Yoga Retreat Chiang Mai
DEEPLY LOCAL
Mala Dhara Chiang Mai Yoga Retreat Center was born with deep local roots in what is now the flourishing and internationally recognized Chiang Mai Yoga Community in Northern Thailand. First opened nearly 6 years ago, the vision for Mala Dhara was first conceived by – and draws inspiration from – the small but diverse groups of local yogis practicing in Chiang Mai, Thailand over a decade ago. Out of this welcoming and diverse group – with many styles, nationalities and approaches on their particular path of yoga – grew the roots of the vision for Mala Dhara.
An all inclusive retreat space created for the purpose of hosting the deep and wide breath of of yoga practices.
For a retreat space dedicated to not just one person or one group’s approach, philosophy or style of yoga – but a place where people from the international community can gather on retreat to share their own specialized wisdom with others.
Mala Dhara is a place to explore your personal areas of interest and advancement. A place where the focus is not on accommodating as many different people – at all times – into the same yoga practice. Mala Dhara Retreat Center is a place offering opportunities to ‘more deeply explore’, ‘fully immerse’, ‘learn and advance’ oneself along your chosen path and practices. Along a path that will actually serve you. Along the path that you choose.
There are so many paths and approaches toward yoga available to us. Mala Dhara’s yoga retreat space is here to help you explore yoga in a way that speaks to your authentic life journey, to your genuine needs and passions. We host specialized yoga retreat programs in Chiang Mai with teachers steeped in their respective knowledge – with unique wisdom that speaks directly to you. Choose your yoga practice at Mala Dhara.
DEEPLY PERSONAL
This means that Mala Dhara may be the place where you first discovered yoga on your yoga teacher training – an all inclusive safe space to learn the rich philosophy and early exploration of yoga asana alignment – with variations for everyone and every ability. Mala Dhara may alternatively be the place where you finally completed the full secondary series in your Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Practice after decades of dedication. Or finally, Mala Dhara may be the place where you first met your Bhakti Yoga teacher on a women’s empowerment weekend retreat.
A retreat space in Chiang Mai for all yoga practitioners – but with the very keen awareness that not all yoga practices are for everybody.
We all have such unique differences, interests and abilities. Luckily, we also have so many very different paths in yoga to choose from; with gifted and knowledgeable members of our international community willing to share their expertise and focus in on their unique knowledge.
At Mala Dhara we open up our retreat space to explore these nuanced, specialized yoga practices. At Mala Dhara you can join a specific event in an effort to discover new ways of practicing that are better suited to you .
Find and join with others on retreat to explore the path that serves you.
Because only you know what is useful and what is meaningful to you – what will actually benefit you.
DEEPLY NATURAL
At Mala Dhara, yoga is not just a service or amenity that we are able to arrange for you or your group, it is our lifestyle. We are a locally owned family run yoga center and organic farm where we live, eat and practice each and every day. And as part of that, Mala Dhara provides everyone on a yoga retreat with us an opportunity to join us to experience our nutritious and delicious plant based vegan meals with organically grown rice from Mala Dhara’s very own organic farm.
Owned and operated by 3 generations of family – in deep nature – with plant based wisdom.
Morning yoga and meditation practices take place in the rice field yoga shala affording 360 degree ‘wall-less’ open air cool breezy views of the endless verdant rice fields and mountains. Our round light brick poolside yoga shala is ideal for the intimate comfort of a cool evening yoga practice or circle – with screens, speakers, projector, fans lighting and privacy. Adobe structures make up the majority of the Mala Dhara villas and the Kin Dee Plant Based Vegan Restaurant provides second story sweeping views from the veranda – for unforgettable, nutritious group dinners.
While Mala Dhara is proud to serve vegan plant based meals using our own organically grown rice, we always take it one step further to create unique flavors, fusion dishes, raw desserts, kiffir waters and more.
And while we also embrace the abundant nature all around us, we know Thailand gets extremely hot! This is why part of our personal practice includes a cool dip in our saltwater pool every evening.
We believe getting back to nature doesn’t mean we can’t have fun.
We embrace natural comforts and style.
YOGA RETREATS & EVENTS
For more information about the yoga retreats, ceremonies and events being hosted at Mala Dhara such as yoga teacher trainings, yoga Immersions, workshops and special courses, please feel free to contact us, check our Chiang Mai Events Page or sign up for our newsletter for updates at the bottom of the page.
For more information on how you can host a yoga retreat, ceremony or gathering at Mala Dhara, check out our Host Your Chiang Mai Yoga Retreat page.
To sign up for a specific event, training or retreat being held at Mala Dhara, please email: [email protected] or use the email form on our website contact page.
PRIVATE YOGA INSTRUCTION
Mala Dhara also offers private yoga classes upon special request for any of our guests with either a variety of guest yoga teachers or with Kru Ploy herself, the founder and owner of Mala Dhara. Ploy’s yoga training background is in Ashtanga and Anusara and she known throughout Chiang Mai’s yoga community and Northern Thailand to have a vigorous personal yoga practice but a gentle heart. These days, Ploy’s primary devotion is to her Bhakti Yoga and Vipassana Meditation practice – though her strength and love for her her daily personal asana practice continues.
She is a former yoga teacher at Wild Rose Yoga Studio in the Old City of Chiang Mai and you are definitely in for a treat when Ploy is available for private yoga instruction at Mala Dhara.
Yoga classes at Mala Dhara are held in one of our two Yoga Shalas: either next to our salt water pool with comfortable fans, soft lighting and cozy atmosphere or in the organic gardens on the edge of the resort with a natural breeze and wide expansive views of the misty mountains and verdant rice fields.