park. Thai massage, traditional massage, and a cooking class are optional extras.

Get ready to unwind, connect, and find inner peace on this truly unique and unforgettable retreat. As always, this will be a sober, alcohol-free retreat, with classes and activities focused towards authentic yoga philosophy and deep healing.

Mala Dhara Eco Resort:

Mala Dhara Eco Resort is a beautiful and special healing sanctuary located in the rice fields of Northern Thailand, just 30 minutes outside of the city of Chiang Mai. This peaceful oasis offers uniquely natural and sustainable accommodations, two separate yoga areas, plant-based Thai food, an eco-friendly salt water pool, a steam bath, on-site farm, and so much more! Of special note are the accommodations, which include a set of villas, each designed in creative and unique ways. One of them is even named the Hobbit Villa, for all of you Lord of the Rings fans! This will be our third retreat at this space and we couldn’t be happier to be coming back!

What is the yoga like on this Thailand retreat?

Imagine waking up in the stillness and peace of the early hours at Mala Dhara Eco Resort to the sounds of birds welcoming the new day. We begin our days with a relaxing morning meditation together, followed by an invigorating asana practice. The facility boasts two wonderful yoga spaces in which we practice asana and meditation. The outside yoga shala has an amazing view overlooking lush green mountains and rice fields, while the indoor yoga space with air conditioning is available for us to use when the weather does not permit us practicing outside. In addition to the daily morning meditation and asana practices, we also frequently offer an evening yin or restorative asana practice, after a full day of exploring and taking in the local sights. All classes are taught by Carrie, who is trained and highly-experienced in trauma-informed yoga. All classes are welcoming and accessible to all levels. Anyone and everyone, from brand new beginners to experienced yogis, are welcome here and we know you will find something of value to your own personal practice and self-care routine.

What can I expect on the excursions planned on this retreat?

Carrie and Zach once lived in Thailand and spent a lot of their time  exploring and finding off-the-beaten-path locations that the average tourist probably wouldn’t be able to find. Because of this, they have been able to carefully curate a variety of unique and meaningful cultural experiences for their retreat guests that will leave you feeling enriched and informed about the culture and spirituality of this beautiful part of the world. One adventure we have planned is an excursion into the city of Chaing Mai to meet with a Thai monk for what’s called a “Monk Chat,” where we will learn about Buddhist philosophy and meditation and how we can apply these lessons into our own lives.  Another outing, (an optional add-on for those who wish) involves a meeting with Buddhist monk who is an expert in sacred sak yant tattooing. These intuitive,mystical tattoo masters see truths inside of us that others cannot. They reach into the unknown and return with answers, guidance, and then place a blessing onto your skin, permanently protecting you. The Ajarn (Sak Yant Master,) is quick with his bamboo tattooing stick, using a traditional tattooing method that is safe and clean and involves manual application of a handmade natural ink using a tapping method that has been in use for two thousand years. This ancient technique can involve some discomfort as any tattoo experience does, yet the pain helps you to remember the messages and lessons of the tattoo that the master has designed specifically for you after your meeting with him.

These two unique, cultural excursions can provide you a little bit of insight as to what you can expect on our adventures together in Thailand. Not everyone offering a Thailand yoga retreat has actually spent time living in Thailand and learning the culture deeply!

What is Elephant Nature Park and what will we do there?

One trip that is exceptionally noteworthy and which we want to highlight is visiting the Elephant Nature Park. In Thailand, and various places around the world, the sad harsh truth is there are hundreds of elephants abused daily by being subjected to cruel practices such as street begging, elephant riding, and circus shows. These elephants endure severe physical and psychological abuse in order to fulfill these tasks. Saengduean Chailert, also known as Lek, grew up in a family that had a business exploiting and abusing these animals. When she grew up, she decided to break away from the family traditions and fight for these beloved animals by becoming an elephant rights advocate and creating Elephant Nature Park. This  rescue and rehabilitation center in Northern Thailand is the location of one of our most impactful outings. About an hour away from our home base at Mala Dhara Eco Resort, we dedicate an entire day at this park where a guide will give us a tour of the facility. We get up close and personal with the elephants and learn more about the park’s mission. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to respectfully walk alongside these beautiful and majestic animals and experience their power up close.

Although you don’t have to be sober in real life to come on our retreat, you do need to be willing to take a break from any recreational substances throughout the entire retreat experience. We believe everyone is recovering from something, whether it’s addiction, stress, trauma, eating disorders, or just the disconnection of life in our busy, high-tech world. Bigger Life Adventures strives to create a safe and open space for vulnerability and openness about each and every healing journey. Our retreats don’t include formal recovery meetings, but our guests are always sharing and learning from each other as we all work to use the tools of yoga and community to become better and live bigger lives.